System and method for determining whether wagers have been altered after winning game numbers are drawn

• US 6,368,219 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oram, Thomas K., Szrek, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKETTI, JULIE K
• Application Number:
  US09/418,945
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/18, 463/25, 463/26, 463/27, 463/28, 463/29, 463/42, 380/251
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether wager data for players'"'"' wagers placed on a drawing game have been altered after winning game elements are drawn includes a host computer and a verification device. The host computer stores the wager data and generates a first hash value for the wager data at a time prior to drawing the winning game elements. The host computer is capable of generating a second hash value for the wager data at a time subsequent to drawing the winning game elements for comparison to the first hash value. The verification device receives the first hash value for the wager data prior to drawing the winning game elements and receives the winning game elements.

Claims

1. A system for determining whether wager data for players'"'"' wagers placed on a drawing game have been altered after winning game elements are drawn, comprising:

a host computer for storing the wager data and generating a first hash value for the wager data at a time prior to drawing the winning game elements, the host computer being capable of generating a second hash value for the wager data at a time subsequent to drawing the winning game elements for comparison to the first hash value; and

a verification device for receiving the first hash value for the wager data prior to drawing the winning game elements and for receiving the winning game elements;

wherein the verification device generates a combination hash value for the winning game elements and the first hash value, and transmits the combination hash value and the winning game elements to the host computer.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the wager data includes players'"'"' game numbers and wager amounts.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer generates an intermediate hash value prior to generating the first hash value.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer generates a transaction hash value for each of the players'"'"' wagers.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer generates a first digital signature to uniquely identify the host computer, and appends the first digital signature to the first hash value.

6. The system according to claim 5, and further comprising a drawing device for drawing the winning game elements, wherein the verification device generates a second digital signature to uniquely identify the drawing device, and appends the second digital signature to the combination hash value.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer generates a check hash value for the winning game elements and the first hash value, and compares the check hash value to the combination hash value.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the host computer includes a memory for storing the wager data and the first hash value.

9. The system according to claim 1 further comprising

a gaming terminal for generating the wager data.

10. The system according to claim 1 further comprising

a drawing device for drawing the winning game elements.

11. The system according to claim 1 further comprising

an auditing device in communication with the host computer for generating a third hash value for the wager data and comparing the first hash value to the third hash value.

12. A method of detecting whether any of a plurality of stored wager data for players'"'"' wagers placed on a drawing game has been altered after winning game elements are drawn, comprising:

generating a first hash value for the plurality of stored wager data before the winning game elements are drawn;

generating a second hash value for the plurality of stored wager data after the winning game elements are drawn;

comparing the first hash value to the second hash value; and

generating a combination hash value for the winning game elements and the first hash value.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising

determining that at least a portion of the plurality of stored wager data has been altered based on a comparison of the first hash value and the second hash value.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising

transmitting the first hash value to an independent location before the winning game elements are drawn.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the first hash value and the second hash value are generated using a one-way hashing function.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising

generating an intermediate hash value based on a portion of the plurality of stored wager data prior to generating the first hash value.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising

generating a transaction hash value based on the stored wager data for each of the players'"'"' wagers.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising

generating a check hash value for the winning game elements and the first hash value;

and

comparing the combination hash value to the check hash value.

19. A method of securing a plurality of wager data for players'"'"' wagers placed on a drawing game, comprising:

generating a wager data hash value for the plurality of wager data at a first location;

sending the wager data hash value to a second location;

drawing the winning game elements;

generating a combination hash value for the wager data hash value and the winning game elements at the second location; and

transmitting the winning game elements and the combination hash value to the first location.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising

generating a check hash value for the wager data hash value and the winning game elements at the first location; and

comparing the combination hash value to the check hash value.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising

appending a digital signature to the combination hash value at the second location.