US20080113776A1

US20080113776A1 - Multiple account funds transfer in a wagering environment

Info

Publication number: US20080113776A1
Application number: US11/938,242
Authority: US
Inventors: John Sommer
Original assignee: Bally Gaming Inc
Current assignee: LNW Gaming Inc
Priority date: 2006-11-13
Filing date: 2007-11-09
Publication date: 2008-05-15

Abstract

There is disclosed a system, apparatus, and method for cashless gaming. A casino-issued player code is received from a gaming server. A request from the gaming device is received at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of a first financial and a second amount of funds from a second account of a second financial institution. The request includes a password. The password is verified. The account numbers are identified with the casino issued player codes. The account numbers are not communicated via the gaming device. Withdrawal transactions with the financial institutions are initiated based on the account numbers. The funds are received in a player account associated with the casino-issued player code. The funds are converted to credits. The credits are transferred to the gaming device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/865,528, filed Nov. 13, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

The gaming industry has long embraced networking electronic gaming devices via a central computer. In many gaming establishments, players register demographic information for tracking purposes and obtain a player card. Typical player cards include a unique identifier issued by the gaming establishment. Use of the identifier enables the casino to centrally track the player's wagering activity. Applying the player's historic activity, the gaming establishment can develop a targeted marketing campaign including promotions, gifts, and advertisements.
Additionally, the player card can be enabled for cashless gaming. In a cashless gaming environment, the player can deposit funds at a designated station or device, and have funds be automatically transferred to a player account. With this benefit, the player can avoid carrying large amounts of currency from machine to machine and from casino to casino. In like manner, when the player desires to cash out, the player can go to a corresponding station or see a cashier.
Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C, there are shown embodiments of system architectures for a cashless gaming environment. The gaming environment includes gaming servers, labeled as Power Bank elements for convenience purposes. The gaming server described herein may store patron (also referred to as player) funds in a secure and reliable fashion. The gaming server may be utilized with various components and services connected with a casino management system (a system for managing accounting of casino operations) and/or a slot management system (a system for managing accounting, vouchering, and player tracking of wagering activity).

SUMMARY

Briefly, and in general terms, disclosed herein are systems, servers, and methods for cashless gaming. In one embodiment, a casino-issued player code is received from a gaming device at a gaming server. The gaming server also receives a request from the gaming device to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account of a second financial institution. The request includes a password that is used for verification purposes. A first account number of the first financial institution and the second account number of the second financial institution are identified with at least the casino-issued player code. However, the first account number and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming device. Withdrawal transactions are initiated with the financial institutions based at least on the respective account numbers. The funds are received in a player account associated with the casino-issued player code, converted to credits, and transferred as credits to the gaming device.
In another embodiment, an identifier is received from a gaming device at a gaming server. The identifier is issued by an intermediary. The gaming server also receives a request from the gaming device to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial institution. The request includes the identifier and a password, wherein the password is verified. Again, the first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device. Subsequently, the intermediary is requested to initiate withdrawal transactions with the financial institutions, wherein the identifier is transferred from the gaming server to the intermediary.
In another embodiment, a casino-issued player code is received from a gaming device at a gaming server, wherein the casino-issued player code is associated with an identifier issued by an intermediary. The gaming server also receives a request from the gaming device to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds to a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the request includes a password, and the password is verified. However, a first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device. In one embodiment, the intermediary causes the initiation of a deposit transaction with the financial institutions, also receiving the identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary. In another embodiment, a player account associated with the casino-issued player code receives credits from the gaming device, converts the credits to funds, and transfers the funds to the accounts.
Other features and advantages of the claimed invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, the features of the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is diagrammatic representation of a gaming server as part of a casino system context;

FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming system architecture for cashless gaming;

FIG. 1C is a diagrammatic representation of a gaming server as part of a network;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of one embodiment of transferring funds from multiple accounts at financial institutions to a player account in a gaming environment;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of one embodiment including sending an offer from a gaming server to a gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from multiple accounts and a jackpot;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another embodiment including sending an offer from a gaming server to a gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from multiple accounts and a jackpot;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of one embodiment of transferring funds to multiple accounts at financial institutions from a player account in a gaming environment; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart including sending an offer to a gaming device to transfer funds from a jackpot to satisfy a balance on multiple accounts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

