Multi-property player tracking system
First Claim
1. A system for tracking the play of players playing a casino game at any one of a plurality of remote locations comprising:
- (i) a card issued to each player at one of said locations defining a player home location, each card including a machine readable element including card data corresponding to an account number assigned to the player;
(ii) a local data structure including a local database for each location, the local database including a home location data structure including a player account including home location data including (a) a player account number, (b) player identification data, (c) player account data relating to the player'"'"'s wagering activity, and (d) player personal and credit data, the local data structure for non-home locations including network data including, for each player, network account network data, said network data including player account number and wagering activity data;
(iii) means associated with each game for reading the machine readable element of a card and creating card data signals corresponding to said card data when said card is present;
(iv) a network data link to transmit said card data signals to the local database corresponding to the player'"'"'s gaming location to, from said card data, locate the player'"'"'s local database network account and place it in an open condition when the card is presented at the reading means and to close the account when the card is no longer presented;
(v) means for allocating data corresponding to wagering activity of the player to said player'"'"'s local network account during the period the player'"'"'s account is in the open condition;
(vi) a central database, said central database including a player data structure including, for each player issued a card at any location, said player account network data;
(vii) a network data link between said local databases and the central database;
(viii) means responsive to closure of the player'"'"'s account at the gaming location local database for sending data signals to the central database over the network data link to (a) open the player'"'"'s network account at the central database, (b) allocate the player'"'"'s wagering activity data to the player'"'"'s network account at the central database and at the local databases at the non-home locations to reflect new wagering activity data, whereby the home, local and central databases contain updated wagering data, and (c) close the central and non-home location player accounts;
(ix) wherein said local and central data structures for each player account contain personal, progressive, bonus data representing an amount of a personal bonus to be awarded to the player in the event that he obtains a designated bonus outcome at the game; and
(x) means for allocating at least a portion of wagers made by each player as personal bonus data to said player'"'"'s account to progressively increase the amount reflected as said personal bonus.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A player tracking system and method are set forth for tracking the play of a customer playing wagering games at any one of a plurality of gaming venues. The system and method includes a local database for each venue and a central database. In response to reading a player tracking card the player'"'"'s file at the local database is placed into an open condition to receive updated gaming information. When the player terminates their gaming session, gaming activity data is sent to the player'"'"'s file at the local database and as network data to the central database as well as other venue local databases to maintain a current record of gaming information throughout the system for the purposes of tracking wagering activity and providing promotions to the player based, at least in part, on that wagering activity.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A system for tracking the play of players playing a casino game at any one of a plurality of remote locations comprising:
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(i) a card issued to each player at one of said locations defining a player home location, each card including a machine readable element including card data corresponding to an account number assigned to the player;
(ii) a local data structure including a local database for each location, the local database including a home location data structure including a player account including home location data including (a) a player account number, (b) player identification data, (c) player account data relating to the player'"'"'s wagering activity, and (d) player personal and credit data, the local data structure for non-home locations including network data including, for each player, network account network data, said network data including player account number and wagering activity data;
(iii) means associated with each game for reading the machine readable element of a card and creating card data signals corresponding to said card data when said card is present;
(iv) a network data link to transmit said card data signals to the local database corresponding to the player'"'"'s gaming location to, from said card data, locate the player'"'"'s local database network account and place it in an open condition when the card is presented at the reading means and to close the account when the card is no longer presented;
(v) means for allocating data corresponding to wagering activity of the player to said player'"'"'s local network account during the period the player'"'"'s account is in the open condition;
(vi) a central database, said central database including a player data structure including, for each player issued a card at any location, said player account network data;
(vii) a network data link between said local databases and the central database;
(viii) means responsive to closure of the player'"'"'s account at the gaming location local database for sending data signals to the central database over the network data link to (a) open the player'"'"'s network account at the central database, (b) allocate the player'"'"'s wagering activity data to the player'"'"'s network account at the central database and at the local databases at the non-home locations to reflect new wagering activity data, whereby the home, local and central databases contain updated wagering data, and (c) close the central and non-home location player accounts;
(ix) wherein said local and central data structures for each player account contain personal, progressive, bonus data representing an amount of a personal bonus to be awarded to the player in the event that he obtains a designated bonus outcome at the game; and
(x) means for allocating at least a portion of wagers made by each player as personal bonus data to said player'"'"'s account to progressively increase the amount reflected as said personal bonus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for tracking the play of players playing a casino game comprising a card issued to each player, each card including a machine readable element including card data corresponding to a player account number assigned to the player;
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a database with a database account for each player including the player account number and data relating to each player'"'"'s wagers;
means associated with the game for reading the machine readable element of the cards and communicating with the database for associating the inserted card with the player'"'"'s database account and receiving data from and transmitting data to the database;
means for allocating data reflecting the player'"'"'s wagers to the player'"'"'s database account;
means establishing personal, progressive bonus data associated with the player'"'"'s database account representing an amount of a personal bonus to be awarded to the player in the event the player attains a designated outcome at the game; and
means for allocating at least a portion of the player'"'"'s wagers to the player'"'"'s bonus data to progressively increase the amount of said personal bonus.
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5. A method for awarding a casino player a personal bonus as part of a casino game played by the player which can only be won by said player and which progressively increases with play by said player, the method comprising establishing a player account for each player which identifies the player and includes data reflecting cumulative wagering activity by the player;
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while the player plays a game, tracking at least his wagering activity;
storing in the player'"'"'s account a value that reflects the player'"'"'s cumulative wagering activity as the player'"'"'s personal bonus; and
giving the player the personal bonus when the player achieves a designated bonus outcome as a result of a casino game being played by the player. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification