Method for permitting cancellation of a wager

• US 8,083,584 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Youbet.com LLC (Churchill Downs Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Youbet.com LLC (Churchill Downs Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stapp, Henry P., Franklin, Jeff, Pegorer, Ruben M., Greiner, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/279,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/42, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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

Abstract

A computer system permitting cancellation of wagers on pending events includes a wager cancellation link, which when enabled, permits the user to cancel their wager prior to the occurrence of the pending event, such as a horse race. The wager cancellation link may be enabled for users who do not have a history of excessive cancellation of wagers, measured either by number of cancellations or by a dollar value of cancelled wagers. The wager cancellation link may also be enabled for certain events occurring at certain venues. A wager cancellation limitation disables the wager cancellation link when the limitation has been violated. The computer system credits the user'"'"'s account with the value of the cancelled wager in response to cancellation of the wager.

Claims

1. A method for permitting cancellation of wagers via a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing information in the computer system related to each of a plurality of users;

allowing one of the plurality of users to place a wager on a pending event via the computer system;

providing a wager cancellation interface;

enabling the wager cancellation interface for the one of the plurality of users based on the information stored in the computer system related to the one of the plurality of users, the wager cancellation interface for allowing the one of the plurality of users to cancel the wager; and

providing a wager cancellation limitation operable by the computer system to automatically prevent cancellation of the wager, by the user, after the user violates the wager cancellation limitation, the wager cancellation limitation being based on at least one of a dollar amount of all previously wagers canceled by the user during a predetermined time period or a total number of all previously wagers canceled by the user during the predetermined time period.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wager cancellation limitation is based on the information stored in the computer system related to each of the plurality of users.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of storing information related to each of a plurality of users is further defined as storing information related to each of the plurality of users including at least one of a per wager dollar value limit, a total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, a total dollar amount of canceled wagers during a predetermined time period limit, and a total number of wagers during the predetermined time period limit.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of storing information related to each of a plurality of users is further defined as storing information related to each of the plurality of users including membership of each of the plurality of users in a predetermined group of users.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a step of storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of storing information related to each of a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information related to each of the plurality of venues including each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of storing information related to each of a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information related to each of the plurality of venues including the permissibility of canceling wagers at each of the plurality of venues.

8. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of storing information related to each of a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information related to each of the plurality of venues including the permissibility of canceling wagers for each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues.

9. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said step of enabling the wager cancellation interface is further defined as enabling the wager cancellation interface based on information stored in the computer system related to one of the plurality of venues.

10. A method as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a step of providing a program operable on the computer system by any of the plurality of users to manage the wager of that user and an account of that user.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein said step of providing a wager cancellation interface is further defined as providing the program with a wager cancellation link selectable by each of the plurality of users to cancel the wager.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising a step of displaying an agreement message in response to activation of the wager cancellation link by one of the plurality of users to indicate the terms and conditions for the user to cancel the wager.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a step of providing the program with an acceptance link activatable by the user to accept the wager cancellation agreement message to cancel the wager.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a step of displaying a confirmation message in response to activation of the acceptance link by the user to indicate cancellation of the wager.

15. A method as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a step of displaying a wager log to each of the plurality of users to indicate a status of the wager and the account of the user.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 further comprising a step of adjusting the account of the user to credit the account of the user in response to cancellation of the wager with the amount of the canceled wager.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a step of updating the wager log of the user in response to cancellation of the wager to indicate a current status of the wager and a value of the adjusted account of the user.

18. A method for permitting cancellation of wagers on a pending event occurring at one of a plurality of venues via a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing information in the computer system related to the plurality of venues;

allowing one of a plurality of users to place a wager on the pending event via the computer system;

providing a wager cancellation interface;

enabling the wager cancellation interface for the one of the plurality of users based on the information stored in the computer system related to at least one of the plurality of venues to permit cancellation of the wager, the wager cancellation interface for allowing the one of the plurality of users to cancel the wager; and

providing a wager cancellation limitation to automatically prevent cancellation of the wager, by the one of the plurality of users, after the one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, the wager cancellation limitation being based on at least one of a total number of all previously canceled wagers during a predetermined time period or a dollar amount of all previously canceled wagers during the predetermined time period.

20. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step of storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information in the computer system relating to a plurality of venues including information related to each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues.

21. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step of storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues including the permissibility of canceled wagers at each of the plurality of venues.

22. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said step of storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues is further defined as storing information in the computer system related to a plurality of venues including the permissibility of canceled wagers for each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues.

23. A method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising a step of providing a program operable on the computer system by any of the plurality of users to manage the wager of that user and an account of that user.

24. A method as set forth in claim 23 wherein said step of providing a wager cancellation interface is further defined as providing the program with a wager cancellation link selectable by each of the plurality of users to cancel the wager.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24 further comprising a step of displaying an agreement message in response to activation of the wager cancellation link by one of the plurality of users to indicate the terms and conditions for the user to cancel the wager.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25 further comprising a step of providing the program with an acceptance link activatable by the user to accept the wager cancellation agreement message to cancel the wager.

27. A method as set forth in claim 26 further comprising a step of displaying a confirmation message in response to activation of the acceptance link by the user to indicate cancellation of the wager.

19. A method for permitting cancellation of a wager placed by one of a plurality of users on a pending event occurring at one of a plurality of venues via a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing information in the computer system related to the plurality of venues;

allowing the one of a plurality of users to make a wager on the pending event;

providing a wager cancellation interface;

enabling the wager cancellation interface for the one of the plurality of users based on the information stored in the computer system related to at least one of the plurality of venues, the wager cancellation interface for allowing the one of the plurality of users to cancel the wager; and

providing a wager cancellation limitation to automatically prevent cancellation of the wager, by the one of the plurality of users, after the one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, the wager cancellation limitation being based on at least one of a per wager dollar value limit, a total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, a total dollar amount of wagers canceled by the one of the plurality of users during a pre-determined time period limit, and a total number of wagers during the pre-determined time period.

