System and method for personal wagering

• US 8,167,309 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steven Laut
• Original Assignee: Steven Laut
• Inventors: Laut, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/494,179
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/42, 463/26, 705/26, 273/250
• US Class Current: 273/250
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3279 wherein the competition is one-to-one, e.g. match
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A method and a system to provide a medium for personal wagering for sporting or non-sporting events. Users wager against each other, for any event. Users can make their own odds and handicaps. Users pre-select events and price-range for wagering. Alerts are automatically distributed to users informing them of available wager offers. Funds are received and distributed to the winners.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of servers coupled to a wide-area network having a plurality of wager content stored in at least one memory device;

a plurality of users that communicate with the wide-area network over a communications medium, the plurality of users having varying event preferences;

the plurality of users each having a hyperlink browser to send HTTP requests to the plurality of servers and to render wager content returned in response to the HTTP requests;

wherein the plurality of servers automatically alert said plurality of users of selected wager content in response to the HTTP requests, wherein said plurality of users are automatically alerted based on;

a first user of the plurality of users selecting a wager on an event for a first outcome between a first opponent and a second opponent, wherein at least the first outcome and a second outcome are possible outcomes for the event and wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are different outcomes;

a second user of the plurality of users having previously selected second opponent preferences, wherein said plurality of servers determines that the second opponent is in the event with the first opponent selected by the first user;

and

automatically alerting the second user to accept the wager for the second outcome, based on the first user selecting the wager for the first outcome, and wherein the alerting is further based on preselected event type of the second user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user pre-selects a price range for offered wagers, and the automatically returned wager content is within the pre-selected price range, and an event type comprises sporting team games or matches, sporting individual one-on-one events, elections and non-parimutuel events.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user with certain preselected event preferences is automatically alerted when a wager if offered within the pre-selected price range and for the certain preselected event preferences via one or more of:

text messaging and email messaging.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second opponent comprises a user preselected team, athlete or individual.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user is automatically alerted to wager content without user interaction based on favorite sporting teams and sporting individuals that are preselected by the second user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hyperlink browser runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of winning funds can be automatically transferred to participating charities preselected by a user, wherein the participating charities are shown to users through hyperlinks in email, or selected through a wireless device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a group of users wager against other groups of users for an event in a wager pool for a group selected specific event.

9. A method comprising:

employing a processor to execute the steps of;

a first user using a website to select a wager offer for a first outcome for an event,

wherein the event is between a first opponent and a second opponent, wherein at least the first outcome and a second outcome are possible outcomes for the event, and wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are different outcomes;

a second user having previously selected second opponent preferences, wherein a server determines that the second opponent is in the event with the first opponent selected by the first user;

automatically alerting the second user to accept the wager offer for the second outcome, based on the first user selecting the wager offer for the first outcome, and wherein the alerting is further based on a preselected event type of the user;

receiving a wager offer acceptance from the second user;

receiving wager funds from the first user and the second user;

determining a winner between the first user and the second user based on an outcome of the event;

automatically alerting the first user and the second user of the outcome of the event via one or more of;

email and text messaging; and

disbursing the wager funds to the winner.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying wager statistics for the first user and the second user on a display, wherein the wager statistics are displayed in a hyperlink browser that runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second user pre-selects a wager price range and event type preferences added in a user event preference list for wager offers, and the second user automatically receives an alert for the wager offer when the wager offer is within the pre-selected price range and for event type preferences opposing selected wagers made by other users.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the wager acceptance from the second user closes the wager from the first user.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically transferring at least a portion of winning funds to participating charities preselected by the first user on a preselected continuing basis.

14. A method comprising:

employing a processor to execute the steps of;

a first user of a plurality of users setting up a limited wagering pool for an event;

determining if a second user of the plurality of users is available to loin the limited wagering pool and automatically alerting the second user to join the limited wagering pool for the event, based on the first user of the plurality of users setting up the limited wagering pool for the event and the remaining wagers available in the limited wagering pool, the second user having previously selected event type, opponent and wager limit preferences, wherein

automatically alerting includes sending the second user one or more of;

an email and a text message, wherein a preselected opponent of the second user is an opponents in the event;

the second user joining the limited wagering pool through a website receiving wager funds from the second user;

determining at least one winner between the plurality of users based on an outcome of the event;

automatically alerting the plurality of users of the outcome of the event; and

disbursing the wager funds to the at least one winner.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying wager statistics for the plurality of users on a display, wherein the wager statistics are displayed in a hyperlink browser that runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the wager offer is for preselected actual goods or actual services.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein the wager offer is for goods or services preselected from participating vendors.

17. A non-transitory machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

employ a processor to execute the steps of;

a first user using a website to select a wager offer for a first outcome for an event, wherein the event is between a first opponent and a second opponent,

wherein at least the first outcome and a second outcome are possible outcomes for the event, and

wherein the first outcome and the second outcome are different outcomes;

a second user of the plurality of users having previously selected second opponent preferences, wherein

a server determines that the second opponent is in the event with the first opponent selected by the first user;

automatically alerting the second user to accept the wager offer for the second outcome, based on the first user'"'"'s selection of the wager offer for the first outcome, and wherein the alerting is further based on a preselected event type of the second users, wherein the alert includes one or more of;

an email and a text message;

receiving a wager offer acceptance from the second user automatically alerted to the wager offer of the first user;

receiving wager funds from the first user and the second user;

determining a winner between the first user and the second user based on an outcome of the event;

automatically alerting the first user and the second user of the outcome of the event;

and disbursing the wager funds to the winner.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

display wager statistics for the first user and the second user on a display, wherein the wager statistics are displayed in a hyperlink browser that runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, wherein the second user pre-selects a wager price range and event type preferences added in a user event preference list for wager offers, and the second user automatically receives an electronic messaging alert for the wager offer when the wager offer is within the pre-selected price range and for at least one of the event type preferences that oppose the event type selected by the first user.

21. A non-transitory machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

employ a processor to execute the steps of;

a first user of a plurality of users setting up a limited wagering pool for an event;

determining if a second user of the plurality of users is available to loin the limited wagering pool and automatically alerting the second user to loin the limited wagering pool for the event, based on the first user setting up the limited wagering pool for the event and the remaining wagers available in the limited wagering pool, the second user having previously selected event type, opponent and wager limit preferences, wherein automatically alerting includes sending the second user one or more of;

an email and a text message, wherein a preselected opponent of the second user is an opponent in the event;

the second user joining the limited wagering pool through a website receiving wager funds from the second user;

automatically transferring wager funds from the plurality of users to a neutral account;

determining at least one winner between the plurality of users based on an outcome of the event;

automatically alerting the plurality of users of the outcome of the event;

and disbursing the wager funds to the at least one winner from the account.

22. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21, further containing instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to:

display wager statistics for the plurality of users on a display, wherein the wager statistics are displayed in a hyperlink browser that runs on one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a palm computer, and a notebook computer.

23. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of users are determined to be available for joining in the wagering pool when the wager fund is within a preselected price range and for preselected user specific event preferences.

24. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21, wherein a first company pools funds from the first company participating members and wagers against a second company that pools funds from the second company participating members.