Central Determination Gaming Server for Non-Gaming Venues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic gaming machines and point-of-sale terminals face challenges in providing secure and compliant financial transactions for games with predetermined outcomes, especially in jurisdictions where probability-based gaming is prohibited, requiring a system that ensures regulatory compliance and user experience similar to probability-based games.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based central determination server provides predetermined game outcomes to electronic gaming machines, while point-of-sale terminals handle financial transactions, enabling users to purchase and redeem game outcomes as winnings tickets, maintaining separate balances for wagered and won funds, and allowing cashouts through winnings tickets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a cloud-based central determination server is used to provide predetermined game outcomes, then regulatory compliance is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregulatory complianceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A cloud-based central determination server acts as an intermediary between the gaming system and the electronic gaming machines. This server centrally manages game outcome seeds and provides predetermined outcomes to multiple machines, ensuring regulatory compliance through centralized control while reducing the complexity burden on individual gaming terminals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system separates functions into distinct components: the cloud-based server handles central determination and seed management, while electronic gaming machines handle only the display and user interaction. This segmentation allows compliance requirements to be concentrated in the centralized system rather than replicated across all machines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If separate balances are maintained for wagered and won funds, then financial tracking accuracy is improved, but data management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinancial tracking accuracyVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The financial tracking system is segmented into separate balance accounts: a wagered funds balance and a won funds balance. This segmentation provides precise financial tracking by clearly distinguishing between funds at risk and winnings accrued, while the automated system manages the complexity of maintaining these separate records.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously updates balance information and provides feedback to both the user interface and the central server. This feedback mechanism ensures accurate tracking of wagered and won funds across multiple transactions while maintaining data consistency through automated synchronization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If point-of-sale terminals handle financial transactions, then ease of operation is improved, but transaction security requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidtransaction security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Point-of-sale terminals serve as secure intermediaries for handling financial transactions. They manage the secure processing of cashless ticket vouchers and fund transfers while maintaining encrypted communication with both the electronic gaming machines and the central determination server, thus ensuring transaction security without complicating user operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Speed

If cashless ticket vouchers are used for fund transfers, then transaction speed is improved, but system integration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction speedVSAvoidsystem integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces physical cash handling and manual voucher processing with electronic cashless ticket vouchers that are transferred and redeemed through automated electronic systems. This substitution accelerates transaction speed by eliminating manual processes while the standardized voucher format reduces integration complexity across different terminals and systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20240096174A1Central determination gaming for electronic gaming machines in a non-gaming establishment environment
Publication Date: 2024.03.21 INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY INC
  • US20240096174A1 patent drawing
  • US20240096174A1 patent drawing
  • US20240096174A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods that employ a cloud-based central determination server to provide predetermined game outcomes displayed at an electronic gaming machine in association with funds transacted at a point-of-sale terminal.