Cashless computerized wager pool game system and method

• US 7,695,366 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niels C. Holch
• Original Assignee: Niels C. Holch
• Inventors: Holch, Niels C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US10/320,482
• Time in Patent Office: 2,674 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/28, 463/16, 463/20
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A system and method for operating one or more games for a plurality of players including identifying at least two players participating in a selected one of the games at the expiration of a predetermined time period, and establishing a wager pool corresponding to a total of wager amounts from each of the identified players. The wager pool is reduced by a takeout amount. One or more random numbers are generated, and one or more winners of the selected game are determined based on the one or more random numbers. Funds are distributed from the wager pool to the determined one or more winners of the selected game.

Claims

1. A method of operating one or more games of chance for a plurality of players with one or more computers, comprising:

identifying at least two players participating in a selected one of the games of chance at the expiration of a predetermined time period at the beginning of every game of chance;

establishing at the one or more computers a wager pool for each selected game of chance, the wager pool consisting of a total of wager amounts from each of the identified players at a same physical location;

reducing the wager pool by a takeout amount that corresponds to a predetermined percentage of the wager pool;

generating one or more random numbers;

determining one or more winners of the selected game of chance based on the one or more random numbers;

calculating the amount of winnings for the determined one or more winners using a non-predetermined payout amount in which players compete with one another in the selected game of chance for winnings; and

distributing, at the end of each game of chance, all of the funds from the wager pool for each wager type to the determined one or more winners of the selected game of chance,

wherein a portion of a player'"'"'s wager is not deducted as a takeout amount at a player terminal but instead is deducted when the player'"'"'s wager is combined with wager amounts from other players to establish the wager pool,

wherein players cannot activate any of the offered games of chance from any player terminal, and

wherein all of the games of chance operate continuously in pre-established time sequences and regardless of whether or not wagers have been made by any player.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the distributing includes allocating funds from the wager pool in accordance with a non-fixed odds payout schedule.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the distributing includes allocating funds from the wager pool based only on a pari-mutuel format in proportion to the wager amount of each determined winner.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing account information for each player, the account information including an amount of available funds for each player; and

crediting the amount of available funds in the account information of each player determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the account information for each player further includes player identification information and identification verification information, and

wherein the identifying includes:

receiving player identification information and identification verification information from a player;

identifying the account information for the player from the received player identification information; and

verifying that the player can participate in the selected game of chance based on the identified account information of the player and the received identification verification information,

wherein no paper currency, coins, debit cards or credit cards are input to the one or more computers in order to allow the at least two players to participate in the selected game of chance.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising deducting, by the one or more computers that do not correspond to terminals on which the at least two players are participating in the selected game of chance, the amount of available funds in the account information of each of the identified players by the wager amount of each respective player.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the deduction is made prior to the game being played.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of each of the one or more games of chance in which a player may participate; and

receiving a selection of which game of chance a particular player desires to play.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the displayed list of games of chance includes at least two of poker, keno, bingo, pulltabs and blackjack.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a player is dependent on the participation of other players in the same game of chance for the purpose of determining the amount of winnings a player receives if determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising converting the one or more random numbers into one or more numbers, colors, symbols or cards in accordance with the selected game of chance.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein a monetary value that corresponds to all of the funds of the wager pool that are distributed at the end of each game of chance to the one or more winners does not change in value based on winnings made in previous and future games of chance participated in by one or more of the plurality of players.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selected game of chance begins at a predetermined time interval that cannot be changed by any of the plurality of players participating in the selected game of chance.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wager pool does not receive losing player wagers after one or more winners of the selected game of chance are determined.

