Managing limitation rules for wagering accounts

• US 8,439,746 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Rathsack, Erhard W., Thomas, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US12/991,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463/42, 705/39, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A wagering game account management system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations include presenting a graphical user interface that includes a graphical control associated with a credit account belonging to a wagering game player; detecting a selection of the graphical control that initiates a financial transaction to transfer money from the credit account to a wagering game session account; determining access information stored in a player profile, the access information to access the credit account; determining an amount to transfer from the credit account to the wagering game session account balance; determining one or more rules limiting use of the credit account; and enforcing the one or more limitation rules on the use of the credit account.

Claims

1. One or more tangible machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first user input indicating one or more money values;

assigning the one or more money values to a graphical user interface control configured for use during a wagering game session;

linking the graphical user interface control to a credit account, wherein the credit account is a third-party financial account from which a player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit;

initiating, in response to a second user input, the wagering game session, wherein the wagering game session is associated with the player account;

presenting the graphical user interface control during the wagering game session;

detecting a third user input activating the graphical user interface control; and

requesting a transfer, from the credit account to the player account, of an amount of money equal to one of the one or more money values, wherein the requesting is in response to the third user input.

2. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the operation for linking the graphical user interface control to the credit account includes operations further comprising:

detecting a fourth user input of credit account access data before initiating the wagering game session;

detecting a selection of the graphical user interface control before initiating the wagering game session; and

associating the credit account access data with the graphic in response to the determining the selection of the graphical user interface control before initiating the wagering game session; and

preventing display of the credit account access data during the wagering game session.

3. The tangible machine-readable storage media of claim 1, said operations further comprising:

presenting one or more indications of the one or more money values with the graphical user interface control during the wagering game session.

4. The tangible machine-readable storage media of claim 1, said operations further comprising:

presenting, before initiating the wagering game session, a plurality of graphical representations on a graphical user interface associated with the player account;

receiving a plurality of user inputs, via the graphical user interface, wherein the plurality of user inputs indicate different money amounts for each of the plurality of graphical representations;

assigning the different money amounts to each of the plurality of graphical representations;

presenting, after presenting the graphical user interface control, the plurality of graphical representations;

determining, during the wagering game session, a selection of one of the plurality of graphical representations; and

using one of the different money amounts that is associated with the one of the plurality of graphical representations as the amount of money to withdraw from the credit account.

5. The tangible machine-readable storage media of claim 1, said operations further comprising:

determining a borrowing limit indicated by an agent authorized by the player account, wherein the borrowing limit limits the player account from borrowing funds from the credit account beyond the borrowing limit within a time period, wherein the borrowing limit is separate from the credit limit;

determining that withdrawing the amount of money equal to the one or more money values exceeds the borrowing limit; and

restricting transfer of the amount of money equal to the one or more money values from the credit account to the player account during the time period.

6. The tangible machine-readable storage media of claim 5, said operations further comprising:

restricting the player account from overriding the borrowing limit during the wagering game session.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a request by a first wagering game player account during a wagering game session to withdraw an amount of money from a credit account to place a wager on a wagering game played on a wagering game machine, wherein the credit account is a financial account from which a wagering game player, associated with the first wagering game player account, is authorized to borrow funds from a third-party, up to a credit limit, and wherein withdrawing the amount of money would not exceed the credit limit;

determining a withdrawal limit set by a second wagering game player account associated with the first wagering game player account, wherein the second wagering game player account is authorized to set the withdrawal limit on behalf of the first wagering game player account to limit the withdrawing of funds from the credit account to fund amounts that are less than the credit limit for the credit account;

determining a time period set by the second wagering game player account, wherein the second wagering game player account is also authorized to set the time period on behalf of the first wagering game player account,

determining, via one or more processors of the wagering game machine, that withdrawing the amount of money would exceed the withdrawal limit during the time period;

restricting, via at least one of the one or more processors, a transfer of the amount of money from the credit account; and

presenting an indication, via at least one of the one or more processors of the wagering game machine, of the restricting of the transfer of the amount of money from the credit account.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first wagering game player account belongs to the wagering game player, and wherein the second wagering game player account belongs to a social contact of the wagering game player, and wherein the second wagering game player account is linked to the first wagering game player account.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting in association with the second wagering game player account, a user interface, before a beginning of the wagering game session;

receiving a user input from the social contact that provides an indication of the withdrawal limit and an indication of a time period;

storing the indication of the withdrawal limit and the indication of the time period within the second wagering game player account;

determining, during the wagering game session, that the second wagering game player account is authorized by the first wagering game player account to provide the withdrawal limit;

accessing the second wagering game player account during the wagering game session; and

determining the indication of the withdrawal limit and the indication of the time period from the second wagering game player account.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the first wagering game player account has already withdrawn an additional money amount from the credit account during the time period; and

determining that the money amount plus the additional money amount would exceed the withdrawal limit.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining an additional money amount, less than the money amount, that would not exceed the withdrawal limit set by the second wagering game player account;

determining credit-account access information from the first wagering game player account;

using the credit-account information to access the credit account; and

transferring the additional money amount from the credit account to a wagering game session account balance.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the credit account is any one or more of a credit card account, an Internet credit account, a bank line of credit, and a casino line of credit.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

presenting, before the wagering game session, a plurality of graphical representations on a graphical user interface associated with the first wagering game player account;

receiving user input, via the graphical user interface, wherein the user input indicates different money amounts for each of the plurality of graphical representations;

assigning the different money amounts to each of the plurality of graphical representations;

presenting, during the wagering game session, the plurality of graphical representations;

determining, during the wagering game session, a selection of one of the plurality of graphical representations; and

using one of the different money amounts that is associated with the one of the plurality of graphical representations as the amount of money to withdraw from the credit account.

