METHOD FOR PROVIDING GAMES OVER A WIDE AREA NETWORK

• US 20130012305A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agincourt Gaming LLC
• Original Assignee: Agincourt Gaming LLC
• Inventors: Kelly, Matthew F., Kelly, Bryan M., Petermeier, Norman B., Kroeckel, John G., Link, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,821,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A method for providing games over a wide area network is disclosed. The invention includes several methods for providing at least one game accessible over a wide area network by a plurality of users. One method comprises receiving a request from a user to play a game, the request comprising an identification of the user; verifying that the user is eligible to play the game; receiving a payment method from the user; and enabling the game responsive to completing the steps verifying that the user is eligible and receiving a payment method.

Claims

1. A method for providing at least one game accessible over a wide area network by a plurality of users, comprising the steps:

receiving a request from a user to play a game, the request comprising an identification of the user;

verifying that the user is eligible to play the game;

receiving a payment method from the user; and

enabling the game responsive to completing the steps verifying that the user is eligible and receiving a payment method.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step verifying that the user is eligible comprises:

receiving a geographic location of the user at a database server; and

determining whether the geographic location is a permitted location for the game to be played.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein responsive to determining that the geographic location is not permitted, a feature of the game is disabled.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the feature comprises the ability to play the game for compensation.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the identification of the user comprises an identification code provided by a terminal associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the identification code comprises the geographic location of the user.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the geographic location is an IP address.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user is not permitted to play the game when the IP address of the user shows that the user is in a same physical location as a second user playing the game.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing to the user an option of at least one method of payment to the user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one method of payment comprises an option of payment by credit card and wherein a server having a secure credit card transaction module is used for the step receiving a payment method.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one method of payment comprises debiting an account of the user stored on a database server.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step verifying the user is eligible comprises determining whether the user meets a minimum age requirement.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein responsive to determining that the user does not meet a minimum age requirement, a feature of the game is disabled.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing the user with a selection of a plurality of games.

15. A method for providing at least one game accessible over a wide area network by a plurality of users, comprising the steps:

establishing an account of a user on a database server;

receiving a request from the user to play a game, the request comprising an identification of the user;

verifying that the user is eligible to use at least one feature of the game; and

enabling a game play responsive to completing the step verifying that the user is eligible.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step verifying the user is eligible comprises determining an age of the user and a geographic location of the user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the account of the user comprises information regarding an age and a geographic location of the user and wherein the step verifying the user is eligible comprises accessing the account of the user to ensure that the age and the geographic location are eligible.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the account of the user comprises information regarding an age of the user and wherein an IP address of the user is used to determine a location of the user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein responsive to determining that the age or the geographic location is not eligible, disabling at least one feature of the game prior to the step enabling a game play.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the step establishing an account of a user comprises receiving a payment method from the user at the database server.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of receiving a payment from the user by accessing the payment method prior to the step enabling a game play.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of receiving a payment from the user by accessing the payment method during the game play.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the payment method comprises a secure credit card transaction.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the payment method comprises debiting from a previously deposited amount in the account of the user.

25. A method for providing at least one game accessible over a wide area network by a plurality of users, comprising the steps:

establishing an account of a user on a database server;

receiving at the database server a purchase request from a user for the purchase of a specified number of units;

verifying that the user is eligible to make the purchase;

verifying a payment information provided by the user;

depositing the specified number of units into the account of the user;

receiving a request from the user to play a game, the request comprising an identification of the user;

retrieving a number of units associated with the user from the database server;

verifying that the user is eligible to use at least one feature of the game by determining an age of the user and a geographic location of the user;

enabling a game play responsive to completing the step verifying that the user is eligible; and

updating the number of units associated with the user based on the game play of the user.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step providing the user a prize responsive to a request by the user to redeem at least a portion of the number of units associated with the user.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the prize is money.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of providing a selection of a plurality of games that the user can access using the account of the user.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the units can be selectively used by the user in connection with playing the game, wherein the step verifying the user is eligible comprises checking for compliance with a set of business rules, and wherein an IP address of the user is used to determine whether to disable one or more features of the game.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of blocking use of the game from a particular location when fraud is suspected based on information received from one or more users at the particular location.