VIP lounges and exclusive high roller clubs featuring high minimum wagers, player tracking, and cashless gaming via electronic credits have become very popular. Players may have an inclination to transfer funds from many of their accounts (e.g., checking, savings, credit card, debit card, ATM card, and bank card) to their player account in order to fund a wager or purchase a goods.
In general, goods refer to tangible, movable, personal property. For example, front row seats to a premiere, an aged prime rib, and a brand new car are all considered goods. An account is the sum of the assets deposited in the common assets of a financial institution or another entity, e.g., a casino or other gaming establishment, wherein the assets are subject to withdrawal at the option of the depositor, e.g., the player.
A financial institution is an organization that provides branded financial services to customers, such as checking, savings, ATM, debit card, banking card, and credit card services. The term funds relates to money and other assets that are electronically traded for in real time, e.g., stocks and bonds. As such, this feature provides an additional avenue of funding wagers to players comfortable with non-currency, non-credit liquid funds.
Preliminarily, a player registers demographic information with a gaming establishment and is issued a player identifier. The player identifier may provide the player with eligibility for certain promotional opportunities in exchange for the ability for the gaming establishment to track the player's wagering activity. Moreover, the player identifier may be used to facilitate cashless gaming, as will be further described herein.
First, a player logs in to an electronic wagering system by presenting a player identifier a gaming device. The player may present the identifier by swiping a player card, entering an alphanumeric code via a keypad, using a biometric input device, or other input device. By logging-in at the gaming device, the gaming device establishes a gaming session with the player based on the player's identifier.
Gaming devices are electronic devices that provide for wagering games such as poker, blackjack, and other games of chance, skill, or combinations therein, typically in a networked environment. Gaming devices refer to stand-up machines, cabinet, tabletop, bar top, handheld devices, integrated with mobile phones, software plug ins such as a java applet, any of which are configured to support, at least in part a wagering game.
Information security can be implemented across many levels of the embodiments disclosed herein. During the login process, a password may be required. Password verification may be the gatekeeper for access to various account information. A password is an alphanumeric string required for access to a particular application and/or system.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings and, more particularly to FIGS. 2-6, there are shown various embodiments of transferring funds between multiple accounts at financial institutions and a player account in a gaming environment. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, there is shown an embodiment of transferring funds from multiple accounts at financial institutions to a player account at a gaming establishment.
For tracking purposes, the gaming server receives the player identifier from the gaming device (step 102). The term receive refers to the gaming device being the recipient of a network communication from another device, e.g., the gaming server, whether directly or indirectly. Thus, the gaming server will be able to monitor subsequent activity of the player at the gaming device based on the player identifier. With the information collected, the gaming establishment can determine if and when a promotion, gift, or advertisement should be offered or presented to the player.
A server is a networked computer for providing other networked computers access to files, and/or peripherals. In general, a server will have a processor, a memory, and a storage device. The processor is the component of a system that performs the basic operations of the system including processing of data, exchange of data with memory or peripherals, and management of the system's other components. The memory is a computing component to and from data and/or executable code can be written to and extracted from. The storage device is a device for storing information.
Next, the player may fund their player account. However, identity theft and credit card fraud has become a mainstream concern. As such, many players prefer not to carry anything which includes credit card information, even if unmarked. Therefore, the embodiments described herein provide layers of security and degrees of separation between the player identifier and the accounts. In other words, the player identifier does not disclose any personal information to common thief which would yield any value. In fact, there is no account, no account number, no financial institution information embedded, encrypted or otherwise in the player identifier. Therefore, the player identifier is truly disposable and can be canceled at the will of the player or the casino.
However, as a prerequisite to completing a funds transfer, the player may register their accounts with the gaming establishment or an agent of the gaming establishment. By registering their accounts with the gaming establishment, the gaming establishment can securely store the account number and the financial institution associated with the account on a secure server in a database in association with the player identifier. In fact, the secure server can physically be a separate server than the gaming server. The secure server can have a sophisticated encryption policy, and can be off-site from the gaming establishment, all practicing a responsible level of security.
In a single request or transaction at the gaming device, the player can request funds to be transferred from one or more accounts at one or more financial institutions to their player account. Because the gaming server stores account number and financial institution information related to the player identifier, no personal information is disclosed via the gaming device. As such, a table (see Table 1, below) may be presented to the player wherein the player can input a requested amount of funds to be transferred or withdrawn from each account name.

	TABLE 1

	Account Name	Balance	Withdrawal

	Chase
1	$1,000.00	$
	Citibank 1	$2,000.05	$
	Wells Fargo 1	$3,050.11	$
	Total	$4,050.16	$

