Amusement water rides involving games of chance

• US 7,857,704 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Ride Concepts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Water Ride Concepts Incorporated
• Inventors: Schooley, John Timothy, Henry, Jeffery Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kien T
• Application Number:
  US11/522,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 472116-117, 472128-129, 273/148.R, 273/309, 273/457, 273/458, 104/69, 104/70, 463/7, 463/52, 463/53
• US Class Current: 472/128
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/0414 in motion
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/205 for being played in the swimming pool, e.g. floatable games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/00 Roulette games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/00 Water roundabouts, e.g. freely floating
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 5/00 Games on roundabouts

Abstract

A system may enable a participant to play games of chance in a water environment. A gambling facility may be part of a water ride. The gambling facility is coupled to a water amusement system. Gambling stations may be at least partially submerged in the body of water. Gambling apparatus may float on or be coupled to structures in the body of water. A participant may move from station to station, or apparatus to apparatus, by swimming, floating, traveling underwater, walking or jogging in the body of water, or using a conveyor. In some embodiments, participant identifiers are coupled to the one or more participants. The participant identifiers may be used to assess a status of the participants in the gambling facility or water amusement park system.

Claims

1. A water amusement park system, comprising:

a body of water;

two or more gambling apparatus located on or adjacent the body of water, wherein the gambling apparatus allows, during use, one or more participants to gamble while in or on the body of water;

one or more participant identifiers coupled to one or more of the participants, wherein the participant identifiers assess, during use, a status of the participants in the water amusement park system, and wherein one or more of the participant identifiers authenticates, during use, the identity of the participants to the gambling apparatus; and

a monitoring system which verifies, during use, the identity of the participants by accessing data regarding the identity of the participants in a database to compare to the participant identifiers authentication of the identity of the participants to the gambling apparatus.

2. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein the body of water comprises a current configured to assist a participant to move between gambling apparatus.

3. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the participants swims between gambling apparatus.

4. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the participants is supported by a flotation device when moving between gambling apparatus.

5. The water amusement park system of claim 4, wherein the flotation device comprises a holder for one or more gambling chips used by the participant.

6. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the participants travel underwater between gambling apparatus.

7. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a conveyor to assist in movement of the participants between gambling apparatus.

8. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein an area surrounding at least one of the gambling apparatus comprises a substantially stationary body of water.

9. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein the body of water is coupled to one or more additional water amusement systems.

10. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein the body of water comprises a channel of water which runs in a continuous loop.

11. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gambling apparatus comprises a sports book.

12. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gambling apparatus comprises a game of chance.

13. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gambling apparatus is configured to float on the body of water.

14. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein two or more of the gambling apparatus comprise a gambling casino.

15. The water amusement park system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system for assessing at least one of the participant'"'"'s status in the system.

16. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the participant identifiers are configured to assess monetary status of the participants.

17. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the participant identifiers are configured to identify the participants to the gambling apparatus.

18. The water amusement park system of claim 1, wherein at least one participant is configured to activate at least one of the gambling apparatus using at least one participant identifier.

19. The water amusement park system of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit configured to process information relating to gambling activities of a participant using at least one of the participant identifiers.

20. The water amusement park system of claim 19, wherein the processing unit is configured to direct a competition between at least two participants.

21. The water amusement park system of claim 19, wherein the processing unit is configured to compete against one or more of the participants.