Gaming Industry Risk Management Clearinghouse

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means for gathering, organizing and presenting on a real time basis information pertinent to Risks associated with subjects related to the Gaming Industry. Risks associated with the Gaming Industry can be managed by gathering data relevant to the Gaming Industry from multiple sources and aggregating the gathered data according to one or more risk variables. An inquiry relating to a risk subject can be received and portions of the aggregated data can be associated with the risk subject. The associated portions of the aggregated data can be transmitted to an entity placing the inquiry or other designated destination.

1 . A computer-implemented method for managing risk related to the Gaming Industry, the method comprising:
 indicating in a computer system that a risk subject is a Gaming Industry entity according to the entity's status comprising at least one of: a provider of gambling activities; a gambling facility; a gambling facility operator; an employee of a gambling facility operator; and a provider of services outsourced from a gambling facility operator;   receiving into the computer system data descriptive of informational artifacts with content related to at least one of: reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position and generally related to the Gaming Industry;   receiving data into the computer system data descriptive of a Financial Transaction wherein the data received comprises identification data for at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction;   associating at least one informational artifact related to at least one of:
 reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction; and 
 generating a report comprising data descriptive of the informational artifacts associated with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the Financial Transaction comprises a financial investment in at least one of: a gambling facility and a gambling facility operator. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of generating a risk quotient comprising a quantitative value of an amount of Risk. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the risk quotient comprises an indication of a cost to defend an adverse position. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the risk quotient comprises an indication an amount of reputational risk. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the risk quotient comprises an indication of an amount of regulatory risk. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the risk quotient comprises an indication of an amount of legal risk. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the risk quotient comprises an indication of an amount of risk associated with monetary costs related to potential fines. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptive of informational artifacts comprises data descriptive of one or more world events which is received via a news feed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptive of informational artifacts comprises at least one government advisory. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3  wherein calculating the risk quotient criteria comprises a value determined by the steps of:
 associating a numerical weight with each of a plurality of risk variables; 
 associating one or more of the risk variables with the data descriptive of details of a Financial Transaction; 
 determining a numerical value based upon the content of the data descriptive of details of a Financial Transaction associated with the one or more risk variables; and 
 multiplying the numerical value based upon the content by the numerical weight associated with each of the risk variables associated with the data descriptive of details of a Financial Transaction. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the steps of presenting the report as evidence of due diligence to at least one of: a regulatory body, a shareholder and a news media. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3  additionally comprising the step of generating a suggested action based upon the risk quotient and at least some of the structured data referenced to calculate the risk quotient. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptive of informational artifacts comprises data descriptive of a person employed by a Gaming Industry entity. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptive of informational artifacts comprises data descriptive of at least a portion of one or more of: a federal or state statute a federal or state regulation, the Federal Register, instances of political corruption; a license to permit gambling; a link to organized crime; a money laundering activity; an action taken by a State Gaming Commission; and an action taken by the Judiciary Committee. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptive of informational artifacts comprises data descriptive of at least a portion of one or more of: an action taken by the House Government Reform Committee, an action taken by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, an action taken by the Senate Select Indian Affairs Committee; an action taken by the U.S. Treasury; and an action taken by the General Accounting Office. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting the report is conditioned upon receipt of a contractual obligation not to use contents of the report for any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the report comprises a record of conviction of an employee or owner of a Gaming Industry facility. 
     
     
         19 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A computerized system for managing risk associated with the Gaming Industry, the system comprising:
 a computer server accessible with a system access device via a communications network; and executable software stored on the server and executable on demand, the software operative with the server to cause the system to:
 indicate in a computer system that a risk subject is a Gaming Industry entity according to the entity's status comprising at least one of: a provider of gambling activities; a gambling facility; a gambling facility operator; an employee of a gambling facility operator; and a provider of services outsourced from a gambling facility operator; 
 receive into the computer system data descriptive of informational artifacts with content related to at least one of: reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position and generally related to the Gaming Industry; 
 receive data into the computer system data descriptive of a Financial Transaction wherein the data received comprises identification data for at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction; 
 associate at least one informational artifact related to at least one of: reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction; and 
 generate a report comprising data descriptive of the informational artifacts associated with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction. 
   
     
     
         34 . Computer executable program code residing on a computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions for causing the computer to:
 receive into the computer system data descriptive of informational artifacts with content related to at least one of: reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position and generally related to the Gaming Industry;   receive data into the computer system data descriptive of a Financial Transaction wherein the data received comprises identification data for at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction;   associate at least one informational artifact related to at least one of: reputational risk, legal risk, regulatory risk; and risk related to monetary costs to defend an adverse position with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction; and generate a report comprising data descriptive of the informational artifacts associated with the at least one Gaming Industry entity associated with the Financial Transaction.