15. A method of operating one or more games of chance for a plurality of players at a computer, comprising:

selecting at the computer which one of the games of chance in which to participate at the expiration of a predetermined time period;

entering a wager amount, which is placed in wager pool for each selected game of chance, the wager pool consisting of a total of wager amounts from each player participating in the selected game of chance at a same physical location;

receiving one or more random numbers;

converting the one or more random numbers into one or more numbers, colors, symbols or cards in accordance with the selected game;

receiving an indication of whether the player has won the selected game of chance in which players compete with one another in the selected game for winnings; and

receiving at least a portion of the funds from the wager pool if the player is a winner of the selected game of chance, wherein all of the funds of the wager pool are distributed to winners of the selected game of chance for each wager type at the end of each game,

wherein a portion of a player'"'"'s wager is not deducted as a takeout amount at a player terminal but instead is deducted when the player'"'"'s wager is combined with wager amounts from other players to establish the wager pool,

wherein players cannot activate any of the offered games of chance from any player terminal, and

wherein all of the games of chance operate continuously in pre-established time sequences and regardless of whether or not wagers have been made by any player.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is determined in accordance with a non-fixed odds payout schedule.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is based only on a pari-mutuel format in proportion to the wager amount of the player.

18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

submitting account information for the player, the account information including an amount of available funds for the player, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is credited to the amount of available funds in the account information of the player if the player is determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the amount of available funds in the account information of the player is deducted, by the one or more computers that do not correspond to terminals on which the at least two players are participating in the selected game of chance, by the wager amount of the player.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the deduction is made prior to the game of chance being played.

21. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a list of each of the one or more games of chance in which a player may participate.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the displayed list of games of chance includes at least two of poker, keno, bingo, pulltabs and blackjack.

23. A method according to claim 15, wherein the player is dependent on the participation of other players in the same game for the purpose of determining the amount of the funds received from the wager pool if the player is a winner of the selected game of chance.

24. A method according to claim 15, further comprising converting the one or more random numbers into one or more numbers, colors, symbols or cards in accordance with the selected game.

25. A method according to claim 15, wherein a monetary value that corresponds to all of the funds of the wager pool that are distributed at the end of each game of chance to the one or more winners does not change in value based on winnings made in previous and future games of chance participated in by one or more of the plurality of players.

26. A method according to claim 15, wherein the selected game of chance begins at a predetermined time interval that cannot be changed by any of the plurality of players participating in the selected game of chance.

27. A method according to claim 15, wherein the wager pool does not receive losing player wagers after one or more winners of the selected game of chance are determined.

28. A game system for operating one or more games of chance for a plurality of players, the game system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, comprising a plurality of logic units, each logic unit including a plurality of instructions executed by the processor, the memory comprising;

accounting logic configured to identify at least two players participating in a selected one of the games at the expiration of a predetermined time period at the beginning of every game;

central processing logic configured to establish a wager pool for each selected game of chance, the wager pool consisting of a total of wager amounts from each of the identified players at a same physical location, and reduce the wager pool by a takeout amount that corresponds to a predetermined percentage of the wager pool; and

game logic configured to generate one or more random numbers,

wherein the accounting logic is further configured to determine one or more winners of the selected game of chance based on the one or more random numbers and to distribute at the end of each game all of the funds from the wager pool for each wager type to the determined one or more winners of the selected game of chance in which players compete with one another in the selected game of chance for winnings,

wherein a portion of a player'"'"'s wager is not deducted as a takeout amount at a player terminal but instead is deducted when the player'"'"'s wager is combined with wager amounts from other players to establish the wager pool,

wherein players cannot activate any of the offered games of chance from any player terminal, and

wherein all of the games of chance operate continuously in pre-established time sequences and regardless of whether or not wagers have been made by any player.

29. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the accounting logic is further configured to allocate funds from the wager pool at the end of each game of chance in accordance with a non-fixed odds payout schedule.

30. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the accounting logic is further configured to allocate funds from the wager pool based only on a pari-mutuel format in proportion to the wager amount of each determined winner.

31. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the accounting logic is further configured to store account information for each player, the account information including an amount of available funds for each player, and to credit the amount of available funds in the account information of each player determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

32. A game system according to claim 31, wherein the account information for each player further includes player identification information and identification verification information, and

wherein the accounting logic is further configured to receive player identification information and identification verification information from a player, to identify the account information for the player from the received player identification information, and to verify that the player can participate in the selected game of chance based on the identified account information of the player and the received identification verification information,

wherein no paper currency, coins, debit cards or credit cards are input to the one or more computers in order to allow the at least two players to participate in the selected game of chance.

