METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PLAYER INCENTIVES

• US 20090054148A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Acres, John F., Herrmann, Mark E., Taylor, John E. JR., Hardy, Dow K., Kane, Steven N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method is provided for incentivizing players to visit a gambling location. In one aspect, a qualified person is invited to play an electronic game which has a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome. One aspect relates to accumulating outcomes. Another relates to incentives provided to player program member(s). In some embodiments, the person does not need to be qualified. In one embodiment, the person may be required to redeem the outcome at the gambling location, in another at a redemption location. In one embodiment, a player is required to take an action in order to redeem an outcome. In some embodiments, a game play and/or redemption and/or any action must occur in a specified time, respectively. In one embodiment the electronic game is not located at a gambling location, in another it is not located at a redemption location.

Claims

1. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location;

b) permitting, within a specified time period, the qualified person to complete electronic game play which has a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) permitting the qualified person to redeem an outcome, wherein the qualified person must take an action in at least one redemption location within a specified time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

12. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) permitting the qualified person to redeem an outcome in at least one redemption location.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

23. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game;

c) revealing an outcome to the player during play of the electronic game; and

c) permitting the qualified person to redeem an outcome in at least one gambling location.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

34. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) accumulating a plurality of winning outcomes including the at least one winning outcome, the plurality of winning outcomes being capable of being redeemed.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of permitting the qualified person to redeem the plurality of winning outcomes in at least one redemption location.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

37. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of correlating the plurality of winning outcomes with at least one non-cashable credit that can be used by the qualified person at the gambling location.

38. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

40. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

41. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

42. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

43. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

44. The method according to claim 39, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

45. The method according to claim 39, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

46. The method according to claim 39, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

47. A method for conducting a game, comprising acts of:

inviting a person to play an electronic game not located at the redemption location, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which being a winning outcome;

permitting the person to play the game to obtain at least one of the plurality of outcomes; and

if the at least one of the plurality of outcomes is a winning outcome, requiring the person to redeem the at least one outcome at the redemption location.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the person is required to play the game to obtain the at least one of the plurality of outcomes within a specified time period.

49. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the computer-based game.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

52. The method according to claim 49, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

53. The method according to claim 49, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a type of gambler the person may be.

54. The method according to claim 49, wherein the plurality of outcomes is based at least in part on the qualification.

55. The method according to claim 49, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting based on a qualification of the person.

56. The method according to claim 55, further comprising an act of determining a set of possible outcomes based on the qualification.

57. The method according to claim 47, wherein the redemption location includes a gambling location.

58. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of redeeming the at least one outcome in response to an action performed by the person at the redemption location.

59. The method according to claim 57, wherein the electronic game is played by the person on an electronic system separate from gambling systems associated with the gambling location.

60. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

61. The method according to claim 60, further comprising an act of collecting personal information from the person.

62. The method according to claim 61, further comprising an act of obtaining information related to the person from at least one database using at least a portion of the collected personal information.

63. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of requiring the person to redeem the at least one outcome within a specified time period.

64. The method according to claim 47, wherein permitting the person to play the game to obtain at least one of the plurality of outcomes includes an act of purchasing an entry to play the electronic game.

65. The method according to claim 47, wherein the each of the plurality of outcomes is a winning outcome, and wherein an amount of value provided by each of the winning outcomes is greater than a cost to purchase the entry to play the electronic game.

66. The method according to claim 57, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

67. The method according to claim 57, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

68. The method according to claim 57, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

69. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

70. The method according to claim 48, further comprising an act of identifying the person using an identifier of a frequent player program.