14. A system comprising:

a wagering game unit configured to

present wagering games during a wagering game session initiated by a first wagering game player account; and

an account controller configured to

present a graphical control during the wagering game session, wherein the graphical control is associated with a credit account from which the first wagering game player account is authorized to borrow money from a third party up to a credit limit for the credit account,

detect a selection of the graphical control, during the wagering game session, wherein the selection of the graphical control requests to withdraw an amount of money from the credit account to place wagers on the wagering games during the wagering game session,

determine a withdrawal limit set by a second wagering game player account on behalf of the first wagering game player account, wherein the second wagering game player account belongs to a social contact associated with the first wagering game player account, and wherein the withdrawal limit is less than the credit limit for the credit account,

determine that withdrawing the amount of money during a time period would exceed the withdrawal limit, and

restrict a transfer of the amount of money from the credit account.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an account manager configured to

receive a user input from the second wagering game player account that indicates both the withdrawal limit and the time period;

store the indication of the withdrawal limit and the time period within the second wagering game player account;

determine, during the wagering game session, that the second wagering game player account is authorized by the first wagering game player account to provide the withdrawal limit and the time period;

access the second wagering game player account during the wagering game session; and

determine the indication of the withdrawal limit and the time period from the second wagering game player account.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the account controller is further configured to initiate the selection of the graphical control when a wagering game account balance reaches a minimum dollar amount.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the account controller is further configured to

present a message, via a graphical user interface, indicating the restricting of the transfer of the first money amount from the credit account.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the time period is a calendar day.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

presenting a graphical control on a display of a wagering game machine during a wagering game session, wherein the graphical control is linked to a credit card account from which a wagering game player account is authorized to borrow money up to a credit limit for the credit card account;

detecting an activation of the graphical control via user input, wherein the activation of the graphical control requests to withdraw an amount of money from the credit card account;

determining both a withdrawal limit and a time period assigned by a social contact authorized by the wagering game player account to set the withdrawal limit and the time period on behalf of the wagering game player account to limit the withdrawing of funds from the credit card account during the time period, wherein the withdrawal limit is separate from the credit limit;

determining that withdrawing the amount of money during the time period would not exceed the withdrawal limit; and

transferring the amount of money from the credit card account to the wagering game player account during the time period.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphical control is pre-configured, before a start of the wagering game session, with the amount of money as a default withdrawal amount.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the account controller is further configured to

detect an additional activation of the graphical control, which requests to withdraw an additional amount of money from the credit card account;

determine that withdrawing the additional amount of money during the time period would exceed the withdrawal limit; and

restrict transfer of the additional amount of money from the credit card account to the wagering game player account during the time period.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a request by a wagering game player account during a wagering game session to withdraw a first amount of money from a credit account to place a wager on a wagering game played on a wagering game machine, wherein the credit account is a financial account from which a wagering game player, associated with the wagering game player account, is authorized to borrow funds from a third-party, up to a credit limit, and wherein withdrawing the first amount of money would not exceed the credit limit;

means for determining a withdrawal limit set by an agent user account associated with the wagering game player account, wherein the agent user account is authorized to set the withdrawal limit on behalf of the wagering game player account to limit the withdrawing of funds from the credit account to fund amounts that are less than the credit limit;

means for determining that withdrawing the first amount of money would exceed the withdrawal limit set by the agent user account;

means for restricting a transfer of the first amount of money from the credit account;

means for calculating, without user intervention, a second amount of money, less than the first amount of money, that would not exceed the withdrawal limit;

means for transferring the second amount of money from the credit account to the wagering game player account; and

means for augmenting a meter on the wagering game machine with the second amount of money, wherein the meter indicates a wagering game session account balance.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

before the wagering game session,

means for presenting a graphical control on the graphical user interface,

means for determining a selection of the graphical control by a first user input,

means for determining a money value, specified by a second user input,

means for assigning the money value to the graphical control, and

means for linking the graphical control to the credit account; and

during the wagering game session,

means for presenting the graphical control on a wagering game machine display,

means for detecting an activation of the graphical control by a third user input, wherein the activation of the graphical control requests to withdraw the amount of money from the credit account, and

means for using the money value as the amount of money after detecting the activation of the graphical control.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining an additional request by the wagering game player account during the wagering game session to withdraw a third amount of money

means for determining that the credit limit has been exceeded for the credit account;

means for determining an additional credit account from which the wagering game player account is authorized to borrow funds; and

means for assigning the withdrawal limit to the additional credit account.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the credit account is any one or more of a credit card account, an Internet credit account, a bank line of credit, and a casino line of credit.