Method and apparatus for providing player incentives

• US 8,512,133 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Hardy, Dow K, Herrmann, Mark E, Taylor, John E Jr., Acres, John F, Kane, Steven N
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/780,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/16, 463/20, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method is provided for incentivizing players to visit a gambling location. In one aspect, a qualified person is invited to play an electronic game which has a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome. One aspect relates to accumulating outcomes. Another relates to incentives provided to player program member(s). In some embodiments, the person does not need to be qualified. In one embodiment, the person may be required to redeem the outcome at the gambling location, in another at a redemption location. In one embodiment, a player is required to take an action in order to redeem an outcome. In some embodiments, a game play and/or redemption and/or any action must occur in a specified time, respectively. In one embodiment the electronic game is not located at a gambling location, in another it is not located at a redemption location.

Claims

1. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location or at a redemption location;

b) permitting, within a specified time period, the qualified person to complete electronic game play which has a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) permitting, when the qualified person receives a winning outcome as a result of playing the electronic game, the qualified person to redeem the winning outcome, wherein the act of permitting the qualified person to redeem the winning outcome includes an act of requiring that the qualified person must take an action in at least one redemption location within a specified time period in order to receive any value defined by the winning outcome.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

12. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location or at a redemption location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) permitting, when the qualified person receives a winning outcome as a result of playing the electronic game, the qualified person to redeem the winning outcome in at least one redemption location, wherein the act of permitting the qualified person to redeem the winning outcome includes an act of requiring that the qualified person must take an action in at least one redemption location in order to receive any value defined by the winning outcome.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

23. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the at least one gambling location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game, wherein the game is executed at an affiliated location;

c) revealing an outcome to the player during play of the electronic game wherein at least one possible outcome is a winning outcome; and

d) permitting the qualified person, upon receiving a winning outcome, to redeem the winning outcome, awarded in response to the play of the electronic game, in at least one gambling location.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

34. A method to provide incentive for a person to take an action in at least one gambling location, the method comprising acts of:

a) inviting a qualified person to play an electronic game not located at the gambling location or at at least one redemption location;

b) permitting the qualified person to play the electronic game, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which is a winning outcome; and

c) accumulating a plurality of winning outcomes awarded in response to the play of the electronic game, the plurality of winning outcomes being capable of being redeemed, and wherein the player is required to accumulate the plurality of winning outcomes prior to redeeming any of the awarded outcomes; and

d) requiring the qualified person to redeem the plurality of winning outcomes in at least one redemption location.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the at least one redemption location includes the gambling location.

36. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of correlating the plurality of winning outcomes with at least one non-cashable credit that can be used by the qualified person at the gambling location.

37. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the electronic game.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting responsive to the act of qualifying of the person.

39. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

41. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

42. The method according to claim 34, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

43. The method according to claim 38, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

44. The method according to claim 38, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

45. The method according to claim 38, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

46. A method for conducting a game, comprising acts of:

inviting a person to play an electronic game not located at at least one redemption location, the game having a plurality of outcomes, at least one of which being a winning outcome;

permitting the person to play the game to obtain at least one of the plurality of outcomes; and

if the at least one of the plurality of outcomes is a winning outcome, requiring the person to redeem the winning outcome at a redemption location, wherein the act of requiring the person to redeem the winning outcome awarded at the redemption location includes an act of requiring the person to perform an action in order to receive any value defined by the awarded outcome.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the person is required to play the game to obtain the at least one of the plurality of outcomes within a specified time period.

48. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of qualifying the person to play the computer-based game.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the act of qualifying the person includes acts of obtaining demographical information related to the person, and determining a status of the person based on the demographical information.

50. The method according to claim 48, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on previous play by the player.

51. The method according to claim 48, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the player based at least in part on current game play by the player.

52. The method according to claim 48, wherein the act of qualifying the person further comprises an act of determining a status of the person based on a comparison of the person against another person having identified characteristics.

53. The method according to claim 48, wherein the plurality of outcomes is based at least in part on the qualification.

54. The method according to claim 48, further comprising an act of determining whether to perform the act of inviting based on a qualification of the person.

55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising an act of determining a set of possible outcomes based on the qualification.

56. The method according to claim 46, wherein the redemption location includes a gambling location.

57. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of redeeming the at least one outcome in response to an action performed by the person at the redemption location.

58. The method according to claim 56, wherein the electronic game is played by the person on an electronic system separate from gambling systems associated with the gambling location.

59. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

60. The method according to claim 59, further comprising an act of collecting personal information from the person.

61. The method according to claim 60, further comprising an act of obtaining information related to the person from at least one database using at least a portion of the collected personal information.

62. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of requiring the person to redeem the at least one outcome within a specified time period.

63. The method according to claim 46, wherein permitting the person to play the game to obtain at least one of the plurality of outcomes includes an act of purchasing an entry to play the electronic game.

64. The method according to claim 46, wherein the each of the plurality of outcomes is a winning outcome, and wherein an amount of value provided by each of the winning outcomes is greater than a cost to purchase the entry to play the electronic game.

65. The method according to claim 56, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person in the gambling location.

66. The method according to claim 56, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of performing an action by the person at a location outside the gambling location.

67. The method according to claim 56, wherein the act of inviting is responsive to an act of an event occurring within the gambling location.

68. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of identifying the person.

69. The method according to claim 47, further comprising an act of identifying the person using an identifer of a frequent player program.