Method and apparatus for gaming vouchering system

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a shopping award system for gaming establishments and their affiliated retail stores, hospitality stores, service organizations, hotels, and other point-of-sale type businesses, which produces free play vouchers that are redeemable for free play credits by insertion into cashless enabled games located in the gaming establishment. The free play credits granted under the award system are related to the amount of any given purchase. The apparatus includes a reward control system connected to one or more servers managing various accounting and game control for the gaming establishment, and a network of printers located at point-of-sale locations which produce the free play vouchers.

1 . A method of providing a free play voucher used in a cashless gaming machine, comprising: 
 receiving sales transaction data for a sales transaction;    calculating an amount of free play credits for the free play voucher using the sales transaction data;    requesting the amount of free play credits from a Ticket-In Ticket Out Management System (TITOMS);    receiving the amount of free play credits from the TITOMS; and    printing the free play voucher including the amount of free play credits.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sales transaction data includes an amount of the purchase.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a particular product or service purchased.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a location where the purchase has taken place.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a time of the purchase.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a date of the purchase.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes an amount of margin made on the type of sale.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sales transaction data includes using random chance affecting the amount of free play credits.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using gaming establishment data.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming establishment data includes a house advantage percentage for a gaming machine.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes an amount of another promotion associated with the transaction.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes a house adjustment percentage.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes whether a predetermined level of spending at participating locations by a particular patron has occurred.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes whether a patron has recently joined a frequent player club.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a selection of sales transaction data used to calculate free play credits is provided by an administrator.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising providing the weighting of the sales transaction data to be used in the calculation by the administrator.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the free play credits are for a specified gaming machine.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an alert to a location of the sales transaction that creation of the voucher is being processed.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing statistics on parameters of participating point of sale locations.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the statistics include an identity of a merchant.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the statistics further include a location of the merchant.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the statistics further include a quantity of vouchers that have issued.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein notification of issuance of the voucher is appended to a patron's receipt.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an authorization code to a patron at a point of sale before printing the voucher.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using player tracking data.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using patron lodging data.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using patron shopping data.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the patron shopping data is stored in a patron shopping account unique to each patron.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising receiving identity information from a patron to create and modify the patron shopping account data.  
   
   
       30 . A Reward Control System (RCS) for providing a free play voucher used in a cashless gaming machine, comprising: 
 means for receiving sales transaction data for a sales transaction;    means for calculating an amount of free play credits for the free play voucher using the sales transaction data;    means for requesting the amount of free play credits from a Ticket-In Ticket Out Management System (TITOMS);    means for receiving the amount of free play credits from the TITOMS; and    means for printing the free play voucher including the amount of free play credits.    
   
   
       31 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the sales transaction data includes an amount of the purchase.  
   
   
       32 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a particular product or service purchased.  
   
   
       33 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a location where the purchase has taken place.  
   
   
       34 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a time of the purchase.  
   
   
       35 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes a date of the purchase.  
   
   
       36 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data further includes an amount of margin made on the type of sale.  
   
   
       37 . The RCS of  claim 31 , wherein the sales transaction data includes using random chance affecting the amount of free play credits.  
   
   
       38 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using gaming establishment data.  
   
   
       39 . The RCS of  claim 38 , wherein the gaming establishment data includes a house advantage percentage for a gaming machine.  
   
   
       40 . The RCS of  claim 38 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes an amount of another promotion associated with the transaction.  
   
   
       41 . The RCS of  claim 38 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes a house adjustment percentage.  
   
   
       42 . The RCS of  claim 38 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes whether a predetermined level of spending at participating locations by a particular patron has occurred.  
   
   
       43 . The RCS of  claim 38 , wherein the gaming establishment data further includes whether a patron has recently joined a frequent player club.  
   
   
       44 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein a selection of sales transaction data used to calculate free play credits is provided by an administrator.  
   
   
       45 . The RCS of  claim 44 , further comprising means for providing the weighting of the sales transaction data to be used in the calculation by the administrator.  
   
   
       46 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the free play credits are for a specified gaming machine.  
   
   
       47 . The RCS of  claim 30 , further comprising means for transmitting an alert to a location of the sales transaction that creation of the voucher is being processed.  
   
   
       48 . The RCS of  claim 30 , further comprising means for processing statistics on parameters of participating point of sale locations.  
   
   
       49 . The RCS of  claim 48 , wherein the statistics include an identity of a merchant.  
   
   
       50 . The RCS of  claim 48 , wherein the statistics further include a location of the merchant.  
   
   
       51 . The RCS of  claim 48 , wherein the statistics further include a quantity of vouchers that have issued.  
   
   
       52 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein notification of issuance of the voucher is appended to a patron's receipt.  
   
   
       53 . The RCS of  claim 30 , further comprising means for providing an authorization code to a patron at a point of sale before printing the voucher.  
   
   
       54 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using player tracking data.  
   
   
       55 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using patron lodging data.  
   
   
       56 . The RCS of  claim 30 , wherein the calculation of the amount of free play credits further includes using patron shopping data.  
   
   
       57 . The RCS of  claim 56 , wherein the patron shopping data is stored in a patron shopping account unique to each patron.  
   
   
       58 . The RCS of  claim 57 , further comprising means for receiving identity information from a patron to create and modify the patron shopping account data.