Method for cashless gaming

• US 6,585,598 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Game Technology
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/895,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/29, 463/40-42, 463/39, 463/25, 705/14, 705/17-18, 705/39, 705/41-42, 902/2, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A gaming system method uses typically a wireless communication device, and includes the following steps: Call data is provided identifying a gaming system player. This would normally be a typical identifying number plus a PIN number. A call is initiated from the wireless communication device (such as a cell phone) through a telephone call network to a financial center, requesting a cash transfer. Based on the call data, the transfer is credited to the wireless communication device or to a casino, to the credit of the player. Upon receiving of the predetermined balance of the cash transfer, one may communicate, using the wireless communication device, to transfer a portion or all of the predetermined cash balance from the wireless communication device or casino to the credit of a particular gaming machine, thus enabling the gaming machine for play just as if physical cash has been provided to it.

Claims

1. A gaming method using a cardless wireless communication device, including the steps of:

providing data identifying a gaming system player;

initiating a call from the cardless wireless communication device through a telephone network to a financial center;

requesting a cash transfer, based on said data, credited to said cardless wireless communication device, and receiving said cash transfer of a predetermined cash amount;

communicating, using said cardless wireless communication device, with a casino having a plurality of gaming machines to transfer a portion of the predetermined cash amount from the cardless wireless communication device to the credit of a particular gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines; and

playing the particular gaming machine using the portion of the predetermined cash amount so transferred.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said communicating with a casino comprises a direct communication with said particular gaming machine.

3. The method of claim 1 in which a subsequent step of communicating is made, using said cardless wireless communication device, with said casino to obtain transfer of a cash amount from the particular gaming machine back to the cardless wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 in which a subsequent step of communicating is made, using said cardless wireless communication device, with said casino to obtain transfer of a cash amount from the particular gaming machine to another gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 1 in which communications to and from said cardless wireless communication device are encrypted.

6. The method of claim 1 in which authentication of the player is required.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the legality of the transaction from the cardless wireless communication device to the gaming machine is verified.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the step of communicating with the casino is performed by infrared transmission.

9. The method of claim 1 in which at least a portion of said data is preloaded into said cardless wireless communication device so that the player does not have to provide that data at the time that the cash transfer is desired.

10. The method of claim 1 in which a voucher is obtained from the gaming machine which may be redeemed for cash or credit.

11. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, in which said providing data step includes the step of providing biometric data.

12. A gaming method using a cardless communication device including the steps of:

providing data identifying a gaming system player;

initiating a call from the cardless communication device through a telephone network to a financial center;

requesting a cash transfer, based on said data, credited to the cardless communication device, to provide a predetermined cash amount;

communicating, using said cardless communication device, with a casino having a plurality of gaming machines, to allocate at least a portion of the predetermined cash amount to a particular gaming machine of said plurality of gaming machines; and

playing the particular gaming machine using the portion of the predetermined cash amount so transferred.

13. The gaming method of claim 12 in which said cardless communication device is wired to the telephone network.

14. A gaming method as defined in claim 12, in which said providing data step includes the step of providing biometric data.

15. A gaming method as defined in claim 12, in which a voucher is obtained from the gaming machine which may be redeemed for cash or credit.

16. A gaming method using a cardless communication device, including the steps of:

providing to said cardless communication device preloaded data for identifying a gaming system player and for rapid dialing;

initiating a call from the cardless communication device through a telephone network to a financial center;

requesting a predetermined cash transfer amount, based on said preloaded data, to the cardless communication device; and

using said cardless communication device, transferring at least a portion of the predetermined cash transfer amount to a gaming machine.

17. A gaming method as defined in claim 16, in which said preloaded data includes a time period credit limit.

18. A gaming method as described in claim 16, in which said preloaded data includes a credit limit.

19. A gaming method as defined in claim 16, in which said preloaded data includes the address of a casino where the gaming system player wishes to play.

20. A gaming method as defined in claim 16, in which said providing preloaded data step includes the step of providing biometric data.

21. A gaming method as defined in claim 16, in which a voucher is obtained from the gaming machine which may be redeemed for cash or credit.

22. A gaming method as defined in claim 21, in which said voucher is printed.

23. A gaming method as defined in claim 21 in which said voucher is electronic.

24. A gaming method using a card less communication device, including the steps of:

providing to said cardless communication device preloaded data for identifying a gaming system player and for one touch dialing;

initiating a call from the cardless communication device through a telephone network to a financial center;

requesting a predetermined cash transfer amount, based on said preloaded data, to the cardless communication device;

using said cardless communication device, transferring at least a portion of the predetermined cash amount to a gaming machine;

said preloaded data including a limit selected from the group consisting of (a) a time period credit limit, and (b) a credit limit, and

said preloaded data including data being selected from the group consisting of (a) a phone number, (b) routing address, (c) account number, (d) casino'"'"'s address, (e) transfer limit, (f) amount of transfer, (g) player identification, (h) PIN Number, (i) biometric data.