METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PLAYER INCENTIVES

• US 20110275438A9
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Acres, John F., Herrmann, Mark E., Taylor, John E. JR., Hardy, Dow K., Kane, Steven N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,512,134 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

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, and in response to the act of qualifying the person, performing acts of providing an award to the qualified person and inviting the person to visit a gambling location to redeem the award. A method is provided for incentivizing players to return to a gambling location after a previous visit. One aspect relates to a method for providing additional incentives to a frequent player program member to visit a gambling location such as a casino. In one example, the ease of using the Internet or other remote technologies is combined with advantages of a frequent player program to encourage players to return to the casino. A prize may be revealed in an online game, and the prize may need to be redeemed at the location of the casino. In one example game format, the player may be provided game credits to a player to play one or more online games that reveal prizes. The prizes may include, for example, an amount of non-cashable credit that may be used by the player to play one or more games located at the gambling location, thus encouraging player return. Other prizes, such as, for example, complimentary offers and/or promotional prizes may be awarded that can only be redeemed by the player by returning to the gambling location. Further, another aspect relates to providing special incentives for remote entry of casino affiliation or membership cards. The special incentives may include providing a prize or award to frequent player program members that remotely use his or her membership. In one example, the player is provided an indication of winning an incentive during play of an online game. In another example, the player may be required to obtain the winnings at the casino to encourage players to return to the casino.

Claims

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

qualifying a person to play an electronic game;

in response to the person playing the electronic game, inviting the person to play another electronic game separate from games offered in a gambling environment at the gambling location, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which being a winning outcome; and

requiring the person to redeem the at least one outcome at the gambling location.

2. The method according to claim 1, 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.

3. The method according to claim 1, 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.

4. The method according to claim 1, 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.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person in response to actions performed by the person at a website.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on an income of the person.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on one or more of the group comprising:

an occupation of the person;

an age of the person;

a gender of the person;

an employment history of the player; and

personal information of the player.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of determining, based on the act of qualifying, a qualification level of the person.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of determining the at least one outcome based, at least in part, on the qualification level of the person.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acts of storing information relating to the person in a memory of a computer system, and determining, based at least in part on the stored information, a qualification of the player.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising an act of collecting current information associated with the person, and wherein the method further comprises an act of determining the qualification based at least in part on the stored information and the collected information.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person responsive to the occurrence of an event at the gambling location.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on a relation of the person to another person.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the relation of the person includes at least one of a familial relation or an acquaintance relation.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of qualifying is responsive to an act of receiving a referral from an acquaintance of the person.

16. A method for providing an incentive to a person to visit a gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

qualifying a person; and

in response to the act of qualifying the person, performing acts of;

providing an award to the qualified person; and

inviting the person to visit a gambling location to redeem the award.

17. The method according to claim 16, 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.

18. The method according to claim 16, 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 of at least one game by the player.

19. The method according to claim 16, 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.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person in response to actions performed by the person at a website.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on an income of the person.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on one or more of the group comprising:

an occupation of the person;

an age of the person;

a gender of the person;

an employment history of the player; and

personal information of the player.

23. The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of determining, based on the act of qualifying, a qualification level of the person.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of determining the at least one outcome based, at least in part, on the qualification level of the person.

25. The method according to claim 16, further comprising acts of storing information relating to the person in a memory of a computer system, and determining, based at least in part on the stored information, a qualification of the player.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of collecting current information associated with the person, and wherein the method further comprises an act of determining the qualification based at least in part on the stored information and the collected information.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person responsive to the occurrence of an event at the gambling location.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the act of qualifying further comprises an act of qualifying the person based, at least in part, on a relation of the person to another person.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the relation of the person includes at least one of a familial relation or an acquaintance relation.

30. The method according to claim 16, wherein the act of qualifying is responsive to an act of receiving a referral from an acquaintance of the person.

31. A method for providing an incentive to a person to visit a gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

determining a status of the person comprising evaluating one or more parameters that are indicative of a value of the person as a player in a gambling environment;

determining an award to the person based at least in part on the determined status; and

providing the award to the person.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising an act of requiring the person to redeem the award at the gambling location.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the act of determining a status further comprises an act of evaluating a plurality of parameters related to the person.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least on of the group comprising past play performance of the person, personal attributes, and current play performance.

35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising an act of comparing the plurality of parameters related to the person with a plurality of parameters with another person known to gamble at a particular volume.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising an act of identifying the person as a particular type of gambler based at least in part on a result of the act of comparing.