Networked gaming system with enterprise accounting methods and apparatus

• US 8,382,584 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Warren, Matthews, Mark, Loiseau, Loren, Lowell, Mark, Phillips, Randy, Eisele, Walt, Cline, Barry, Barrie, Fred, Abate, Christina, Wooden, Glen, Tighe, Jason, Lee, Marshall, Kesler, Sean, McCormick, Scott, Harmon, Tim, Hermansen, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sengdara, Vongsavanh
• Application Number:
  US12/470,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system

Abstract

A computerized management system and methods including accounting, auditing, and correcting systems and processes are disclosed for use with game and/or gaming devices, systems, and methods enable users to remotely monitor, control, and modify financial data, reports, and information related to game and/or gaming machines and apparatuses of different classes, for example Class II and Class III gaming machines and table games, and different facilities, such as Class III gaming establishments, bingo establishments, and lottery establishments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating a gaming related accounting system, the method comprising:

at an at least one computer of an enterprise accounting system, receiving accounting related information from one of at least a table game management system, a slot management system, or a bingo management system at a first site;

at the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system, receiving accounting related information from another one of the table game management system, the slot management system, or the bingo management system at a second site remotely located from the first site;

computationally consolidating the received accounting related information from the first and the second sites by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system;

computationally processing the received accounting related information by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system;

computationally identifying by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least one variance in the received accounting related information; and

computationally correcting by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the at least one identified variance in the accounting related information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least a portion of a graphical user interface including a plurality of user selectable icons, at least one of the user selectable icons indicative of a wizard function; and

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system a first set of user prompts in response to a selection of the user selectable icon indicative of the wizard function.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein

computationally identifying by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least one variance in the received accounting related information is based at least in part on a first set of user inputs provided by a user in response to the first set of user prompts.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein

computationally correcting by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the at least one identified variance in the accounting related information is in response to a user input at the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system indicative of a selection to fix the at least one identified variance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system whether a first set of the processed accounting related information is balanced;

storing on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the first set of the processed accounting related information in an audit database;

later, storing on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the first set of the processed accounting related information in an archive database, and

deleting from the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the first set of the processed accounting related information from the audit database in response to the storing of the first set of the processed accounting related information to the archive database.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computationally generating by the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least a first report based on the processed accounting related information; and

storing on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least the first report in a report database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving accounting related information from one of at least a table game management system, a slot management system, or a bingo management system includes receiving at least one of raw meter information, gaming event information, gaming voucher information, progressive gaming information, gaming system status information, cash information, jackpot information, electronic account transfer information or cashier information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving accounting related information from one of at least a table game management system, a slot management system, or a bingo management system includes receiving the accounting related information from a database associated with at least one gaming machine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system at least a portion of a graphical user interface including a calendar having days that are color coded to indicate whether a respective day is at least one of open, closed or archived with respect to an accounting for each of the days.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system a graphical representation of variance in the accounting information of each of a number of days.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a user input at the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system indicative of a selection to audit system financials, displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system a status of each of a number of days showing at least some accounting-related variances, if any, for each of a plurality of casino floor areas.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the at least one variance by amount.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating user access to the enterprise accounting system through security settings, the security settings restricting the user access to staff of the enterprise accounting system.

14. A gaming related enterprise accounting system, comprising:

at least one enterprise accounting computing system communicatively coupled to receive accounting related information from at least two of a table game management system, a slot management system, a bingo management system, progressive gaming management system, jackpot management system, a voucher management system, the at least two systems from respective at least two sites located remotely from each other, the enterprise accounting computing system comprising at least one processor and at least one processor-readable storage medium that stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, by;

computationally processing the received accounting related information from the at least two of the table game management system, the slot management system, the bingo management system, progressive gaming management system, jackpot management system, or the voucher management system;

computationally identifying at least one variance in the received accounting related information; and

computationally correcting the at least one identified variance in the accounting related information.

15. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 14 wherein the at least one processor-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, further by:

displaying at least a portion of a graphical user interface including a plurality of user selectable icons, at least one of the user selectable icons indicative of a wizard function; and

displaying a first set of user prompts in response to a selection of the at least one of the user selectable icons indicative of the wizard function.

16. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 15 wherein the at least one processor-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, wherein

computationally identifying at least one variance in the received accounting related information is based at least in part on a first set of user inputs provided by a user in response to the first set of user prompts.

17. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 16 wherein the at least one processor-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, wherein

computationally correcting the at least one identified variance in the accounting related information is in response to a user input indicative of a selection to fix the at least one identified variance.

18. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 14 wherein the at least one processor-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, further by:

displaying on the at least one computer of the enterprise accounting system the at least one variance by amount.

19. The gaming related enterprise accounting system of claim 14 wherein the at least one processor-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the at least one processor to process gaming related information, further by:

validating user access to the enterprise accounting system through security settings, the security settings restricting the user access to staff of the enterprise accounting system.

20. A computer-implemented method of processing gaming related transactions in a gaming related accounting system, the method comprising:

receiving at an at least one computer of the gaming related accounting system a first voucher for redemption at a first gaming site, the first voucher printed at a second gaming site that is remote from the first gaming site;

computationally evaluating by the at least one computer of the gaming related accounting system characteristics of the first voucher comprising;

confirming that a paid state of the first voucher is identified as unpaid in a voucher database,

confirming that an expiration date of the first voucher has not expired as identified in the voucher database,

verifying an amount value of the first voucher against an amount value in the voucher database,

confirming that an issue date of the first voucher is not after a current date,

confirming that a unique identifier read from the first voucher matches a unique identifier as identified in the voucher database, and

confirming that a voucher issuing device identifier that uniquely identifies a voucher issuing device is a known voucher issuing device; and

determining by the at least one computer of the gaming related accounting system whether to authorize redemption of the first voucher based at least in part on the evaluation of the characteristics of the first voucher.