Method of cashless gaming and player tracking

Abstract

Methods of cashless gaming and player tracking use buttonless RFID technology at both gaming machines and gaming tables to transfer a predetermined denominated amount of credit from a remote network connected gaming account server to the gaming machine or table. Gaming machines have an Idle State, an anonymous credit state, and an identified credit state, each with specific methods for changing from one to another. Gaming tables have a keypad for the dealer, RFID readers at each seating position, and a transaction display visible to the dealer, the patrons, and an overhead security camera.

1 . A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of 
 providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron's gaming account,    storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction,    providing a gaming machine with an ID carrier reader,    reading the ID code from an ID carrier,    transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account balance associated with the ID code has at least the predetermined denomination amount,    providing the patron access to the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming, and    displaying the predetermined denomination amount to the patron on the gaming machine as credit authorized for game play.    
   
   
       2 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 1  including the step of storing in and reading back from the ID carrier the predetermined denomination amount associated with the ID code.  
   
   
       3 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 1  including the step of storing in and reading back from the gaming account the predetermined denomination amount associated with the ID code.  
   
   
       4 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 1  including the step of reading the ID carrier with a non-contact reader having neither buttons nor display for patron interface during the cashless gaming transaction.  
   
   
       5 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 1  including the steps of 
 debiting or crediting both the displayed credit authorized for game play and the patron's gaming account balance according to the results of a played game and the wagered amount, and,    inhibiting game play when the displayed credit authorized for game play is less than one of the selected wager amount and the minimum wager amount regardless of the balance in the patron's gaming account.    
   
   
       6 . A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of 
 providing a patron with a gaming account and an ID carrier having, an ID code that uniquely identifies the patron's gaming account,    storing a predetermined denomination amount for association with the ID code prior to conducting a cashless gaming transaction,    providing a gaming machine with an ID carrier reader,    reading the ID code from an ID carrier,    transmitting the ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server and verifying that the gaming account balance associated with the ID code has at least the predetermined denomination amount,    providing the patron access to the predetermined denomination amount of credit for gaming,    displaying the predetermined denomination amount to the patron on the gaming machine, and    maintaining a link between the gaming machine and the gaming account without the continued presence of the ID carrier within reading range of the ID carrier reader until the displayed credit available for game play is at least one of reset to zero by the patron and played down to zero.    
   
   
       7 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 6  including the steps of 
 awarding player tracking points during play of the gaming machine while a link remains between the gaming machine and the gaming account, and    transmitting awarded player tracking points from the gaming machine to the remote network connected gaming account server for accumulation and storage in the gaming account.    
   
   
       8 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 7  including the step of changing an illuminated portion of the ID carrier reader from a first color to a second color to indicate that an exclusive link is established.  
   
   
       9 . A method of creating and using a cashless gaming account comprising the steps of 
 providing a first gaming machine with a currency validator,    validating a patron's currency to provide a credit balance on the first gaming machine,    generating a cash-out request on the first gaming machine,    reading a predetermined ID code from an ID carrier and dispensing the ID carrier to the patron from the first gaming machine,    transmitting the predetermined ID code to a remote network connected gaming account server,    automatically creating an anonymous gaming account on the gaming account server associated with the predetermined ID code,    transferring the remaining credit balance from the first gaming machine to the anonymous gaming account,    providing each of a plurality of other gaming machines with an ID carrier reader,    reading the predetermined ID code from the patron's ID carrier at a second gaming machine,    enabling game play on the second gaming machine upon verification of sufficient credit balance in the anonymous gaming account,    reading the predetermined ID code from the patron's ID carrier at a third gaming machine, and    enabling game play on the third gaming machine upon verification of sufficient credit balance in the anonymous gaming account.    
   
   
       10 . The method of creating a cashless gaming account according to  claim 9  including the step of automatically associating a predetermined denomination amount with the ID code upon creation of the anonymous gaming account wherein the predetermined denomination amount is displayed to the patron upon reading the ID code from the patron's ID carrier on any of the plurality of other gaming machines so long as the anonymous gaming account credit balance is at least one of greater than and equal to the predetermined denomination amount.  
   
