Closed-loop system for providing additional event participation to electronic video game customers

• US 9,564,004 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Johnson, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US11/468,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070077997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,813 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/16, 463/21, 463/23, 463/25, 463/29, 463/42, 463/47, 273/138.1, 273/148.R, 273/459, 273/460, 705/1.1, 705/500
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

The present invention provides a closed-loop system that allows the operator of video gaming machines or other systems to offer an event for customer participation, receive funding for participation in the event, and providing feedback regarding the results. More specifically, a video game customer may receive notification of an invitation to place a bet on an event, participate in a transaction, or otherwise receive information or interaction. The use can press buttons on the video gaming machine to indicate choices, provide funding, and placing bets on an event. The funding for such participation may be directly deducted from the customer'"'"'s balance on the video gaming machine.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) causing a promotional server interfaced with a controller box to identify a promotional sporting event betting opportunity to offer to a customer playing at least one displayed game on a video gaming machine interfaced with the controller box, wherein the controller box and the promotional server each operate independent of any outcome determinations of any displayed plays of any games on the video gaming machine;

(b) causing the promotional server to provide an invitation to the customer to participate in the identified promotional sporting event betting opportunity by causing an invitation message to be displayed on a particular portion of a display device of the video gaming machine, wherein said displayed invitation message does not disrupt any displayed plays of any games of the video gaming machine;

(c) receiving, via an actuator monitored by the controller box, a response from the customer, said response indicating a selection of one from the group consisting of;

an acceptance of the invitation, a rejection of the invitation, a request for further information concerning the identified promotional sporting event betting opportunity, a request to view at least one other promotional sporting event betting opportunity, and a request to receive an invitation to participate in another promotional sporting event betting opportunity; and

(d) upon acceptance of the invitation to participate in the identified promotional sporting event betting opportunity;

(i) causing the promotional server to request funding information from the customer by causing a funding request message to be displayed on the particular portion of the display device of the video gaming machine, wherein said displayed funding request message does not disrupt any displayed plays of any games of the video gaming machine,

(ii) causing the promotional server to receive the funding information, said received funding information being in addition to any wagers placed on any displayed plays of any games on the video gaming machine; and

(iii) causing any promotional sporting event award associated with the promotional sporting event betting opportunity to be provided to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the promotional server identifies the promotional sporting event betting opportunity to offer to the customer by enabling a user to define the plurality of parameters of the promotional sporting event betting opportunity by selecting from a group consisting of;

a sporting event date, a sporting event time, a sporting event display content, a sporting event payout and a winning criteria,

the invitation message indicates the nature of the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, and

accepting the invitation includes placing the bet on an outcome of the sporting event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein requesting funding information includes:

requesting the customer to enter a bet amount; and

requesting the customer to enter information defining a funding source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving funding information includes receiving a request to fund the bet from a current balance on the video gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional server identifies the promotional sporting event betting opportunity to offer to the customer by enabling a user to define the parameters of the promotional sporting event betting opportunity by selecting from a group consisting of:

a sporting event date, a sporting event time, a sporting event display content, and a sporting event acceptance criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving funding information includes receiving a request to fund the promotional sporting event betting opportunity by billing a hotel room associated with the customer.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes:

enabling multiple promotional sporting event betting opportunities to run simultaneously;

monitoring the multiple promotional sporting event betting opportunities to identify multiple outcomes; and

providing further feedback to the customer based on the multiple outcomes of the multiple promotional sporting event betting opportunities.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video gaming machine includes a wager-based game.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein requesting funding information includes:

requesting a bet amount; and

requesting a funding source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving funding information includes receiving a request to fund the bet from a current balance on the video gaming machine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing further feedback to the customer based on the outcome of the sporting event includes notifying the customer of any winnings associated with the outcome of the sporting event.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing further feedback to the customer based on the outcome of the sporting event includes notifying the customer of any winnings associated with the outcome of the sporting event obtained and directly crediting the video gaming machine based on such winnings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the video gaming machine includes a wager-based game, and wherein the promotional sporting event betting opportunity is independent of the displayed play of the wager-based game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein requesting funding information includes:

requesting the customer to enter a bet amount; and

requesting the customer to enter information defining a funding source.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving funding information includes receiving a request to fund the bet from a current balance on the video gaming machine.

