US20070082734A1 - Method of utilizing a universal casino cash card - Google Patents

Abstract

An exemplary method of utilizing a universal casino cash card by a consumer at member casinos that includes purchasing a casino cash card by a consumer at a member office using a credit card or cash. The deducting of service charges from the casino cash card by the member office and forwarding the remaining consumer funds to a central casino office for crediting the account of the user's casino cash card to be used at a member casino. The using of the casino cash card at the member casino by a consumer to play, gamble, or purchase goods or services at the member casino. The reviewing of status of the casino cash card at a gaming terminal to obtain the status or history of transactions made, winnings, losses, and purchases of goods and services The securing of the casino cash card by placing a security device on the casino cash card.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to a method of utilizing a universal cash casino card having a prepaid amount of cash value assigned to the card, such that the prepaid card can be used for gambling credit at the casino for slot machines, poker, craps, twenty-one (blackjack) and the like. More particularly, the universal casino cash card can also be used at member casinos for services, purchases, products, restaurants and gambling, such that the value amount used would be automatically deducted from the card, until the balance is used up.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Credit cards, gift cards, and various store prepaid cards used for shopping, dining, golf, vacations, entertainment and services are well-known in the art. Such gift cards (except for credit cards) have not been available for use in gambling at the various casinos throughout the United States. Casinos would like an opportunity to expand their business at their gaming tables and slot machines, as well as at their retail shops, spas, salons and restaurants by having their patrons involved further.
• There remains a need for a universal casino cash card that would be easy and convenient to use, easily replaced when lost or stolen and renewable when the user's funds have been depleted. Additionally, the universal casino cash card would be used by a patron from an identified member casino in order to place wagers at gaming venues, such as slot machines, video poker, poker, blackjack, roulette and the like, as well as for purchasing goods and/or services at the member casino by the patron.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
• Methods for providing goods and services using private currency, redemption cards, house cards having various systems and methods of utilization have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2005/0124408 to VLAZNY et al. discloses systems and methods for accessing, manipulating and using funds associated with pari-mutual wagering. One method utilizes a house card associated with an account set up by a patron at a pari-mutual gaming establishment, such as a horse or dog racing track. The house card may be used to place wagers at a gaming terminal and, additionally, for the purchase of goods and/or services, accessing additional informational displays, or accessing secure special areas at the pari-mutual gaming establishment. The house card acts as a cash substitute wherein the patron's account may be automatically updated with all of the patron's wins, losses, and purchases via a network system or updated on the card itself using smart card technology. This prior art reference does not teach or disclose the methodology of utilizing a casino cash card of the present invention.
• U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2005/0177519 to BLOCK discloses a game world operating system. The system includes an exemplary method for a commercial entity to provide goods and services in exchange for private currency, including providing a customer with private currency in exchange for government currency, wherein the private currency is acceptable to the commercial entity to pay for goods and services provided by the commercial entity, and providing goods and services to the customer in exchange for an amount of the private currency, wherein the commercial entity does not provide government currency to the customer in exchange for an amount of private currency. This prior art reference does not teach or disclose the methodology of utilizing a casino cash card of the present invention.
• None of the prior art references teach or disclose an exemplary method of utilizing a universal casino cash card by a consumer at a member casino for gambling, and/or the purchase of goods and services at the member casino.
• Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an exemplary method of using a universal casino cash card by a patron from an identified member casino in order to place wagers at a gaming venue (such as slot machines, blackjack, poker and the like), or for purchasing goods or services at the member casino by the patron.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal casino cash card that enables the consumer to purchase the casino cash card at a member office using cash or credit card, such that the member office deducts service charges associated with the card and forwards the remaining consumer funds to a central finance casino office for crediting the account of the user's casino cash card to be used at a member casino.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal casino cash card that allows the reviewing of the current status of the casino cash card at a gaming terminal in order to obtain the status or history of transactions made of winnings, losses, and purchases of goods and services made at the member casino.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal casino cash card that secures the card by placing a security device on the backside of the card, such that the security device is selected from the group consisting of a bar code, a magnetic strip, a microchip, an electronic hologram, a fingerprint scan, and equivalents thereof.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal casino cash card that is easy and convenient to use, easily replaced when lost or stolen, and renewable when the funds have been depleted.
• A further object of the present invention is to provide a universal casino cash card that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable at various cash denominations by the consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an exemplary method of utilizing a universal casino cash card by a consumer at member casinos that includes purchasing a casino cash card by a consumer at a member office using a credit card or cash. The deducting of service charges from the casino cash card by the member office and forwarding the remaining consumer funds to a central casino office for crediting the account of the user's casino cash card to be used at a member casino. The using of the casino cash card at the member casino by a consumer to play, gamble, or purchase goods or services at the member casino. The reviewing of status of the casino cash card at a gaming terminal to obtain the status or history of transactions made, winnings, losses, and purchases of goods and services. The securing of the casino cash card by placing a security device on the back side of the casino cash card.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon the consideration of the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the universal casino cash card of the preferred embodiment showing the details of the front side of the casino cash card;
• FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the universal casino cash card of the present invention showing the details of the backside of the casino cash card;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the method of utilizing the universal casino cash card of the present invention showing the steps purchasing, deducting, using, reviewing and securing that are performed in the process of using the casino cash card of the present invention; and
• FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the method of utilizing the universal casino cash card of the present invention showing the flow of cash funds from a member office to a central casino office to a member casino.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• The universalcasino cash card10 and its component parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are represented in detail byFIGS. 1 and 2 of the patent drawings. Themethod100 of utilizing the universalcasino cash card10 having various processing and operational steps are disclosed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention and is represented in detail byFIGS. 3 and 4 of the patent drawings.
• As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the universalcasino cash card10 includes afront side surface22 and arear side surface24. Thefront side22 includes acompany name26 of thecard10, alogo28 representing thecard10, anidentification number30 of the user, a user'sname32 and/or a user's company/corporate name34 and a user'svalidation date36. Thefront side22 also includes a company'shologram logo38 for security purposes. Therear side24 includes amagnetic strip42, a signature block area44 having the user'ssignature46 therein, and apin number48 thereon. Therear side24 further includes afingerprint scan52 for security purposes and the company's name, address, and phone number indicia54 thereon. Additionally, thecard10 could include other security features such as a bar code, a microchip, an electronic hologram or other biological/physiological scans for preventing theft or identifying a lost or stolencard10. Therear side24 ofcard10 could also include names of member casinos62 that accept the use of the universalcasino cash card10 at its premises.
OPERATION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
• Themethod100 of utilizing the universalcasino cash card10 by a consumer102 atmember casinos128 is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. This process andprocedure100 includes the following steps of purchasing110; deducting120; using130; reviewing140; securing150; and identifying160.
• To start thisprocess100, forstep110 of purchasing, the consumer102 initially purchases thecasino cash card10 at amember office112 using a credit card104 orcash106. Themember office112 can be selected from the group consisting of amember casino128, a retail store114, a restaurant115, or a spa116. Thestep120 of deducting includes the subtraction of service charges122 at themember office112 and forwarding the remaining consumer funds124 to a central casino financial office126 for crediting the account127 of the user'scasino cash card10 to be used at amember casino128.
• The consumer102 now proceeds to initiatesteps130 of using, wherein the consumer102 uses thecasino cash card10 at themember casino128 in order to play, gamble132 or purchase goods134 or services136 at themember casino128. The step of reviewing140 includes the review and status of the user'scasino cash card10 at agaming terminal142 to obtain the status or history of transactions144 made for winnings146, losses148 and for purchases of goods134 and/or services136.
• It should also be understood that ATM machines may be used in place of thegaming terminal142, to obtain the same information previously mentioned, including transactions for winnings146, losses148 and for purchases of goods134 and/or services136.
• Theprocess100 also includes the step of securing150 of thecasino cash card10 by asecurity device152 on thecard10.Such security devices152 include abar code153, amagnetic strip154, amicrochip155, anelectronic hologram156, afingerprint scan157, or a biological/physiological scan158. Theprocess100 further includes the step of identifying160 one or more of the authorizedmember casinos162 on thecasino cash card10.
• As shown inFIG. 4, the flow of funds104/106 is depicted in thisflow chart200 demonstrating how the funds104/106 are processed at amember office112, such as at ahotel128, a retail store114, or a restaurant115, where then the aforementioned funds104/106 are transferred to a centralcasino finance office120. The consumer102 can now proceed to use thecasino cash card10 atvarious member casinos128, and periodically check the status of funds104/106 at a cardreading gaming terminal142.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
• Accordingly, an advantage of the present invention is that it provides for an exemplary method of using a universal casino cash card by a patron from an identified member casino in order to place wagers at a gaming venue (such as slot machines, blackjack, poker and the like), or for purchasing goods or services at the member casino by the patron.
• Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a universal casino cash card that enables the consumer to purchase the casino cash card at a member office using cash or credit card, such that the member office deducts services charges associated with the card and forwards the remaining consumer funds to a central finance casino office for crediting the account of the user's casino cash card to be used at a member casino.
• Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a universal casino cash card that allows the reviewing of the current status of the casino cash card at a gaming terminal in order to obtain the status or history of transactions made of winnings, losses, and purchases of goods and services made at the member casino.
• Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a universal casino cash card that secures the card by placing a security device on the backside of the card, such that the security device is selected from the group consisting of a bar code, a magnetic strip, a microchip, an electronic hologram, a fingerprint scan, and equivalents thereof.
• Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a universal casino cash card that is easy and convenient to use, easily replaced when lost or stolen, and renewable when the funds have been depleted.
• A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a universal casino cash card that can be mass-produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable at various cash denominations by the consumer.
• A latitude of modification, change, and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

Claims (4)

1. A method of utilizing a universal casino cash card, by a consumer at member casinos, comprising the steps of:

a) purchasing a casino cash card by a consumer at a member office using a credit card or cash; wherein said member office is selected from the group consisting of said member casino, a retail store, a restaurant, and a spa;

b) deducting service charges by said member office and forwarding the remaining consumer funds to a central casino office for crediting the account of the user's casino cash card to be used at a member casino;

c) using said casino cash card at said member casino by a consumer to play, gamble, or purchase goods or services at said member casino;

d) reviewing the status of said casino cash card at a gaming terminal to obtain the status or history of transactions made, winnings, losses, and purchases of goods and services; and

e) securing said casino cash card by placing a security device on said casino cash card; wherein said security device is selected from the group consisting of a bar code, a magnetic strip, a micro chip, an electronic hologram, a fingerprint scan, a biological scan, and a physiological scan.

2. (canceled)

3. A method of utilizing a universal casino cash card in accordance with the method ofclaim 1, further including the step of identifying the authorized member casinos on said casino cash card.

4. (canceled)

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