To further enhance security, the player may be required to enter the password associated with the player identifier concurrent with the request. In another embodiment, the gaming device can be configured to prompt the player for a password in response to the request. Next, the gaming server receives the multiple account withdrawal requests from the gaming device via the network (step 104).
As an additional security feature, at least the password can be authenticated. For example, the gaming device, the gaming server, or an independent third party can authenticate the password in combination with the player identifier to enhance security (step 106). In addition, the player's driver's license or social security number could also be authenticated as additional measures of security. In one embodiment, the player's driver's license or social security number can be prompted such that the player is required to enter the information or enter the last several digits of the information, swipe a card, or other data entry. In turn, if the player accidentally uses the wrong person's player card or a person attempts to steal someone else's card, a remedial action can be taken (step 110).
Upon verification of the password, the gaming server identifies the account numbers relevant to the multi-account withdrawal request of step 104. The gaming server identifies the account numbers by associating the player identifier, via a secure relational database, with the respective account numbers and financial institutions of the request (step 108). The sensitive information, account numbers and financial institution information, can be maintained off-site from the financial institution in an encrypted format that would be computationally infeasible for the general community to decrypt. Thus, an added layer of security can be provided.
Using the account numbers identified in step 108, the gaming server initiates withdrawal transactions with each of the financial institutions, pursuant to the multi-account withdrawal request (step 112). The gaming server may provide additional sensitive information to each of the financial institutions, for example, social security number information, for further security enhancements. Moreover, all sensitive communications can be transmitted in a secure, encrypted form, e.g., an industry standard IFX protocol.
By following an industry standard protocol, the gaming establishment enables a variety of transaction types including credit, EFT, and other transactions. Assuming the financial institutions approve the transactions of step 112, the funds are transferred to the gaming server, more specifically into the player account (step 114). Typically, the player account is associated with the player identifier and resides on the gaming server, but may be stored on another server. The funds transferred to the player account are then converted to credits (step 116) and transferred as credits to the gaming device (step 118) for game play. However, some embodiments may allow currency equivalents to be wagered directly at the gaming device.
In another embodiment (not shown), some jurisdictions may require an independent transaction from the funds transfer for the credit transfer. In such an embodiment, the player may first request the withdrawal from multiple accounts to the player account, and then request a transfer of credits from the player account to the gaming device.
Recently, gaming establishments have focused on promoting responsible gaming. By promoting responsible gaming, it is more likely that players will visit gaming establishments, return to gaming establishments, and recommend gaming establishments to their peers.
One responsible gaming feature includes periodically or continuously displaying to the player the amount of funds, by account, that have been transferred from the financial institutions to the gaming environment. Further, the balance of the player's multiple accounts can be displayed at the gaming device as well. Moreover, this information may be displayed on demand at the desire of the player. With this information, the player will have the most current information as to what quantity of funds the player has transferred, lost, and/or gained. Thus, the player can make a responsible decision whether they should transfer additional funds for purchases and/or wagers.
In another embodiment (not shown), additional layers of security may be implemented. Financial transactions between the gaming establishment and the financial institution may be processed by a third party financial transaction provider, also known as an agent or an intermediary.
The term “financial transaction provider” means a creditor, credit card issuer, financial institution, operator of a terminal at which an electronic fund transfer may be initiated, money transmitting business, or international, national, regional, or local payment network utilized to effect a credit transaction, electronic fund transfer, stored value product transaction, or money transmitting service, or a participant in such network, or other participant in a designated payment system.
The intermediary maintains a secure database. The database may include records of accounts, account numbers, financial institutions, identifiers issued by the intermediary, and player identifiers. Thus, instead of gaming establishment maintaining the account number and financial institution information of the player, the intermediary maintains this personal information. Further, by being at least one step removed, the risk of the gaming establishment being accused of falsely or mistakenly processing a transaction against a player's account is reduced. The fact that an uninterested third party acts as an intermediary may bring a greater sense of comfort to both the gaming establishment and the player. Additionally, the presence of an uninterested third party can reduce potential account disputes.
For the transactions described in the embodiment of FIG. 2, wherein the gaming server transacted with the financial institution, the intermediary interacts with the financial institution and transfers the funds to the gaming server. The following steps (a)-(m) illustrate the embodiment with the intermediary:
(a) a player registers with the gaming establishment and receives a player identifier, but does not provide their account information to the gaming establishment;
(b) the player registers their account information and the player identifier with the intermediary and receives an identifier issued by the intermediary;
(c) the player logs-in at a gaming device with the identifier issued by the intermediary;
(d) the player issues a single request to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at 3 different financial institutions by identifying Citibank $100, Chase $200, Wells Fargo $300 and entering a single password associated with the identifier issued by the gaming establishment at the gaming device;
(e) the single request is received at the gaming server;
(f) the gaming server causes the password to be verified;
(g) the gaming server transfers the request to the intermediary;
(h) the intermediary looks up the account numbers associated with Citibank, Chase, and Wells Fargo based on the identifier issued by the intermediary;
(i) the intermediary processes the withdrawal transaction with the financial institutions;
(j) the intermediary transfers the funds to the gaming server;