16. A closed-loop customer participation event system comprising:

a promotional server configured to;

provide an interface configured to, for each of a plurality of promotional sporting event betting opportunities;

define a type of promotional sporting event betting opportunity, define a schedule of the promotional device and define a duration of the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, and

monitor active promotional sporting event betting opportunities that are offered on a video gaming machine, wherein at least two promotional sporting event betting opportunities are simultaneously active;

a plurality of controller boxes, each controller box being interfaced to the video gaming machine without disrupting any displayed plays of any games of the video gaming machine, wherein each controller box and the promotional server operate independent of any outcome determinations of any displayed plays of any games on the video gaming machine and each controller box includes;

a display interface configured to, without disrupting any displayed plays of any games of the video gaming machine, display to a customer on a particular portion of a display device of the video gaming device;

(i) an invitation inviting the customer to participate in one of the promotional sporting event betting opportunities, the invitation including an election of one selected from the group consisting of;

to accept participation in the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, to reject participation in the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, to receive status information pertaining to the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, to view at least another one of the plurality of promotional sporting event betting opportunities, and to accept participation in the at least one other one of the promotional sporting event betting opportunities, and

(ii) information regarding an outcome of the sporting event, any award associated with the outcome of the sporting event, and the at least one other one of the plurality of sporting events;

an interface configured to monitor at least one actuation device of the video gaming machine to receive responses from the customer indicating the customer'"'"'s election of the acceptance of the invitation and funding information, said received funding information being in addition to any wagers placed on any displayed plays of any games on the video gaming machine; and

an interface to the server configured to obtain status information pertaining to the promotional sporting event betting opportunity.

17. The system of claim 16, which includes an entertainment source that provides a live video feed of the sporting event to the controller box for display onto the display device of the video gaming machine.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the promotional server is further operative to provide a user interface configured to enable a user to define a plurality of parameters of each promotional sporting event betting opportunity by selecting from a group consisting of;

a sporting event date, a sporting event time, a sporting event display content, and a sporting event acceptance criteria;

the controller box can activate the promotional sporting event betting opportunities based on the scheduled sporting event date and the scheduled sporting event time; and

the response to the defined promotional sporting event betting opportunities can be assessed by observing user responses to the promotional sporting event betting opportunities at the gaming machines.

19. A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) causing a promotional server to provide a user interface which enables a user to define a plurality of parameters of each of a plurality of promotional sporting event betting opportunities by selecting parameters from the group consisting of;

a sporting event date, a sporting event time, a sporting event display content, and a sporting event acceptance criteria;

(b) causing the promotional server to provide information to a controller box regarding an invitation to a customer to participate in one of the promotional sporting event betting opportunities prior to the sporting event date and the sporting event time, wherein the controller box and the promotional server each operate independent of any outcome determinations of any displayed plays of any games on a video gaming machine;

(c) causing the controller box to place an event invitation message on a display device of the video gaming machine based on the sporting event date and the sporting event time;

(d) causing the controller box to detect a response from the customer indicating an election selected from a plurality of elections consisting of;

an acceptance of the invitation, a rejection of the invitation, an election to receive further information pertaining to the promotional sporting event betting opportunity, an election to view at least another one of the promotional sporting event betting opportunities, and an election to request an invitation to the at least one other promotional sporting event betting opportunity, by detecting the actuation of an actuator by the customer;

(e) causing the controller box to provide information regarding the detection of the election to the promotional server; and

(f) if the customer elected to accept the invitation to participate in one of the promotional sporting event betting opportunities;

(i) causing the promotional server to provide information to the controller box identifying funding options to be offered to the customer for funding participation in the elected promotional sporting event betting opportunity,

(ii) causing the controller box to place a funding options message on the display device of the video gaming machine regarding a plurality of funding options,

(iii) causing the controller box to detect a selection of one of the plurality of funding options from the customer by detecting the actuation of an actuator by the customer, said selected funding option being in addition to any wagers placed on any displayed plays of any games on the video gaming machine,

(iv) causing the controller box to provide information regarding the detection of the selection of the funding option to the promotional server,

(v) causing the promotional server to provide information to the controller box pertaining to a status of the elected promotional sporting event betting opportunity,

(vi) causing the controller box to place a status message on the display device of the video gaming machine regarding the status of the elected promotional sporting event betting opportunity, and

(vii) causing an award associated with an outcome of the sporting event of the elected promotional sporting event opportunity to be provided to the customer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing funding options includes:

providing a request for a bet amount; and

providing a request a funding source.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving funding information includes receiving a request to fund a bet from a current balance on the video gaming machine.