28. A method for canceling a wager placed by users on races conducted at one of a plurality of venues via a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a program operable on the computer system by each of the users to manage the wager and an account of each of the users;

storing information in the computer system related to each of the users including at least one of a per wager dollar value limit, a total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, a total dollar amount of canceled wagers during a predetermined time period limit, and a total number of wagers during the predetermined time period and membership of each of the users in a predetermined group of users;

storing information in the computer system related to each of the plurality of venues including each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues and the permissibility of canceling wagers at each of the plurality of venues and for each pending event occurring at one of the plurality of venues;

allowing one of the users to place a wager on a race;

displaying a wager log for each of the users to indicate a status of the wager and the account of the user;

providing the wager log with a wager cancellation interface including a wager cancellation link;

enabling the wager cancellation interface based on the information stored in the computer system related to at least one of the plurality of venues and the plurality of users to permit cancellation of the wager, the wager cancellation interface for allowing the one of the users to cancel the wager;

providing a wager cancellation limitation for at least one of the users based on at least one of the dollar value of all previously canceled wagers, by the one user, and the total number of all previously canceled wagers, by the one user, during a predetermined period of time and operable by the computer system to automatically prevent cancellation of the wager after the one user violates the wager cancellation limitation;

displaying an agreement message in response to activation of the wager cancellation link by the one user to indicate the terms and conditions for the user to cancel the wager;

providing the program with an acceptance link activatable by the user to accept the wager cancellation agreement message to cancel the wager;

displaying a confirmation message in response to activation of the acceptance link by the user to indicate cancellation of the wager;

adjusting the account of the user to credit the account of the user in response to cancellation of the wager with an amount of the canceled wager;

updating the wager log of the user in response to cancellation of the wager to indicate a current status of the wager and a current value of the adjusted account of the user.

29. A system for canceling a wager placed on a pending event, said system comprising:

a computer system for storing information therein related to a plurality of users including at least one of a per wager dollar value limit, a total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, a total dollar amount of canceled wagers during a predetermined time period limit, and a total number of wagers during the predetermined time period limit;

a remote device operatively connected to said computer system for receiving and transmitting information therebetween and for allowing one of the plurality of users to place a wager on the pending event;

a wager cancellation interface displayable on said remote device and activatable by the one of the plurality of users, the wager cancellation interface for allowing the one of the plurality of users to cancel the wager when enabled by said computer system based on the information stored thereon related to the at least one of the plurality of users; and

a program operable on said computer system for managing the wager and an account of the at least one of the plurality of users, said program including a wager cancellation limitation for disabling the wager cancellation interface after the at least one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, said wager cancellation limitation including at least one of a dollar amount of all previously canceled wagers during a predetermined time period or a total number of all previously canceled wagers during a predetermined time period.

30. A system for canceling a wager placed on a pending event, said system comprising:

a computer system for storing information therein related to a plurality of users including at least one of a per wager dollar value limit, a total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, a total dollar amount of canceled wagers during a predetermined time period limit, and a total number of wagers during the predetermined time period limit;

a remote device operatively connected to said computer system for receiving and transmitting information therebetween and for allowing one of the plurality of users to place a wager on the pending event;

a wager cancellation interface displayable on said remote device and activatable by at least one of the plurality of users for canceled the wager when enabled by said computer system based on the information stored thereon related to the at least one of the plurality of users; and

a program operable on said computer system for managing the wager and an account of the one of the plurality of users, said program including a wager cancellation limitation for automatically disabling the wager cancellation interface after the at least one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, said wager cancellation limitation including at least one of the per wager dollar value limit, the total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, the total dollar amount of wagers canceled during the predetermined time period limit, and the total number of wagers during the predetermined time period limit.

31. A system for canceling a wager placed on a pending event, said system comprising:

a computer system for storing information therein related to a plurality of venues including each wagering event occurring at one of the plurality of venues and the permissibility of canceling wagers at each of the plurality of venues and for each wagering event occurring at one of the plurality of venues;

a remote device operatively connected to said computer system for receiving and transmitting information therebetween;

a wager cancellation interface displayable on said remote device and activatable by at least one of a plurality of users for canceling the wager when enabled by said computer system based on the information stored thereon related to the plurality of venues; and

a program operable on said computer system for managing the wager and an account of the at least one of the plurality of users, said program includes a wager cancellation limitation for automatically disabling the wager cancellation interface after the at least one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, said wager cancellation limitation including a least one of a dollar amount of all previously canceled wagers during a predetermined time period or a total number of all previously canceled wagers during a predetermined time period.

32. A system for canceling a wager placed on a pending event, said system comprising:

a computer system for storing information therein related to a plurality of venues including each wagering event occurring at one of the plurality of venues and the permissibility of canceling wagers at each of the plurality of venues and for each wagering event occurring at one of the plurality of venues;

a remote device operatively connected to said computer system for receiving and transmitting information therebetween;

a wager cancellation interface displayable on said remote device and activatable by at least one of a plurality of users for canceling the wager when enabled by said computer system based on the information stored thereon related to the plurality of venues; and

a program operable on said computer system for managing the wager and an account of the at least one of the plurality of users, said program includes a wager cancellation limitation for automatically disabling the wager cancellation interface after the at least one of the plurality of users violates the wager cancellation limitation, said wager cancellation limitation includes at least one of the per wager dollar value limit, the total dollar value limit, a quantity limit, the total dollar amount of wagers canceled during the predetermined time period limit, and the total number of wagers during the predetermined time period limit.