(k) the gaming server receives the funds to the player account associated with the player identifier;
(l) the funds are converted to credits; and
(m) the credits are transferred to the gaming device for game play.
In some jurisdictions, funds are kept separate from the gaming devices. As such, in those jurisdictions, the conversion step, (l), is completed at the server.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown another embodiment of a method of transferring funds from multiple accounts at financial institutions to a player account at a gaming establishment. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player logs-in to an electronic wagering system via a gaming device, wherein the gaming server receives the player identifier (step 102).
The gaming server then monitors each game at the gaming device to determine if a jackpot has been won by the player (step 204). The term jackpot refers, in general, to an impressive unexpected prize. For example, with regard to slots, a jackpot is one or a plurality of high value prizes over a predetermined threshold. With regard to poker, the jackpot may be a progressive pool or a top hand. With an impressive win comes excitement, and many times, a player is willing to make an impulse purchase. Thus, if a jackpot above a predetermined threshold has been won, an offer can be sent from the gaming server to the gaming device for the player to purchase goods with funds from multiple accounts and the jackpot (step 206). However, in another embodiment, an offer may be provided randomly, on a predetermined scheduled basis, or based solely on demographics and independent of the jackpot.
The selection of a goods presented in the offer may be demographically targeted, based on wagering history, and/or based on a random association with the player identifier. The gaming establishment may maintain its own set of demographic data and/or utilize a third party source for behavioural marketing information. The selection of a goods may be at a value such that a person would not normally purchase the goods, but in combination with the funds from the jackpot would.
One way of encouraging the player to act spontaneously is to set an expiration on the offer. For example, the offer may expire in 1 minute, or when the next wager is placed. Thus, the gaming server monitors whether the offer is accepted at the gaming device (step 208). If the player accepts the offer at the gaming device, steps 108, 112, and 114 proceed similar to the embodiment as described with regard to that of FIG. 2:
(a) the gaming server validates the password (step 106);
(b) the gaming server identifies the account numbers by associating the player identifier with the account number and financial institution via the secure database (step 108);
(c) the gaming server initiates multiple withdrawal transactions with financial institutions based on the multiple withdrawal offer/acceptance of steps 206/208 (step 112); and
(d) the gaming server receives funds into the player account (step 114).
Finally, the gaming server completes the purchase transaction by transferring the funds to the seller of the goods (step 220) and enabling the player to have access to a voucher or other credit for the goods.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown another embodiment of a method of transferring funds from multiple accounts at financial institutions to a player account at a gaming establishment. FIG. 4 depicts a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 3 when a withdrawal request for the purchase is denied.
Following step 112 where the gaming server initiates a plurality of withdrawal transactions, the gaming server monitors whether the withdrawal transactions are approved (step 302). If a withdrawal transaction with a financial institution is denied, then the gaming server can send another offer to the player via the gaming device to purchase the goods with funds from the jackpot and a plurality of accounts including an additional account (step 304). For example, if initially, the second of two accounts is rejected, the player can use a third account to withdraw funds. In turn, the player may feel a sense of relief that they did not lose the opportunity to purchase the hot item goods given the limited time to purchase which may have expired.
The gaming server monitors if the player accepts the offer (step 306). If the player accepts the offer, then the process proceeds at step 106. If the player does not accept the offer, then the process proceeds at step 204.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an embodiment of a method of transferring funds from a player account at a gaming establishment to multiple accounts at financial institutions. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player logs in to an electronic wagering system via a gaming device, wherein the gaming server receives the player identifier (step 102). In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the player may have won a substantial jackpot or may have won many small wagers such that the sum of the credits have encouraged the player to make a deposit of funds to a plurality of the player's accounts.
The player can make a single request to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds to a second account at a second financial institution (step 404). For security purposes, the single request can omit account numbers as the request implicitly is related to the logged-in player. Further, the player may be required to confirm a password associated with the player account or the player identifier. Thus gaming server can then verify the password and cause remedial action to be taken, if necessary.
Assuming that the password is verified successfully, the gaming server then initiates a plurality of deposit transactions (step 410). First, the gaming server receives credits from the gaming device into the player account (412). Next, the gaming server converts the credits into funds (step 414). Finally, the gaming server transmits the funds to the financial institutions using at least the account numbers associated with the player identifier (step 416).
Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an embodiment of a method of transferring funds from a player account at a gaming establishment to multiple accounts at financial institutions. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, a player logs in to an electronic wagering system via a gaming device, wherein the gaming server receives the player identifier (step 102).
The gaming server monitors each game to determine if a jackpot has been won at the gaming device (step 204). If a jackpot has been won at the gaming device (step 504), the gaming server can use the player identifier and a pre-authorization from the player to determine if the jackpot is greater than the balance owed on the entire player's accounts (step 506).
The gaming server can then send an offer to the player via the gaming device to transfer funds from the jackpot to satisfy the balance on all the open accounts associated with the player identifier (step 508). If the player accepts the offer, then the system can automatically transfer funds to the financial institutions and at least temporarily relieve that player of their debts.
