Gaming network environment providing a cashless gaming service

• US 20070173322A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Swamy, Vikram, Ryan, Chad, Adiraju, Srinivyasa
• Application Number:
  US10/562,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173322A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

A gaming network including gaming machines and gaming services further includes a cashless gaming service that provides systems and methods for funds transfer in and out of a users account between clients in the gaming network. The gaming services framework comprises a set of services, protocols, XML schemas, and methods for providing gaming system functionality in a distributed, network based architecture that includes gaming machines and servers. The systems and methods provide a service-oriented framework for gaming and property management based upon internetworking technology and web services concepts.

Claims

1. A method for providing a cashless gaming service in a gaming network including gaming machines, the method comprising:

publishing an availability of the cashless gaming service on the gaming network;

receiving a discovery request for the cashless gaming service;

registering by a gaming client with the cashless gaming service; and

processing one or more service requests between the gaming client and the cashless gaming service, said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cashless gaming service comprises a web service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the cashless gaming service is registered in a UDDI registry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises an HTTP request encapsulating an OFX message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to establish a new account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to modify details for an account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to close an account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to provide details for an account.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to obtain an account balance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to obtain a list of transactions associated with an account.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to deposit funds into an account.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising electronically transferring funds from an external account into the account.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising obtaining authorization prior to electronically transferring funds.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to withdraw funds from an account.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transferring the withdrawn funds as a playable credit on a gaming machine.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to deposit promotional credits into an account.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request to withdraw promotional credits from an account.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the gaming client to determine if the gaming client is authorized to receive cashless gaming services.

23. A gaming network system, the gaming network system comprising:

a gaming client communicably coupled to the gaming network; and

a cashless gaming service communicably coupled to the gaming network and operable to;

publish an availability of the cashless gaming service on the gaming network;

register a gaming client with the cashless gaming service; and

process one or more service requests between the gaming client and the cashless gaming service, said service requests conforming to an internetworking protocol.

24. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the cashless gaming service comprises a web service.

25. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request is formatted according to a service description language.

26. The gaming network system of claim 25, wherein the service description language is a Web Services Description Language (WSDL).

27. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the cashless gaming service is registered in a UDDI registry.

28. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the gaming client comprises a gaming machine.

29. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the gaming client comprises a service provider in the gaming network.

30. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises an HTTP request encapsulating an OFX message.

31. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to establish a new account.

32. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to modify details for an account.

33. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to close an account.

34. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to provide details for an account.

35. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to obtain an account balance.

36. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to obtain a list of transactions associated with an account.

37. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to deposit finds into an account.

38. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the cashless gaming service is further operable to electronically transfer funds from an external account into an account.

39. The network system of claim 38, wherein the cashless gaming service is further operable to obtain authorization prior to electronically transferring funds.

40. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to withdraw funds from an account.

41. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to deposit promotional credits into an account.

42. The gaming network system of claim 23, wherein the service request comprises a request to withdraw promotional credits from an account.

43. The gaming network system of claim 23, further comprising an authentication service operable to authenticate the gaming client to determine if the gaming client is authorized to receive cashless gaming services.

44. The gaming system of claim 43, wherein the authentication service includes an LDAP authentication service.