Multi-function cashless gaming ATM

• US 8,556,707 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Payments, Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Cash Access Incorporated (Global Cash Advance Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Potts, Craig, Beer, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US10/956,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20050107155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,301 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A system and method are provided for performing a cashless gaming ticket redemption transaction for a customer in a casino environment. The system includes a gaming machine, such as a slot machine, that the customer plays. Rather than issuing cash to the customer, the gaming machine issues a redemption ticket with a unique identifier to the customer. The unique identifier and the amount of the customer'"'"'s winnings accrued on the gaming machine are stored and associated on a redemption ticket database. When the customer wishes to redeem the winnings, the redemption ticket is introduced to a multi-function ATM. To perform the ticket redemption transaction, the ATM is adapted to electronically accept the redemption ticket and read the unique identifier. The ATM then electronically communicates with the redemption database to retrieve the predetermined dollar value associated with the unique identifier. Finally, the ATM transfers to the customer an award equal to the predetermined dollar value in cash or credit.

Claims

1. A method of performing a ticket redemption transaction on a multi-function ATM, the method comprising:

providing an ATM capable of performing ticket redemption transactions, cash withdrawal transactions, and credit/debit transactions;

receiving a redemption ticket from a customer directly presented to the ATM, wherein the redemption ticket includes encoded data and is provided from a gaming station provided by a first entity;

receiving a presentation of an identification card at the ATM by the customer to uniquely identify the customer and access a customer tracking account associated with the customer, wherein the identification card includes either of a player tracking card provided by the first entity or a third party electronic funds card, and wherein the customer tracking account stores tracking data related to historical gaming activity, monetary transactions, and ticket redemption transactions from a plurality of customer gaming sessions in a customer tracking database provided by the first entity;

electronically processing the encoded data to retrieve a machine readable identifier stored on the redemption ticket;

validating the redemption ticket by electronically verifying the machine readable identifier against a redemption ticket database provided by the first entity, wherein the redemption ticket database associates the machine readable identifier with a predetermined monetary value, and determining the predetermined monetary value associated with the machine readable identifier on the redemption ticket;

receiving a selection of a ticket redemption type from the customer, wherein selectable options of the ticket redemption type within the ATM include each of directly dispensing cash, electronically crediting to a third party account of the customer, and electronically depositing to a third party account of the customer;

communicating with an authorization center operated by a second entity to enable transfer of an award equal to the predetennined monetary value associated with the redemption ticket to a third party account of the customer if the customer has selected a ticket redemption type of an electronic credit or an electronic deposit;

transferring to the customer directly from the ATM the award equal to the predetermined monetary value associated with the redemption ticket according to the selected ticket redemption type, and wherein the transfer is performed when authorization is received for an electronic credit or electronic deposit ticket redemption type; and

storing gaming station activity and ticket redemption transaction information specific to the customer and the redemption ticket within the customer tracking account during performance of the ticket redemption transaction, wherein the customer tracking account is updated with historical gaining activity associated with the redemption ticket and data related to monetary transactions and the ticket redemption transactions performed by the customer at the ATM.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer receives the redemption ticket from a gaming machine.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of electronically transferring from the gaming machine to the redemption ticket database the predetennined monetary value, wherein the predetermined monetary value is equal to winnings accited by the customer on the gaming machine.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of electronically transferring from the gaming machine to the redemption ticket database the predetermined monetary value, wherein the predetermined monetary value is equal to winnings accrued by the customer on the gaming machine less a commission fee.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the encoded data includes a bar code.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the encoded data includes one of magnetic strip, integrated circuit, digital image, finger imaging, and optical memory.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the award to the customer includes electronically crediting to a credit card account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the award to the customer includes electronically depositing into a checking/savings account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the ticket redemption type is cash, validating the redemption ticket includes determining whether the redemption ticket has been previously redeemed, and transferring the award to the customer includes dispensing cash equal to the predetermined monetary value.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the ticket redemption type is electronic credit, communicating with an authorization center further includes:

electronically processing a credit card belonging to the customer to retrieve machine readable information stored on the credit card; and

