Cashless computerized video game system and method

• US 7,329,187 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oneida Indian Nation
• Inventors: Riolo, Frank J., Holch, Niels C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US09/921,782
• Time in Patent Office: 2,381 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 18, 463/25, 463/20, 463/40, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• 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 17/3244 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

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention allow a player to play a game of chance. In some embodiments, the method can include communicating, by the central controller, with the game terminals; receiving, by the central controller, requests for verification of account identifiers and player authentication information; verifying to the game terminals, by the central controller, that the account identifiers and the player authentication information are valid; receiving, by the central controller, game information from the game terminals for games for which wager amounts were received by the game terminals; and based on the game information, adjusting, by the central controller, player account information associated with the account identifiers.

Claims

1. A method of operating games in a system that includes game terminals and a central controller, the method comprising:

communicating, by the central controller, with the game terminals;

receiving, by the central controller, requests for verification of account identifiers and player authentication information;

verifying to the game terminals, by the central controller, that the account identifiers and the player authentication information are valid;

receiving, by the central controller, game information from the game terminals for games for which wager amounts were received by the game terminals; and

based on the game information, adjusting, by the central controller, player account information associated with the account identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each game, one of the game terminals receives a wager amount associated with only one account identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game information includes at least one of the result of the game, the wager amount, an updated account balance, a terminal number, a game type code, a game number, a date, a time, and player activity information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the random numbers are game-independent random numbers generated externally to the one of the game terminals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the player account information includes an account balance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the player account information includes crediting the player account information when a player wins the game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting adjusted player account information to the game terminals.

8. A method of operating games in a system that includes game terminals and a central controller, the method comprising:

receiving, at one of the game terminals, an account identifier and player authentication information associated with the account identifier;

requesting, by the one of the game terminals, verification of the account identifier and the player authentication information from the central controller;

receiving, at the one of the game terminals, verification of the account identifier and the player authentication information from the central controller;

receiving, at the one of the game terminals, a wager amount for a game and a request associated with the account identifier, the request a request to play the game; and

transmitting, by the one of the game terminals, game information associated with the game and the account identifier to the central controller.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the one of the game terminals, another wager amount associated with the account identifier; and

before the receiving of the other wager amount, receiving, from the central controller, an updated account balance associated with the account identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, by the one of the game terminals, the result of the game.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

presenting, by the one of the game terminals, a choice of games to be played; and

receiving, by the one of the game terminals, a selection of the game.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the game information is transmitted for each game.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

executing, by the one of the game terminals, application programs in response to externally-generated random numbers;

determining, by the one of the game terminals, a result of a game; and

displaying, by the one of the game terminals, the result of the game.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein, for each game, the one of the game terminals receives a wager amount associated with only one account identifier.

15. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of game terminals configured to receive account identifiers and player authentication information associated with the account identifiers, to request verification of the account identifiers and the player authentication information and to transmit game information associated with the account identifiers for each game for which a wager amount associated with the account identifiers is received; and

a central controller, connected to each of the plurality of game terminals, and including

a database configured to store player account information for a plurality of players;

an interface configured to receive account identifiers, the player authentication information, and the game information from the plurality of game terminals; and

a processor configured to verify the account identifiers and the player authentication information, and to update the player account information, based on the received game information.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, the plurality of game terminals further configured to display results of wagering games.

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the player account information includes account balances.

18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of game terminals are further configured to transmit information including at least one of the result of the game, the wager amount, an updated account balance, a terminal number, a game type code, a game number, a date, a time, and player activity information.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, the information being transmitted for each game.

20. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the random numbers are game-independent random numbers generated externally to the plurality of game terminals.