System and method for wagering-based transferable financial instruments

• US 7,693,781 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cantor Index LLC
• Original Assignee: Cantor Index LLC
• Inventors: Crosthwaite, Dominic, Lutnick, Howard W., Asher, Joseph M., Riches, Guy Iain Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian; Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US11/745,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a financial instrument comprises a memory operable to store a plurality of predefined states wherein each of the predefined states corresponds to at least one potential outcome of a probabilistic event. The memory further stores a plurality of predefined termination criteria wherein each predefined state corresponds to at least one predefined termination criteria. The memory further stores a financial instrument that is allocated a value based at least in part upon one of the plurality of predefined states. A processor is coupled to the memory and facilitates the transfer of the financial instrument.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system from a computing device in use by a second party, a request to purchase a financial instrument,

wherein the financial instrument is for sale by a first party,

wherein the financial instrument represents at least one of ownership of and an interest in an underlying wager,

wherein the underlying wager comprises a wager on at least one potential outcome from spins of at least one roulette wheel,

wherein a point count is maintained for the financial instrument, the point count comprising an indication of a value of the financial instrument, and

wherein the computing system and computing device are communicatively coupled via a communications network;

based at least in part on the request to purchase the financial instrument, transferring by the computing system the financial instrument from the first party to the second party for a price, wherein the transferring of the financial instrument results in the first party no longer having ownership of or interest in the underlying wager and the second party having at least one of ownership of and interest in the underlying wager;

receiving by the computing system a plurality of results from a plurality of spins of the at least one roulette wheel;

settling by the computing system the financial instrument, wherein settling the financial instrument includes determining, based at least in part on the wager and the results, one of;

an amount of a payment due to the second party, and

an amount of a payment owed by the second party; and

wherein the method further comprises;

 

adjusting by the computing system the point count based at least in part on a subset of the plurality of results; and

 

communicating by the computing system the point count to the second party via the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the point count comprises:

increasing the point count based at least in part on at least one result of the subset of results; and

decreasing the point count based at least in part on at least another one of the results of the subset of results.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system from a computing device in use by a second party, a request to purchase a financial instrument,

wherein the financial instrument is for sale by a first party,

wherein the financial instrument represents at least one of ownership of and an interest in an underlying wager,

wherein the underlying wager comprises a wager on at least one potential outcome from spins of a plurality of different roulette wheels,

wherein a point count is maintained for the financial instrument, the point count comprising an indication of a value of the financial instrument, and

wherein the computing system and computing device are communicatively coupled via a communications network;

based at least in part on the request to purchase the financial instrument, transferring by the computing system the financial instrument from the first party to the second party for a price, wherein the transferring of the financial instrument results in the first party no longer having ownership of or interest in the underlying wager and the second party having at least one of ownership of and interest in the underlying wager;

receiving by the computing system a plurality of results from a plurality of spins of the plurality of different roulette wheels; and

settling by the computing system the financial instrument, wherein settling the financial instrument includes determining, based at least in part on the wager and the results, one of;

an amount of a payment due to the second party, and

an amount of a payment owed by the second party; and

wherein the method further comprises;

adjusting by the computing system the point count based at least in part on a subset of the plurality of results; and

communicating by the computing system the point count to the second party via the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the underlying wager is based at least in part on at least one of:

a number of roulette spins having a red outcome; and

a number of roulette spins having a black outcome.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, establishing the financial instrument and transferring by the computing system the financial instrument to the first party.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transferring the financial instrument to the first party comprises transferring the financial instrument from a house to the first party.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the underlying wager is between the first party and a house.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the underlying wager is between the first party and another party different from the second party.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein transferring the financial instrument to the first party comprises transferring the financial instrument to the first party for a price that is different from the price at which the financial instrument is transferred from the first party to the second party.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving by the computing system a request to place the wager; and

based at least in part on receiving the request to place the wager, establishing by the computing system the financial instrument.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein receiving the request to place the wager comprises receiving from the first party the request to place the wager.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and a house.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and another party different from the second party.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first party pays a price to place the wager, and wherein the price to place the wager is different from the price at which the financial instrument is transferred from the first party to the second party.

15. The method of claim 3,

wherein, at a time of settling the financial instrument, the wager is between the second party and a house;

and

wherein settling the financial instrument comprises settling the financial instrument between the second party and the house.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and the house.

17. The method of claim 3,

wherein, at a time of settling the financial instrument, the wager is between another party and the second party, the another party and the second party not being a house;

and

wherein settling the financial instrument comprises settling the financial instrument between the another party and the second party.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and the another party.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein neither the first party nor the second party comprises a house.