The following examples presented below disclose several features that a cashless gaming server may provide. In fact, a cashless gaming server may interact with a variety of different systems and provide a variety of different reports. As such, the examples disclosed below show that the cashless gaming server is fully integrable with other casino management, slot management, and gaming establishment management systems.
In one embodiment, a player requests a transfer of finds from their casino-issued player account to the gaming device. The player is authenticated, at least in part, by entering the password associated with their player identifier. The player then selects from a configurable set of amounts displayed to them. Additionally, the player may choose to enter a different amount by selecting an “other amount” option. The gaming device then sends the request to the gaming server, the gaming server withdraws the funds from the account, converts the funds to credits, and applies the credits to the game.
In another embodiment, a player requests a transfer of funds from the gaming device to their casino-issued player account. The player is authenticated, at least in part, by entering the password associated with their player identifier. The player then chooses to deposit all of the credits or a portion of the credits to their account. The gaming device then sends the request to the gaming server, the gaming server converts the credits to cash and deposits the amount to the players account. The gaming server confirms the amount has been deposited, wherein the gaming device removes the deposited credits from the credits available to the player.
In yet another embodiment, a player requests a transfer of funds from multiple accounts and selects a portion of the total amount withdrawn to the gaming device. The player is authenticated, at least in part, by entering the password associated with their player account. The player then selects amounts of funds and accounts from which to withdraw. Next, the player selects the amount of the withdrawn funds to be applied to the game. The gaming device then sends this request to the gaming server. The gaming server can withdraw a first amount from a first account and deposit the first amount into the players casino account. Likewise, the gaming server can withdraw a second amount from a second account and deposit the second amount into the player's casino account. Next, the gaming server can withdraw the combined first and second amount from the player's casino account and convert the combined first and second amount to credits and subsequently apply the credits to the gaming device.
Referring now to example UC-PB01, below, there is shown case notes where a player requests transfer of money to an EGM (electronic gaming machine) from a player's accounts.
UC-PB01
Player requests to transfer money (in the form of credits) to the game from his Cashless Banking account. This use case does not apply to the use of an external financial transaction server.
UC-PB02
The system retrieves the player's account and any pending withdrawal transactions. The available balance is calculated and returned.
Pre-Conditions:
Player account and pin information has been verified.
Minimal Guarantee:
The system may return the available balance for the player account requested. The available balance may not include any funds placed in escrow for existing withdrawals against the account.
Normal Course:
Access the player's account and all pending withdrawal transactions for that account.
Calculate the available balance by subtracting the total of the pending withdrawal transactions from the current account balance.
Return the available balance.
Referring now to example UC-PB03, below, there is shown case notes of a transaction which verifies an amount requested or presented for deposit is within configured limits. When a player attempts to withdraw funds from an account, the system may need to verify that the transaction request amount may not exceed configured limits. In addition, some properties or jurisdictional restrictions could be placed on the amount that can be deposited to an account.
UC-PB03
The system verifies that an amount (withdraw or deposit) would not violate a configured restriction. A configured restriction is simply a total amount that can be withdrawn or deposited within a configured time frame.
Pre-Conditions:
Cashless Banking has received a valid request from the GMU on behalf of a player.
Player account and pin information has been verified.
If the amount is for withdraw, the balance on the player account is large enough to handle the request.
Minimal Guarantee:
The system may log the total amount accumulated for the player account by transaction type for the configured time frame along with the requested amount.
E.g. Acct ####—Total Withdrawn: $300 within the past 24 hours. Total Deposited: $500 within the past 24 hours, Deposit Request of $1000.
Normal Course:
Verify that the requested amount does not exceed any limits that apply to a single transaction.
Access the player's deposit or withdrawal transactions (based on whether the verification is for a deposit or withdrawal) for the configured time frame, totaling the amount.
Verify the requested amount+the total from step 2 does not exceed the configured amount.
Return the smallest value between the requested amount and the difference between the configured limit and the total amount from step 2.
Referring now to example UC-PB04, below, there is shown case notes of a transaction record creation. It describes creating the transaction used for auditing a withdrawal request.
UC-PB04
The system has initiated either a withdrawal or deposit transaction for a player account. A record is created recording this transaction associating it with the player account and slot machine where the request originated.
Pre-Conditions:
Cashless Banking has received a valid request for either a deposit or withdrawal from the GMU on behalf of a player.
Player account and pin information has been verified.
Request contains total amount (including any fees if applicable) and transaction type (i.e. deposit or withdrawal).
Minimal Guarantee:
The system may log the beginning and ending state of the player account.
Normal Course:
Create a transaction record containing at a minimum date/time of transaction, amount, and player account ID, slot machine ID, casino ID, jurisdictional ID, and transaction type.
Mark transaction as “pending”.
Persist the record returning the transaction ID.
Alternative Courses:
Create a transaction record containing at a minimum date/time of transaction, amount, player account ID, slot machine ID, casino ID, jurisdictional ID, and transaction type.
Mark transaction as “pending”.
Persist the record returning the transaction ID.
Referring now to example UC-PB05, below, there is shown case notes of an updating of a pending transaction. It describes what may be done to ensure that a player's account can be reset to allow future requests to be made.
UC-PB05
Update the state of a pending transaction as cleared and place any funds in escrow (if the transaction is a withdrawal) back into the account.
Pre-Conditions:
The transaction has completed successfully.
Minimal Guarantee:
The system may log the beginning and ending state of the player account.
Normal Course:
Retrieve the transaction from the player's “transaction pending” list.
Update the state of the transaction as completed.
Return true.
This use case describes the state change of the transaction. If the transaction completed is a withdrawal, the calling use case MAY deduct the amount from the player's account.
