Granted Patent B2

US 8,167,710 · App. 13/127,496 · Granted May 1, 2012

Abstract

Claims (91)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting wagering game content during a wagering game session via a wagering game machine;

detecting a time period specified by player input via the wagering game machine that presents the wagering game content;

determining an amount of money that a player has spent on gambling during the time period, wherein the amount of money is spent, at least in part, via the wagering game machine during the wagering game session;

presenting an indication of the amount of money spent during the time period while simultaneously presenting the wagering game content via the wagering game machine, during the wagering game session, so that the indication of the amount of money and the wagering game content are perceptible during the wagering game session; and

presenting a comparison of the amount of money to spending by one or more additional players during the time period.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the indication of the amount of money comprises one or more of intrusively presenting indicators of wagering game loss amounts as one or more of graphic indicators in close proximity to a visual display of the wagering game content and sound indicators presented during the wagering game session.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein tracking the accounting transaction data comprises

tracking a change in a player account balance during the wagering game session, and

presenting visual representations of the change in the player account balance to represent the amount of money that the player has spent on gambling during the wagering game session.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a transaction report template pre-configured to present the indication of the amount of money on a display in close proximity to wagering game elements of the wagering game content; and

presenting the indication of the amount of money, using the transaction report template, during the wagering game session.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exporting the indication of the amount of money; and

presenting the indication of the amount of money on a financial report outside of the wagering game session.

6. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

tracking accounting transaction data during a wagering game session for a player account, wherein the accounting transaction data relates to an amount of financial transactions that the player account has transacted on gambling during a time period;

determining one or more player preferences, for the player account, regarding the presentation of the accounting transaction data during the wagering game session;

presenting the accounting transaction data according to the one or more player preferences so that the accounting transaction data is perceptible during the wagering game session;

determining a transaction limit set in the one or more player preferences, wherein the transaction limit indicates a limit on a use of funds for the player account;

indicating the transaction limit during the wagering game session; and

presenting one or more incentives for monetary marketing offers in exchange for terminating wagering activity when use of the funds approaches the transaction limit.

7. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6 , said operations further comprising:

applying the transaction limit to one or more other accounts associated with the player account.

8. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6 , wherein said operation of indicating the transaction limit comprises displaying a graphic of a limit value covering at least a portion of the wagering game elements presented during the wagering game session.

9. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 6 , said operations further comprising:

presenting one or more warnings messages indicating that the use of the funds is approaching the transaction limit.

10. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6 , said operations further comprising:

calculating a reduced wager amount per spin of a wagering game played during the wagering game session;

calculating an additional time period, wherein when the reduced wager amount per spin is performed over the additional time period during the wagering game session, the use of the funds will comport with the transaction limit; and

presenting the reduced wager amount and additional time period as a suggestion.

11. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6 , said operations further comprising:

presenting one or more incentives for monetary marketing offers in exchange for terminating wagering activity when use of the funds approaches the transaction limit.

12. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6 , said operations further comprising:

determining that the transaction limit has been exceeded; and

restricting wagering game activities that can be performed during the wagering game session in response to determining that the transaction limit has been exceeded.

13. A system comprising:

a wagering game server configured to provide wagering game content during a wagering game session;

an account server configured to store a withdrawal limit set in one or more player preferences for a player account, wherein the withdrawal limit indicates an amount of funds that a player specifies can be withdrawn from an account balance within a specified time period; and

a wagering game machine comprising

a content controller configured to receive the wagering game content and present the wagering game content on a display,

an account data controller configured to

track withdrawals from the account balance during the wagering game session,

determine that the withdrawals are approaching the amount of funds that the player specifies can be withdrawn from the player account within the specified time period, and

present a warning on the display that covers at least a portion of wagering game elements from the wagering game content, wherein the warning indicates that the withdrawal limit is approaching the amount of funds that the player specifies can be withdrawn from the player account within the specified time period, and

an incentives manager configured to present one or more incentives for monetary marketing offers in exchange for terminating wagering activity when the withdrawal limit approaches the amount of funds that the player specifies can be withdrawn.

14. The system of claim 13 , said wagering game machine further comprising:

a report selection controller configured to select report templates that present financial transactions during the wagering game session.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the account data controller is further configured to,

generate financial graphs showing the accounting transaction data, and

present the financial graphs on the display according to one or more pre-specified financial report templates.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a responsible gaming module configured to, via the processor,

determine wagering transaction data for a first player account associated with a first player, wherein the wagering transaction data relates to one or more wagering transactions that have been transacted during a time period in association with the first player account, wherein the time period includes one or more wagering game sessions,

determine that the first player account is logged in to a wagering game machine for one of the one or more wagering game sessions,

present the wagering transaction data and wagering game content at the same time, via the wagering game machine, during the one of the one or more wagering game sessions, and

present, during the one of the one or more wagering game sessions, statistics of additional wagering transactions for additional player accounts associated with additional players, wherein the additional wagering transactions occur during the time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the responsible gaming module is further configured to generate a comparison between the wagering transaction data to the financial transaction statistics, and present the comparison in a comparison graphic during the wagering game session.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the responsible gaming module is further configured to

determine that the first player account and the additional player accounts have one or more of common gaming practices and common financial backgrounds; and

selecting the additional player accounts based on the one or more of the common gaming practices and the common financial backgrounds.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining accounting transaction data for a player account over a time period specified by player input;

means for determining one or more player preferences, for the player account, regarding a trend for the accounting transaction data during a wagering game session;

means for presenting the accounting transaction data on a financial report on the display during the wagering game session as a graphical chart that indicates the trend over the time period;

means for determining that the trend experiences a change in the accounting transaction data within a portion of the time period; and

means for indicating the change on the graphical chart, during the wagering game session, wherein the means for indicating the change on the graphical chart comprises means for simultaneously indicating on the graphical chart a first portion of the accounting transaction data for a first time within the time period prior to the change in the accounting transaction data and a second portion of the accounting transaction data for a second time within the time period after the change in the accounting transactions data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

means for selecting a financial report template based on the trend; and

means for presenting the graphical chart using the financial report template.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

means for analyzing the accounting transaction data during a fractional portion of the time period indicated by the player preferences; and

means for presenting analysis of the accounting transaction data on the graphical chart as the trend per the fractional portion of the time period.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

means for determining a transaction limit set in the one or more player preferences; and

means for indicating the transaction limit, on the financial report, during the wagering game session.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:

means for determining that the transaction limit is exceeded; and

means for presenting a warning message that intrudes on the wagering game session,

wherein the warning message indicates that the transaction limit has been exceeded.

24. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

tracking accounting transaction data during a wagering game session for a player account, wherein the accounting transaction data relates to an amount of financial transactions that the player account has transacted on gambling during a time period;

determining one or more player preferences, for the player account, regarding the presentation of the accounting transaction data during the wagering game session;

presenting the accounting transaction data according to the one or more player preferences so that the accounting transaction data is perceptible during the wagering game session;

determining a transaction limit set in the one or more player preferences, wherein the transaction limit indicates a limit on a use of funds for the player account;

indicating the transaction limit during the wagering game session;

calculating a reduced wager amount per spin of a wagering game played during the wagering game session;

calculating an additional time period, wherein when the reduced wager amount per spin is performed over the additional time period during the wagering game session, the use of the funds will comport with the transaction limit; and

presenting the reduced wager amount and additional time period as a suggestion.

Assignments (13)