Cashless reservation system
First Claim
1. A gaming system comprising a server system communicably connected to a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming machines providing a game in which a player stakes a wager on the game and a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed on a display, and if a winning combination occurs during play of the game, the gaming machine awards an award, wherein at least one of said plurality of gaming machines comprises a user interface which includes apparatus to receive an identifier from a current player of the gaming machine and the gaming machine communicates with the server system to provide access to a player account associated with the identifier and maintained by the server system, wherein upon operation of the user interface by the current player, the server system determines eligibility criteria for reservation of the gaming machine, and subject to the eligibility criteria, the server system causes the gaming machine to no longer operate to play a game for a period of time, the eligibility criteria defining a variable characteristic of the gaming machine or of the player and including one or more of the following:
- (a) the type of gaming machine requested for reservation;
(b) the location of the gaming machine requested for reservation;
(c) the time period for the requested reservation;
(d) the class of the player;
(e) the class of the gaming machine;
(f) the number of requests for reservation of gaming machine(s) by the player during a specified time period; and
/or (g) the amount of funds held by the player in a player account associated with the identifier received from the current player.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming system having a server connected to a plurality of gaming machines for playing a game in which a player wagers credits held in a credit meter. The gaming machines having a player tracking apparatus to receive an identifier from a current player of the gaming machine. The gaming machine can be reserved by a player, in which case play of the gaming machine is prevented by any player other than a player with the same identifier for a predetermined period time. The ability to reserve gaming machines may be dependent on eligibility criteria.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising a server system communicably connected to a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming machines providing a game in which a player stakes a wager on the game and a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed on a display, and if a winning combination occurs during play of the game, the gaming machine awards an award, wherein at least one of said plurality of gaming machines comprises a user interface which includes apparatus to receive an identifier from a current player of the gaming machine and the gaming machine communicates with the server system to provide access to a player account associated with the identifier and maintained by the server system, wherein upon operation of the user interface by the current player, the server system determines eligibility criteria for reservation of the gaming machine, and subject to the eligibility criteria, the server system causes the gaming machine to no longer operate to play a game for a period of time, the eligibility criteria defining a variable characteristic of the gaming machine or of the player and including one or more of the following:
- (a) the type of gaming machine requested for reservation;
(b) the location of the gaming machine requested for reservation;
(c) the time period for the requested reservation;
(d) the class of the player;
(e) the class of the gaming machine;
(f) the number of requests for reservation of gaming machine(s) by the player during a specified time period; and
/or (g) the amount of funds held by the player in a player account associated with the identifier received from the current player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- (a) the type of gaming machine requested for reservation;
- 8. A gaming system comprising a server system communicably connected to a plurality of gaming machines, the gaming machines providing a game in which a player stakes a wager on the game and a plurality of symbols are selected and displayed on a display, and if a winning combination occurs during play of the game, the gaming machine awards an award, wherein at least one of said plurality of gaming machines comprises a user interface which includes apparatus to receive an identifier from a current player of the gaming machine and the gaming machine communicates the identifier with the server system, wherein upon operation of the user interface by the current player the gaming machine no longer operates to play a game for a reserve period, the ability to reserve the gaming machine being dependent on a variable characteristic of the player other than the number of credits in a credit meter of the gaming machine, and wherein when the reserve period expires, the server system causes a message to be sent to a portable device and wherein the gaming machine becomes unreserved so as to operate to play a game, in response to receipt of a signal from the portable device.
Specification