System and method for wagering based on multiple financial market indicators

• US 7,566,270 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Asher, Joseph M., Amaitis, Lee M., Johnson, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiva; Frank M
• Application Number:
  US11/018,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20050245310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/20, 463/22, 463/21
• US Class Current: 463/22
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A method for wagering, comprises receiving a bet regarding a spin of the reels of a slot machine. The method continues by determining a first symbol for a first reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon a first value and a second value. The first value is associated with a value of a digit of a first financial market indicator at a first point in time, and the second value is associated with the value of a digit of a second financial market indicator at the first point in time. The method continues by determining a second symbol for a second reel of the slot machine, and by determining a third symbol for a third reel of the slot machine. The method concludes by determining an outcome of the bet based at least in part upon the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol.

Claims

1. A wagering system, comprising:

a client operable to communicate a bet regarding a spin of the reels of a slot machine; and

a controller communicably coupled to the client and operable to;

determine a first symbol for a first reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon a first value and a second value, wherein the first value is associated with a value of a digit of a first financial market indicator at a first point in time, and the second value is associated with the value of a digit of a second financial market indicator at the first point in time;

determine a second symbol for a second reel of the slot machine;

determine a third symbol for a third reel of the slot machine;

determine an outcome of the bet based at least in part upon the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol; and

cause the client to display the first symbol for the first reel, the second symbol for the second reel, and the third symbol for the third reel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of the second financial market indicator at the second point in time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon the value of a digit of a third financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of a fourth financial market indicator at the second point in time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of a third financial market indicator at a second point in time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines the first symbol based at least in part upon an association of the first value and the second value in a matrix that comprises:

a plurality of symbols;

at least the first value; and

at least the second value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client communicates a selection of the first financial market indicator and the second financial market indicator from a plurality of financial market indicators.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the client communicates a second bet identifying a predicted composition of symbols associated with the reels of the slot machine; and

the controller is operable to determine the outcome of the second bet based at least in part upon a comparison of the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol determined by the controller and the predicted composition of symbols identified by the second bet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises the slot machine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client comprises at least one of:

a computer;

a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant;

a kiosk; and

a point of sale terminal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the slot machine comprises a virtual slot machine displayed by the client.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon the value of the last digit of the plurality of digits.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon a formula using at least one of the plurality of digits.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon the value of at least one particular digit of the plurality of digits, the particular digit identified by the bet.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first financial market indicator is associated with at least one of:

the Dow Jones Industrial Average;

the NASDAQ;

the Financial Times Stock Exchange; and

the S&

P 500.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first value is based upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a predetermined period of time after receiving the bet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the bet identifies the predetermined period of time.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of symbols in the matrix are changing until the expiration of a time interval when the plurality of symbols become fixed.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a payout for the bet based at least in part upon the outcome of the bet.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the bet is associated with a bet amount and the payout is further based upon the bet amount.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first reel, the second reel, and the third reel are arranged in any order in the slot machine.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first financial market indicator is unavailable and, in response, the controller is operable to determine the first value based upon non-random numerical data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the non-random numerical data is associated with at least one of:

the weather in a particular location;

the U.S. national debt;

the power consumption of a particular city;

television ratings;

the power output generated by a particular facility; and

the results of a particular sporting event.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the symbols comprises a bonus symbol and, in response, the controller determines an enhanced payout for the bet.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the first value is based upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at the time when the bet was placed.

25. A method for wagering, comprising:

receiving a bet from a player regarding a spin of the reels of a slot machine;

determining a first symbol for a first reel of the slot machine based at least in part upon a first value and a second value, wherein the first value is associated with a value of a digit of a first financial market indicator at a first point in time, and the second value is associated with the value of a digit of a second financial market indicator at the first point in time;

determining a second symbol for a second reel of the slot machine;

determining a third symbol for a third reel of the slot machine;

displaying the first symbol for the first reel, the second symbol for the second reel, and the third symbol for the third reel; and

determining an outcome of the bet based at least in part upon the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine is based at least in part upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of the second financial market indicator at the second point in time.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine is based at least in part upon the value of a digit of a third financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of a fourth financial market indicator at the second point in time.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the second symbol for the second reel of the slot machine is based at least in part upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a second point in time and the value of a digit of a third financial market indicator at a second point in time.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the first symbol is based at least in part upon an association of the first value and the second value in a matrix that comprises:

a plurality of symbols;

at least the first value; and

at least the second value.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the bet comprises a selection of the first financial market indicator and the second financial market indicator from a plurality of financial market indicators.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a second bet identifying a predicted composition of symbols associated with the reels of the slot machine; and

determining the outcome of the second bet based at least in part upon a comparison of the first symbol, the second symbol, and the third symbol with the predicted composition of symbols identified by the second bet.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon the value of the last digit of the plurality of digits.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon a formula using at least one of the plurality of digits.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the first financial market indicator comprises a plurality of numerical digits, and the first value is based at least in part upon the value of at least one particular digit of the plurality of digits, the particular digit identified by the bet.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein the first financial market indicator is associated with at least one of:

the Dow Jones Industrial Average;

the NASDAQ;

the Financial Times Stock Exchange; and

the S&

P 500.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the first value is based upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at a predetermined period of time after receiving the bet.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the bet identifies the predetermined period of time.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of symbols in the matrix are changing until expiration of a time interval when the plurality of symbols become fixed.

39. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining a payout for the bet based at least in part upon the outcome of the bet.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the bet is associated with a bet amount and the payout is further based upon the bet amount.

41. The method of claim 25, wherein the first reel, the second reel, and the third reel are arranged in any order in the slot machine.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein the first financial market indicator is unavailable and, in response, the method further comprising determining the first value based upon non-random numerical data.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the non-random numerical data is associated with at least one of:

the weather in a particular location;

the U.S. national debt;

the power consumption of a particular city;

television ratings;

the power output generated by a particular facility; and

the results of a particular sporting event.

44. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the symbols comprises a bonus symbol and, in response, the method further comprising determining an enhanced payout for the bet.

45. The method of claim 25, wherein the first value is based upon the value of a digit of the first financial market indicator at the time when the bet was placed.