Method and system for distributed syndicate gaming

Abstract

A gaming system comprising gaming machine terminal means operable by at least one member of a syndicate of members, server means for monitoring interactions on the gaming machine terminal means, wherein the gaming machine terminal means and the server means are linked by a communications network and a syndicate member is able to communicate with another syndicate member using the gaming machine terminal means. A syndicate member is identified to the system through a member identification means and is able to operate the gaming machine terminal means using the member identification means.

1 . A gaming system comprising:
 gaming machine terminal means operable by at least one member of a syndicate of members;   server means for monitoring interactions on the gaming machine terminal means;   wherein the gaming machine terminal means and the server means are linked by a communications network and a syndicate member is able to communicate with another syndicate member using the gaming machine terminal means;   wherein a syndicate member is identified to the system through a member identification means and is able to operate the gaming machine terminal means using the member identification means.   
     
     
         2 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the gaming machine terminal means is one or more gaming machine terminals and the syndicate member is able to operate any number of gaming machine terminals using the member identification means. 
     
     
         3 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising data storage means for storing and updating a syndicate account for the syndicate members, the syndicate account enabling any syndicate member to deposit a monetary value or withdraw a monetary value for use in game play on the one or more gaming machine terminals. 
     
     
         4 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the member identification means is stored or imprinted on a token means. 
     
     
         5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the token means is read by a gaming machine terminal of the one or more gaming machine terminals to indicate that the syndicate member identified by the member identification means is operating the gaming machine terminal that read the token means. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the syndicate member transfers a monetary value from the syndicate account to a gaming machine terminal used in game play by the syndicate member in order to create a session account at the gaming machine terminal. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein each syndicate member playing simultaneously on respective gaming machine terminals has session balances of other concurrent playing syndicate members displayed on the respective gaming machine terminal. 
     
     
         8 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the session balance of a syndicate member is increased by the syndicate member inserting a monetary value at the gaming machine terminal. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the session balance of a syndicate member is increased by the syndicate member transferring a monetary value from the syndicate account. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 8  wherein at the end of a session of play by the syndicate member, any residual amount of monetary value in the session account is transferred to the syndicate account. 
     
     
         11 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 9  wherein at the end of a session of play by the syndicate member, any residual amount of monetary value in the session account is transferred to the syndicate account. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11  wherein any one of the syndicate members has a member account representative of a single player syndicate. 
     
     
         13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the syndicate is identified by a syndicate identification means, such as a code. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 13  wherein each syndicate member is identified to the system through the syndicate identification means. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the data storage means stores the member identification means and the syndicate identification means. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the data storage means stores interactions monitored by the server means, the interactions being associated with the identity of each syndicate member through the respective member identification means and syndicate identification means. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16  wherein each gaming machine terminal has terminal identification means linked to a member identification means to identify at which terminal the member identified through the member identification means is playing or has played. 
     
     
         18 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein each game played by a respective syndicate member has game identification means linked to the member identification means of the syndicate member to identify which games the syndicate member is playing or has played. 
     
     
         19 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 18  wherein syndicate members transmit information over the communications network to other syndicate members using respective gaming machine terminals. 
     
     
         20 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the information is any one or more of a message, shared experience or the transfer of a monetary value from one syndicate member to another syndicate member.