NETWORKED GAMING SYSTEM WITH ENTERPRISE ACCOUNTING METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20100016068A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Matthews, Mark, White, Warren, Eisele, Walt, Phillips, Randy, Abate, Christina, Loiseau, Loren, Kesler, Sean, Wooden, Glen, Lee, Marshall, Lowell, Mark, Harmon, Tim, Cline, Barry, Barrie, Fred, McCormick, Scott, Tighe, Jason, Hermansen, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 8,366,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

A computerized management system and methods including accounting, auditing, and correcting systems and processes are disclosed for use with game and/or gaming devices, systems, and methods enable users to remotely monitor, control, and modify financial data, reports, and information related to game and/or gaming machines and apparatuses of different classes, for example Class II and Class III gaming machines and table games, and different facilities, such as Class III gaming establishments, bingo establishments, and lottery establishments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a gaming related accounting system, the method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a graphical user interface including a plurality of user selectable icons, at least one of the user selectable icons indicative of a first wizard function; and

in response to a selection of the user selectable icon indicative of the first wizard function, executing the first wizard function, wherein executing the first wizard function comprises;

identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information;

displaying indicia indicative of a set of accounting related data items having identified suspected variances.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

receiving at least one user input indicative of a user selection of at least one of the accounting related data items having at least one identified suspected variances; and

determining a set of adjustments to correct the at least one suspected variance in any of the selected ones of the accounting related data items.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

displaying information indicative of the determined set of adjustments;

receiving a user input indicative of an acceptance of the determined set of adjustments; and

automatically computationally correcting the at least one suspected variance in the selected ones of the accounting related data items in response to the received user input indicative of the acceptance of the determined set of adjustments.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

maintaining an audit log of any adjustments made in computationally correcting the at least one suspected variance in the selected ones of the accounting related data items.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

displaying a number of queries requesting at least one piece of information related to the at least one identified suspected variance; and

receiving at least one user input providing a response to the queries.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input indicative of a floor area associated with at least one unresolved variance; and

displaying a set of detailed accounting information each gaming device having an unresolved variance in response to the user input indicative of indicative of the floor area.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of gaming devices that are active on a gaming floor not sending an end-of-day record.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of gaming devices that are not active on a gaming floor sending an end-of-day record.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of a meter reported value for vouchers printed by a gaming device differs from a value reported by a voucher system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of a meter reported value for vouchers paid by a gaming device differs from a value reported by a voucher system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of a meter reported value for jackpot vouchers printed by a gaming device differs from a value reported by a voucher system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances of a meter reported value for promotional vouchers paid by a gaming device differs from a value reported by a voucher system.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances where a meter reported value for a wagering account transfer differs from a value reported by a wagering account transfer system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any instances where a meter reported value for a wagering account transfer out differs from a value reported by a wagering account transfer system.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information includes identifying any suspected instances of switched canisters.

16. A gaming related enterprise accounting system, comprising:

at least one enterprise accounting computing system communicatively coupled to receive accounting related information, the enterprise accounting computing system comprising at least one processor and at least one processor-readable storage medium that stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, by;

displaying at least a portion of a graphical user interface including a plurality of user selectable icons, at least one of the user selectable icons indicative of a first wizard function; and

in response to a selection of the user selectable icon indicative of the first wizard function, executing the first wizard function, wherein executing the first wizard function comprises;

identifying any suspected variances in gaming related accounting information;

displaying indicia indicative of a set of accounting related data items having identified suspected variances.

17. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 16 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

receiving at least one user input indicative of a user selection of at least one of the accounting related data items having at least one identified suspected variances; and

determining a set of adjustments to correct the at least one suspected variance in any of the selected ones of the accounting related data items.

18. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 16 wherein executing the first wizard function, further comprises:

displaying information indicative of the determined set of adjustments;

receiving a user input indicative of an acceptance of the determined set of adjustments; and

automatically computationally correcting the at least one suspected variance in the selected ones of the accounting related data items in response to the received user input indicative of the acceptance of the determined set of adjustments.

19. A computer-implemented method of correlating canisters in a gaming related accounting system, the method comprising:

receiving accounting related information that defines a first set of identifiers and corresponding currency counts and a second set of identifiers and corresponding voucher information; and

computationally correlating the currency counts to the voucher information based on the identifiers.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein computationally correlating the currency counts to the voucher information based on the identifiers includes correlating consecutive runs of the identifiers between the first and the second sets, from a longest run of the identifiers to a shortest run of the identifiers.