Method and apparatus for providing insurance policies for gambling losses

• US 6,869,362 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• 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., Tulley, Stephen C., Downs, Michael D., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II, John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERUBIN, YVESTE GILBERTE
• Application Number:
  US10/365,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463 16- 21, 463 40- 42, 273/143.R, 705/4
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like

Abstract

A method according to some embodiments of the present invention provides for a game server to receive policy requirements of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy from a terminal. The game server determines a premium amount based on the policy requirements of the user and transmits information concerning the premium amount to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a gaming machine from a user a user identifier that identifies the user;

receiving at the gaming machine from the user policy requirements for a gambling loss insurance policy to provide protection against gambling losses;

transmitting the policy requirements from the gaming machine to a game server;

receiving at the gaming machine from the game server information concerning a premium amount,

in which the premium amount is based on the policy requirements; and

displaying at the gaming machine the information concerning the premium amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user a confirmation to purchase the gambling loss insurance policy.

3. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the policy requirements comprises:

receiving from the user an indication of at least one of;

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the premium amount from the user at the gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a credit card number that is associated with a credit card account, and

charging the premium amount to the credit card account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a game.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining information that is associated with the game.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising

displaying information that is associated with the game.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a result of the game.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the result of the game to the game server.

11. A method comprising:

receiving at a game server from a terminal policy requirements of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy to provide protection against gambling losses;

determining at the game server a premium amount based on the policy requirements of the user; and

transmitting information concerning the premium amount to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, in which transmitting the information comprises:

transmitting the information concerning the premium amount to the terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, in which receiving the policy requirements comprises:

receiving from the terminal an indication of at least one of;

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a game result.

15. The method of claim 14, in which determining the game result comprises:

receiving an indication of the game result from a gaming machine.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining an insurance payout based on the game result.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database.

18. A method comprising:

determining at least one policy requirement of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy;

determining a premium amount based on the at least one policy requirement; and

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the user.

19. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining user history data that is associated with the user; and

determining the at least one policy requirement based on the user history data.

20. The method of claim 19,

in which the user history data includes an average bet amount, and

in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining an amount to be bet by the user under the gambling loss insurance policy based on the average bet amount.

21. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining a first set of policy requirements that is associated with the user;

user history data that is associated with the user; and

determining the at least one policy requirement based on the user history data.

22. The method of claim 18, in which the at least one policy requirement includes a plurality of policy requirements established by the user.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a user identifier.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the user identifier to a game server.

25. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement at a gaming machine.

26. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a slot machine.

27. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a poker gaming machine.

28. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a keno gaming machine.

29. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a blackjack gaming machine.

30. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a lottery gaming machine.

31. The method of claim 25, in which the gaming machine is operable as a bingo gaming machine.

32. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement at a game server.

33. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement from a user.

34. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one policy requirement to a game server.

35. The method of claim 18, in which determining the premium amount comprises:

determining the premium amount based on the policy requirements at a game server.

36. The method of claim 18, in which determining the premium amount comprises:

determining the premium amount based on the policy requirements at a gaming machine.

37. The method of claim 18, in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the user.

38. The method of claim 18, in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to a gaming machine.

39. The method of claim 18, in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount from a game server.

40. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a confirmation by the user to purchase the gambling loss insurance policy.

41. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining at least one of;

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

42. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving from the user an indication of at least one of;

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

43. The method of claim 18, in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving from a gaming machine an indication of at least one of;

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

44. The method of claim 18,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy contains a period of coverage, and

further comprising:

determining whether the period of coverage has expired.

45. The method of claim 44, in which the period of coverage is not less than one day.

46. The method of claim 44, in which the period of coverage is not less than one month.

47. The method of claim 44, in which the period of coverage is not less than one year.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

updating an expiration status of the gambling loss insurance policy.

49. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving the premium amount from the user at a gaming machine.

50. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a credit card number that is associated with a credit card account, and

charging the premium amount to the credit card account.

51. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

storing a user identifier and corresponding user information in a database;

receiving the user identifier;

determining whether the database contains the user identifier; and

authenticating the identity of the user if the database contains the user identifier.

52. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

executing a game at a gaming machine.

53. A method comprising:

receiving a user identifier that identifies a user;

executing a game for the user;

determining a game result of the game;

determining a gambling loss insurance policy that is associated with the user based on the user identifier; and

determining an insurance payout based on the gambling loss insurance policy and the game result.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

transmitting the game result to a game server; and

transmitting the user identifier to the game server, in which receiving the user identifier comprises;

receiving the user identifier at a gaming machine, and in which determining the insurance payout comprises;

receiving an indication of the insurance payout from the game server.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database at a gaming machine.

56. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database at a game server.

57. The method of claim 53, in which the game result includes an amount of loss incurred by the user during the game.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising:

determining an amount of coverage that is associated with the gambling loss insurance policy; and

updating the amount of coverage based on the amount of loss.

59. The method of claim 57, further comprising:

determining an amount of coverage that is associated with the gambling loss insurance policy; and

in which the determining the insurance payout comprises;

determining whether the amount of loss exceeds the amount of coverage.

60. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

determining information about a user account that is associated with the user.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

updating the information about the user account based on the insurance payout.

62. The method of claim 60,

in which the information about the user account includes a credit card number that identifies a credit card account, and

further comprising:

crediting the insurance payout to the credit card account.

63. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the insurance payout to a gaming machine,

dispensing currency corresponding to the amount of the insurance payout at the gaming machine.

64. The method of claim 53, in which executing the game comprises:

executing the game at a gaming machine.

65. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a slot machine.

66. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a video poker machine.

67. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a video keno machine.

68. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a video blackjack machine.

69. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a video lottery machine.

70. The method of claim 64, in which the gaming machine is operable as a bingo machine.

71. The method of claim 53,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy was established by the user at a first gaming machine, and

in which executing the game comprises:

executing the game at a second gaming machine.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the insurance payout to the second gaming machine.

73. The method of claim 53,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy contains a period of coverage, and

further comprising:

determining whether the period of coverage has expired.

74. The method of claim 73, in which the period of coverage is not less than one day.

75. The method of claim 73, in which the period of coverage is not less than one month.

76. The method of claim 73, in which the period of coverage is not less than one year.

77. The method of claim 73, further comprising:

updating an expiration status of the gambling loss insurance policy.

78. The method of claim 77, in which the insurance payout is zero if the period of coverage has expired.

79. The method of claim 77, further comprising:

receiving a player tracking card at a gaming machine; and

preventing withdrawal of the player tracking card if the period of coverage has not expired.

80. A method comprising:

receiving a player identifier that identifies a player at a gaming machine;

receiving information about the gaming machine, the information including an indication of at least one of;

a game provided at the gaming machine,

a maximum payout amount available at the gaming machine, and

a maximum wager amount allowed at the gaming machine;

determining a gambling loss insurance policy that is associated with the player, the gambling loss insurance policy being associated with at least one policy requirement;

determining a premium amount based on the information about the gaming machine and the at least one policy requirement; and

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the player.

81. The method of claim 80,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy was established by the player at a first gaming machine, and

in which receiving the player identifier comprises:

receiving the player identifier at a second gaming machine.

82. The method of claim 80, further comprising:

updating the at least one policy requirement based on the information about the gaming machine.