Referring now to example UC-PB06, below, there is shown case notes of clearing a pending transaction. It describes what may be done to ensure that an existing pending transaction is cleared (closed/not completed) placing any funds back into a player's account.
UC-PB06
A pending transaction has completed successfully.
Normal Course:
Retrieve the transaction from the player's “transaction pending” list.
Update the state of the transaction as completed.
Return true.
Referring now to example UC-PB07, below, there is shown case notes of a deposit funds transaction. A player cashes out credits and the cash out is transferred to his Cashless Banking account.
UC-PB07
Player requests to transfer money (in the form of credits) from the game to his Cashless Banking account. This use case does not apply to the use of an external financial transaction server. That scenario is addressed in use case UC-PB07-1.
Pre-Conditions:
GMU has successfully negotiated with the SMS as a valid gaming device.
The SMS supports the G2S, S2S, MCC, or SDT application protocol.
Minimal Guarantee: The Cashless Banking account may accurately reflect the customer balance.
The system may log the state of the transaction during each stage.
Normal Course:
Player initiates a cash-out request, entering his account and Cashless Banking pin.
The GMU packages this data and forwards the transfer request to the system.
The system validates the account and pin entered.
The system may verify the amount is within configured limits (UC-PB03).
The system may create a deposit transaction for the request (UC-PB04).
The system may send a message to the GMU authorizing the deposit request.
The GMU transmits a message to the game to remove the credits and receives confirmation that credits have been removed.
The GMU sends a message to the server confirming the deposit request.
The system closes the pending transaction and adds the amount to the player's account.
The system sends an acknowledgement back to the GMU that the transfer has completed.
UC-PB11
A player confronts the casino manager that his player account has been locked (and potentially why—e.g. forgets PIN)
Pre-Conditions:
The player has presented sufficient identification.
Minimal Guarantee:
The player account may be unlocked so that the player can use it.
Normal Course:
Player gives casino manager player account ID.
Casino Manager enters the account ID in the Manage Player Account screen.
Casino Manager reviews the logs of current activity on the account and determines if the account.
Report is given to the customer.
Referring now to example UC-PB12, below, there is shown case notes of a manual pending transaction update. This describes what is done to manually update the state of a pending transaction.
UC-PB12
A transaction is left in a pending state. It may be in this state simply because the confirmation request was not received by the server or processed by the server—yet the application of the request completed. I.e. The funds were transferred.
Normal Course:
Casino Manager enters the transaction ID in the Manage Transaction screen.
Casino Manager reviews the logs of current activity against the transaction and determines (based on the activity) that the transaction should be closed.
Casino Manager changes the state of the transaction to closed.
Referring now to example UC-PB13, below, there is shown case notes of transferring credits between Cashless Banking accounts. This describes what is done to transfer credits from one Cashless Banking account to another.
UC-PB13
A player wishes to transfer money from one Cashless Banking account to another.
Pre-Conditions:
The player has presented sufficient identification.
The player is the account holder for both accounts.
Normal Course:
The casino employee selects the appropriate function from the Cashless Banking Manager application.
The casino employee enters the information for the request to include the player ID, source account ID, destination account ID, and amount to transfer.
The casino employee selects whether to close-out the account Casino Manager executes the transaction.
Alternative Courses:
If errors occur anywhere during the transaction, the funds may be recovered to the original account and an event may be logged.
Referring now to example UC-PB21, below, there is shown case notes of closing all pending transactions.
UC-PB21
Close out any transactions that are left in a pending state.
Pre-Conditions:
The end-of-business-day processing cycle has been reached.
Minimal Guarantee:
A report detailing each transaction that was not in a completed state along with an itemized list identifying what “state” the transaction was last in.
Normal Course:
Scheduled auditing service activates. (This use case is triggered as a timed event)
A list of all open transactions is collected.
For each transaction, a list of state changes for the transaction is analyzed—which includes sending a status request to the originating device and/or request to a back-end device/program that performed some processing on the transaction.
If the analysis shows that the transaction completed, the state of the transaction may be set to ‘complete’. If the analysis shows that the transaction was abandoned, the state of the transaction may be set to ‘cancelled’. Otherwise, the transaction state may be set to ‘incomplete’ and require human intervention. Use case UC-PB22 describes this process.
Alternative Courses:
If the service has not been activated within a configurable time frame, a “watchdog” application may activate the service.
If there are no open transactions found, the service may log this information and exit this use case.
If analysis of the transaction can not be completed (e.g. unable to connect to originating device), then analysis may conclude simply that the transaction is incomplete. A message may be logged indicating the reason that the analysis (for the transaction in question) terminated.
Referring now to example UC-PB31, below, there is shown case notes of printing a player statement. This use case describes what is done to produce a printed statement detailing financial transactions for a player account within a given time period.
UC-PB31
A player requests a statement for financial transactions made on his account.
Pre-Conditions:
The player has presented sufficient identification to receive the statement.
Minimal Guarantee:
A report detailing each transaction that took place in the date range specified may be printed for the player. Included in the report may be the beginning and ending balances for the account.
Normal Course:
Player gives casino manager player account ID and date range to report on.
Casino Manager enters the information in the Player Statement selection screen.
Casino Manager runs the report.
Report is given to the customer.
Thus, as has been shown in the examples herein, the gaming server has many features that can be applied in conjunction with transferring funds to and from player accounts and accounts at financial institutions.
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claimed invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the claimed invention without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims. Further, the embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to further reduce transactions, and be independent of minimums, wagers, and purchasing.

