Cashless gaming system: apparatus and method

• US 6,997,807 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Weiss, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US10/308,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20030087692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/23, 463/25, 463/29, 463 40- 42, 902/23, 273/143.R, 273/138.2, 273/138
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

An apparatus and method for cashless gaming wherein a player can access credits via a pin activated keypad located on the gaming machine. Real-time accounting allows the player to redeem credits and secure perquisites as a function of patronage. A player account is created which has two account balances, one balance based on cash value and the other balance based on promotional value. Credits on the credit meter related to the promotional value cannot be cashed out. In addition, credits on the credit meter may be accounted as to type of credit, and one type of credit may be removed from the credit meter before another type of credit.

Claims

1. A method of operating gaming machines connected to a system computer associated with a database, each of said gaming machines having a credit meter and being associated with a card reader and a controller assembly coupled to said system computer, comprising:

providing a player card to at least one player;

creating a player account in said database, said player account associated with said player card and having a plurality of separate account balances, each said account balance indicating a separate value amount;

establishing a first account balance in said player account based on cash value;

establishing a second account balance in said player account based on promotional value;

inserting said player card into said card reader associated with one of said gaming machines;

applying credits to said credit meter of said one gaming machine by said one player accessing said player account at said gaming machine, said step of applying credits including decrementing at least one of said first account balance and said second account balance;

preventing applied credits on said credit meter based on decrementing said second account balance from being cashed out at said one gaming machine; and

cashing out applied credits on said credit meter based on decrementing said first account balance.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of applying credits to said credit meter of said one gaming machine includes inserting cash into said gaming machine to establish credits based on inserted cash.

3. A method according to claim 2 and further including cashing out credits on said credit meter based on said inserted cash.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of establishing a second account balance includes depositing promotional value in said player account, said second account balance indicating promotional dollars.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said credits represent the number of wagers for play on said one gaming machine.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of applying credits to said credit meter includes decrementing at least one account balance and incrementing said credit meter to a corresponding amount based on the wager denomination of said one gaming machine.

7. A method according to claim 1 and further including establishing a third account balance in said player account based on player points.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said third account balance is a numerical amount of player points.

9. A method according to claim 7 and further including converting player points to wagerable cash value.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of converting includes decrementing said third account balance and incrementing sad first account balance.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said third account balance is a numerical amount of player points, and wherein said step of incrementing increments said first balance by an amount corresponding to the product of the value assigned to each point and the number of points decremented from said third account balance.

12. A method according to claim 7 and further including increasing said third account balance based on the player'"'"'s level of play.

13. A method according to claim 7 wherein each of said gaming machines is associated with a display, and further including displaying said third account balance to said one player on said display.

14. A method according to claim 1 and further including preventing downloading of value directly from said third account balance to said credit meter.

15. A method according to claim 1 and further including awarding player points directly to said player account.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of awarding player points is based on a casino promotion.

17. A method according to claim 16 and further including:

automatically starting said casino promotion; and

automatically stopping said casino promotion.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said step of starting is based on time.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein said step of starting is based on the date and time.

20. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of awarding player points is based on player activity at said one gaming machine.

21. A method of operating gaming machines connected to a system computer associated with a database, each of said gaming machines having a credit meter and being associated with a card reader and a controller assembly coupled to said system computer, comprising:

providing a player card to at least one player;

creating a player account in said database, said player account associated with said player card and having a plurality of separate account balances, each one of said account balances indicating a separate value amount;

establishing a first account balance in said player account based on cash value;

establishing a second account balance in said player account based on promotional value;

inserting said player card into said card reader associated with one of said gaming machines;

applying at least one type of a plurality of types of credits to said credit meter of said one gaming machine, said plurality of types of credits including at least;

(i) cash credits based on decrementing said first account balance;

(ii) promotional credits based on decrementing said second account balance; and

(iii) win credits based on a win result of play of said gaming machine;

removing credits from said credit meter in accordance with the playing of said gaming machine;

keeping track of credits by type of credits, remaining on said credit meter, said step of keeping track being performed by said controller assembly, said step of keeping track including accounting the removal of credits in order by type, wherein one type of credits are removed before another type of credits.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein said step of accounting the removal of credits in order by type includes accounting the removal of cash credits before the removal of promotional credits.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein said step of accounting the removal of credits in order by type includes accounting the removal of cash credits before the removal of promotional credits and win credits.

24. A method according to claim 21 wherein said step of accounting the removal of credits in order by type includes accounting the removal of win credits before promotional credits.

25. A method according to claim 21 and further including applying credits to said credit meter of said one gaming machine by inserting cash into said gaming machine, said inserting cash into said gaming machine establishing credits of the cash credit type.

26. A method according to claim 21 wherein the uploadability of credits on said credit meter being based on type of credit.

27. A method according to claim 21 wherein the cash-out ability of credits on said credit meter being based on type of credit.