Player Identification

Abstract

Player identification system ( 100 ) includes a betting terminal ( 1 ) at which a player playes a wagering game. During the play of the game, the system takes a photograph of the players face with camera ( 13 ). The photograph is used for player identification purposes and is logged into database ( 10 ).

1 . A player identification system, comprising: 
 a betting terminal operable by a player to play at least one game thereon and to place a wager on an outcome of any turn of the game, the outcome of each turn the game being determined, at least in part, by chance; and    a camera associated with the betting terminal, the camera being arranged to capture an image of the player operating the betting terminal at least once during each turn of the at least one game.    
   
   
       2 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 1  that includes a logging facility capable of logging, for each turn of the at least one game, logging data representative of a size and type of the wager placed by the player on the turn of the game, the corresponding outcome of that turn of the game, and the image of the player captured by the camera during the turn of the game.  
   
   
       3 . A player identification system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the betting terminal is operable by the player to play any one of a number of different selectable games.  
   
   
       4 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 3  in which the camera is arranged to capture the image of the player operating the betting terminal at least once during each turn of any game being played by the player.  
   
   
       5 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 4  in which the logging data is representative, also, of the particular game being played by the player.  
   
   
       6 . A player identification system as claimed any one of  claims 2  to  5  in which the logging facility includes a non-volatile storage memory for storing the logging data thereon.  
   
   
       7 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 6  in which the storage memory is configured as a rolling buffer capable of storing logging data relating to a number of the most recent turns of any games played by the player.  
   
   
       8 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 2  that includes an enquiry facility operable to display any logging data contained in the storage memory.  
   
   
       9 . A player identification system as claimed in  claim 8  that includes a display monitor capable of displaying any image of the player contained in the storage memory.  
   
   
       10 . A method for identifying players at a betting terminal, comprising the steps of: 
 enabling a player to operate a betting terminal to play at least one game thereon and to place a wager on an outcome of any turn of the game, the outcome of each turn the game being determined, at least in part, by chance; and    capturing, at least once during each turn of the at least one game, a camera image of the player operating the betting terminal.    
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 10  that includes a step of logging, for each turn of the at least one game, logging data representative of a size and type of the wager placed by the player on the turn of the game, the corresponding outcome of that turn of the game, and the image of the player captured by the camera during the turn of the game.  
   
   
       12 . A method as claimed in either one of claims  10  or  11  that includes the step of enabling the player to operate the betting terminal to play any one of a number of different selectable games.  
   
   
       13 . A method as claimed in  claim 12  that includes a step of capturing the image of the player operating the betting terminal at least once during each turn of any game being played by the player.  
   
   
       14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  that includes a step of logging additional data representative of the particular game being played by the player.  
   
   
       15 . A method as claimed in  claim 17  that includes a step of storing the logging data on a non-volatile storage memory.  
   
   
       16 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  that includes a step of configuring the storage memory as a rolling buffer capable of storing logging data relating to a number of the most recent turns of any games played by the player.  
   
   
       17 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  that includes a step of displaying any logging data contained in the storage memory on an enquiry facility.  
   
   
       18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17  in which any image of the player, contained in the storage memory, is displayed on a display monitor included in the enquiry facility.