Facilitating play of a gaming device in accordance with a contract

• US 8,672,743 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Gelman, Geoffrey M., Tulley, Stephen C., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tedesco, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US11/303,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,014 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/42, 463/40, 273/143, 273/242
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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

According to some embodiments, systems, methods, and/or articles of manufacture are associated with determining an identifier associated with a player of a gaming device, determining information indicative of historical game play of the player, and determining, based at least upon the information indicative of the historical game play of the player and the identifier associated with the player, whether the player qualifies for a benefit pursuant to a gaming contract. Some embodiments are directed to receiving an indication of a gaming contract insurance claim associated with a gaming contract of a player, determining information indicative of a subset of historical game play of the player, and determining whether to provide a benefit to the player pursuant to the gaming contract.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to enable a player to pay a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit, the contract being associated with one or more terms and the benefit including a predetermined flat refund amount;

(b) regardless of whether the player has entered into the contract, enabling the player to place one or more monetary wagers on one or more plays of a game, said one or more monetary wagers being in addition to the fee;

(c) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine an identifier associated with the a player; and

(d) if the player has entered into the contract;

(i) causing the at least one processor to determine information indicative of historical game play of the player;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to determine, based at least upon the information indicative of historical game play of the player and the identifier associated with the player, whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied; and

(iii) if it is determined that the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied, causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display the benefit and to cause the benefit to be provided to the player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine the identifier associated with the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of a player tracking number associated with the player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of historical game play of the player is based at least in part on the identifier associated with the player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of historical game play of the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to query a database to retrieve the information indicative of historical game play of the player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine the identifier associated with the player comprises, if the player has entered into the contract:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of a contract identifier associated with the contract.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the player has entered into the contract:

causing the at least one processor to determine, based at least in part on the identifier associated with the player, information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of the contract associated with the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to query a database to retrieve the information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to compare the information indicative of historical game play of the player with the information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the information indicative of the contract associated with the player defines the one or more terms of the contract.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to determine, based on the information indicative of historical game play of the player, that the historical game play of the player satisfies the one or more terms of the contract.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to store the information indicative of the contract.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive, from the player, a request to enter into the contract.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive the fee for the contract from the player.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to monitor any wagered-on plays of the game by the player; and

causing the at least one processor to store, based at least in part on the monitoring, the information indicative of historical game play of the player.

15. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) if a player has paid a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit including a predetermined flat refund amount, said fee being in addition to any monetary wagers placed on any plays of any games and the contract being associated with one or more terms, causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to receive an indication of a contract insurance claim associated with said contract;

(b) thereafter, causing the at least one processor to determine information indicative of a subset of historical game play of the player, wherein said subset of historical game play is associated with the contract;

(c) causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied; and

(d) if it is determined that the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied, causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display the benefit and to cause the benefit to be provided to the player.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive the indication of the contract insurance claim associated with the contract comprises:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of at least one of a player tracking identifier associated with the player and a contract identifier associated with the contract.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of the subset of historical game play of the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to retrieve from a database, utilizing a player tracking identifier associated with the player, information indicative of a portion of historical game play of the player.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information indicative of the portion of historical game play associated with the contract is determined by accessing a temporal restriction associated with the contract and determining records of historical game play stored in the database that satisfy the temporal restriction.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to compare the information indicative of the subset of historical game play of the player to the one or more terms of the contract.

20. A gaming system, comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions operable to cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to pay a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit, the contract associated with one or more terms and the benefit including a predetermined flat refund amount;

(b) regardless of whether the player has entered into the contract, enable the player to place one or more monetary wagers on one or more plays of a game, said one or more monetary wagers being in addition to the fee;

(c) determine an identifier associated with the player; and

(d) if the player has entered into the contract;

(i) determine information indicative of historical game play of the player;

(ii) determine, based at least upon the information indicative of the historical game play of the player and the identifier associated with the player, whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied; and

(iii) if it is determined that the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied, display and cause the benefit to be provided to the player.

21. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to enable a player to pay a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit, the contract being associated with one or more terms and a contract period;

(b) regardless of whether the player has entered into the contract, enabling the player to place one or more monetary wagers on one or more plays of a game, said one or more monetary wagers being in addition to the fee;

(c) causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine an identifier associated with the player; and

(d) if the player has entered into the contract;

(i) causing the at least one processor to determine information indicative of historical game play of the player;

(ii) causing the at least one processor to determine, based at least upon the information indicative of historical game play of the player and the identifier associated with the player, whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied;

(iii) if it is determined that the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied, causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display and cause the benefit to be provided to the player, the benefit including a refund amount based on a determined amount of money lost by the player in at least one wagered-on play of the game during the contract period.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine the identifier associated with the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of a player tracking number associated with the player.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of historical game play of the player is based at least in part on the identifier associated with the player.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of historical game play of the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to query a database to retrieve the information indicative of historical game play of the player.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to determine the identifier associated with the player comprises, if the player has entered into the contract:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of a contract identifier associated with the contract.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising, if the player has entered into the contract:

causing the at least one processor to determine, based at least in part on the identifier associated with the player, information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of the contract associated with the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to query a database to retrieve the information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to compare the information indicative of historical game play of the player with the information indicative of the contract associated with the player.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the information indicative of the contract associated with the player defines the one or more terms of the contract.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to determine, based on the information indicative of historical game play of the player, that the historical game play of the player satisfies the one or more terms of the contract.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to store the information indicative of the contract.

32. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive, from the player, a request to enter into the contract.

33. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive, from the player, the fee for the contract.

34. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

causing the at least one processor to monitor any wagered-on plays of the game by the player; and

causing the at least one processor to store, based at least in part on the monitoring, the information indicative of historical game play of the player.

35. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) if a player has paid a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit, said fee being in addition to any monetary wagers placed on any plays of any games and the contract being associated with one or more terms and a contract period, causing at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to receive an indication of a contract insurance claim associated with the contract;

(b) causing the at least one processor to determine information indicative of a subset of historical game play of the player, wherein said subset of historical game play is associated with the contract;

(c) causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied; and

(d) if it is determined that the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied, causing the at least one processor to operate with at least one display device to display and cause the benefit to be provided to the player, the benefit including a refund amount based on a determined amount of money lost by the player in at least one wagered-on play of the game during the contract period.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive the indication of the contract insurance claim associated with the contract comprises:

causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device to receive an indication of at least one of a player tracking identifier associated with the player and a contract identifier associated with the contract.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine the information indicative of the subset of historical game play of the player comprises:

causing the at least one processor to retrieve from a database, utilizing a player tracking identifier associated with the player, information indicative of a portion of historical game play of the player.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the information indicative of the portion of historical game play associated with the contract is determined by accessing a temporal restriction associated with the contract and determining records of historical game play stored in the database that satisfy the temporal restriction.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein causing the at least one processor to determine whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied comprises:

causing the at least one processor to compare the information indicative of the subset of historical game play of the player to the one or more terms of the contract.

40. A gaming system comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions operable to cause the processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to pay a fee to enter into a contract for a benefit, the contract associated with one or more terms and a contract period;

(b) regardless of whether the player has entered into the contract, enable the player to place one or more monetary wagers on one or more plays of a game, said one or more monetary wagers being in addition to the fee;

(c) determine an identifier associated with the player; and

(d) if the player has entered into the contract;

(i) determine information indicative of historical game play of the player;

(ii) determine, based at least upon the information indicative of the historical game play of the player and the identifier associated with the player, whether the one or more terms of the contract are satisfied; and

(iii) if it is determined that the player qualifies for the benefit, display and cause provide the benefit to be provided to the player, the benefit including a refund amount based on a determined amount of money lost by the player in at least one wagered-on play of the game during the contract period.