Method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer

• US 6,244,958 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1996
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Acres Gaming Incorporated (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Acres, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/672,217
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463/26, 463/27, 463/28, 463/40, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/26
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

A method for providing incentive to players of networked slot machines includes a card reader associated with each machine and a card associated with each player. A player account accessible by a host computer on the network is created which associates the player'"'"'s card with the account. A predetermined credit is applied to the player'"'"'s account. In a complementary incentive, credit from the player'"'"'s account is applied to the coin-in meter of a slot machine responsive to insertion of the player card into a card reader associated with the machine. In a matching incentive also implemented by the present invention, each time the player inserts a coin into the slot machine, an equal credit is debited from the player'"'"'s account and applied to the coin-in meter of the machine. In both cases, the credit can only be used by the player to play the machines and cannot be cashed out by the player.

Claims

1. A method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer comprising:

associating each gaming device with an input device for receiving player identification information;

associating unique player identification information with a gaming device player;

creating a player account accessible by the host computer;

associating the unique player identification information with the player account;

applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account;

debiting the account responsive to receipt of the unique player identification information by one of the input devices;

crediting the gaming device associated with said one input device with the amount debited from the account;

debiting the account by the maximum wager playable on the gaming device responsive to the completion of each game played by the player on the gaming device; and

crediting the gaming device associated with said one input device with the amount debited from the account each time the account is debited.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the credit applied from the player account is equal to the value of the wager made on the gaming device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said method further comprises applying credit from the player account to the gaming device associated with said one input device each time a wager is made on the gaming device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the credit applied from the player account is equal to the value of the wager made on the gaming device.

2. A method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer comprising:

associating each gaming device with an input device for receiving player identification information;

associating unique player identification information with a gaming device player;

creating a player account accessible by the host computer;

associating the unique player identification information with the player account;

applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account;

accessing information in the player account responsive to receipt of the unique player identification information by one of the input devices; and

applying credit from the player account to the gaming device associated with said one input device responsive to a wager made on the gaming device.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said method further comprises establishing a condition which must be met before applying credit from the player account to the gaming device associated with said one input device responsive to a wager made on the gaming device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said condition comprises a minimum wager made.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said method further comprises applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account each time a predetermined condition is met.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said predetermined condition comprises a minimum wager made.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account comprises applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account each time the player plays a predetermined amount of money.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein said method further comprises preventing debiting the account beyond a predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said method further comprises entering an end time in the player'"'"'s account and preventing debiting the account after the end time.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said method further comprises entering a start time in the player'"'"'s account and preventing debiting the account before the start time.

14. A method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer comprising:

associating each gaming device with an input device for receiving player identification information;

associating unique player identification information with a gaming device player;

creating a player account accessible by the host computer;

associating the unique player identification information with the player account;

applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account;

debiting the account by the maximum wager playable on the gaming device responsive to receipt of the unique player identification information by one of the input devices; and

crediting the gaming device associated with said one input device with the amount debited from the account.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises preventing debiting the account beyond a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said method further comprises entering an end time in the player'"'"'s account and preventing debiting the account after the end time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises entering a start time in the player'"'"'s account and preventing debiting the account before the start time.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises debiting the account by the maximum wager playable on the gaming device responsive to the completion of each game played by the player on the gaming device and crediting the gaming device associated with said one input device with the amount debited from the account each time the account is debited.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said method comprises paying at least one jackpot won by the player on the gaming device by applying a credit to a credit meter in the gaming device.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said method comprises paying at least one jackpot won by the player on the gaming device by paying coins from the machine to the player.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein said method comprises paying at least one jackpot won by the player on the gaming device by hand paying the jackpot.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein associating unique player identification information with a gaming device player comprises issuing a first card to a gaming device player and wherein said method further includes issuing a second card and associating the second card with the player account.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein receipt of the unique player identification information comprises receipt of one of the cards by one of the input devices and wherein said method further includes preventing debiting the account responsive to receipt of one of the cards by one of the input devices when the other card is received by one of the input devices.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein said method further includes displaying the current amount of credit in a player'"'"'s account.

25. A method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer comprising:

associating each gaming device with a card reader;

issuing a card to a gaming device player;

creating a player account accessible by the host computer;

associating the card with the player account;

applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account;

debiting the account responsive to insertion of the card into one of the card readers;

crediting the gaming device associated with said one card reader with the amount debited from the account;

issuing a second card and associating the second card with the player account; and

preventing debiting the account responsive to insertion of one of the cards into one of the card readers when the other card is inserted into one of the card readers.

26. A method for providing incentive to play gaming devices connected by a network to a host computer comprising:

associating each gaming device with an input device for receiving player identification information;

associating unique player identification information with a gaming device player;

associating the unique player identification information with a player account accessible by the host computer;

applying a credit to the player'"'"'s account;

accessing information in the player account and debiting the account by the maximum wager playable on the gaming device responsive to receipt of the unique player identification information by one of the input devices;

crediting the gaming device associated with said one input device with the amount debited from the account; and

paying to the player at least one jackpot that results from gaming device play utilizing credit from the player account.

27. The method of claim 26 therein paying to the player at least one jackpot that results from gaming device play utilizing credit from the player account comprises paying coins from the machine to the player.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein player at least one jackpot that results from gaming device play utilizing credit from the player account comprises applying a credit to a credit meter in the gaming device.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein player at least one jackpot that results from gaming device play utilizing credit from the player account comprises hand paying the jackpot.