Systems and methods for facilitating play of a casino game via expiring prepaid plays of the casino game

• US 7,862,426 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Fincham, Magdalena M., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US12/256,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 705/14.12
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

In accordance with at least one embodiment, an expiring prepaid casino account is disclosed. The expiring prepaid casino account has associated therewith an amount of money, time, and/or game plays. The amount of money, time, and/or game plays expires in predetermined portions over a plurality of defined expiration periods, thus encouraging a player to return to a casino during each of the predefined expiration periods. The present invention may be implemented via either a brick-and-mortar casino or an online casino.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

associating data with a prepaid casino card providable to a player, the data representing at least;

(a) an expiring amount of value, and

(b) a vacation promotion applicable during a plurality of designated units of time;

for each designated unit of time of the vacation promotion, storing an indication that a designated portion of the amount of value expires for said designated unit of time; and

at a first point in time;

(a) enabling the player to provide data indicative of the prepaid casino card to at least one gaming device,

(b) determining any non-expired portion of the amount of value represented by the data associated with the prepaid casino card based on the first point in time,

(c) enabling the player to wager on at least one play of a game using any non-expired portion of the amount of value represented by the data associated with the prepaid casino card, and

(d) causing the at least one gaming device to display at least one outcome of the at least one play of the game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid casino card is providable to the player by giving the prepaid casino card to the player as part of the vacation promotion without requiring the player to provide any funds in addition to a cost associated with the vacation promotion.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the player to increase the non-expired portion of the amount of value associated with the prepaid casino card.

4. The method of claim 1, which includes storing a first indication that a first designated portion of the amount of value expires for a first designated unit of time and storing a second indication that a different second designated portion of the amount of value expires for a second designated unit of time.

5. The method of claim 4, which includes randomly determining at least one of the first designated portion of the amount of value and the different second designated portion of the amount of value.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, for a selected designated unit of time, the first designated portion of the amount of value is less than the different second portion of the amount of value.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing an indication that any remaining amount of value expires after the selected designated unit of time has passed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of designated units of time comprises one day.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to;

(a) receive, from a player, data indicative of a prepaid casino card, the prepaid casino card associated with;

(i) an expiring amount of value, and

(ii) a vacation promotion applicable during a plurality of designated units of time,

(b) for each designated unit of time of the vacation promotion, store an indication that a designated portion of the amount of value expires for said designated unit of time, and

(c) at a first point in time;

(i) determine any non-expired portion of the amount of value associated with the prepaid casino card based on the first point in time,

(ii) enable the player to wager on at least one play of a game using any non-expired portion of the amount of value associated with the prepaid casino card, and

(iii) display at least one outcome of the at least one play of the game.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a player, data indicative of a prepaid casino card, the prepaid casino card associated with;

(a) an expiring amount of value, and

(b) a vacation promotion applicable during a plurality of designated units of time;

for each designated unit of time of the vacation promotion, storing an indication that a designated portion of the amount of value expires for said designated unit of time; and

at a first point in time;

(a) determining any non-expired portion of the amount of value associated with the prepaid casino card based on the first point in time,

(b) enabling the player to wager on at least one play of a game using any non-expired portion of the amount of value associated with the prepaid casino card, and

(c) causing the at least one gaming device to display at least one outcome of the at least one play of the game.