electronically issuing a credit request to a credit card authorization server within the authorization center, the credit request utilizing the machine readable information stored on the credit card and the predetermined monetary value;

and wherein transferring the award to the customer includes crediting a credit card account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value, wherein the credit card account is associated with the credit card.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the ticket redemption type is electronic deposit, communicating with an authorization center further includes

electronically processing an ATM card belonging to the customer to retrieve machine readable information stored on the ATM card;

and

electronically issuing a deposit request, the deposit request utilizing the machine readable information stored on the ATM card and the predetermined monetary value;

and wherein transferring the award to the customer includes depositing in a banking account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value, wherein the banking account is associated with the ATM card.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of updating the redemption ticket database to indicate that the redemption ticket has been redeemed.

13. A system for performing a cashless gaming ticket redemption transaction for a customer, the system comprising:

a gaming machine interacted with by a customer, the gaming machine issuing a redemption ticket to the customer, wherein the redemption ticket includes a unique identifier, and wherein the gaming machine is operated by a first entity;

a redemption ticket database for electronically receiving the unique identifier and an associated predetermined monetary value, the predetermined monetary value being indicative of winnings accrued by the customer on the gaming machine wherein the redemption ticket database is operated by the first entity;

a customer tracking database operated by the first entity and associated with the redemption ticket database, wherein the customer tracking database stores customer transaction history and further marketing information related to the customer; and

a multi-function ATM adapted to;

electronically accept the redemption ticket and read the unique identifier thereon, receive a selection from the customer of the method of obtaining funds from ticket redemption,

receive a presentation of an identification card at the ATM by the customer to uniquely identify the customer and access a customer tracking account operated by the first entity within the customer tracking database,

electronically communicate with the redemption ticket database to retrieve the predetermined monetary value associated with the unique identifier,

electronically communicate with an authorization center operated by a second entity to enable electronically crediting or depositing a third party account of the customer, and

transfer to the customer an award equal to the predetermined monetary value wherein the transfer includes either directly dispensing cash or electronically crediting or depositing to the third party account of the customer or both,

wherein the customer tracking account tracks historical gaming activity, monetary transactions, and ticket redemption transactions for a plurality of gaming sessions of the customer, and

wherein the multi-function ATM further performs cash withdrawal transactions and credit/debit transactions in addition to the cashless gaming ticket redemption transaction.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the unique identifier is encoded on the redemption ticket.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the multi-function ATM is further adapted to decode the unique identifier on the redemption ticket.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the unique identifier includes a barcode and the multi-function ATM includes a barcode reader.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the predetermined monetary value is equal to the winnings accrued by the customer on the gaming machine.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the predetermined monetary value is equal to the winnings accrued by the customer on the gaming machine less a commission fee.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM is adapted to transfer to the Customer the award by electronically crediting to a credit card account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM is adapted to transfer to the customer the award by electronically depositing into a checking/savings account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM is further adapted to determine whether the redemption ticket has been previously redeemed and transfers the award to the customer by dispensing cash equal to the predetermined monetary value, if the selected ticket redemption type is cash.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM electronically communicates with an authorization center to enable electronically crediting a third party account of the customer, if the selected ticket redemption type is electronic credit, by:

electronically processing a credit card belonging to the customer to retrieve machine readable information stored on the credit card; and

electronically issuing a credit request to a credit card authorization server, the credit request utilizing the machine readable information stored on the credit card and the predetermined monetary value;

and wherein transferring the award to the customer includes crediting a credit card account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value, wherein the credit card account is associated with the credit card.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM electronically communicates with an authorization center to enable electronically depositing to a third party account of the customer, if the selected ticket redemption type is electronic deposit, by:

electronically processing an ATM card belonging to the customer to retrieve machine readable information stored on the ATM card; and

electronically issuing a deposit request, the deposit request utilizing the machine readable information stored on the ATM card and the predetermined monetary value;

and wherein transferring the award to the customer includes depositing in a banking account an amount equal to the predetermined monetary value, wherein the banking account is associated with the ATM card.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the multi-function ATM is further adapted to update the redemption ticket database to indicate that the redemption ticket has been redeemed.