33. A game system according to claim 32, wherein the accounting logic is further configured to deduct the amount of available funds in the account information of each of the identified players by the wager amount of each respective player.

34. A game system according to claim 33, wherein the deduction is made prior to the game of chance being played.

35. A game system according to claim 28, wherein a displayed list of games of chance that can be played on the game system includes at least two of poker, keno, bingo, pulltabs and blackjack.

36. A game system according to claim 28, wherein a player is dependent on the participation of other players in the same game of chance for the purpose of determining the amount of winnings a player receives if determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

37. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the game logic is further configured to convert the one or more random numbers into one or more numbers, colors, symbols or cards in accordance with the selected game of chance.

38. A game system according to claim 28, wherein a monetary value that corresponds to all of the funds of the wager pool that are distributed at the end of each game of chance to the one or more winners does not change in value based on winnings made in previous and future games of chance participated in by one or more of the plurality of players.

39. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the selected game of chance begins at a predetermined time interval that cannot be changed by any of the plurality of players participating in the selected game of chance.

40. A game system according to claim 28, wherein the wager pool does not receive losing player wagers after one or more winners of the selected game of chance are determined.

41. A player terminal for playing one or more games of chance with a plurality of players, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, comprising a plurality of instructions executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions configured to;

select which one of the games of chance in which to participate at the expiration of a predetermined time period;

enter a wager amount, which is placed in a wager pool for each selected game of chance, the wager pool consisting of a total of wager amounts from each player participating in the selected game of chance at a same physical location;

receive one or more random numbers;

convert the one or more random numbers into one or more numbers, colors, symbols or cards in accordance with the selected game of chance;

receive an indication of whether the player has won the selected game of chance in which players compete with one another in the selected game for winnings; and

receive at least a portion of the funds from the wager pool if the player is a winner of the selected game of chance, wherein all of the funds of the wager pool for each wager type are distributed to winners of the selected game at the end of each game of chance,

wherein a portion of a player'"'"'s wager is not deducted as a takeout amount at a player terminal but instead is deducted when the player'"'"'s wager is combined with wager amounts from other players to establish the wager pool,

wherein players cannot activate any of the offered games of chance from any player terminal, and

wherein all of the games of chance operate continuously in pre-established time sequences and regardless of whether or not wagers have been made by any player.

42. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is determined in accordance with a non-fixed odds payout schedule.

43. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is based only on a pari-mutuel format in proportion to the wager amount of the player.

44. A player terminal according to claim 41, the memory further comprising instructions configured to:

submit account information for the player, the account information including an amount of available funds for the player, wherein the amount of the funds received from the wager pool is credited to the amount of available funds in the account information of the player if the player is determined to be a winner of the selected game of chance.

45. A player terminal according to claim 44, wherein the amount of available funds in the account information of the player is deducted, by the one or more computers that do not correspond to terminals on which the at least two players are participating in the selected game, by the wager amount of the player.

46. A player terminal according to claim 45, wherein the deduction is made prior to the game of chance being played.

47. A player terminal according to claim 41, the memory further comprising an instruction configured to:

display a list of each of the one or more games of chance in which a player may participate.

48. A player terminal according to claim 47, wherein the displayed list of games of chance includes at least two of poker, keno, bingo, pulltabs and blackjack.

49. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein the player is dependent on the participation of other players in the same game for the purpose of determining the amount of the funds received from the wager pool if the player is a winner of the selected game.

50. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein a monetary value that corresponds to all of the funds of the wager pool that are distributed at the end of each game of chance to the one or more winners does not change in value based on winnings made in previous and future games of chance participated in by one or more of the plurality of players.

51. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein the selected game of chance begins at a predetermined time interval that cannot be changed by any of the plurality of players participating in the selected game of chance.

52. A player terminal according to claim 41, wherein the wager pool does not receive losing player wagers after one or more winners of the selected game of chance are determined.