Method and system for providing real time sports betting information

• US 7,699,701 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Don Best Sports (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DBS Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Corbo, Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US09/899,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20030008711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,211 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• 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 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

The present invention involves a method and system for providing sports betting information, in real time, utilizing a standard Internet connection on a computer to display the odds from a plurality of sports books. The system provides its users with a line seeker alert, a major line move alert, a bet tracker, and a fully customizable display. A method of gaining real time sports betting information without the use of a web browser, through the use of a separate program written in the C++ programming language is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing sporting event odds and information, in substantially real time where the sports books, gamblers and enthusiasts want real time odds and information on the sports books computer, the method comprising:

providing a program that utilizes an Internet connection to provide real time sports bet odds and information for a plurality of sports games from a plurality of sport books, said real time sports bet odds and information being downloaded and stored on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said program being incapable of placing bets;

the program displaying a major line move alert indicating when a number of sport books change their odds for a bet for a sports game in the same direction with a user settable period of time and a bet tracker that displays a list of the bets made by a user or a line seeker alert indicating when a sport book has odds that satisfy a set of criteria of the user;

navigating said display in order to acquire real time sports bet odds and information using a menu made up of various menus, and for any particular game or bet, the program being capable of visually cycling through odds for the plurality of sport books; and

the program being able to download and store, on the user'"'"'s computer, information about occurrences in connection with odds, analyzing said information and alerting the user when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein alerting the user when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds further comprises providing an alert to be given when a predetermined odds, on a particular game, is offered by a sports book.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein alerting the user when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds further comprises providing means for notifying the user when a predetermined amount of sports books'"'"' odds change within a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said program is written in the C++ programming language.

5. A method for providing sporting event odds and information, for sports books, in substantially real time where the sports books, gamblers and enthusiasts want real time odds and information on the sports books computer, the method comprising:

providing a program that utilizes an Internet connection to provide real time sports bet odds and information for a plurality of sports games from a plurality of sport books, said real time sports bet odds and information being downloaded and stored on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said program being incapable of placing bets;

the program displaying real time odds and information including a major line move alert indicating when a number of sport books change their odds for a bet for a sports game in the same direction with a user settable period of time;

navigating said display in order to acquire real time sports bet odds and information using a menu made up of various menus, and for any particular game or bet, the program being capable of visually cycling through odds for the plurality of sport books; and

the program being able to download and store, on the user'"'"'s computer, information about the odds, analyzing the information and logging and tracking bets for a total of winnings and losses.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein logging and tracking bets for a total of winnings and losses further comprises:

a. allowing the user to enter said bet and bet amount; and

,

b. grading the bet in order to decide whether the bet was won or lost.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said program calculates and logs winnings and losses.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said program is written in the C++ programming language.

9. A method for providing sporting event odds and information, for sports books, in substantially real time where the sports books, gamblers and enthusiasts want real time odds and information on the sports books computer, the method comprising:

providing a program that utilizes an Internet connection to provide real time sports bet odds and information for a plurality of sports games from a plurality of sport books, said real time sports bet odds and information being downloaded and stored on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said program being incapable of placing bets;

the program displaying real time odds and information including a major line move alert indicating when a number of sport books change their odds for a bet for a sports game in the same direction with a user settable period of time;

navigating said display in order to acquire real time sports bet odds and information using a menu made up of various menus, and for any particular game or bet, the program being capable of visually cycling through odds for the plurality of sport books; and

the program being able to download and store, on the user'"'"'s computer, information about the odds and allowing for the display of odds on the user'"'"'s computer to be manipulated for a more efficient use of said program.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of allowing for the display of odds to be manipulated provides horizontal and vertical scrolling bars.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of allowing for the display of odds to be manipulated provides a feature that turns a page every five seconds.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of allowing for the display of odds to be manipulated provides a color coded display.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said program is written in the C++ programming language.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of allowing for the display of odds to be manipulated provides customizable casino columns.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said casino columns can be moved by a click and drag method.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said casino columns can be resized to a custom setting.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said casino columns can be highlighted.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said casino columns can be abbreviated in order to allow more columns per page.

19. A system for providing sporting event odds and information, for sports books, in substantially real time where the sports books, gamblers and enthusiasts want real time odds and information on the sports books computer, the method comprising:

program that utilizes an Internet connection to provide real time sports bet odds and information for a plurality of sports games from a plurality of sport books, said real time sports bet odds and information being downloaded and stored on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said program being incapable of placing bets;

means for a display of real time sports bet odds and information including a major line move alert indicating when a number of sport books change their odds for a bet for a sports game in the same direction with a user settable period of time;

means for navigating said display in order to acquire real time sports bet odds and information, said navigation means comprising a menu made up of various menus, and for any particular game or bet, the program being capable of visually cycling through odds for the plurality of sport books; and

means for downloading and storing, on a user'"'"'s computer, occurrences in connection with the odds analyzing the information and alerting a user when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said means for an alert to be given when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds further comprises providing an alert to be given when a predetermined odds, on a particular game, is offered by a sports book.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said means for an alert to be given when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds further comprises providing means for notifying the user when a predetermined amount of sports books'"'"' odds change within a predetermined amount of time.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said program is written in the C++ programming language.

23. A method for providing sporting event odds and information, for sports books, in substantially real time where the sports books, gamblers and enthusiasts want real time odds and information on the sports books computer, the method comprising:

providing a program that utilizes an Internet connection to provide real time sports bet odds and information for a plurality of sports games from a plurality of sport books, said real time sports bet odds and information being downloaded and stored on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said program being incapable of placing bets;

the program displaying real time odds and information including a major line move alert indicating when a number of sport books change their odds for a bet for a sports game in the same direction with a user settable period of time;

navigating said display in order to acquire real time sports bet odds and information using a menu made up of various menus, and for any particular game or bet, the program being capable of visually cycling through odds for the plurality of sport books; and

customizing the program so that the program downloads and stores, on the user'"'"'s computer, occurrences connected with odds offered by one or more sports book, processes said downloaded information, and alerts the user when a predetermined occurrence takes place in connection with the odds offered by one sports book or a predetermined number of sports books to enable the user to acquire the information he needs automatically.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said display further comprises:

a. a menu made up of various buttons; and

b. said buttons are equipped with pull down menus.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said program is written in the C++ programming language.