Back-betting using a mobile device or other computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11080967-B2
Application number	US-201816216111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and, in particular, to back-betting within a gaming system. As an example, a back-betting system is disclosed to include a first communication interface that facilitates machine-to-machine communications with an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) of a gaming system, where the first communication interface is used to exchange state-of-play information with the EGM. The system is also disclosed to include a second communication interface that facilitates machine-to-machine communications with a mobile device, where the second communication interface is used to exchange back-bet wager information and deliver an indication of an outcome of a back-bet placed during a back-betting session established with the mobile device. The system may still further include a processor and a computer-readable storage medium with processor-executable instructions that limit a duration of the back-betting session based on an association existing between the EGM and the mobile device.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A computational device, comprising:
a communication interface that facilitates machine-to-machine communications;
a user interface comprising a user input and user output;
a processor coupled with the communication and user interfaces; and
a computer-readable storage medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that are executable by the processor, wherein the instructions comprise:
an association instruction set that enables the computational device to be associated with and dissociated from an asset of a gaming system, wherein association with the asset of the gaming system comprises establishing a direct communication link between the computational device and the asset, wherein a back-betting player, through use of the computational device, may place a back-bet on an outcome of an event associated with the asset; and
a back-betting instruction set that enables the establishment of a back-betting session between the computational device and a back-betting system conditional upon maintaining the direct communication link between the computational device and the asset, wherein the back-betting instruction set further enables an exchange of back-bet wager information with the back-betting system via a communication pathway that bypasses the asset of the gaming system and restricts a placement of back-bets with the back-betting system when the direct communication link is not established between the computational device and the asset of the gaming system.

2. The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
a wagering synchronization instruction set that accesses a clock of the computational device and determines a time when a back-bet wager is placed with respect to an event of the asset.

3. The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the computational device comprises a mobile device and wherein the instructions further comprise:
a player account instruction set that stores player account information for the back-betting player and that accesses financial account information for the back-betting player.

4. The computational device of claim 1 , further comprising an image capture device that captures an image of the asset, wherein the associating instructions analyze the image in connection with associating the computational device with the asset of the gaming system.

5. The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the association instruction set enables the computational device to be paired with and unpaired from the asset of a gaming system, wherein the asset comprises an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM), and wherein the direct communication link is used to exchange state-of-play information for a game played at the EGM.

6. The computational device of claim 1 , wherein the communication pathway passes through a mobile network.

7. A back-betting system, comprising:
a first communication interface that facilitates machine-to-machine communications with an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) of a gaming system, and a back-betting server wherein the first communication interface is used to exchange state-of-play information with the EGM via a first communication pathway;
a second communication interface that facilitates machine-to-machine communications with a mobile device and the back-betting server, wherein the second communication interface is used to exchange back-bet wager information and deliver an indication of an outcome of a back-bet placed during a back-betting session established with the mobile device via a second communication pathway that is different from the first communication pathway;
a processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium comprising processor-executable instructions that limit a duration of the back-betting session based on a direct wireless communication link existing between the EGM and the mobile device, wherein the direct wireless communication link is different from the first communication pathway and different from the second communication pathway.

8. The back-betting system of claim 7 , wherein the back-bet placed during the back-betting session relates to an outcome of a bet made at the EGM, wherein the outcome of the bet made at the EGM is included in the state-of-play information, and wherein the back-bet placed during the back-betting session is funded by a back-betting pool that is separate from a pool of funds used in connection with the bet made at the EGM.

Assignees

• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Higgins Kevin
• Nelson Dwayne
• Shepherd Jeffery
• Froy David

Classifications

• G07F17/3223 Primary

  Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, leader-follower, wireless communication · CPC title

• G07F17/3227

  Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters · CPC title

• G07F17/3288 Primary

  Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking · CPC title