Method for establishing a wager for a game

• US 8,734,227 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interactive Games Limited (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cantor Gaming Limited
• Inventors: Leen, Fergus A., Lawrence, Sam B., McNally, David G., Hetherington, Clive, McDowell, David M., O'Neal, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US11/335,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,051 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/28, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

In a particular embodiment of the invention, a system for establishing a wager associated with a game comprises a processor that receives information about a wager offer, wherein the wager offer is associated with an online game. The processor also receives information about a wager acceptance. The wager offer and the wager acceptance combine to form a wager, wherein the wager is associated with at least one wager parameter. The system further comprises a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and that stores information associated with the at least one wager parameter.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:

receive information about a first wager offer from a first participant user during a game played by the first participant user and a second participant user;

cause information about the first wager offer from the first participant user to be presented to a first subset of users comprising the second participant user;

receive information about a first wager acceptance from the second participant user, the first wager acceptance being responsive to the first wager offer;

determine a first wager between the first participant user and the second participant user based on the first wager offer from the first participant user and the first wager acceptance from the second participant user, wherein the first wager has an outcome based on at least one event in the game;

receive information about a second wager offer from a spectator user during the game;

cause information about the second wager offer from the spectator user to be presented to a second subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the spectator user, the second subset of users being different from the first subset of users;

receive information about a second wager acceptance, the second wager acceptance being responsive to the second wager offer;

determine a second wager based on the second wager offer from the spectator user and the second wager acceptance, the second wager having an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game;

execute a gaming application that allows users to participate in the game and that generates event information associated with the game while the game is played by the first participant user and the second participant user;

determine an outcome of the first wager and the second wager; and

communicate outcome information associated with at least the first and second wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1,

in which the first wager offer concerns an intra-game event,

in which the outcome of the first wager is resolved before the game ends, and

in which the first wager offer identifies the first subset of users to whom the first wager offer is presented including the second participant user.

3. A method for establishing a wager associated with a game, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, information about a first wager offer from a first participant user in the game;

causing, by the at least one processor, information about the first wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the first participant, the first subset of users comprising a second participant;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a first wager acceptance from the second participant user in the game, the first wager offer from the first participant user and the first wager acceptance from the second participant user combining to form a first wager between the first participant user and the second participant user, wherein the first wager has an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a second wager offer from a spectator user;

causing, by the at least one processor, information about the second wager offer from the spectator user to be presented to a second subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the spectator user, the second subset of users being different from the first subset of users and comprising a first gambler;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a second wager acceptance from the first gambler, the second wager offer from the spectator user and the second wager acceptance combining to form a second wager, wherein the second wager has an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game;

executing, by the at least one processor, a gaming application that allows users to participate in the game and that generates event information associated with the game while the game is played by the first participant user and the second participant;

determining, by the at least one processor, an outcome of the first wager and the second wager from the events associated with the game;

communicating, by the at least one processor, outcome information associated with the first wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user;

communicating, by the at least one processor, outcome information associated with the second wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user; and

in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the gaming application, causing, by the at least one processor, at least one betting window to be presented to the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user that allows the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to submit wager offers and wager acceptances during the execution of the gaming application.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising presenting the at least one betting window in response to a request communicated during the execution of the gaming application, and in which the at least one betting window enables the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to place an intra-game wager on an event occurring during the game, wherein the intra-game wager is resolved before the game ends.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second wager acceptance is received from at least one other user, and the wager offer from the spectator user and the at least one other user is combined to form a wager between the spectator user and the at least one other user,

wherein the first wager offer concerns a first game event that occurs during the game,

wherein the outcome of the first wager is resolved before the game ends,

wherein the second wager offer concerns a second game event that occurs during the game,

wherein the outcome of the second wager is resolved before the game ends.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one other user comprises at least one other spectator user, and wherein the first wager offer from the first participant user specifies the second participant user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one other user comprises one of the first participant user and the second participant user.

8. The method of claim 3, in which the at least one betting window allows the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to place an intra-game wager on the game that is resolved before the game ends.