   
       11 . The method of creating a cashless gaming account according to  claim 10  wherein the predetermined denomination is an integer number of one of dollars and euros and wherein the integer is one of one, five, ten, twenty, twenty five, fifty, one hundred and five hundred.  
   
   
       12 . The method of creating a cashless gaming account according to  claim 11  wherein the predetermined denomination is an integer multiple, greater than zero, of the base wagering denomination of the gaming machine dispensing the ID carrier.  
   
   
       13 . A cashless gaming system comprising 
 means for reading an ID code from a patron's ID carrier at one of a gaming machine and a gaming table,    means for associating the ID code with a predetermined denomination amount,    means for associating the ID code with a gaming account located on a remote network connected account server,    means for displaying the predetermined denomination amount to the patron at one of the gaming machine and gaming table following a first reading of the ID code when the gaming account balance is at least as large as the predetermined denomination amount, and    means for adding the predetermined denomination amount to a prior amount shown by the display means following a subsequent reading of the ID code.    
   
   
       14 . The cashless gaming system according to  claim 13  further including means to track game play associated with the displayed amount and award points to a player tracking account associated with the ID code.  
   
   
       15 . A cashless gaming system for table games comprising 
 means for reading a first ID code from a patron's ID carrier at each seating position of a gaming table,    means for associating the first ID code with a predetermined denomination amount,    means for associating the first ID code with a gaming account located on a remote network connected account server,    means for reading a second ID code from a supervisor's ID carrier at the gaming table to provide transaction authorization, and    means for visually indicating on the reading means for the supervisor's ID carrier that authorization is required to complete a patron's buy-in or cash-out transaction when it exceeds a predetermined threshold.    
   
   
       16 . A cashless gaming system comprising 
 means for reading an ID code from a patron's ID carrier at one of a gaming machine and a gaming table,    means for associating the patron's ID code with a gaming account located on a remote network connected account server,    means for reading an ID code from a beverage server's ID carrier at the same one of a gaming machine and a gaming table,    means for associating the beverage server's ID code with a gratuity account located on a remote network connected account server,    means for associating the beverage server's ID code with a gratuity amount,    means for approving a pending gratuity transaction by at least reading the ID code from patron's same ID carrier,    means for debiting one of the patron's gaming account and the patron's gaming machine credit balance with the gratuity amount, and    means for crediting the gratuity account with the gratuity amount.    
   
   
       17 . The cashless gaming system according to  claim 16  further including 
 means for associating the beverage server's ID code with a predetermined denomination amount, and    means for incrementing the gratuity amount by the predetermined denomination amount when the beverage server's ID code is read.    
   
   
       18 . The cashless gaming system according to  claim 16  further including means for displaying to the patron a selection of gratuity amounts in response to reading the beverage server's ID code.  
   
   
       19 . A method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction comprising the steps of 
 reading an ID code from a patron's ID carrier at one of a gaming machine and a gaming table,    associating the patron's ID code with a gaming account located on a remote network connected account server,    reading an ID code from a beverage server's ID carrier at the same one of a gaming machine and a gaming table,    associating the beverage server's ID code with a gratuity account located on a remote network connected account server,    associating the beverage server's ID code with a gratuity amount,    approving a pending gratuity transaction by at least reading the ID code from patron's same ID carrier,    debiting one of the patron's gaming account and the patron's gaming machine credit balance with the gratuity amount, and    crediting the gratuity account with the gratuity amount.    
   
   
       20 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 19  including the steps of 
 associating the beverage server's ID code with a predetermined denomination amount, and    incrementing the gratuity amount by the predetermined denomination amount when the beverage server's ID code is read.    
   
   
       21 . The method of conducting a cashless gaming transaction according to  claim 19  including the step of displaying to the patron a selection of gratuity amounts in response to reading the beverage server's ID code.