Method for distributing large payouts with minimal interruption of a gaming session

• US 8,221,224 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh, Brosnan, William, Paulsen, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/541,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for administering payouts in gaming machines are disclosed. More particularly, improved techniques for distributing large payouts with minimal interruption of a gaming session at a gaming apparatus are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a location where game play of a game provided by a gaming apparatus is occurring;

determining one or more jurisdictions corresponding to the location;

determining a predetermined amount associated with tax regulations for at least one of the one or more jurisdictions determined to correspond to the determined location where the game play is occurring, the predetermined amount indicating that payout of an award exceeding the predetermined amount is required to be documented pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions;

providing for the game play of the game provided by the gaming apparatus in accordance with inputs of a player, wherein the gaming apparatus is configured to provide payouts of won awards resulting from the game play via either a first payout procedure or a second payout procedure, wherein the second payout procedure includes documenting the payout of an award pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions with minimal interruption of a gaming session;

monitoring the game play for an amount of a won award;

determining if the amount of the won award exceeds the predetermined amount, implementing the second payout procedure when the amount of the won award is determined to exceed the predetermined amount.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes printing out a ticket or a voucher that is only redeemable at physical cashier locations in an amount of the payout, and thereafter automatically resetting the gaming apparatus for play with an amount of credits not including credits from the payout.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes storing the payout on the gaming apparatus separately from credits available for wagering until the gaming session ends.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes outputting the payout when the game play session ends.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes outputting the payout immediately after the won award is won.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes obtaining player identification information, notifying a host system that the won award has been won, and resetting any credits available for wagering to include the payout.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the player identification information is obtained from a player tracking system.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes obtaining player identification information, storing the payout in an account assigned to a player, and resetting any credits available for wagering on the gaming apparatus to an amount of credits not including any credits from the payout.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second payout procedure includes capturing an indicium of a player.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the indicium is a signature of the player.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the indicium is a picture of the player.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is at a location outside a gaming operator'"'"'s property.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is at a location within a gaming operator'"'"'s property.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is a gaming device including a gaming machine or a portable game player.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is a gaming table.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is a PDA.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gaming apparatus is a personal computer.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the personal computer is located within a player'"'"'s home.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the game is played online.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring is performed by a software agent.

21. A method comprising:

determining a location where game play of a game provided by a gaming machine is occurring, wherein the gaming machine is configured to provide payouts resulting from the game play via either a first payout procedure or a second payout procedure, wherein the second payout procedure includes documenting a payout of an award pursuant to tax regulations of at least one of one or more jurisdictions with minimal interruption of a gaming session;

determining the one or more jurisdictions corresponding to the location;

determining a predetermined threshold associated with the tax regulations for at least one of the one or more jurisdictions determined to correspond to the determined location where the game play is occurring, the predetermined threshold indicating that payout of an award exceeding the predetermined threshold is required to be documented pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions;

monitoring for a payout on the gaming machine that exceeds the predetermined threshold;

transferring a value of the payout exceeding the predetermined threshold from the gaming apparatus to a removable storage medium; and

resetting the gaming apparatus to an amount of credits not including any credits from the payout in order to allow the gaming session to continue without interruption.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the removable storage medium is a ticket that is printed at the gaming apparatus.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the removable storage medium is flash memory.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the removable storage medium is a USB key.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the removable storage medium is a smart card.

26. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the removable storage medium is a swipeable card.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the swipeable card is a player tracking card.

28. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

recording an indicium of the player at a time when the payout is won.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the indicium is a signature.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the indicium is a picture.

31. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the the recording of the indicium is transferred to the removable storage medium.

32. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

obtaining information about a player before or at a time when the payout is won.

33. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a software agent.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein at least the step of monitoring is performed by a software agent.

35. A method comprising:

determining a location where a gaming session on a gaming apparatus is occurring, wherein the gaming apparatus is configured to provide payouts resulting from the gaming session via either a first payout procedure or a second payout procedure, wherein the second payout procedure includes documenting a payout of an award pursuant to tax regulations of at least one of one or more jurisdictions with minimal interruption of the gaming session;

determining the one or more jurisdictions corresponding to the location;

determining a predetermined threshold associated with the tax regulations for at least one of the one or more jurisdictions determined to correspond to the determined location where the gaming session is occurring, the predetermined threshold indicating that payout of an award exceeding the predetermined threshold is required to be documented pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions;

monitoring for a payout during the gaming session that exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

when the payout exceeds the predetermined threshold, obtaining player data,

obtaining gaming data at the time of the payout,

creating and storing a record linking the gaming data and the player data, and

resetting a credit meter of a gaming machine when the record has been made.

36. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising authenticating the player data.

37. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising authenticating the gaming data.

38. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising authenticating the gaming machine and software associated with the gaming machine.

39. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein the credit meter is reset to include the payout with an amount of credits available for wagering on the gaming machine.

40. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising verifying that the record was stored.

41. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising issuing a receipt.

42. The method as recited in claim 41, wherein the receipt is a physical receipt or an electronic receipt.

43. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a software agent.

44. The method as recited in claim 43, wherein at least the step of monitoring is performed by the software agent.

45. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein at least two of the steps are performed by one or more software agents.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein each step performed by a software agent is performed by a different software agent.

47. A method comprising:

determining a location where game play of a wagering game is occurring on a gaming device, wherein the gaming device is configured to provide payouts resulting from the game play via either a first payout procedure or a second payout procedure, wherein the second payout procedure includes documenting the payout of an award pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions with minimal interruption of a gaming session;

determining the one or more jurisdictions corresponding to the location;

determining a predetermined threshold associated with the tax regulations for at least one of the one or more jurisdictions determined to correspond to the determined location where the game play is occurring, the predetermined threshold indicating that payout of an award exceeding the predetermined threshold requires tax reporting forms of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions to be submitted to one or more regulatory or governmental entities associated with the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions;

monitoring the wagering game for the win of a large award, the large award in an amount exceeding the predetermined threshold;

receiving gaming data and player data associated with the large award;

populating the tax reporting forms using the gaming data and the player data;

obtaining a digital signature from a player associated with the win of the large award;

associating the digital signature with the tax reporting forms; and

electronically filing the populated tax reporting forms with the one or more regulatory or governmental entities.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising verifying the jurisdiction where the game was played and obtaining jurisdiction data on the jurisdiction, and wherein the tax reporting forms are populated using the jurisdictional data, the gaming data, and the player data.

49. The method as recited in claim 47, further comprising issuing a receipt.

50. The method as recited in claim 47, further comprising issuing copies of the filed tax reporting forms physically or electronically to the player.

51. The method as recited in claim 47, further comprising:

determining gambling losses for the player associated with the win of the large award; and

issuing one or more gambling loss statements physically or electronically to the player.

52. The method as recited in claim 47, wherein at least one of the steps is performed by one or more software agents.

53. The method as recited in claim 47, wherein a majority of the steps are performed by one or more software agents.

54. A method comprising:

determining a location where play of a game provided by a gaming apparatus is occurring, wherein the gaming apparatus is configured to provide payouts resulting from the game via either a first payout procedure or a second payout procedure, wherein the second payout procedure includes documenting the payout of an award pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions with minimal interruption of a gaming session;

determining the one or more jurisdictions corresponding to the location;

determining a triggering payout event associated with the tax regulations of at least one of the one or more jurisdictions determined to correspond to the determined location where the play of the game is occurring, the triggering payout event indicating that payout of an award causing the triggering payout event to occur is required to be documented using pursuant to the tax regulations of the at least one of the one or more jurisdictions

monitoring the game for the triggering payout event;

obtaining player tracking information for a player associated with the triggering payout event;

obtaining electronic tax reporting forms associated with the triggering payout event;

populating the electronic tax reporting forms with the player tracking information; and

electronically filing the electronic tax reporting forms at one or more regulatory or governmental agencies as appropriate for the location of the player.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein the game is played on a gaming machine, the method further comprising:

authenticating software code executed by the gaming machine; and

verifying a win associated with the triggering payout event.

56. The method as recited in claim 54 further comprising:

obtaining a signature of the player when the triggering payout event occurs.

57. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a software agent.

58. The method as recited in claim 57, wherein at least the step of monitoring is performed by a software agent.

59. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein at least two of the steps are performed by one or more software agents.

60. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein each step performed by a software agent is performed by a different software agent.