Electronic fund transfer kiosk for use with wagering gaming machine

• US 7,771,277 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, John W., Saffari, Mohamad Ali, Hollibaugh, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pandya; Sunit
• Application Number:
  US10/662,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/12, 463/13, 463 16- 20, 463 25- 30, 463 40- 43, 463/39, 273/292, 273/293, 273/143.R, 273/139, 273/138.2, 700 91- 93, 235379-381, 235/375, 705 16- 18, 705/35, 705/39, 705 41- 45, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for electronically transferring funds at a gaming device. The gaming device has a ticketing system that includes a ticket reader. The system also includes an electronic fund transfer (“EFT”) kiosk that enables a patron, using a credit, debit, smart, casino or combination type card to enter a request for funds. The kiosk has a controller that sends a request out over a banking network for approval or denial. If approved, the kiosk includes a ticket printer that prints a ticket having a bar coded fund transfer. The player can use the ticket at one of a variety of gaming devices to receive game credits or redeem the ticket for cash.

Claims

1. An electronic fund transfer kiosk configured to provide a ticket to be used at a gaming device remote from the kiosk, the kiosk comprising:

a processor configured to communicate with a remote fund repository over an electronic fund transfer network but not over a ticket validation network, said processor not configured to cause any play of any wagering game;

a display configured to operate with the processor to display at least one request for electronic fund transfer information to a person;

an input device configured to operate with the processor to enable the person to enter requested electronic fund transfer information;

a ticket printer configured to operate with the processor to issue a ticket to the person, wherein;

(i) the ticket is associated with a value based on an approved electronic fund transfer, the approved electronic fund transfer being made via the electronic fund transfer network from the remote fund repository, and

(ii) the ticket includes identification information readable by the remote gaming device, the identification information enabling validation of the ticket by the gaming device via the ticket validation network, said validation enabling a wager on at least one play of at least one game at the gaming device; and

a housing that supports the processor, the display, the input device, and the ticket printer.

2. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a multi-button keypad.

3. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the ticket printer is a thermal printer.

4. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the display includes a vacuum fluorescent display.

5. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a touch screen configured to operate with the display.

6. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the ticket is a first ticket, which includes a ticket reader configured to operate with the processor and a supply of cash stored within the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to cause at least a portion of the supply of cash to be provided to the person based on data from the ticket reader if the person inserts a second ticket printed by the remote gaming device into the ticket reader.

7. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, which includes a receipt printer configured to operate with the processor to provide a receipt to the person confirming an amount of the approved electronic fund transfer.

8. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the electronic fund transfer network is a wide area network.

9. The electronic fund transfer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a bar code.

10. A system for electronically transferring funds comprising:

a gaming device having a ticket reader and a first processor configured to operate with the ticket reader, the first processor configured to communicate with a ticket validation system via a ticket validation network;

a separate electronic fund transfer kiosk having a ticket printer and a second different processor configured to operate with the ticket printer, the second different processor configured to communicate via an electronic fund transfer network with a remote fund repository without communicating through the ticket validation network, the second different processor not configured to cause any play of any wagering game; and

a ticket having a value associated with an electronic fund transfer approved by the remote fund repository via the electronic transfer network, the ticket configured to be issued by the ticket printer of the electronic fund transfer kiosk, the ticket including identification information readable by the ticket reader of the gaming device, the first processor configured to send data indicative of the identification information to the ticket validation system via the ticket validation network, the data indicative of the identification information enabling validation of the ticket.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic fund transfer network is configured to operate with the second processor to enable communicate between each of a plurality of electronic fund transfer kiosks.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic fund transfer network is configured to operate with the second processor to enable communication between each of a plurality of remote fund repositories.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the gaming device is positioned proximate to the electronic fund transfer kiosk.

14. The system of claim 10, which includes a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including one of a plurality of ticket readers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of gaming devices is positioned proximate to the electronic fund transfer kiosk.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein at least two of the plurality gaming devices are each associated with a different wagering game.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the ticket validation network includes a local network contained within a gaming establishment.

18. The system of claim 10, which includes an operator interface device configured to operate with the ticket validation network to verify the ticket via the ticket validation network.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the ticket validation network includes a fiber-optic network.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic fund transfer kiosk includes a card reader configured to operate with the second processor to determine information from at least one card selected from the group consisting of:

a credit card, a debit card, a gaming establishment card and any combination thereof.

21. A method of providing funds for use at a gaming device remote from an electronic fund transfer kiosk, said method comprising the steps of:

electronically transmitting a fund transfer request from a processor of the electronic fund transfer kiosk to a remote fund repository via an electronic fund transfer network without communicating through a ticket validation network, the processor of the electronic fund transfer kiosk not configured to cause any play of any wagering game;

receiving, at the processor of the electronic fund transfer kiosk, a response from the remote fund repository via the electronic fund transfer network;

if said response from the remote fund repository includes an approval, printing a ticket including identification information, the ticket having a value associated with an approved electronic fund transfer; and

enabling the ticket to be inserted into the gaming device for validation by the ticket validation system via a ticket validation network, said validation by the ticket validation system resulting in a provision of at least one gaming device credit to a player of the gaming device.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes issuing a receipt with the ticket, the receipt including a verification of an amount of the approved electronic fund transfer.

23. The method of claim 21, which includes validating the ticket before providing the at least one gaming device credit to the player of the gaming device.

24. The method of claim 21, which includes, if the response from the remote fund repository includes a rejection, providing account information.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein electronically transmitting the fund transfer request includes electronically transmitting the fund transfer request over an internet.