SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING AND USING PLAYER INFORMATION

• US 20090176560A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Acres, John F., Lichtenberger, Francis Josef, Herrmann, Mark E., Taylor, John E. JR., Weller, Scott N., Hardy, Dow K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players

Abstract

A distributed computer system is provided for collecting player information. Further, a scoring system is provided that rates a player based on one or more elements of the collected information. Players may be rated with respect to a number of characteristics. Responsive to a determined rating or score, action may be taken by the distributed system with regard to the player. For instance, the player may be provided a complimentary offer, provided an award, and invitation to come to a gambling location, presented an advertisement, or other action may be performed involving the player. Further, the distributed computer system may permit a player to manage their frequent player accounts and receive complimentary offers based on a set of criteria specified by the player.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for receiving a complimentary offer, comprising acts of:

providing access to a player, to an interface that accepts criteria related to a complimentary offer desired by a player;

receiving, by a plurality of organizations, a plurality of complimentary offers based on the accepted criteria; and

permitting the player to select at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of receiving performance information relating to at least one player from a plurality of independent organizations.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of determining a rating of the player and determining at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers based on the determined rating of the player.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of determining a rating of the player responsive to player performance information collected from a plurality of independent organizations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the player performance information collected from a plurality of independent organizations is collected via a plurality of frequent player accounts.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of storing at least one accepted offer by the player, and determining at least one of the complimentary offers based on the at least one accepted offer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the criteria includes at least one of a group comprising:

a price of a complimentary offer;

a location of the complimentary offer;

a date of the complimentary offer; and

a proposition to spend a predetermined amount in a gambling location associated with the complimentary offer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of receiving, further comprises receiving from the plurality of organizations, a plurality of predetermined complimentary offers.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of determining, based on the accepted criteria and from a plurality of available predetermined complimentary offers, a complimentary offer provided to the player.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising an act of monitoring an inventory of available predetermined complimentary offers, and providing complimentary offers from the monitored inventory.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the complimentary offer is provided in real time after the accepted criteria is provided by the player.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the complimentary offer is provided responsive to a receipt of the accepted criteria.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a rating of the player, and wherein the plurality of complimentary offers that are offered to the player are determined based on the rating of the player.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the rating comprises a score that indicates a capacity of the player to spend money.

15. A computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a processor performs a method for receiving a complimentary offer in a distributed computer system, the method comprising acts of:

providing access to a player, to an interface that accepts criteria related to a complimentary offer desired by a player;

receiving, by a plurality of organizations, a plurality of complimentary offers based on the accepted criteria; and

permitting the player to select at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising an act of receiving performance information relating to at least one player from a plurality of independent organizations.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising an act of determining a rating of the player and determining at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers based on the determined rating of the player.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an act of determining a rating of the player responsive to player performance information collected from a plurality of independent organizations.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the player performance information collected from a plurality of independent organizations is collected via a plurality of frequent player accounts.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising an act of storing at least one accepted offer by the player, and determining at least one of the complimentary offers based on the at least one accepted offer.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the criteria includes at least one of a group comprising:

a price of a complimentary offer;

a location of the complimentary offer;

a date of the complimentary offer; and

a proposition to spend a predetermined amount in a gambling location associated with the complimentary offer.

22. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the act of receiving, further comprises receiving from the plurality of organizations, a plurality of predetermined complimentary offers.

23. The computer readable medium according to claim 22, further comprising an act of determining, based on the accepted criteria and from a plurality of available predetermined complimentary offers, a complimentary offer provided to the player.

24. The computer readable medium according to claim 23, further comprising an act of monitoring an inventory of available predetermined complimentary offers, and providing complimentary offers from the monitored inventory.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the complimentary offer is provided in real time after the accepted criteria is provided by the player.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the complimentary offer is provided responsive to a receipt of the accepted criteria.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising determining a rating of the player, and wherein the plurality of complimentary offers that are offered to the player are determined based on the rating of the player.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the rating comprises a score that indicates a capacity of the player to spend money.

29. A distributed computer system for receiving a complimentary offer, the system comprising:

an interface that is adapted to accept, from a player, criteria related to a complimentary offer desired by the player;

a component adapted to receive, by a plurality of organizations, a plurality of complimentary offers based on the accepted criteria; and

a component that is adapted to permit the player to select at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers.

30. The system according to claim 29, further comprising a component adapted to receive performance information at least one player from a plurality of independent organizations.

31. The system according to claim 29, further comprising a component adapted to determine a rating of the player and to determine at least one of the plurality of complimentary offers based on the determined rating of the player.