Systems and gaming devices for indicating comp eligibility

• US 9,852,582 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gaming Arts LLC
• Original Assignee: Gaming Arts LLC
• Inventors: Colvin, David, Colvin, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/514,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• 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 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Systems and methods provide a comp policy associated with a game of chance. A gaming device includes a processor programmed to provide the game of chance to a player. A first computing device is configured to implement the comp policy that includes at least one comp available to the player and at least one comp eligibility criterion for determining whether the player is eligible for the at least one comp. The player accrues progress towards meeting the at least one comp eligibility criterion at an accrual rate. A second computing device is coupled to the first computing device. The second computing device is configured to transmit data to said first computing device to adjust the accrual progress.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a gaming device comprising;

a processor programmed to provide a game of chance to a player;

an electronic storage device configured to store gameplay data for the game of chance;

a payment input device configured to enable the player to input money or credits for use in the game of chance;

a payment output device configured to enable the player to withdraw money or credits from said gaming device;

a card reader device configured to receive data from a player reward card; and

a randomization device configured to randomly determine a game outcome for the game of chance;

a comp indicator attached to or integrated within said gaming device, said comp indicator configured to indicate whether the player is eligible for at least one comp;

a first computing device configured to implement a comp policy that includes the at least one comp and at least one comp eligibility criterion for determining whether the player is eligible for the at least one comp, wherein the player accrues progress towards meeting the at least one comp eligibility criterion at an accrual rate; and

a second computing device coupled to said first computing device, said second computing device configured to transmit data to said first computing device to adjust accrual progress of comp eligibility points, wherein said first computing device is programmed to automatically set the comp eligibility points of the player to a predetermined value in response to receiving data representative of a promotion offered to the player.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second computing device is configured to administer a player reward program.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said second computing device is programmed to transmit data representative of a player'"'"'s status in the player reward program.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first computing device enables the player to redeem the comp eligibility points for a reward included within a player reward program.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first computing device is programmed to adjust the accrual rate based on a player'"'"'s status in a player reward program.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first computing device sets the accrual rate to a first rate if the player is a not member of a player reward program and sets the accrual rate to a second rate higher than the first rate if the player is a member of the player reward program.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first computing device sets the accrual rate to a first rate if a player'"'"'s status indicates that the player has achieved a first reward level in a player reward program, and sets the accrual rate to a second rate higher than the first rate if the player'"'"'s status indicates that the player has achieved a second reward level in the player reward program that is higher than the first reward level.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said first computing device is configured to enable the player to use accumulated comp eligibility points to receive a comp if the comp eligibility points are sufficient to qualify for the comp.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the comp includes a discount towards purchase of a good or service represented by the comp.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is configured to print a voucher usable for redeeming the comp.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said gaming device is configured to print a voucher after the player ends a gaming session on said gaming device and after the player is determined to be eligible for the comp.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the accrual rate is represented by accumulation of comp eligibility points, and wherein said first computing device enables the player to purchase additional comp eligibility points.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said second computing device is programmed to transmit data representative of the promotion offered to the player to said first computing device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is 100% of the comp eligibility points required to be eligible for the comp.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the data transmitted by said second computing device includes at least a portion of a cost of providing the comp.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said gaming device is located within a gaming establishment, and wherein the data transmitted by said second computing device is representative of a profitability of at least a portion of the gaming establishment.

17. A method of implementing a comp policy, said method comprising:

providing a game of chance to a player using a gaming device;

enabling the player to input money or credits for use in the game of chance using a payment input device of the gaming device;

enabling the player to withdraw money or credits from the gaming device using a payment output device of the gaming device;

randomly determining a game outcome for the game of chance using a randomization device;

providing a comp indicator attached to or integrated within the gaming device, wherein the comp indicator is configured to indicate whether the player is eligible for at least one comp;

implementing, using a first computing device, a comp policy that includes the at least one comp and at least one comp eligibility criterion for determining whether the player is eligible for the at least one comp, wherein the player accrues progress towards meeting the at least one comp eligibility criterion at an accrual rate; and

transmitting data from a second computing device to the first computing device to adjust accrual progress towards meeting the at least one comp eligibility criterion, wherein the accrual rate is represented by the accumulation of comp eligibility points, said method further comprising automatically setting the comp eligibility points of the player to a predetermined value, by the first computing device, in response to receiving data representative of a promotion.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising administering a player reward program by the second computing device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting data representative of a player'"'"'s status in a player reward program by the second computing device.

20. The method of claim 17, said method further comprising enabling the player to redeem the comp eligibility points for a reward included within a player reward program.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting the accrual rate based on a player'"'"'s status in a player reward program.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting the accrual rate to a first rate if the player is a not member of a player reward program, and setting the accrual rate to a second rate higher than the first rate if the player is a member of the player reward program.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting the accrual rate to a first rate if a player'"'"'s status indicates that the player has achieved a first reward level in a player reward program, and setting the accrual rate to a second rate higher than the first rate if the player'"'"'s status indicates that the player has achieved a second reward level in the player reward program that is higher than the first reward level.

24. The method of claim 17, said method further comprising enabling the player to use accumulated comp eligibility points to receive a comp if the comp eligibility points are sufficient to qualify for the comp.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the comp includes a discount towards purchase of a good or service represented by the comp.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising printing, by the gaming device, a voucher usable for redeeming the comp.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising printing a voucher after the player ends a gaming session on the gaming device and after the player is determined to be eligible for the comp.

28. The method of claim 17, said method further comprising enabling the player to purchase additional comp eligibility points.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting data representative of the promotion offered to the player from the second computing device to the first computing device.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined value is 100% of comp eligibility points required to be eligible for the comp.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein the data transmitted by the second computing device includes at least a portion of a cost of providing the comp.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the gaming device is located within a gaming establishment, and wherein the data transmitted by the second computing device is representative of a profitability of at least a portion of the gaming establishment.