Distributed gaming system
First Claim
1. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
- a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server, the back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of video gaming equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, wherein the back-office server includes means for receiving, securing and storing gaming transaction data during video gaming, the central network control center including means for playing a jackpot.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Distributed Gaming System provides a user with remote location gaming, for example from within a hotel room. Using the room'"'"'s television and a remote control, the user, such as a hotel guest, is able to play games similar to those available on a Video Lottery Terminal. The games are displayed on a TV through the use of a TV set-top box. The set top box connects the TV to a network of computer systems through which the Gaming System is distributed and managed. Game access is obtained using a payment swipe device. A special feature of system is the progressive jackpots that are available to game players; these jackpots are at the hotel, jurisdiction, and global levels.
1315 Citations
95 Claims
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1. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server, the back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of video gaming equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, wherein the back-office server includes means for receiving, securing and storing gaming transaction data during video gaming, the central network control center including means for playing a jackpot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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13. A system as in claim 13 wherein the NCC includes tamper resist means.
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85. A method of operating a gaming system comprising the steps of:
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at a network control center operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server having means for receiving, securing and storing gaming transaction data during video gaming, the back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of video gaming equipment in remote gaming sites a) establishing a first jackpot amount with a corresponding betting threshold for a gaming location; b) establishing a second jackpot amount with a corresponding betting threshold for a plurality of gaming locations; c) establishing a third jackpot amount with a corresponding betting threshold for all the gaming locations within the gaming system; d) determining first, second and third winning numbers for the first, second and third jackpots; e) distributing the winning numbers to each back office server at each gaming location; and at the gaming location f) providing gaming activity to players requesting game activity at each remote gaming site; g) monitoring gaming activity at each back-office server to identify active players and determining the eligibility of active players for winning in accordance with the betting thresholds; h) generating a first random number at the remote gaming site for a player during gaming and comparing the first random number with a winning number for a jackpot at a remote gaming site for a player to determine a winning player if the first and second random numbers are the same; i) transmitting a message from the network control center to a winning player informing the winning player of a win.
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86. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote locations comprising:
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a plurality of local area networks (LAN'"'"'s) for communication with a network operations server and a payment processing center through a wide area network (WAN), each LAN including; a plurality of set top boxes in remote locations, each set top box for communication with a back office server and respective televisions, remote control units, and payment swipe devices; wherein the back office server includes program means for enabling interactive video gaming between a user and the television using the remote control unit wherein credit for said interactive video gaming is activated through the payment swipe device and approved by the payment processing center through the WAN and where the network operations server is for communication with each LAN and for communication with the payment processing center and wherein the back-office server also includes means for receiving, securing and storing gaming transaction data during video gaming.
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87. A gaming network enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote locations comprising:
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a plurality of local area networks (LAN), each LAN including a back office server, the back office server having video gaming software and means for receiving, securing and storing gaming transaction data during video gaming and a plurality of distributed gaming units, each gaming unit including; a set-top box operatively linked to a payment device and display means at a remote location; the set-top box also in operative communication with the back office server, the set-top box for controlling a gaming session with a user via signals received from the payment device, user and back office server, the back office server for controlling and maintaining each gaming unit; a wide area network operatively linking the back office server of each LAN to a central server, the central server for controlling and maintaining each LAN. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90)
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- 88. A gaming network as in clam 87 wherein the WAN includes a payment processing server operatively connected to each LAN and the central server.
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92. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of video gaming equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, the central network control center including means for playing a jackpot wherein the NCC includes means for providing predetermined system access to a system regulator.
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93. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of gaming video equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, the central network control center including means for playing a progressive and hierarchal jackpot.
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94. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of gaming video equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, the central network control center including means for playing a jackpot and wherein the WAN includes a system regulator, the system regulator having means for accessing financial information from the central network center.
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95. A gaming system enabling users to participate in gaming at a plurality of remote gaming sites comprising:
a central network control center (NCC) operatively connected to a plurality of gaming locations through a wide area network (WAN), each gaming location including a back office server operatively connected through a local area network (LAN) with a plurality of gaming video equipment in remote gaming sites, the video gaming equipment including a set-top box operatively connected to a payment device, video display means, user interface means and the back office server, the video gaming equipment enabling video gaming at each remote gaming site, the central network control center including means for playing a jackpot wherein the WAN includes a system regulator, a payment processing server and a bank server operatively connected to the NCC.
Specification