Claims

1. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising:

receiving a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server;

receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account of a second financial institution, wherein the request includes a password;

verifying the password;

identifying a first account number of the first financial institution and the second account number of the second financial institution with at least the casino-issued player code, wherein the first account number and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming device;

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution based at least on the first account number;

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based at least on the second account number;

receiving the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds in a player account associated with the casino-issued player code;

converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds to credits; and

transferring the credits to the gaming device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player code.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device;

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance;

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and

transferring funds from the player account to a seller of the goods.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution being denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase the goods based on funds from a combination of the jackpot, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the gaming device to display the funds transferred from the first account and the second account to the player account.

7. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier from a gaming device at a gaming server, wherein the identifier is issued by an intermediary;

receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the request includes the identifier and a password, wherein a first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device;

verifying the password;

requesting the intermediary to initiate a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary; and

requesting the intermediary to initiate a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the offer is based at least on the identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device;

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and

initiating a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

13. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising:

receiving a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server that is associated with an identifier issued by an intermediary;

receiving a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds to a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the request includes a password, and wherein a first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device;

verifying the password;

causing the intermediary to initiate a deposit transaction with the first financial institution, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary;

causing the intermediary to initiate a deposit transaction with the second financial institution, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the intermediary;

receiving credits from the gaming device to a player account associated with the casino-issued player code;

converting the credits to funds; and

transferring the first amount of funds from the player account to the first account and the second amount of funds from the player account to the second account.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to transfer funds from the player account to both the first account and the second account in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, wherein the win of the jackpot is greater than a sum of a balance owed on the first account and the second account.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player code.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device;

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied, sending an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the value of the goods are less than twice the value of the jackpot.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first account is a credit card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the third account is a checking account.

21. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising:

receiving a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server;

verifying the password;

converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds to credits;

transferring the credits to the gaming device; and

causing the gaming device to display the balance of the first account and the second account periodically.

22. A method for cashless gaming, the method comprising:

receiving a casino-issued player code from a gaming device at a gaming server;

verifying the password;

converting the first amount of funds and the second amount of funds to credits;

transferring the credits to the gaming device; and

causing the gaming device to display the balance of the first account and the second account persistently.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the display of the balance is preapproved by the player.

24. The method of claim 2, wherein the goods is as a pair of tickets to a show.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein the goods is food.

26. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a gaming device; and

a gaming server having a processor, a memory, and a storage device, wherein the memory is coupled with the processor,

wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player identifier and a password from the gaming device at the gaming server,

wherein the gaming server receives a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account of a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the password is not stored by the first financial institution and is not stored by the second financial institution,

wherein the gaming server identifies a first account number of the first financial institution and a second account number of the second financial institution with at least the casino-issued player identifier, wherein the first account number and the second account number are not communicated via the gaming device,

wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution based at least on the first account number,

wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based at least on the second account number, and

wherein the gaming server receives the first amount and the second amount in a player account associated with the casino-issued player identifier.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player identifier.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the gaming server receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance, and wherein the gaming server transfers funds from the player account to a seller of the goods.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase the goods based on funds from the jackpot, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution being denied.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the funds transferred from the first account and the second account to the player account.

32. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a gaming device; and

wherein the gaming server receives an identifier from the gaming device at the gaming server, wherein the identifier is issued by a financial transaction provider,

wherein the gaming server receives a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds from a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the request includes a password, wherein a first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device, and wherein the password is not stored by the first financial institution and is not stored by the second financial institution,

wherein the gaming server requests that the financial transaction provider initiate a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider, and

wherein the gaming server requests that the financial transaction provider initiate a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the offer is based at least on the identifier.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the gaming server receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the amount of funds transferred from the first account and the second account to the player account.

38. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a gaming device; and

wherein the gaming server receives a casino-issued player identifier from the gaming device at the gaming server that is associated with an identifier issued by a financial transaction provider,

wherein the gaming server receives a request from the gaming device at the gaming server to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account at a first financial institution and a second amount of funds to a second account at a second financial institution, wherein the request includes a password, wherein a first account number associated with first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device, and wherein the password is unknown to both the first financial institution and the second financial institution,

wherein the gaming server causes the financial transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with the first financial institution, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider, and

wherein the gaming server causes the financial transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with the second financial institution based at least on the identifier, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to transfer funds from the player account to both the first account and the second account in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, wherein the win of the jackpot is greater than a sum of a balance owed on the first account and the second account.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player identifier.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device, wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance, and wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance.

