Method of cashless gaming and player tracking

Abstract

Methods of cashless gaming and player tracking use buttonless RFID technology at both gaming machines and gaming tables to transfer a predetermined denominated amount of credit from a remote network connected gaming account server to the gaming machine or table. Gaming machines have an Idle State, an anonymous credit state, and an identified credit state, each with specific methods for changing from one to another. Gaming tables have a keypad for the dealer, RFID readers at each seating position, and a transaction display visible to the dealer, the patrons, and an overhead security camera.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 214,923 filed Aug. 31,2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention pertains to casino gaming, and in particular to methods of cashless gaming and player tracking designed to simplify and secure their operation while eliminating the supplies, maintenance, and repair costs associated with coin acceptors, bill acceptors, card readers, and ticket printers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Casinos and gaming equipment manufactures continually strive to improve the attraction of gaming to the patron while reducing the operating costs of the equipment. Operating costs include amortized installation costs, operating supplies, maintenance costs and repair costs. [0004] On the operating cost side of the equation, one of the more significant categories is that of coins, tickets, bills, and their associated acceptors, hoppers, and printers. Each of these electr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024] The foregoing and many other additional method details described herein finally provide for an integrated electronics funds transfer system and player tracking system,

Problems solved by technology

Operating costs include amortized installation costs, operating supplies, maintenance costs and repair costs.

Each of these electromechanical devices occasionally requires attention to maintain it in proper working order.

Coin acceptors and coin hoppers can become jammed with bent coins.

Bill validators can become jammed with worn or dirty bills.

Ticket printers can become jammed with paper debris.

Although the material and labor costs for any one machine may seem insignificant, when a casino has many thousands of gaming machines, the aggregate cost becomes worthy of attention.

However, with the subsequent growth in popularity-of the nickel video slot machines hopper fills became a problem.

That typically results in dispensing nearly 400 nickels and as a consequence results in frequent hopper fills with heavy bags of coins, and furthermore results in frequent instances when a patron is forced to wait ten to fifteen minutes for the hopper refill in order to get fully paid when the slot machine runs out of coins during a cash-out procedure.

Although elimination of coin handling for gaming machines with TITO has had an important cost reduction impact for casinos, it has also had an inadvertent negative side effect on beverage service availability around gaming machines.

Patrons no longer have a ready cup full of coins from which to offer the beverage server a tip.

The disadvantage is that if the card is damaged or stolen, the value stored on it is permanently lost.

Just like the Smart Card, the disadvantage is that if it is damaged or stolen, the value stored on it is permanently lost.

Its more complex construction makes it inherently more susceptible to damage and places additional manufacturing cost burden on the many electronic funds carriers rather than on the fewer transceivers in the gaming machines.

The nature of the transaction allows the amount to be unknown and unlimit

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