Method of Providing Gaming Addiction Control Solutions in a Gaming Establishment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for performing monitoring of gaming behaviour and applying remedies when the gaming behaviour is evaluated as being outside acceptable settings. A system is described wherein gaming machines are networked with a server housing databases and programs adapted to store player identifications, to store transactions, to determine when behaviour is outside acceptable settings and to signal a system component used by the identified player to apply a remedy. Also described are methods applied by the server and gaming system components are described in order to perform gaming behaviour monitoring and apply remedies when appropriate. Finally, there is described means and programs for players to provide acceptable gaming settings and remedies to be applied.

1 . A behaviour monitoring network system at least comprising a plurality of system components, comprising:
 a server comprising:   storing means for storing a plurality of databases and data, comprising:
 player identification database used for storing data used in identifying a plurality of players; 
 transaction database used for storing data regarding monetary transactions performed by said plurality of players; 
 behaviour settings used for evaluating of gaming behaviours; and 
 remedy data used for determining a remedy; 
   controlling means for controlling server processes performed on said server, said server processes comprising:
 player identifying program for identifying players using one of said system component according to said player identification database; 
 transaction monitoring program for monitoring monetary transactions performed by said players on said system component and storing transaction information in said transaction database; 
 behaviour evaluation program for evaluating gaming behaviour of said identified players against behaviour settings based on monitored transactions stored in said transaction database; and 
 remedy determination program for determining and communicating a remedy to apply from said remedy data when said behaviour evaluation program evaluates that gaming behaviour of said identified player is outside acceptable behaviour settings; 
   identifying means communicatively linked to said server, said identifying means being for identifying one of said players using at least one of said system components and for communicating player and system-component identification data to said server;   accepting means communicatively linked to said server for accepting monetary values from said identified player and transferring said monetary value from outside said accepting means into a format usable to place wagers in a wagering game, and for communicating transaction data regarding said monetary value transfer to said server;   two or more gaming machines communicatively linked to said server, each of said gaming machines comprising:   controlling means for controlling gaming-machine processes performed on said gaming machine, said gaming-machine processes at least comprising:
 gaming program for providing to said player, in exchange of a wager, a play of a wagering game and either or not a prize based on an outcome resulting from said play of said wagering game; 
   one of more additional gaming peripherals involved in said process of providing said gaming program,   wherein a remedy application program controlled by a controlling means of one of said system components controls a remedy application process performed by a remedy peripheral on said system component when said system component receives a remedy signal from said server, said remedy being communicated to said identified player through said remedy peripheral.   
     
     
         2 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said accepting means and said identifying means are located inside said gaming machine. 
     
     
         3 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 1 , wherein said behaviour settings are stored in a behaviour setting database. 
     
     
         4 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said system components further comprises:
 displaying means for displaying information; and   inputting means for receiving player inputs,   wherein controlling means of said system component is for controlling a process performed on said system component, said process being a behaviour setting program for displaying a Graphic User Interface on said displaying means requesting said player to input behaviour settings, for receiving said player's inputs, and for communicating said behaviour settings to said server, and   wherein said controlling means of said server is further for controlling a further process of storing said behaviour settings in said behaviour setting database.   
     
     
         5 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 1 , wherein said remedy data are stored in a remedy database. 
     
     
         6 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of said system components further comprises:
 displaying means for displaying information; and   inputting means for receiving player inputs,   wherein controlling means of said system component is for controlling a process performed on said system component, said process being a remedy setting program for displaying a Graphic User Interface on said displaying means requesting said player to input remedy settings, for receiving said player's inputs, and for communicating said remedy settings to said server, and   wherein said controlling means of said server is further for controlling a further process of storing said remedy settings in said remedy database.   
     
     
         7 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling means of said server is further for processing a setting initiation service for identifying when at least one of behaviour settings and remedy settings are required in associated with an identified player and for requesting the initiation of a process on said system component used by said identified player through which at least one of said behaviour settings and remedy data will be required to be provided by said identified player. 
     
     
         8 . The behaviour monitoring network system of  claim 1 , wherein said monetary transaction results in a change between a first supporting media and a second supporting media of said monetary value. 
     
     
         9 . The behaviour monitoring network of  claim 8 , wherein said first second supporting media is one of i) a banknote, ii) a gift certificate, and iii) chips or tokens, and said second supporting media is said storing means of said gaming machine. 
     
     
         10 . The behaviour monitoring network of  claim 1 , wherein said accepting means and said identifying means are embodied within a behaviour monitoring module, one of said module being associated with each one of said gaming machines. 
     
     
         11 . The behaviour monitoring network of  claim 10 , wherein said behaviour monitoring module takes control of one of said gaming peripherals when said remedy application process is performed. 
     
