Method for cashless gaming

• US 6,739,975 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/423,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20030186747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/29, 463/25, 463/39, 463/40-42, 705/14, 705/17-18, 705/39, 705/41-42, 902/2, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/39
• 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 preloaded into said cardless, wireless communication device identifying a gaming system player and including a cash limit;

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 and using said preloaded cardless, wireless communication device, credited to a casino having a plurality of gaming machines, on behalf of the gaming system player, to provide a predetermined cash amount to said casino;

communicating, using said cardless, wireless communication device, with the casino to allocate 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.

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

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

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

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

6. The method of claim 1 in which the legality of the transaction is verified.

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

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

9. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, in which said preloaded data includes the address of a casino where the gaming system player wishes to play.

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

11. A gaming method as described in claim 1, in which said preloaded data is selected from the group consisting of (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, and (i) biometric data.