Configurable and stand-alone verification module

• US 6,853,973 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Wagerworks Incorporated (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cheng, Theodore Y., Sinha, Ajit Kumar, Mathews, Paul D
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, RICHARD SUKYOON
• Application Number:
  US10/280,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/7, 705/26, 705/27, 705/44, 705/400, 705/500, 705/18, 380/251, 380/258
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for verifying a player'"'"'s eligibility for participation in on-line gaming. A method for verifying a player'"'"'s eligibility to participate in on-line gaming includes performing one or more verification checks for the player. The method includes, for each verification check, requesting data about the player from one or more data source providers. The method includes receiving the data from the one or more data source providers. The method includes, for each verification check, calculating a check score based on received data from the one or more data source providers. The method includes calculating a verification score that is based on the check scores.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, for verifying a player'"'"'s eligibility for participating in on-line gaming, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive information about a player;

select two or more verification checks that will be performed to verify an eligibility of the player for participating in on-line gaming, the selection being based on the received information and on configurable criteria;

determine an order in which the verification checks are to be performed, the determination being based on the configurable criteria;

for a selected verification check, select one or more data sources from which additional information about the player is to be obtained, the selection being based on the configurable criteria;

calculate a check score for each verification check, the calculation being based on the additional information;

weight the check scores, the weighting being based on the configurable criteria; and

calculate a verification score to be used to verify the player'"'"'s eligibility for participating in on-line gaming, the calculation being based on the weighted check scores.

2. The product of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

determine if a check score exceeds a threshold; and

stop the verification checks when the check score fails to exceed the threshold.

3. The product of claim 2, further comprising instructions to:

select data sources based on rules that specify which data source is to be used for a verification check.

4. The product of claim 3, further comprising instructions to:

select verification checks based on rules that specify which verification check is to be performed for a jurisdiction.

5. The product of claim 4, further comprising instructions to:

select verification checks based on rules that specify which countries are included in a jurisdiction.

6. The product of claim 5, further comprising instructions to:

select data sources based on rules that specify which data source is to be used in a jurisdiction.

7. The product of claim 6, further comprising instructions to:

determine an order in which data sources are used, the determining being based on rules that specify a priority for the data sources.

8. The product of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

for a current verification check, obtain additional information from a data source having a next highest priority when a data source having a highest priority does not provide sufficient additional information.

9. The product of claim 8, further comprising instructions to:

determine a verification action based on the verification score.

10. A method for verifying eligibility for participating in on-line gaming, the method comprising:

receiving information about a player;

selecting two or more verification checks that will be performed to verify an eligibility of the player to participate in on-line gaming, the selection being based on the received information and on configurable criteria;

determining an order in which the verification cheeks are to be performed, the determination being based on the configurable criteria;

for a selected verification check, selecting one or more data sources from which additional information about the player is to be obtained, the selection being based on the configurable criteria;

calculating a check score for each verification check, the calculation being based on the additional information;

weighting the check scores, the weighting being based on the configurable criteria; and

calculating a verification score to be used to verify the player'"'"'s eligibility for participating in on-line gaming, the calculation being based on the weighted check scores.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if a check score exceeds a threshold; and

stopping the verification checks when the check score fails to exceed the threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting one or more data sources includes selecting based on configurable criteria that include rules that specify which data source is to be used for a verification check.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting verification checks includes selecting based on configurable criteria that include rules that specify which verification check is to be performed for a jurisdiction.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting verification checks includes selecting based on configurable criteria that include rules that specify which countries are included in a jurisdiction.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting data sources includes selecting based on configurable criteria that include rules that specify which data source is to be used in a jurisdiction.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an order in which the data sources are used, the determining being based on configurable criteria that include rules that specify a priority for the data sources.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

for a current verification check, obtaining additional information from a data source having a next highest priority when a data source having a highest priority does not provide sufficient additional information.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a verification action based on the verification score.