Method and apparatus for expiration of prepaid slot machine plays

• US 6,558,255 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/805,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/25-27, 463/16, 463/20, 463/36, 463/40-43, 463/12-13, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/292, 273/148.R, 273/143.R, 705/14, 705/16-18, 705/20, 705/35, 705/38, 700/91-93, 340/323.R, 340/825, 235/375, 235/380
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

An expiring prepaid casino card is disclosed which may be utilized to provide payment for slot machine play or other gambling activities. The disclosed expiring prepaid casino card is preferably a pointer to a monetary amount stored in a casino prepaid card database that expires in predefined expiration amounts over each of a plurality of predefined expiration periods. If a player does not utilize the entire predefined expiration amount, for a given predefined expiration period, the remaining balance on the expiring prepaid casino card allocated for the expiration period automatically expires and does not roll over into any subsequent expiration periods. The expiring prepaid casino card may alternatively be embodied as a smart card or a general-purpose debit card programmed with the predefined expiration amounts for each predefined expiration period, or a cardless electronic key or personal identification number (PIN) which may be utilized to access data records which have been programmed with the predefined expiration amounts for each predefined expiration period. The expiring prepaid casino card can preferably be (i) purchased by the player at face value, or at a discount; (ii) given out by the casino to a player for free as part of a promotion, or to preferred players; or (iii) issued to a player as part of a payout on a slot machine. In this manner, the player is incented to make return visits to a casino to access each predefined expiration amount for each predefined expiration period. The predefined expiration amounts and expiration periods do not have to be fixed units. Slot machine jackpots can be awarded in the form of an increased total balance on the expiring prepaid casino card that expire in predefined expiration amounts over predefined expiration periods. The expiring prepaid casino card can preferably be programmed with one or more further restrictions or requirements that the player must satisfy before any expiration amounts can be accessed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a player playing a slot machine is entitled to a payout amount;

determining that the play of the slot machine that resulted in the player being entitled to the payout amount was funded by a prepaid casino card having an associated first plurality of monetary amounts,

wherein each of the first plurality of monetary amounts corresponds to a respective predefined expiration period of a first plurality of expiration periods;

causing an offer to be provided to the player,

wherein the offer comprises a choice between receiving the payout amount and a second plurality of monetary amounts to be associated with the prepaid casino card,

wherein each of the second plurality of monetary amounts corresponds to a respective predefined expiration period of a second plurality of expiration periods, and

wherein the sum of the second plurality of monetary amounts is greater than the payout amount; and

causing, if the offer is accepted, the second plurality of monetary amounts to be associated with the prepaid casino card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of expiration periods is the same as at least one of the plurality of second expiration periods.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of monetary amounts and the second plurality of monetary amounts can be utilized by the player only for wagering at a casino.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a balance of funds available to be cashed out by the player is associated with the card in addition to the plurality of monetary amounts that correspond to expiration periods.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the balance of funds comprises a balance of funds won by the player while playing at least one slot machine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer is displayed to the player via the slot machine on which the payout was won.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the monetary amounts of the first plurality of monetary amounts and the second plurality of monetary amounts is determined based on a time at which the player utilized the prepaid casino card.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the expiration periods of the first plurality of expiration periods and the second plurality of expiration periods does not overlap with any of the other expiration periods.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the expiration periods of the first plurality of expiration periods and the second plurality of expiration periods are non-consecutive expiration periods.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the monetary amounts of the first plurality of monetary amounts and the second plurality of monetary amounts is increased after it is initially determined and associated with the card.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the monetary amounts is increased based on data of the player'"'"'s use of the prepaid casino card.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the monetary amounts is increased randomly.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one monetary amount of the plurality of second monetary amounts is associated with prepaid casino card by being added to one of the monetary amounts of the first plurality of monetary amounts.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

perform the method of claim 1.

15. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

the method of claim 1.