AMUSEMENT GAMING ACCESS AND AUTHORIZATION POINT

• US 20090029766A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Alderucci, Dean P.
• Application Number:
  US11/828,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20090029766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players

Abstract

In various embodiments, an electrical interface allows a player at a casino to connect a personal computing device and to engage in licensed gaming activities using the personal computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information about a player;

verifying based on the information about the player that the player is eligible to engage in gambling activities; and

providing the player with a cable which is physically adapted to connect at one end to a personal computer and which is physically adapted to connect at the other end to a proprietary electrical interface used for gambling activities.

2. The method of 1 in which:

receiving information about the player includes receiving information about the age of the player; and

verifying includes verifying based on the information about the age of the player that the player is of an eligible age to engage in gambling activities.

3. The method of 1 further including receiving a fee from the player for the use of the cable.

4. The method of 1 further including:

receiving a deposit from the player prior to providing the player with the cable;

receiving the cable from the player; and

returning the deposit to the player after receiving the cable from the player.

5. The method of 1 in which providing includes providing the player with a cable which has a universal serial bus connector at one end and which is physically adapted to connect at the other end to a proprietary electrical interface used for gambling activities.

6. The method of 1 in which providing includes providing the player with a cable which has a serial port connector at one end and which is physically adapted to connect at the other end to a proprietary electrical interface used for gambling activities.

7. The method of 1 further including:

receiving information about a computing device of the player; and

verifying based on the information about the computing device that the computing device is eligible to be used in gambling activities.

8. The method of 7 in which the computing device is one of:

(a) a personal computer;

(b) a personal digital assistant;

(c) a cellular phone;

(d) a laptop computer;

(e) a Blackberry; and

(f) a portable music player.

9. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a computing device has been connected to the terminus of a cable;

verifying that no electromagnetic signals are being broadcast wirelessly by the computing device;

receiving from the computing device an identifier associated with an account;

receiving an indication of a bet amount from the computing device;

determining an outcome of a game;

determining a payout associated with the outcome; and

adjusting a balance associated with the account based on the payout.

10. The method of 9 in which verifying includes periodically sampling the signal received at a receiver in the vicinity of the computing device.

11. The method of 9 in which determining an outcome of a game includes generating an outcome of a game.

12. The method of 9 further including transmitting to the computing device an indication of the outcome.

13. The method of 9 further including:

receiving a number of a software license for software loaded on the computing device; and

verifying based on the number that the computing device is eligible to be used in gambling activities.

14. The method of 9 further including:

receiving an indication of a password that has been entered into the computing device; and

verifying that the password is associated with a player who is eligible to engage in gambling activities.

15. A system comprising:

a dock for the docking of watercraft;

a casino server, the casino server operable to receive bets, conduct games, and make payouts based on the outcomes of such games; and

a cable, the cable terminating at a first end with an electrical interface for connecting with one or more computing devices, and the cable connected at a second end to the casino server,

wherein the electrical interface is located on the dock.

16. The system of 15 in which the electrical interface is at a point on the dock directly abutting a body of water.

17. The system of 15 in which the cable is directly connected to the casino server at the second end.

18. The system of 15 in which the cable is connected at the second end to a network which in turn connects to the casino server.