WAGERING GAME ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130172075A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gagner, Mark B., Grabiec, Jacek A., Gura, Damon E., Rathsack, Erhard W., Thomas, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

Abstract

A wagering game account management system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations include detecting an account rule, wherein the account rule includes an activation event, wherein upon occurrence of the activation event a transfer of funds is initiates between a wagering game session and account and one or more other financial accounts. In some embodiments, the operations also include detecting the occurrence of the activation event. In some embodiments, the operations also include initiating the transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts.

Claims

1. One or more machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting an account rule, wherein the account rule includes an activation event, wherein upon occurrence of the activation event a transfer of funds is initiated between a wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts;

detecting the occurrence of the activation event; and

initiating the transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts.

2. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting an account rule configuration menu; and

receiving user input, wherein the user input configures the account rule.

3. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the transfer of funds includes a transfer of funds from the wagering game session account to one or more of the other financial accounts.

4. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the transfer of funds includes a transfer of funds from one or more of the other financial accounts to the wagering game session account.

5. The one or more machine readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the transfer of funds was successfully completed; and

presenting an indication that the transfer of funds was successfully completed.

6. A method comprising:

presenting an account rule configuration menu, wherein the account rule configuration menu enables a player to define an account rule;

receiving user input, wherein the user input defines the account rule, wherein the account rule comprises a transfer of funds between a wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts, wherein the account rule includes an activation event, and wherein the transfer of funds is to occur upon the occurrence of the activation event;

detecting an occurrence of the activation event; and

causing the transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more of the other financial accounts, according to the account rule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transfer of funds transfers funds from the wagering game session account to one or more of the other financial accounts.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transfer of funds transfers funds from one or more of the other financial accounts to the wagering game session account.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the activation event includes one or more conditions, and wherein one or more of the conditions must be satisfied for the occurrence of the activation event.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the activation event is related to one or more of a wagering game session balance, recent wagering game activity, a balance of one or more of the other accounts, a time of day, a result of a wagering game session, and a result of a wagering game round.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer useable program code executable on the at least one processor, the computer usable program code including;

code to receive user input defining a funds transfer rule including an initiation condition, wherein upon occurrence of the initiation condition a transfer is made between a wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts;

code to present a wagering game;

code to monitor the wagering game session account for the occurrence of the initiation condition;

code to detect the occurrence of the initiation condition; and

code to cause a transfer between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the initiation condition includes one of a wagering game session account balance, a recent change in the wagering game session account balance, and increase in the wagering game session account balance, and a decrease in the wagering game account balance.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transfer between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts includes a transfer from the wagering game session account to one or more of the other financial accounts.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transfer between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts includes a transfer from one or more of the other financial accounts to the wagering game session account.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more other financial accounts include one or more of a checking account, a savings account, a charity account, an education account, a money market account, and a retirement account.

16. A method comprising:

presenting an account rule configuration menu, wherein the account rule configuration menu enables a player to define an account rule, wherein the account rule relates to a wagering game session account associated with the player, wherein the account rule includes an initiation condition, and wherein the occurrence of the initiation condition causes a transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts;

presenting a wagering game;

receiving user input, wherein the user input facilitates play of the wagering game;

monitoring results of the wagering game for occurrence of the initiation condition;

detecting the occurrence of the initiation condition; and

causing the transfer of funds among the wagering game session account and one or more of the other financial accounts.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiation condition is a win greater than a predetermined amount during a wagering game session.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiation condition is a loss greater than a predetermined amount during a wagering game session.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiation condition is total winnings greater than a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiation is total losses greater than a predetermined amount over a predetermined time period.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for presenting an account rule configuration menu, wherein the account rule configuration menu enables a player to define an account rule;

means for receiving user input, wherein the user input defines the account rule, wherein the account rule comprises a transfer of funds between a wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts, wherein the account rule includes an activation event, and wherein the transfer of funds is to occur upon the occurrence of the activation event;

means for detecting an occurrence of the activation event; and

means for causing the transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more of the other financial accounts, according to the account rule.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transfer of transfers funds from the wagering game session account to one or more of the other financial accounts.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the transfer of funds transfers funds from one or more of the other financial accounts to the wagering game session account.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the activation event includes one or more conditions, and wherein one or more of the conditions must be satisfied for the occurrence of the activation event.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the activation event is related to one or more of a wagering game session balance, recent wagering game activity, a balance of one or more of the other accounts, a time of day, a result of a wagering game session, and a result of a wagering game round.