Method and apparatus for providing insurance policies for gambling losses

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a gaming machine from a user a user identifier that identifies the user;

receiving at the gaming machine from the user policy requirements for a gambling loss insurance policy to provide protection against gambling losses;

transmitting the policy requirements from the gaming machine to a game server;

receiving at the gaming machine from the game server information concerning a premium amount,

in which the premium amount is based on the policy requirements; and

displaying at the gaming machine the information concerning the premium amount.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving from the user a confirmation to purchase the gambling loss insurance policy.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which receiving the policy requirements comprises:

receiving from the user an indication of at least one of:

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the premium amount from the user at the gaming machine.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a credit card number that is associated with a credit card account, and

charging the premium amount to the credit card account.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

executing a game.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining information that is associated with the game.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising

displaying information that is associated with the game.

9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a result of the game.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the result of the game to the game server.

11. A method comprising:

receiving at a game server from a terminal policy requirements of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy to provide protection against gambling losses;

determining at the game server a premium amount based on the policy requirements of the user; and

transmitting information concerning the premium amount to the user.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which transmitting the information comprises:

transmitting the information concerning the premium amount to the terminal.

13. The method of claim 11 , in which receiving the policy requirements comprises:

receiving from the terminal an indication of at least one of:

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a game result.

15. The method of claim 14 , in which determining the game result comprises:

receiving an indication of the game result from a gaming machine.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining an insurance payout based on the game result.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database.

18. A method comprising:

determining at least one policy requirement of a user for a gambling loss insurance policy;

determining a premium amount based on the at least one policy requirement; and

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the user.

19. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining user history data that is associated with the user; and

determining the at least one policy requirement based on the user history data.

20. The method of claim 19 ,

in which the user history data includes an average bet amount, and

in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining an amount to be bet by the user under the gambling loss insurance policy based on the average bet amount.

21. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining a first set of policy requirements that is associated with the user;

user history data that is associated with the user; and

determining the at least one policy requirement based on the user history data.

22. The method of claim 18 , in which the at least one policy requirement includes a plurality of policy requirements established by the user.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving a user identifier.

24. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

transmitting the user identifier to a game server.

25. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement at a gaming machine.

26. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a slot machine.

27. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a poker gaming machine.

28. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a keno gaming machine.

29. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a blackjack gaming machine.

30. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a lottery gaming machine.

31. The method of claim 25 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a bingo gaming machine.

32. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement at a game server.

33. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving the at least one policy requirement from a user.

34. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

transmitting the at least one policy requirement to a game server.

35. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the premium amount comprises:

determining the premium amount based on the policy requirements at a game server.

36. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the premium amount comprises:

determining the premium amount based on the policy requirements at a gaming machine.

37. The method of claim 18 , in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the user.

38. The method of claim 18 , in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to a gaming machine.

39. The method of claim 18 , in which transmitting the indication of the premium amount comprises:

transmitting an indication of the premium amount from a game server.

40. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of a confirmation by the user to purchase the gambling loss insurance policy.

41. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

determining at least one of:

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

42. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving from the user an indication of at least one of:

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

43. The method of claim 18 , in which determining the at least one policy requirement comprises:

receiving from a gaming machine an indication of at least one of:

a type of coverage,

an amount of coverage,

a type of gaming machine,

a period of coverage,

a coverage start time,

a coverage end time,

a number of handle pulls, and

an amount to be bet by the user.

44. The method of claim 18 ,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy contains a period of coverage, and

further comprising:

determining whether the period of coverage has expired.

45. The method of claim 44 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one day.

46. The method of claim 44 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one month.

47. The method of claim 44 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one year.

48. The method of claim 44 , further comprising:

updating an expiration status of the gambling loss insurance policy.

49. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving the premium amount from the user at a gaming machine.

50. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving a credit card number that is associated with a credit card account, and

charging the premium amount to the credit card account.

51. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

storing a user identifier and corresponding user information in a database;

receiving the user identifier;

determining whether the database contains the user identifier; and

authenticating the identity of the user if the database contains the user identifier.

52. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

executing a game at a gaming machine.

53. A method comprising:

receiving a user identifier that identifies a user;

executing a game for the user;

determining a game result of the game;

determining a gambling loss insurance policy that is associated with the user based on the user identifier; and

determining an insurance payout based on the gambling loss insurance policy and the game result.

54. The method of claim 53 , further comprising:

transmitting the game result to a game server; and

transmitting the user identifier to the game server, in which receiving the user identifier comprises:

receiving the user identifier at a gaming machine, and in which determining the insurance payout comprises:

receiving an indication of the insurance payout from the game server.

55. The method of claim 53 , further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database at a gaming machine.

56. The method of claim 53 , further comprising:

storing an indication of the gambling loss insurance policy in a database at a game server.

57. The method of claim 53 , in which the game result includes an amount of loss incurred by the user during the game.

58. The method of claim 57 , further comprising:

determining an amount of coverage that is associated with the gambling loss insurance policy; and

updating the amount of coverage based on the amount of loss.

59. The method of claim 57 , further comprising:

determining an amount of coverage that is associated with the gambling loss insurance policy; and

in which the determining the insurance payout comprises:

determining whether the amount of loss exceeds the amount of coverage.

60. The method of claim 53 , further comprising:

determining information about a user account that is associated with the user.

61. The method of claim 60 , further comprising:

updating the information about the user account based on the insurance payout.

62. The method of claim 60 ,

in which the information about the user account includes a credit card number that identifies a credit card account, and

further comprising:

crediting the insurance payout to the credit card account.

63. The method of claim 53 , further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the insurance payout to a gaming machine,

dispensing currency corresponding to the amount of the insurance payout at the gaming machine.

64. The method of claim 53 , in which executing the game comprises:

executing the game at a gaming machine.

65. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a slot machine.

66. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a video poker machine.

67. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a video keno machine.

68. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a video blackjack machine.

69. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a video lottery machine.

70. The method of claim 64 , in which the gaming machine is operable as a bingo machine.

71. The method of claim 53 ,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy was established by the user at a first gaming machine, and

in which executing the game comprises:

executing the game at a second gaming machine.

72. The method of claim 71 , further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the insurance payout to the second gaming machine.

73. The method of claim 53 ,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy contains a period of coverage, and

further comprising:

determining whether the period of coverage has expired.

74. The method of claim 73 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one day.

75. The method of claim 73 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one month.

76. The method of claim 73 , in which the period of coverage is not less than one year.

77. The method of claim 73 , further comprising:

updating an expiration status of the gambling loss insurance policy.

78. The method of claim 77 , in which the insurance payout is zero if the period of coverage has expired.

79. The method of claim 77 , further comprising:

receiving a player tracking card at a gaming machine; and

preventing withdrawal of the player tracking card if the period of coverage has not expired.

80. A method comprising:

receiving a player identifier that identifies a player at a gaming machine;

receiving information about the gaming machine, the information including an indication of at least one of:

a game provided at the gaming machine,

a maximum payout amount available at the gaming machine, and

a maximum wager amount allowed at the gaming machine;

determining a gambling loss insurance policy that is associated with the player, the gambling loss insurance policy being associated with at least one policy requirement;

determining a premium amount based on the information about the gaming machine and the at least one policy requirement; and

transmitting an indication of the premium amount to the player.

81. The method of claim 80 ,

in which the gambling loss insurance policy was established by the player at a first gaming machine, and

in which receiving the player identifier comprises:

receiving the player identifier at a second gaming machine.

82. The method of claim 80 , further comprising:

updating the at least one policy requirement based on the information about the gaming machine.