System and method for collecting and using player information

• US 8,366,550 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Hardy, Dow K., Acres, John F., Taylor, John E. Jr., Weller, Scott N., Lichtenberger, Francis Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Richards, N Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGAL, ANKUSH K
• Application Number:
  US12/345,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20090170611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players

Abstract

A distributed computer system is provided for collecting player information. Further, a scoring system is provided that rates a player based on one or more elements of the collected information. Players may be rated with respect to a number of characteristics. Responsive to a determined rating or score, action may be taken by the distributed system with regard to the player. For instance, the player may be provided a complimentary offer, provided an award, and invitation to come to a gambling location, presented an advertisement, or other action may be performed involving the player. Further, the distributed computer system may permit a player to manage their frequent player accounts and receive complimentary offers based on a set of criteria specified by the player.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating a player, the method comprising acts of:

determining a model of a desired player based on a plurality of model parameters established by a gaming establishment;

obtaining a plurality of information relating to a plurality of potential unknown players from at least one source other than the gaming establishment;

scoring the plurality of potential unknown players in relation to the model of the desired player;

determining one or more desired players from the plurality of potential unknown players based on their respective scores; and

performing an action with respect to the determined one or more desired players.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of obtaining further comprises an act of collecting frequent player account information from a plurality of independent organizations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of obtaining further comprises an act of collecting information relating to the plurality of potential unknown players from a plurality of public data sources.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting, from a plurality of available advertisements, an advertisement for display to the determined one or more desired players, and wherein the act of performing an action comprises an act of displaying the selected advertisement to at least one of the one or more desired players.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting, from a plurality of available complimentary offers, a complimentary offer to be presented to the determined one or more desired players, and wherein the act of performing an action comprises an act of displaying the complimentary offer to at least one of the one or more desired players.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the selected advertisement to be displayed to the player is determined according to at least one of predicted affinities, predispositions, and preferences of the player.

7. A computer-implemented method for evaluating a player, the method comprising acts of:

receiving frequent player account information for a player;

identifying the player by the frequent player account information;

collecting player game performance data from one or more independent organizations wherein at least one organization from which data is collected did not establish the frequent player account information; and

determining a worth of the player based on performance information associated with the frequent player account information and the collected data.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player base on the performance information and the collected data.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player in response to the determined worth of the player.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player according to at least one of predicted affinities, predispositions, and preferences of the player.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a processor performs a method for evaluating a player in a distributed computer system, the method comprising acts of:

determining a model of a desired player based on a plurality of model parameters established by a gaming establishment;

obtaining a plurality of information relating to a plurality of potential unknown players from at least one source other than the gaming establishment;

scoring the plurality of potential unknown players in relation to the model of the desired player;

determining one or more desired players from the plurality of potential unknown players based on their respective scores; and

performing an action with respect to the determined one or more desired players.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the act of obtaining further comprises an act of collecting frequent player account information from a plurality of independent organizations.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the act of obtaining further comprises an act of collecting information relating to the plurality of potential unknown players from a plurality of public data sources.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising selecting, from a plurality of available advertisements, an advertisement for display to the determined one or more desired players, and wherein the act of performing an action comprises an act of displaying the selected advertisement to at least one of the one or more desired players.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising selecting, from a plurality of available complimentary offers, a complimentary offer to be presented to the determined one or more desired players, and wherein the act of performing an action comprises an act of displaying the complimentary offer to at least one of the one or more desired players.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the selected advertisement to be displayed to the player is determined according to at least one of predicted affinities, predispositions, and preferences of the player.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a processor performs a method for evaluating a player in a distributed computer system, the method comprising acts of:

receiving frequent player account information for a player;

identifying the player by the frequent player account information;

collecting data from one or more independent organizations wherein at least one organization from which data is collected did not establish the frequent player account information; and

determining a worth of the player based on performance information associated with the frequent player account information and the collected data.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player base on the performance information and the collected data.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player in response to the determined worth of the player.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an act of determining an advertisement to be displayed to the player according to at least one of predicted affinities, predispositions, and preferences of the player.