9. A method for establishing a wager associated with a game to be played between participant users of a system, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, information about a first wager offer from a first participant user in the game;

causing, by the at least one processor, information about the first wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the first participant user, the first subset of users comprising a second participant;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a first wager acceptance from the second participant user in the game, the first wager offer from the first participant user and the first wager acceptance from the second participant user combining to form a first wager between the first participant user and the second participant user, wherein the first wager has an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game to be played by the first and the second participant users;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a second wager offer concerning an intra-game event from a spectator user;

causing, by the at least one processor, information about the second wager offer from the spectator user to be presented to a second subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the spectator user, the second subset of users being different from the first subset of users;

receiving, by the at least one processor, information about a second wager acceptance, the second wager offer from the a spectator user and the second wager acceptance combining to form a second wager, wherein the second wager has an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game, and wherein the outcome of the second wager is resolved before the game ends;

executing, by the at least one processor, a gaming application that allows users to participate in the game and that generates event information associated with the game while the game is played by the first participant user and the second participant;

determining, by the at least one processor, an outcome of the first wager and the second wager;

communicating, by the at least one processor, outcome information associated with at least the first and second wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user;

communicating, by the at least one processor, information to at least one workstation associated with the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user therewith causing to be displayed at least one window that allows the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to submit wager offers and wager acceptances to the system;

presenting, by the at least one processor, the at least one window during the execution of the game therewith allowing the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to place an intra-game wager that is resolved before the game ends; and

presenting, by the at least one processor, the at least one window in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the game.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second wager acceptance is received from one of the first participant user and the second participant user, and the wager offer from the spectator user and the one of the first participant user and the second participant user is combined to form a wager between the spectator user and the at least one other user.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to;

receive information about a first wager offer from a first participant user;

cause information about the first wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users, the first subset of users comprising a second participant user;

receive information about a first wager acceptance from the second participant user in the game responsive to the first wager offer from the first participant user in the game;

determine a first wager between the first participant user and the second participant user based on the first wager offer from the first participant user and the first wager acceptance from the second participant user, wherein the first wager has an outcome based on at least one event associated with a game, wherein the game is played by the first and the second participant users;

receive information about a second wager offer from a spectator user;

cause information about the second wager offer from the spectator user to be presented to a second subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the spectator user, the second subset of users being different from the first subset of users;

receive information about a second wager acceptance responsive to the second wager offer from the spectator user;

determine a second wager based on the second wager offer from the spectator user and the second wager acceptance, the second wager having an outcome based on at least one event associated with the game;

execute a gaming application that allows users to participate in the game and that generates event information associated with the game while the game is played by the first participant user and the second participant user;

determine an outcome of the first wager and the second wager;

communicate outcome information associated with the first wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user; and

communicate outcome information associated with the second wager to at least one of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user,

wherein at least one of the wager offer from the first participant user, the wager offer from the spectator user, the first wager acceptance, and the second wager acceptance is received during the game.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:

cause at least one display device to display, to each of the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user, at least one window that allows the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to submit wager offers and wager acceptances associated with the game, each of the at least one display device comprising one of a handheld device, a wireless telephone, and a personal digital assistant,

in which the second wager offer concerns an event that occurs before the game ends, and

in which the outcome of the second wager is resolved before the game ends.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:

communicate information to at least one workstation associated with the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user therewith causing to be displayed at least one betting window configured to enable the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user to submit wager offers and wager acceptances to the system; and

present the at least one betting window during the game and thereby allowing the first participant user, the second participant user, and the spectator user each to place an intra-game wager that is resolved before the game ends.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to present the at least one betting window in response to a game event that occurs during the execution of the gaming application, and wherein the first wager offer from the first participant user specifies the second participant user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to present the at least one betting window in response to a request communicated during the execution of the gaming application.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second wager acceptance is received by at least one other spectator user.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second wager acceptance is received by one of the first participant user and the second participant user.

18. The apparatus of claim 11,

in which the act of causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users comprises:

causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users determined based on selection criteria stored in a profile of the first participant and provided by the first participant.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the act of causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users comprises:

causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be displayed to a first subset of users determined to be likely to accept the wager offer.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the act of causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be displayed to a first subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the first participant comprises:

causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be displayed to a first subset of users determined based on at least one of a wager size associated with the wager offer, a wager type associated with the wager offer, and a wager frequency.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, in which the act of causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be displayed to a first subset of users determined based on information stored in a profile of the first participant comprises:

causing information about the wager offer from the first participant to be displayed to a first subset of users determined based on at least one of a skill level, a player ranking, a skill weakness, a skill strength, and a player strategy.

22. The apparatus of claim 11,

in which the act of causing information about the first wager offer from the first participant to be presented to a first subset of users comprises causing a wager window to be displayed to the first subset of users.

23. The apparatus of claim 11,

in which the first wager offer concerns an event that occurs before the game ends,

in which the outcome of the first wager is resolved before the game ends, and

in which the first wager offer from the first participant user identifies the subset of users to whom the first wager offer is presented including the second participant user.