NETWORKED GAMING SYSTEM INCLUDING ANONYMOUS BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION

1 . A player interface device including:

an integrated circuit board including a processor and a memory containing program instructions executable by the processor; and

one or more biometric sensors connected to acquire biometric data of a player and transfer the biometric data to the integrated circuit board;

at least one of the program instructions executable to initiate associating the biometric data with a unique player account with or without additional player information.

2 . The player interface device of claim 1 including:

a database access circuit connectable with a searchable database containing stored biometric data associated with respective player accounts such that the biometric data may be compared to determine whether a match is identifiable and identify the unique player account.

3 . The player interface device of claim 2 , the database access circuit connectable to enable creating the unique player account and associating the biometric data, if a match is not identified.

4 . The player interface device of claim 1 , the database access circuit connectable to enable transfer of one or more data records from the player account.

5 . The player interface device of claim 4 , at least a second of the program instructions executable to read one or more of the data records.

6 . The player interface device of claim 4 , at least one of the data records including a wagering limit,

the processor operable to monitor wagering by the player and determine if the wagering limit has occurred.

7 . The player interface device of claim 6 , the processor initiating a wagering limit signal upon determining that the wagering limit has occurred.

8 . The player interface device of claim 4 , at least a second of the data records including earned points,

the processor operable to transmit a signal to display the earned points, monitor wagering by the player, and transmit an updated display signal.

9 . The player interface device of claim 1 including a proximity detector, the proximity detector initiating a proximity signal,

one or more of the biometric sensors activated as a result of the proximity signal.

10 . The player interface device of claim 1 , at least one of the biometric sensors comprising a camera.

11 . The player interface device of claim 1 , at least one of the biometric sensors comprising a fingerprint imager.

12 . The player interface device of claim 8 including a display operable to receive signals from the processor and display the earned points.

13 . The player interface device of claim 1 including a panel, one or more of the biometric sensors connected with the panel.

14 . A gaming device including:

a game processor;

a wagering game activatable by a patron and operable through the game processor;

a biometric device activatable to obtain one or more biometric data samples of the patron; and

a game play limiter operable to determine a predetermined gaming limit of the patron using at least one of the biometric data samples.

15 . The gaming device of claim 14 , the game play limiter including a game monitor and a game session terminator activatable to terminate a gaming session by the patron upon reaching the predetermined gaming limit.

16 . A gaming device including:

a primary motherboard including a primary processor and a memory, the memory including an operating system and at least one game executable by the primary processor;

a primary display connected to the primary motherboard, the primary display activatable by the primary processor in accordance with execution of the game;

a player interface connected to the primary motherboard, one or more portions of the player interface controllable by the primary processor through execution of the operating system; and

at least one biometric device interactive with the primary motherboard and activatable to obtain a biometric data sample from the patron;

the operating system including biometric coding executable to initiate a comparison of the biometric data sample with a biometric data sample database and determine an associated gaming limit.

17 . A networked gaming system including

a host computer;

one or more gaming machines connected to the host computer,

each gaming machine including a biometric imager, each biometric imager including an image digitizer for generating a digitized biometric image,

each gaming machine including a transmitter to transmit the digitized biometric image to the host computer;

the host computer including one or more databases with archived biometric data and associated action instructions;

the host computer including a digitized image comparator for comparing received digitized biometric images with the archived biometric data;

in the event of a match, the host computer transmitting a signal based on the associated action instructions.

18 . The networked gaming system of claim 6 , the associated action instructions comprising limiting player wagers, the signal being transmitted to the gaming machine to restrict game play of a player.

19 . The networked gaming system of claim 6 , the associated action instructions comprising preventing play, the signal being transmitted to the gaming machine to freeze the gaming machine.

20 . A method of using anonymous player identification to provide responsible gaming limits, said method including the steps of:

generating a first biometric sample of an anonymous player;

determining whether the anonymous player is subject to a first gaming limit, and if so:

terminating a first gaming session if the first gaming limit is reached.

21 . The method of claim 20 including the steps of:

associating one or more gaming limits with one or more gaming limited players; and

storing the gaming limits in association with biometric data of the gaming limited players;

the determining step including:

determining whether the first biometric sample corresponds to one of the gaming limited players; and if so,

identifying the first gaming limit.

22 . The method of claim 20 including the steps of:

monitoring the first gaming session of the anonymous player;

generating at least a second biometric sample during the gaming session;

the terminating step further conditional on whether the first and second biometric samples are associated with the anonymous player.

23 . The method of claim 20 including the steps of:

generating a second biometric sample of the anonymous player at the initiation of a second gaming session;

determining whether the first gaming limit was reached during the first gaming session; and if so,

terminating the second gaming session.

24 . The method of claim 23 including the steps of:

storing a first amount wagered during the first gaming session;

upon initiation of the second gaming session, determining a second gaming limit as the difference between the first gaming limit and the first amount wagered; and

terminating the second gaming session if the second gaming limit is reached.

25 . The method of claim 20 including the steps of:

periodically generating additional biometric samples during the first gaming session; and

determining whether the additional biometric samples correspond to the first biometric sample; and if so,

determining whether the first gaming limit has been reached.

26 . The method of claim 24 including the steps of:

periodically generating additional biometric samples during the second gaming session; and

determining whether the additional biometric samples correspond to the second biometric sample; and if so,

determining whether the second gaming limit has been reached.