System and Method for Connecting Gaming Devices to a Network for Remote Play

Abstract

A gaming system receives information over a network from a user of a remote player device for the gaming system. The gaming system includes a central gaming controller and a random number generator for a gambling game. The information includes a password and an age. The gaming system authenticates the user using the password and determines that the user is of age to gamble on the gambling game using the age, based on data stored in a database for the gaming system. The gaming system accepts a wager from the user over the network and executes a play of the gambling game. Then the gaming system causes a result for the play to be displayed on the remote player device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, which is computer-implemented, comprising operations of:
 receiving information over a network from a user of a remote player device for a gaming system that includes a central gaming controller and a random number generator for a gambling game, wherein the information includes a password and an age;   authenticating the user using the password and determining that the user is of age to gamble on the gambling game using the age, based on data stored in a database for the gaming system;   accepting a wager from the user over the network and executing a play of the gambling game; and   causing a result for the play to be displayed on the remote player device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network included the Internet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote player device is a mobile or wireless telephone handset. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote player device is a handheld computer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote player device is a personal computer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote player device is a television or a television with a set-top box. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information received from the user is received at least in part through the use of a keyboard coupled to the remote player device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information received from the user is received at least in part through the use of a touch screen coupled to the remote player device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gambling game is slots, blackjack, poker, keno, bingo or lotteries. 
     
     
         10 . One or more computer-readable media, that are non-transitory, storing a program which when executed, instructs a processor to perform the following operations:
 receive information over a network from a user of a remote player device for a gaming system that includes a central gaming controller and a random number generator for a gambling game, wherein the information includes a password and an age;   authenticate the user using the password and determining that the user is of age to gamble on the gambling game using the age, based on data stored in a database for the gaming system;   accept a wager from the user over the network and executing a play of the gambling game; and   cause a result for the play to be displayed on the remote player device.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the network includes the Internet. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the remote player device is a mobile or wireless telephone handset. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the remote player device is a handheld computer. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the remote player device is a personal computer. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the remote player device is a television or a television with a set-top box. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the information received from the user is received at least in part through the use of a keyboard coupled to the remote player device. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the information received from the user is received at least in part through the use of a touch screen coupled to the remote player device. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable media of  claim 10 , wherein the gambling game is slots, blackjack, poker, keno, bingo or lotteries. 
     
     
         19 . A method, which is computer-implemented, comprising operations of:
 receiving information over a network from a user of a remote player device for a gaming system that includes a random number generator for a gambling game, wherein the information includes a biometric data as to identity and an age;   authenticating the user using the biometric data as to identity and determining that the user is of age to gamble on the gambling game using the age, based on data stored in a database for the gaming system;   accepting a wager from the user over the network and executing a play of the gambling game; and   causing a result for the play to be displayed on the remote player device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the biometric data as to identity is from a fingerprint scanner, retinal scanner, or facial recognition device.