Advertising funded gaming system

• US 7,946,922 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howard Hung Yin
• Original Assignee: Howard Hung Yin
• Inventors: Yin, Howard Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/074,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

A gaming where a hosts search for and select particular events they desire to manage; where players can wager on specific events with potentially no financial loss; and where vendors can engage in interactive advertising to increase sales. The host manages the game by setting up the odds and establishing other rules of play. Where hosts are also vendors, they may offer prizes in exchange for credits from the players. Players place their wagers on a particular outcome of the event. Both the host and the player may gain additional credits for clicking or viewing an advertisement displayed on the webpage. If the desire outcome occurs, the player'"'"'s wager is accounted for by the host and the credits can be applied to the purchase of prizes offered by the host. Those who lose may receive communications from the vendor, with permission from the operator of the website, to offer its goods or services.

Claims

1. A method of providing an online gaming system funded by advertisements, comprising:

a. providing a website operated by a server in communication with a network;

b. providing a webpage on the website for a host login configured to automatically credit a host'"'"'s account a first predetermined amount of credits upon a host logging in;

c. offering a selection of games from a predetermined list of games for the host to manage;

d. providing a game setup page in response to the selection of a game, the game setup page comprising at least one event to be wagered on, an odds entry field for the host to enter an odd for an outcome of the event, and a rules entry field for the host to enter a rule for the game;

e. offering a selection of advertisements to place in a predetermined number of general advertisement spaces;

f. crediting the host a second predetermined number of credits when a general advertisement is clicked on;

g. displaying an interactive game page;

h. receiving a wager for an event on the interactive game page;

i. determining the outcome of the event; and

j. accounting for the wager based on the outcome of the event and the odds for the outcome of the event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering a host'"'"'s advertisement space to upload a host'"'"'s advertisement.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising crediting the host a third predetermined number of credits when the host'"'"'s advertisement is selected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second predetermined number of credits is less than the third predetermined number of credits.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the host is a qualified host;

and displaying a link to the host'"'"'s interactive game page in response to the determination that the host is the qualified host.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to add a new game.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the host to offer additional credits to a player.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising privatizing the game to only allow a qualified player to play the game.

9. A method of providing an online gaming system funded by advertisements, comprising:

a. providing a website operated by a server in communication with a network;

b. providing a webpage on the website for a player login configured to automatically credit a player'"'"'s account a first predetermined amount of credits upon a player logging in;

c. offering a selection of games from a predetermined list of games for the player to play;

d. receiving a choice of a game for the player to play;

e. displaying an interactive game page in response to the receipt of the choice of a game, wherein the interactive game page displays an event, odds for an outcome of the event, a wagering field for each event, a rule of the game, and at least one advertisement;

f. receiving a wager for an event on the interactive game page;

g. determining an outcome of the event; and

h. accounting for the wager based on the outcome of the event.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a means for searching for a particular game.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a keyword search field.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined list of games is generated in response to a search conducted based on a search criteria selected from the group consisting of a host, an event, a prize, an advertisement, and an advertiser.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising crediting the player a second predetermined amount of credits for clicking on the at least one advertisement.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising offering a prize for which the credit is redeemed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising directing a winner to an advertiser'"'"'s website to redeem the credit for the prize.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising offering the player an option to exchange the credit for an operator'"'"'s currency at a first predetermined exchange rate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising converting the operator'"'"'s currency into credit at a second predetermined exchange rate to be used by the player to play at a different game managed by a different host.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a communication to a losing player of the game to visit the host'"'"'s website.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the interactive game page displays a second selection of games similar to the choice of game selected by the player.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the interactive game page displays a second selection of games managed by the host of the choice of game selected by the player.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a public communications page, wherein a communication can be posted by the player or a host and wherein the communication is viewable by any player or the host on the interactive game page and can be responded to by any player or the host on the interactive game page.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether the player is qualified to play the game.

23. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a means for the player to negotiate with a host.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the negotiation is for the odds for the outcome of the event.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the negotiation is for a cost of a prize.

26. A method of providing an online gaming system funded by advertisements, comprising:

a. providing a website for a host login configured to automatically credit a host'"'"'s account a first predetermined amount of credits upon a host logging in;

b. offering a selection of games from a predetermined list of games for the host to manage;

c. receiving a choice of a game for the host to manage (“

host'"'"'s game”

);

d. providing a game setup page comprising at least one event to be wagered on, an odds entry field for the host to enter an odds for an outcome of the event, and a rules entry field for the host to enter a rule for the game;

e. offering a selection of advertisements to place in a plurality of advertisement spaces;

f. providing a player login on the website configured to automatically credit a player'"'"'s account a second predetermined amount of credits upon a player logging in;

g. offering a selection of games from a predetermined list of games for the player to play;

h. receiving a selection of the host'"'"'s game for the player to play;

i. displaying an interactive game page in response to the receipt of the selection of the host'"'"'s game, wherein the interactive game page displays the event, the odds for the event, a wagering field for each event, a rule of the game, and at least one advertisement;

j. crediting the host a third predetermined amount of credits when the at least one advertisement is selected;

k. crediting the player a fourth predetermined number of credits when the at least one advertisement is selected;

l. receiving a wager from the player for an event on the interactive game page;

m. determining an outcome of the event; and

n. accounting for the wager based on the outcome of the event and the odds for the outcome of the event.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising offering the player an option to exchange the credit for an operator'"'"'s currency at a first predetermined exchange rate.