     
         12 . The behaviour monitoring network of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 crediting means for crediting said players with monetary values and transferring said monetary values from inside one of said gaming machines to outside said gaming machines wherein said monetary value becomes unavailable to place a wager in a wagering game on said gaming machine,   wherein said data regarding monetary values processed by said crediting means is communicated to said server wherein said data is processes as one said transaction.   
     
     
         13 . A behaviour monitoring system comprising at least a plurality of system components, comprising:
 two or more gaming machines communicatively linked to said server, each of said gaming machines comprising:   controlling means for controlling gaming-machine processes performed on said gaming machine, said gaming-machine processes at least comprising:
 gaming program for providing to said player, in exchange of a wager, a play of a wagering game and either or not a prize based on an outcome resulting from said play of said wagering game; 
   one of more additional gaming peripherals involved in said process of providing said gaming program,   
       and
 a transaction module comprising: 
 identifying means for identifying one of said players when using at least one of said system components, said identifying means being adapted for retrieving player identification and behaviour-related data from one updatable player-data storing means when said player-data storing means is read by said identifying means and for updating behaviour-related data on said player-data storing means; 
 accepting means for accepting monetary values from said identified player and transferring said monetary value from outside said accepting means into a format allowing to place wagers in a wagering game, 
 controlling means for controlling processes comprising:
 transaction monitoring program for monitoring transactions consisting in said monetary value transfer and for updating said behaviour-related data on said player-data storing means; 
 behaviour evaluation program for evaluating gaming behaviour data of said identified player against behaviour settings based on monitored transactions and retrieved transaction data against behaviour settings retrieved from said player-data storing means; and 
 remedy determination program for determining and communicating a remedy to apply according to remedy data retrieved from said player-controlled device when said behaviour evaluation program evaluates that gaming behaviour of said identified player is outside acceptable behaviour settings; and 
 
 remedy application program for applying a remedy process performed by a remedy peripheral on a system component through which said identified player is communicated said remedy. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method for performing gaming behaviour monitoring of one or more players and for applying remedies on a network of system components at least comprising a server and two or more player-operable system components including two or more gaming machines, the method comprising the steps of:
 identifying one said players using one of said player-operable system components;   identifying monetary transactions performed by said identified player on said player-operable system component, each of said monetary transactions consisting in transferring monetary value from outside said player-operable system components into said player-operable system components, wherein said transferred monetary value is in a format allowable to be used to place a wager in a wagering game to be played on one of said gaming machines; and   communicating player identification data and transaction data to a server;   receiving remedy data from said server when a gaming behaviour out of acceptable behaviour settings is identified by said server; and   applying a remedy through at least one of peripherals available on said player-operable system components used by said identified player.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing a Graphic User Interface to said identified player requesting setting data from said player, said setting data being at least one of a) behaviour settings and b) remedy settings;   receiving inputs from said player corresponding to said setting data; and   communicating said setting data to said server.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of applying a remedy comprises preventing completion of said monetary transaction on said player-operable system component. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of applying a remedy comprises:
 taking control of at least one peripheral of said player-operable system component; and   communicating said remedy to said player using said peripheral of said player-operable system component.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said monetary transactions further comprises processes through which monetary values are transferred from inside said gaming machine to outside side gaming machine wherein said monetary value becomes unavailable to place a wager in a wagering game on said gaming machine. 
     
     
         19 . A method for performing gaming behaviour monitoring of one of more players and for applying remedies on a network comprising a server and two or more player-operable system components comprising at least two or more gaming machines, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving player identifications of players using one of said player-operable system components;   receiving monetary transaction data from said player-operable system components used by said player, said monetary transaction data referring to monetary transactions performed by one or more of said identified players on said one or more player-operable system components, said monetary transactions being a transfer of monetary value from outside said gaming machines a format allowable to be used to place a wager in a wagering game to be played on one of said at least two gaming machines;   evaluating transaction data associated with each of said identified players against acceptable gaming behaviour settings, thereby establishing if unacceptable gaming behaviour is performed by said identified player;   when unacceptable gaming behaviour is established in association with one identified player, determining a remedy to communicate to said identified player; and   communicating said remedy to said player-operable system component used by said identified player for said remedy to be communicated to said identified player on said player-operable system component.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 evaluating if unusable setting data is associated with a received one of said player identifications;   when unusable setting data is identified, communicating to said player-operable system component used by said identified player to initiate a data setting input process;   receiving setting data from said player-operable system component identifying setting provided by said player regarding at least one of a-1) acceptable gaming behaviour setting and b-1) remedy setting;   storing said setting data for said setting data to be used for at least one of a-2) the evaluation of unacceptable gaming behaviour and b-2) the determination of a remedy.