Managing limitation rules for wagering accounts

• US 9,135,779 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Rathsack, Erhard W., Thomas, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US14/305,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20140295951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463/40, 463/42, 463/20, 705/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• 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 gaming system configured to perform operations that include detecting an activation of a graphical user interface control of a wagering game machine during a wagering game session. A first monetary value is assigned to the graphical user interface control. The graphical user interface control is linked to a credit account. The operations further include requesting a transfer of a second monetary value that is at least equal to the first monetary value from the credit account to a wagering game player account. The credit account is a third-party financial account from which the wagering game player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit. The operations further include providing at least a portion of the second monetary value from the wagering game player account to place one or more wagers on one or more casino wagering games presented via the wagering game machine.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system to use a quick-add credit feature, wherein the gaming system is configured to provide one or more casino wagering games, the method comprising:

detecting, via one or more wagering game controllers of the gaming system, a first activation of a graphical user interface control of the gaming system in response to first user input with the graphical user interface control during a wagering game session in which the one or more casino wagering games are presented, wherein a first monetary value is assigned to the graphical user interface control, and wherein the graphical user interface control is linked to a credit account;

after the detecting the first activation of the graphical user interface control, requesting, via a network communications interface of the gaming system, a first electronic transfer of a second monetary value that is at least equal to the first monetary value from the credit account to a wagering game player account, wherein the credit account is a third-party financial account from which the wagering game player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit; and

providing, via at least one of the one or more wagering game controllers of the gaming system, at least a portion of the second monetary value from the wagering game player account to place one or more wagers on the one or more casino wagering games presented via the gaming system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first monetary value is less than an amount of the credit limit.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a second activation of the graphical user interface control in response to second user input during the wagering game session; and

in response to the second activation of the graphical user interface control, requesting a second electronic transfer, from the wagering game player account to the credit account of an amount of money equal to at least the first monetary value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that an amount of losses during the wagering game session exceeds a loss limit; and

automatically restricting the first electronic transfer in response to the detecting that the amount of losses exceeds the loss limit.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

electronically transferring, from the wagering game player account to the credit account, a percentage of winnings attained from the wagering game session.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning the first monetary value to the graphical user interface control;

linking the graphical user interface control to the credit account;

providing the graphical user interface control for presentation during the wagering game session; and

detecting a drag and drop of the graphical user interface control onto a credit meter presented via a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting a second user input indicating the first monetary value to assign to the graphical user interface control.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the second monetary value is less than the credit limit; and

initiating the first electronic transfer in response to the determining that the second monetary value is less than the credit limit.

9. A gaming system for using a quick-add credit feature associated with a wagering game machine, the gaming system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more random outcome generators configured to generate one or more random game outcomes for one or more casino wagering games presented via the wagering game machine during a wagering game session;

a network communications interface; and

one or more memory storage devices configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to

detect, via the network communications interface, a first activation of a graphical user interface control of the wagering game machine in response to first user input with the graphical user interface control during the wagering game session, wherein a first monetary value is assigned to the graphical user interface control, and wherein the graphical user interface control is linked to a credit account,

after the detecting the first activation of the graphical user interface control, request, via the network communications interface, a first electronic transfer of a second monetary value that is at least equal to the first monetary value from the credit account to a wagering game player account, wherein the credit account is a third-party financial account from which the wagering game player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit, and

provide, via the network communications interface, at least a portion of the second monetary value from the wagering game player account to place one or more wagers on the one or more casino wagering games presented via the wagering game machine.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the first monetary value is less than an amount of the credit limit.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

detect a second activation of the graphical user interface control in response to second user input during the wagering game session; and

in response to the second activation of the graphical user interface control, request a second electronic transfer, from the wagering game player account to the credit account of an amount of money equal to at least the first monetary value.

12. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

detect that an amount of losses during the wagering game session exceeds a loss limit; and

automatically restrict the first electronic transfer in response to detection that the amount of losses exceeds the loss limit.

13. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

electronically transfer, from the wagering game player account to the credit account, a percentage of winnings attained from the wagering game session.

14. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

assign the first monetary value to the graphical user interface control;

link the graphical user interface control to the credit account;

provide the graphical user interface control for presentation during the wagering game session; and

detect a drag and drop of the graphical user interface control onto a credit meter presented via a graphical user interface.

15. The gaming system of claim 14, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

detect a second user input indicating the first monetary value to assign to the graphical user interface control.

16. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the one or more memory storage devices are configured to store instructions, which when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to perform operations to:

determine that the second monetary value is less than the credit limit; and

initiate the first electronic transfer in response to determination that the second monetary value is less than the credit limit.

17. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one of one or more processors of a gaming system, cause the gaming system to perform operations comprising:

detecting activation of a graphical user interface control in response to user interaction with the graphical user interface control during a wagering game session, wherein the graphical user interface control is linked to a credit account, and wherein the gaming system is configured to provide one or more casino wagering games for presentation via a wagering game machine during the wagering game session;

in response to the detecting the activation of the graphical user interface control, determining that an amount of winnings for the wagering game session are above a threshold value; and

in response to the determining that the amount of the winnings for the wagering game session are above the threshold value, requesting, via a network communications interface of the gaming system, an electronic transfer of at least a portion of the amount of the winnings for the wagering game session to the credit account.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the credit account is a third-party financial account from which a player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein a first monetary value is assigned to the graphical user interface control, and wherein the requesting the electronic transfer of the at least the portion of the amount of the winnings comprises requesting an electronic transfer of a second monetary value that is equal to the at least the portion of the amount of the winnings.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein a second portion of a session balance remains for use in the wagering game session.