Interactive wagering system with totalisator selection

• US 20050096109A1
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramsey, Douglas V., Thomas, William L., McNutt, Richard E., Garahi, Masood, Marshall, Connie T., Hindman, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

A interactive wagering system is provided in which a user at user equipment may place electronic wagers with an interactive wagering application. The wagers may be horse race wagers. The interactive wagering application may handle wagers placed at multiple totalisators. The user may be provided with an opportunity to select a desired totalisator at which to place wagers or the interactive wagering application may automatically apply tote selection criteria to determine which of the multiple totalisators wagers are to be placed with. The user may review information on available odds and other information for each of the different totalisators. Automatic totalisator selection may be based on odds, tax consequences, licensing status, pool values, bulk benefits, user preference, available wager types, or other suitable criteria.

Claims

1-82. -82. (canceled)

83. A system in which an interactive wagering application is used to selectively place a wager with one of a plurality of wagering pools according to predetermined criteria, comprising:

a network that interconnects the plurality of wagering pools, wherein each wagering pool is associated with a particular wagering service provider that accepts wagers for the same race event as other wagering service providers; and

user equipment that is connected to the network and operative to;

enable a user to create a wager; and

enable the user to define the predetermined criteria by which the interactive wagering application selects one of the wagering pools for placing the wager;

wherein the interactive wagering application automatically applies the predetermined criteria to determine which one of the plurality of wagering pools the wager is to be placed.

84. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the user equipment is further operative to display a screen for the user with the interactive wagering application that allows the user to view a list of available wagering service providers for wagering and odds information associated with each of those service providers.

85. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the wagering service provider is a tote company.

86. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises best odds.

87. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises tax status of each of the wagering service providers.

88. The system defined in claim 83 further comprising a transaction processing and subscription management system that is connected to the network and that handles the wagers sent by the user.

89. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the user equipment includes a cellular telephone, a handheld computer, a personal computer, user television equipment, a set-top box, or a combination thereof.

90. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the race is a horse race.

91. The system defined in claim 83, wherein the wager comprises information that specifies a wager type, a particular race, and a particular horse.

92. A method for using an interactive wagering application to selectively place a wager with one of a plurality of wagering pools according to predetermined criteria, comprising:

interconnecting the plurality of wagering pools, wherein each wagering pool is associated with a particular wagering service provider that accepts wagers for the same race event as other wagering service providers;

enabling a user use user equipment to create a wager;

enabling the user to use user equipment to define the predetermined criteria by which the interactive wagering application selects one of the wagering pools for placing the wager; and

using the interactive wagering application to automatically apply the predetermined criteria to determine which one of the plurality of wagering pools the wager is to be placed.

93. The method system defined in claim 92 further comprising displaying a screen for the user with the interactive wagering application that allows the user to view a list of available wagering service providers for wagering and odds information associated with each of those service providers.

94. The method defined in claim 92, wherein the wagering service provider is a tote company.

95. The method defined in claim 92, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises best odds.

96. The method defined in claim 92, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises tax status of each of the wagering service providers.

97. The method defined in claim 92 further comprising handling the wagers sent by the user with a transaction processing and subscription management system.

98. The method defined in claim 92, wherein the race is a horse race.

99. The method defined in claim 92, wherein the wager comprises information that specifies a wager type, a particular race, and a particular horse.