Shared EGM Virtual Metering for Concurrent Multiplayer Wagering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) face challenges in managing granular, individualized financial transactions for multiple players or games while adhering to regulatory reporting standards, inefficiently utilize floor space, and lack real-time Anti-Money Laundering (AML) monitoring, requiring separate transactions for player accounts, and offer limited multiplayer and cooperative gameplay experiences.
Innovation Solution
The VCLAPS! system introduces a dual-architecture metering framework with individual virtual meters for each player or game session, integrated AML monitoring, and a unified regulatory meter, supports multi-game and multi-player management on a single EGM with a dynamically segmented touchscreen, and enables direct player account transactions through the EGM, while providing real-time AML alerts and secure biometric authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a consolidated accounting model is used for all financial activities on an EGM, then regulatory reporting requirements are met, but individual player financial transactions and account management become cumbersome and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the consolidated accounting system into separate virtual meters for each player, allowing individual financial tracking while maintaining a unified regulatory reporting structure. Each player has their own virtual meter that tracks deposits, wagers, and winnings independently, enabling direct account transactions without disrupting other players' gameplay
Solution Approach 2:
The EGM is enhanced to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a traditional gaming device and a player account management terminal. The machine can process individual player transactions, provide biometric authentication, and function as a direct interface for cash deposits and withdrawals from player tracking accounts, eliminating the need for separate ATMs or cages
2Ease of operation
If players must visit separate casino cages or ATMs for cash transactions, then security and centralized control are maintained, but player convenience and operational efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Players can conduct cash transactions directly at the EGM through integrated biometric authentication and virtual meter systems. The machine enables self-service deposits and withdrawals by allowing players to authenticate via biometrics and transfer funds between their player tracking accounts and the EGM's virtual meters, eliminating the need to leave the gaming floor or visit separate locations
3Measurement precision
If centralized backend AML systems are used, then comprehensive data analysis is achieved, but real-time detection of suspicious activities is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary AML analysis at the EGM level by continuously monitoring and analyzing gameplay data, financial transactions, and player behavior in real-time before activities complete. This enables immediate detection of suspicious patterns such as unusual wagering sequences or rapid cash-in/cash-out cycles, allowing for timely intervention while maintaining comprehensive centralized analysis
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical EGMs are deployed to support multi-player and multi-game experiences, then player variety and social interaction are enhanced, but floor space utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
A single EGM is transformed into a multi-functional platform that can host multiple independent game instances and support multiple players simultaneously. The system dynamically allocates game instances to players, allowing one machine to replace several traditional EGMs while providing diverse game options and enabling social gaming experiences
Data Source
AI summary
An improved electronic wager-based gaming machine (EGM) is disclosed. The EGM supports multiple concurrent players and maintains a plurality of distinct virtual meters, each exclusively associated with a distinct, concurrent game session on a single EGM. The server processes financial transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals using the EGM's cash handling peripherals, against a specific virtual meter and a corresponding player's casino account, which is maintained separate from the EGM's operational funds. This enables the EGM to act as a financial terminal for the player's account. Concurrently, data derived from the virtual meters is transformed and aggregated into a single, unified regulatory meter for compliance reporting, which is distinct from the virtual meters. The EGM provides a shared multiplayer interactive control interface to solve the technical problem of supporting multiple, independent player sessions concurrently on a single EGM.