IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,731,461
Granted Patent B2
US 12,731,461 · App. 18/456,987 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Shared game benefits using cryptographic tokens

Inventors: Jackie Alvarez (Las Vegas, NV); David Small (Moncton, CA); David Froy (Lakeville-Westmorland, CA); Gaurav Jariwala (Halifax, CA); Anthony Baerlocher (Henderson, NV); Todd Grimm (Riverview, CA); Karen Van Niekerk (Dieppe, CA); Daniel Landry (Moncton, CA)
Assignee: IGT
G07F17/3267G06Q20/29G06Q20/367G06Q20/3827G06Q20/389G06Q50/34G07F17/3211G07F17/3237G07F17/3255
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,731,461
App. No.
18/456,987
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A plurality of cryptographic tokens are determined, each including a common identifier indicative of the cryptographic token being part of the plurality of cryptographic tokens, and a player identifier indicative of a player associated with the cryptographic token. It is determined whether a first player associated with a first cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a first active play session of a first wagering game at a first gaming device, and whether a second player associated with a second cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a second active play session of a second wagering game at a second gaming device. Based on a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is in the second active play session, a first game benefit is provided to the first player in the first active play session.

Claims (67)

1 . A system comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to:

determine a plurality of cryptographic tokens, each cryptographic token comprising:

a common identifier indicative of the cryptographic token being part of the plurality of cryptographic tokens; and

a player identifier indicative of a player associated with the cryptographic token;

determine whether a first player associated with a first cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a first active play session of a first wagering game at a first gaming device;

determine whether a second player associated with a second cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a second active play session of a second wagering game at a second gaming device;

in response to a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is in the second active play session, provide a first game benefit to the first player in the first active play session; and

in response to a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is not in the second active play session, provide a third game benefit to the first player in the second active play session, wherein the third game benefit is different from the first game benefit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to, based on the determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is in the second active play session, provide a second game benefit to the second player in the second active play session.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first game benefit is further based on a first player status of the first player, and wherein the second game benefit is further based on a second player status of the second player.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens comprises a cryptographic hash associated with a common blockchain.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens comprises a unique transaction identifier associated with a unique transaction on the blockchain, the unique transaction identifier comprising:

a sending address associated with a provider of the cryptographic token; and

a receiving address associated with the player identifier.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to:

receive a transaction indication of a new transaction for the first cryptographic token comprising a sending address associated with the first player and a receiving address associated with a third player; and

based on the transaction indication, modify the player identifier of the first cryptographic token to be indicative of the third player.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens comprises a benefit identifier associated with the game benefit being provided to the player associated with the cryptographic token.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to:

receive a benefit transaction indication of a new transaction for the first cryptographic token comprising a sending address associated with the first player and a receiving address associated with a third player; and

based on the benefit transaction indication, modify the benefit identifier of the first cryptographic token to be associated with a second game benefit associated with the second cryptographic token.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the modification of the benefit identifier is further based on a determination that a first player device associated with the first cryptographic token is within a predetermined proximity of a second player device associated with the second cryptographic token.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cryptographic tokens are fungible tokens that are fungible with each other.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens comprises a unique identifier such that the plurality of cryptographic tokens are non-fungible tokens that are not fungible with each other.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first game benefit comprises an unlockable game play feature of the first wagering game.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first game benefit comprises modifying a paytable of the first wagering game from a standard paytable to an enhanced paytable different from the standard paytable.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to:

determine a token status value for each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens; and

display, at a display device associated with the player, a leaderboard comprising a subset of the determined token status value, wherein the subset comprises the determined token status value for the first cryptographic token.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to:

determine whether the first player has reached a threshold result in the first wagering game; and

based on a determination that the first player has reached the threshold result, modify the first game benefit.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor circuit to:

receive a subscription payment from each player associated with a cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens;

allocate a portion of each subscription payment to a subscription award pool; and

based on the subscription payment, provide a subscription benefit to each player associated with a cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens, wherein the subscription benefit comprises access to a bonus game, wherein an award for the bonus game is funded by the subscription award pool.

17 . A system comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a memory coupled to the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to:

determine a plurality of cryptographic tokens, each cryptographic token comprising:

a common identifier indicative of the cryptographic token being part of the plurality of cryptographic tokens;

a player identifier indicative of a player associated with the cryptographic token;

a cryptographic hash associated with a common blockchain; and

a benefit identifier associated with a game benefit being provided to the player associated with the cryptographic token;

receive a benefit transaction indication of a new transaction for a first cryptographic token comprising a sending address associated with a first player and a receiving address associated with a second player;

in response to the benefit transaction indication, modify the benefit identifier of a second cryptographic token to be associated with the game benefit associated with the first cryptographic token;

in response to a determination that the first player is in a first active play session and that the second player is in a second active play session, providing a first game benefit to the first player in the first active play session;

in response to a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is not in the second active play session, providing a second game benefit to the first player in the second active play session, wherein the second game benefit is different from the first game benefit;

determine a token status value for each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens; and

display, at a display device associated with the player, a leaderboard comprising a subset of the determined token status value, wherein the subset comprises the determined token status value for the first cryptographic token.

18 . A method comprising:

determining, by a processor circuit, a plurality of cryptographic tokens, each cryptographic token comprising:

a common identifier indicative of the cryptographic token being part of the plurality of cryptographic tokens;

a player identifier indicative of a player associated with the cryptographic token; and

a cryptographic hash associated with a common blockchain;

determining, by the processor circuit, whether a first player associated with a first cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a first active play session of a first wagering game at a first gaming device;

determining, by the processor circuit, whether a second player associated with a second cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens is in a second active play session of a second wagering game at a second gaming device;

in response to a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is in the second active play session, providing a first game benefit to the first player in the first active play session; and

in response to a determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is not in the second active play session, providing a third game benefit to the first player in the second active play session, wherein the third game benefit is different from the first game benefit.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein each cryptographic token of the plurality of cryptographic tokens comprises a unique transaction identifier associated with a unique transaction on the blockchain, the unique transaction identifier comprising:

a sending address associated with a provider of the cryptographic token; and

a receiving address associated with the player identifier, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the processor circuit, a transaction indication of a new transaction for the first cryptographic token comprising a sending address associated with the first player and a receiving address associated with a third player; and

based on the transaction indication, modifying, by the processor circuit, the player identifier of the first cryptographic token to be indicative of the third player.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, based on the determination that the first player is in the first active play session and that the second player is in the second active play session, providing a second game benefit to the second player in the second active play session.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2025
From: IGT
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071817/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2023
From: ALVAREZ, JACKIE; SMALL, DAVID; FROY, DAVID; JARIWALA, GAURAV; BAERLOCHER, ANTHONY; GRIMM, TODD; VAN NIEKERK, KAREN; LANDRY, DANIEL
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 064725/0090 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250078621A1 · Mar 6, 2025
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