20. The method of claim 3, further comprising communicating by the computing system the price to another party via another computing device.

21. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the point count comprises:

increasing the point count based at least in part on at least one result of the subset of results; and

decreasing the point count based at least in part on at least another one of the results of the subset of results.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to;

receive from a computing device in use by a second party a request to purchase a financial instrument,

wherein the financial instrument is for sale by a first party,

wherein the financial instrument represents at least one of ownership of and an interest in an underlying wager,

wherein the underlying wager comprises a wager on at least one potential outcome from spins of at least one roulette wheel,

wherein a point count is maintained for the financial instrument, the point count comprising an indication of a value of the financial instrument, and

wherein the apparatus is operable to communicate with the computing device via a communications network;

based at least in part on the request to purchase the financial instrument, transfer the financial instrument from the first party to the second party for a price, wherein transferring the financial instrument results in the first party no longer having ownership of or interest in the underlying wager and the second party having at least one of ownership of and interest in the underlying wager;

receive a plurality of results from a plurality of spins of the at least one roulette wheel; and

settle the financial instrument, wherein to settle the financial instrument includes to determine, based at least in part on the wager and the results, one of;

an amount of a payment due to the second party, and

an amount of a payment owed by the second party; and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to;

adjust the point count based at least in part on a subset of the plurality of results; and

communicate the point count to the second party via the computing device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein to adjust the point count comprises to:

increase the point count based at least in part on at least one result of the subset of results; and

decrease the point count based at least in part on at least another one of the results of the subset of results.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor, in which the at least one memory device stores instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to;

receive from a computing device in use by a second party a request to purchase a financial instrument,

wherein the financial instrument is for sale by a first party,

wherein the financial instrument represents at least one of ownership of and an interest in an underlying wager,

wherein the underlying wager comprises a wager on at least one potential outcome from spins of a plurality of different roulette wheels,

wherein a point count is maintained for the financial instrument, the point count comprising an indication of a value of the financial instrument, and

wherein the apparatus is operable to communicate with the computing device via a communications network;

based at least in part on the request to purchase the financial instrument, transfer the financial instrument from the first party to the second party for a price, wherein transferring the financial instrument results in the first party no longer having ownership of or interest in the underlying wager and the second party having at least one of ownership of and interest in the underlying wager;

receive a plurality of results from a plurality of spins of the plurality of different roulette wheels; and

settle the financial instrument, wherein to settle the financial instrument includes to determine, based at least in part on the wager and the results, one of;

an amount of a payment due to the second party, and

an amount of a payment owed by the second party; and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to;

adjust the point count based at least in part on a subset of the plurality of results; and

communicate the point count to the second party via the computing device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein to adjust the point count comprises to:

increase the point count based at least in part on at least one result of the subset of results; and

decrease the point count based at least in part on at least another one of the results of the subset of results.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the underlying wager is based at least in part on at least one of:

a number of roulette spins having a red outcome; and

a number of roulette spins having a black outcome.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein neither the first party nor the second party comprises a house.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to communicate the price to another party via another computing device.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:

prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, establish the financial instrument and transfer the financial instrument to the first party.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the underlying wager is between the first party and a house.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the underlying wager is between the first party and another party different from the second party.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein to transfer the financial instrument to the first party comprises to transfer the financial instrument to the first party for a price that is different from the price at which the financial instrument is transferred from the first party to the second party.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein to transfer the financial instrument to the first party comprises to transfer the financial instrument from a house to the first party.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:

receive a request to place the wager; and

based at least in part on receiving the request to place the wager, establish the financial instrument.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein to receive the request to place the wager comprises to receive from the first party the request to place the wager.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and a house.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and another party different from the second party.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the first party pays a price to place the wager, and wherein the price to place the wager is different from the price at which the financial instrument is transferred from the first party to the second party.

39. The apparatus of claim 24,

wherein, at a time of settling the financial instrument, the wager is between the second party and a house;

and

wherein to settle the financial instrument comprises to settle the financial instrument between the second party and the house.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and the house.

41. The apparatus of claim 24,

wherein, at a time of settling the financial instrument, the wager is between another party and the second party, the another party and the second party not being a house;

and

wherein to settle the financial instrument comprises to settle the financial instrument between the another party and the second party.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein prior to transferring the financial instrument from the first party to the second party, the wager is between the first party and the another party.