Gaming machine system having automatic reporting feature

• US 8,210,938 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Wayne H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/074,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20080305868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of reporting alterations to the operation of a gaming machine. The method includes operating the gaming machine in a standard mode of operation, and subsequently altering the standard mode of operation. In response to this altering, a report is automatically generated for submission to a gaming regulatory agency. The report indicates that the standard mode of operation has been altered. In one common form, the mode of operation being altered is the payout structure, which is information that must be submitted to the gaming regulatory agency in most jurisdictions. In other alternatives, the novel method includes transmitting the report to the agency, possibly automatically via an electronic transmission. The present invention also contemplates gaming machines that are configured to generate such a report, and gaming machine networks that are configured to generate such a report.

Claims

1. A method of reporting modifications to regulated attributes of a gaming machine, the method comprising the acts of:

using a memory system to store a plurality of reports associated with a plurality of jurisdictions, the plurality of reports for indicating a change in one or more regulated attributes of a gaming machine;

using at least one processor to operate the gaming machine in a particular jurisdiction;

using the at least one processor to modify one or more of the regulated attributes of the gaming machine; and

in response to the modifying one or more of the regulated attributes, using the at least one processor to automatically generate a report associated with the particular jurisdiction.

2. The method of claim 1, further including monitoring real time, and wherein the act of modifying occurs in response to said real time being a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the report to a gaming regulatory agency.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is in an electronic format and the transmitting is automatic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is in a paper format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the regulated attribute is a payout structure, the act of modifying including replacing a standard payout structure with a modified payout structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard report indicates modifications to payout structures for more than one gaming machine.

8. A method of reporting alterations of regulated attributes of a gaming machine network containing a plurality of gaming machines and a central controller in communication with the plurality of gaming machines, each of the plurality of gaming machines including a processor for randomly selecting one of a plurality of outcomes, the method comprising the acts of:

using the respective processors to alter a regulated attribute in each of the plurality of gaming machines; and

in response to said altering, using the respective processors to automatically generate a single report for submission to a gaming regulatory agency, the report indicating the altering of the regulated attributes of the plurality of gaming machines.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the act of automatically generating a single report is performed by the central controller.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the report electronically to the gaming regulatory agency, the transmitting being performed by the central controller.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the report is a paper report.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising instructing each of the plurality of gaming machines to alter the same regulated attribute, the instructing being performed by the central controller.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a certain report format for the report, the selecting being performed by the central controller.

14. A method of reporting modifications to regulated attributes of a gaming machine that is operational in a standard mode, the method comprising the acts of:

in response to an occurrence of a first predetermined event, using at least one processor to modify a regulated attribute of the gaming machine;

in response to an occurrence of a second predetermined event, using the at least one processor to resume the standard mode of operation of the gaming machine; and

using the at least one processor to automatically generate a report indicating the modifying of the regulated attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, further including monitoring real time, and the first predetermined event being a first predetermined time.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the report to a gaming regulatory agency.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the regulated attribute is a payout structure, the act of modifying including replacing a standard payout structure with a modified payout structure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the standard payout structure has a plurality of first payouts having a first hit frequency and the modified payout structure has a plurality of second payouts having a second hit frequency, the modified payout structure having a payback percentage that is substantially the same as the standard payout structure.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the report indicates modifications to payout structures for more than one gaming machine.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first predetermined event is receiving a signal from a central controller in communication with the gaming machine.