43. The system of claim 38, wherein the gaming server sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied.

44. The system of claim 38, wherein the value of the goods are less than twice the value of the jackpot.

45. The system of claim 38, wherein the first account is a credit card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the third account is a checking account.

46. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a gaming device; and

wherein the gaming server initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution based at least on the second account number,

wherein the gaming server receives the first amount and the second amount in a player account associated with the casino-issued player identifier; and

wherein the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the balance of the first account and the second account periodically.

47. A system for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a gaming device; and

wherein the gaming server causes the gaming device to display the balance of the first account and the second account persistently.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the display of the balance is preapproved by the player.

49. The system of claim 27, wherein the goods is as a pair of tickets to a show.

50. The system of claim 27, wherein the goods is food.

51. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

a storage device having instructions stored thereon which when executed, the processor:

receives a casino-issued player identifier and a password from a gaming device,

receives a single request from the gaming device to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at multiple financial institutions, wherein the password is not stored by any of the multiple financial institutions,

identifies account numbers associated with the multiple accounts based on the casino-issued player identifier, wherein the account numbers are not communicated via the gaming device,

initiates multiple withdrawal transactions based on the account numbers, and

receives the funds in a player account associated with the casino-issued player identifier.

52. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server: sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot and the multiple accounts responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

53. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player identifier.

54. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device,

initiates a withdrawal transaction with a first financial institution responsive to the acceptance,

initiates a withdrawal transaction with a second financial institution responsive to the acceptance, and

transfers funds from the player account to a seller of the goods.

55. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase the goods based on funds from the jackpot, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with a financial institution being denied.

56. The gaming server of claim 51, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

causes the gaming device to display the funds transferred from the multiple accounts to the player account.

57. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

receives an identifier from the gaming device, wherein the identifier is issued by a financial transaction provider,

receives a request from the gaming device to withdraw a first amount of funds from a first account and a second amount of funds from a second account, wherein the request includes a password, wherein a first account number associated with the first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device

requests that the financial transaction provider initiate a withdrawal transaction with a first financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider, and

requests that the financial transaction provider initiate a withdrawal transaction with a second financial institution, wherein the requesting transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.

58. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

59. The gaming server of claim 58, wherein the offer is based at least on the identifier.

60. The gaming server of claim 58, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device,

initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance; and

initiates a withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution responsive to the acceptance.

61. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a service with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied.

62. The gaming server of claim 57, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

causes the gaming device to display the amount of funds transferred from the first account and the second account to the player account.

63. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

receives a casino-issued player identifier from the gaming device that is associated with an identifier issued by a financial transaction provider, receives a request from the gaming device to deposit a first amount of funds to a first account and a second amount of funds to a second account, wherein a first account number associated with first account and a second account number associated with the second account are not communicated via the gaming device,

causes the financial transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with a first financial institution, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider, and

causes the financial transaction provider to initiate a deposit transaction with a second financial institution based at least on the identifier, wherein the causing transfers the identifier from the gaming server to the financial transaction provider.

64. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to transfer funds from the player account to both the first account and the second account in response to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device, wherein the win of the jackpot is greater than a sum of a balance owed on the first account and the second account.

65. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, and the second account responsive to a win of a jackpot at the gaming device.

66. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the offer is based at least on the casino-issued player identifier.

67. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

receives acceptance of the offer at the gaming server from the gaming device,

initiates a withdrawal transaction with the first financial institution responsive to the acceptance, and

68. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the storage device has further instructions stored thereon which when executed, the gaming server:

sends an offer from the gaming server to the gaming device to purchase a goods with funds from the jackpot, the first account, the second account, and a third account of a third financial institution responsive to the withdrawal transaction with the second financial institution being denied.

69. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the value of the goods are less than twice the value of the jackpot.

70. The gaming server of claim 63, wherein the first account is a credit card account, the second account is an ATM account, and the third account is a checking account.

71. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

receives a casino-issued player identifier and a password from a gaming device,

initiates multiple withdrawal transactions based on the account numbers,

receives the funds in a player account associated with the casino-issued player identifier, and

causes the gaming device to display the balance of the multiple accounts periodically.

72. A gaming server for cashless gaming, the gaming server comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with the processor;

receives a casino-issued player identifier and a password from a gaming device, receives a single request from the gaming device to withdraw funds from multiple accounts at multiple financial institutions, wherein the password is not stored by any of the multiple financial institutions,

initiates multiple transactions based on the account numbers,

causes the gaming device to display the balance of the multiple accounts persistently.

73. The gaming server of claim 72, wherein the display of the balance is preapproved by the player.

74. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the goods is as a pair of tickets to a show.

75. The gaming server of claim 52, wherein the goods is food.