METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PLAYER INCENTIVES

• US 20090191962A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Holdings Ltd (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Acres, John F., Herrmann, Mark E., Hardy, Dow K., Kane, Steven N., Taylor, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,476 B2
• 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 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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. In one embodiment, the qualified person may be required to redeem the outcome at the gambling location. In another embodiment, the person may be required to redeem the outcome at a redemption location. In another aspect, a method is provided for permitting a person to take one or more actions within a gambling location and in response inviting the person to play an electronic game separate from the games offered in a gambling environment at the gambling location, where the game has a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome, and if the person obtains a winning outcome, requiring the person to redeem the at least one outcome at the gambling location. In one embodiment, the method includes the acts of qualifying a person. Qualification may require specific acts, for example, referring another person, and/or providing an invitation to play an electronic game to another person. Various systems and method assist in tracking and maintaining such referrals. Additionally group gaming in and amongst referrals and/or designated groups may be performed, and in some embodiment required for qualification and/or redemption. Further, another aspect relates to providing special incentives, for example for referral of a new player, for providing casino affiliation or membership information, among others.

Claims

1. A method for targeting player incentives to potential player populations, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying at least one qualified player;

permitting the qualified player to refer at least one other person to receive an invitation to an electronic game;

tracking the referrals of the qualified person; and

delivering an invitation to the at least one other person.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of inviting the at least one qualified player to play an electronic game not located at a gambling location.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of inviting the at least one other person to play an electronic game not located at a gambling location.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of permitting the qualified player to refer at least one other person, includes permitting the qualified player to refer an invitation to the at least one other person.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of valuing the qualified player based, at least in part on the tracked referrals.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of valuing the at least one other person.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the value of the at least one other player is based, at least in part, on the value of the qualified player.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising an act of adjusting the value of the qualified player in response to determining a value for the at least one other person.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of permitting the qualified player to access the tracked referrals through a computer-based user interface.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising an act of permitting the qualified player to maintain a network of the referred at least one other person.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the act of permitting the qualified player to maintain a network of referred players includes an act of allowing a qualified player to delete a referral.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

permitting the qualified player and the at least one other person to redeem an outcome of the electronic game; and

requiring that an action be taken in at least one of a redemption location and a gambling location in order to redeem the outcome.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of requiring includes requiring that the redemption take place in a specified time period.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the qualified player in a gambling location.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the qualified player outside a gambling location.

16. The method according to claim 2, further comprising an of wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the qualified player in at least one of a gambling location and a location outside a gambling location, and wherein the act of performing an action includes an act of referring an invitation to the at least one other person.

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

18. The method according to claim 17, 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.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes an act of obtaining a referral of at least one other player wherein the referral of at least one other player comprises demographical information related to the at least one other player.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of enhancing an outcome of the electronic game based on a valuation of the qualified player.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

permitting the at least one qualified player to access at least one incentive offer;

accepting an indication of participation from the at least one player, wherein an act of inviting the at least one player is responsive to the act of accepting an indication;

qualifying the at least one player to play an the electronic game not located at the gambling location;

providing an outcome for the electronic game; and

requiring the at least one player redeem the outcome at one of a gambling location and a redemption location.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one incentive offer requires at least two players, and the act of qualifying and requiring redemption are performed by the at least two players.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of defining a group of players comprising the at least one qualified player and the at least one other person.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of permitting the group of players to qualify and redeem multiparty invitations.

25. A method for identifying receptive player populations, the method comprising the acts of:

tracking demographic information on at least one player;

identifying the at least one player as a valuable player;

permitting the at least one player to refer an invitation to an electronic game not located at a gambling location to at least one other person;

tracking redemption of the referred invitations; and

determining a projected value for the at least one player based at least in part on the tracked referrals.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of inviting the at least one player to participate in an electronic game not located at a gambling location;

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of increasing a value of awards earned in the electronic game based on a status of the at least one player.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of determining a status of the at least one player based on demographic information.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the demographic information includes play statistics.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the demographic information includes information associated with the at least one player'"'"'s referrals.

31. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of reducing the projected value of the at least one player based on referrals that are not used.

