Interactive wagering system with totalisator selection

• US 7,435,176 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ODS Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Garahi, Masood, McNutt, Richard E, Thomas, William L, Marshall, Connie T, Ramsey, Douglas V, Hindman, John R
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US10/947,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 463/28, 463/6, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/28
• 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. 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 of the plurality of wagering pools accepts wagers for the same race event and accepts wagers of the same wager type; and

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

enable a user to define the predetermined criteria by which the interactive wagering application selects wagering pools for placing wagers; and

enable the user to create a wager, wherein the created wager comprises a wager type selected by the user;

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.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, and 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.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, and wherein each of the wagering service providers is a tote company.

4. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises best odds.

5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, and wherein the predetermined criteria comprises tax status of each of the wagering service providers.

6. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a transaction processing and subscription management system that is connected to the network and that handles the wagers sent by the user.

7. The system defined in claim 1, 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.

8. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the race is a horse race.

9. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the created wager further comprises a particular race and a particular horse selected by the user.

10. 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 of the plurality of wagering pools accepts wagers for the same race event and accepts wagers of the same wager type;

enabling a user to use user equipment to define the predetermined criteria by which the interactive wagering application selects wagering pools for placing wagers;

enabling the user to use user equipment to create a wager, wherein the created wager comprises a wager type selected by the user; 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.

11. The method system defined in claim 10, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, the method 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.

12. The method defined in claim 10, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, and wherein each of the wagering service providers is a tote company.

13. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises best odds.

14. The method defined in claim 10, wherein each wagering pool of the plurality of wagering pools is associated with a particular wagering service provider, and wherein the predetermined criteria comprises tax status of each of the wagering service providers.

15. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising handling the wagers sent by the user with a transaction processing and subscription management system.

16. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the race is a horse race.

17. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the created wager further comprises a particular race and a particular horse selected by the user.