32. A method for identifying receptive player populations for targeting incentive offers, the method comprising the acts of:

accepting at least one referral of another person by an existing player;

providing incentives to the existing player for generation of the at least one referral;

defining a relationship between the existing player and the at least one referral;

generating a player model from demographic information on the existing player and the relationship; and

targeting invitations to play an electronic game not located at a gambling location to a player population meeting the player model.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an acts of refining the player model, wherein the act of refining the player model further comprises:

targeting an invitation to play an electronic game not located at a gambling location to the at least one referral based on at least one characteristic defined by the player model;

comparing redemption rate for the invitation against a threshold;

storing the at least one characteristic as part of the player model where the threshold is met.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the act of refining the player model further comprising an act of deleting the at least one characteristic from the player model where the threshold is not met.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the incentive for generation of the at least on referral includes an invitation to play an electronic game not located at a gambling location.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of qualifying at least one person from the player population to play the electronic game.

37. A computer implemented method for automatically reducing costs associated with visiting a gambling location, wherein the costs comprise at least one of mental, physical, monetary, and social costs for a player, the method comprising the acts of:

identifying an association between at least one potential player and at least one other person;

requiring the potential player to perform an action based at least in part on the determined association in order to qualify for an award;

determining whether the at least one potential player earns the qualified award;

requiring redemption of the award occur at a specific location; and

providing the award in response to redemption criteria being satisfied.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of identifying an association between at least one potential player and at least one other person, further includes an act of accepting information associated with the at least one potential player.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the act of accepting information associated with the at least one potential player, includes an act of accepting information associated with the at least one potential player from a referring entity.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the referring entity comprises at least one of an existing player, a potential player, an affiliate, an operator of a gaming environment, an operator of a redemption location, and an operator of a gambling location.

41. The method according to claim 37, further comprising an act of providing a user interface for inputting information associated with the at least one potential player.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein the act of determining an association between at least one potential player and at least one other person, includes an act of accepting a membership request.

43. The method according to claim 39, further comprising an act of permitting the referring entity to participate in a redeemed award.

44. The method according to claim 39, further comprising an act of providing an incentive to a referring entity in response to redemption of an award.

45. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of requiring the potential player to perform an action based at least in part on the determined association in order to qualify for an award further comprises an act of requiring the at least one potential player to qualify to play an electronic game.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the act of requiring the at least one potential player to qualify to play an electronic game further comprises an act of requiring the at least one potential player to refer another person.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein the act of requiring the at least one potential player to qualify to play an electronic game further comprises an act of requiring the at least one potential player qualify to receive an invitation to the electronic game.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein the act of requiring the at least one potential player to qualify to play an electronic game further comprises requiring the at least one potential player qualify as a member of a group of players.

49. The method according to claim 48, further comprising an act of permitting the at least one potential player to identify the group of players.

50. The method according to claim 48, wherein the act of requiring the at least one potential player qualify as a member of a group of players further comprises requiring the at least one potential player qualify as a member of an automatically generated group of players, wherein the automatically generated group of players is based at least in part on the determined association.

51. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of requiring the potential player to perform an action based at least in part on the determined association in order to qualify for an award, further comprises an act of requiring the at least one potential player to play an electronic game.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the electronic game is not located at a gambling location.

53. The method according to claim 51, wherein the electronic game further comprises a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome.

54. The method according to claim 37, wherein the identified association comprises characteristics in common with a model for a player of a high projected value.

55. The method according to claim 37, wherein the identified association comprises characteristics in common with an existing player.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein the existing player has a projected high value.

57. The method according to claim 55, wherein the existing player has a known high value.

58. The method according to claim 37, wherein the identified association represents a compatibility determination between the at least one potential player and the at least one other person.

59. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of determining whether the at least one potential player earns the qualified award further comprises a determination that the at least one potential player satisfied a predetermined time limitation for qualification.

60. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of determining whether the at least one potential player earns the qualified award further comprises a determination that the at least one player received a winning outcome in an electronic game.

61. The method according to claim 60, wherein the electronic game is not located at a gambling location.

62. The method according to claim 37, wherein the specific location further comprises a gambling location.

63. The method according to claim 37, wherein the specific location further comprises a redemption location.

64. The method according to claim 37, wherein the specific location further comprising a predetermined location within at least one of a redemption location and a gambling location.

65. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of providing the award in response to redemption criteria being satisfied further comprises an act of providing the award to the at least one potential player.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein the act of providing the award in response to redemption criteria being satisfied further comprises an act of providing a referral award to a referring entity in response to the act of providing the award to the at least one potential player.

67. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of providing the award in response to redemption criteria being satisfied further an act of providing the award to a group of players.

68. The method according to claim 37, wherein the act of providing the award in response to redemption criteria being satisfied further an act of providing the award to at least one of the at least one potential player, a group of players, and a referring entity.