IP Library Granted Patent US 12,412,211
Granted Patent B2
US 12,412,211 · App. 18/521,481 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Mitigating line of credit risks of a gaming establishment credit system

Inventors: Kevin Higgins (Reno, NV); Jeffery Shepherd (Reno, NV)
Assignee: IGT
G06Q40/03G07F17/3237G07F17/3244
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,412,211
App. No.
18/521,481
Filed
Nov 28, 2023
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3691
USPC
705/38
Abstract

A system that coordinates the issuance of a line of credit or marker for a user based on financial information associated with that user. Following a user, such as a player, applying for a line of credit with a gaming establishment credit system and following the user authorizing access to a financial institution account maintained for the user by a financial institution, the system operates with the financial institution to obtain financial information associated with the financial account. The system utilizes the obtained financial information to determine one or more attributes of the applied for line of credit.

Claims (41)

1. A gaming establishment credit system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to a receipt of data associated with a request to establish a gaming establishment line of credit of a first amount of funds exclusively accessible in association with a gaming establishment and following a user separately logging into a financial institution computing device and authorizing, independent of the processor interfacing with the financial institution computing device, a release of financial information associated with a financial account of the user maintained by the financial institution, cause the processor to:

receive, from the financial institution computing device and via an independently operating external funding system, the released financial information associated with the financial account, wherein the financial account is maintained independent of the processor, the financial information is distinct from any data associated with any credit check of the user and the financial institution is distinct from any credit reporting agency,

determine, based on the received financial information and without receiving any data associated with any credit check of the user determined by any credit reporting agencies computing devices, a parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, and

responsive to a determination of a first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit:

enable an activation of a first gaming establishment marker for up to the first amount of funds, and

responsive to the activation of the first gaming establishment marker in association with an electronic gaming machine, cause a transfer of fund data associated with at least part of the first amount of funds to modify a credit balance of the electronic gaming machine independent of any receipt of any physical item associated with any monetary value to modify the credit balance of the electronic gaming machine.

2. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, the instructions cause the processor to enable an activation of a second gaming establishment marker for up to a second, different amount of funds.

3. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, the instructions cause the processor to deny an establishment of the gaming establishment line of credit.

4. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein the received financial information comprises at least one of a balance of the financial account, a credit to the financial account, a debit of the financial account, a historical transaction of the financial account, and any designated high risk transactions of the financial account.

5. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor after the determination of the first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit and responsive to a receipt, from the financial institution computing device and via the external funding system, of updated financial information associated with the financial account of the user, the instructions cause the processor to modify the first amount of funds in association with the gaming establishment line of credit.

6. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 5 , wherein the modification of the first amount of funds comprises a reduction of the first amount of funds.

7. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the processor after the determination of the first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit and responsive to a receipt, from the financial institution computing device and via the external funding system, of updated financial information associated with the financial account of the user, the instructions cause the processor to cancel the gaming establishment line of credit.

8. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein the receipt of financial information associated with the financial account of the user occurs following a linkage of the financial account of the user with a cashless wagering account maintained for the user.

9. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 1 , wherein the receipt of financial information associated with the financial account of the user occurs in association with the external funding system.

10. A gaming establishment credit system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to a receipt of data associated with a request to establish a gaming establishment line of credit of a first amount of funds exclusively accessible in association with a gaming establishment and following a user separately logging into a financial institution computing device and authorizing, independent of the processor interfacing with the financial institution computing device, a release of financial information associated with a financial account of the user maintained by the financial institution, cause the processor to:

receive, from the financial institution computing device via an independently operating external funding system, the released financial information associated with the financial account, wherein the financial account is maintained independent of the processor, the financial information is distinct from any data associated with any credit check of the user and the financial institution is distinct from any credit reporting agency,

determine, based on the received financial information and without receiving any data associated with any credit check of the user determined by any credit reporting agencies computing devices, a parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit,

responsive to a determination of a first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit and prior to any scheduling of any transfer of the first amount of funds from the financial account of the user to any cashless wagering account of the user, deny an establishment of the gaming establishment line of credit, and

responsive to the determination of the first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, following a scheduling of a transfer of the first amount of funds from the financial account of the user to a cashless wagering account of the user and prior to completing the transfer of the first amount of funds from the financial account of the user to the cashless wagering account of the user:

automatically activate a first gaming establishment marker for up to the first amount of funds-in association with the gaming, and

cause a transfer of fund data associated with at least part of the first amount of funds to an electronic gaming machine identified as associated with the user to modify a credit balance of the electronic gaming machine independent of any receipt, by a payment device of the electronic gaming machine, of any physical item associated with any monetary value to modify the credit balance of the electronic gaming machine.

11. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 10 , wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, following a scheduling of a transfer of a second, different amount of funds from the financial account of the user to the cashless wagering account of the user and prior to completing the transfer of the second, different amount of funds from the financial account of the user to the cashless wagering account of the user, the instructions cause the processor to automatically activate a second gaming establishment marker for up to the second, different amount of funds, and cause a transfer of fund data associated with at least part of the second, different amount of funds to the electronic gaming machine.

12. The gaming establishment credit system of claim 10 , wherein when executed by the processor responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, the instructions cause the processor to deny the establishment of the gaming establishment line of credit.

13. A method of operating a gaming establishment credit system, the method comprising:

responsive to a receipt of data associated with a request to establish a gaming establishment line of credit of a first amount of funds exclusively accessible in association with a gaming establishment and following a user separately logging into a financial institution computing device and authorizing, independent of a processor of the gaming establishment credit system interfacing with the financial institution computing device, a release of financial information associated with a financial account of the user maintained by the financial institution:

receiving, from the financial institution computing device and via an independently operating external funding system, the released financial information associated with the financial account, wherein the financial account is maintained independent of the processor, the financial information is distinct from any data associated with any credit check of the user and the financial institution is distinct from any credit reporting agency,

determining, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system and based on the received financial information and without receiving any data associated with any credit check of the user determined by any credit reporting agencies computing devices, a parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, and

responsive to a determination of a first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit:

enabling, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system, an activation of a first gaming establishment marker for up to the first amount of funds, and

responsive to the activation of the first gaming establishment marker in association with an electronic gaming machine, causing a transfer of fund data associated with at least part of the first amount of funds to modify a credit balance of the electronic gaming machine independent of any receipt of any physical item associated with any monetary value to modify the credit balance of the electronic gaming machine.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, enabling, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system, an activation of a second, different gaming establishment marker for up to a second, different amount of funds.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, responsive to a determination of a second, different parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit, denying, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system, an establishment of the gaming establishment line of credit.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the received financial information comprises at least one of a balance of the financial account, a credit to the financial account, a debit of the financial account, a historical transaction of the financial account, and any designated high risk transactions of the financial account.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after the determination of the first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit and responsive to a receipt, from the financial institution computing device and via the external funding system, of updated financial information associated with the financial account of the user, modifying, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system, the first amount of funds in association with the gaming establishment line of credit.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the modification of the first amount of funds comprises a reduction of the first amount of funds.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after the determination of the first parameter of the gaming establishment line of credit and responsive to a receipt, from the financial institution computing device and via the external funding system, of updated financial information associated with the financial account of the user, cancelling, by the processor of the gaming establishment credit system, the gaming establishment line of credit.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receipt of financial information associated with the financial account of the user occurs following a linkage of the financial account of the user with a cashless wagering account maintained for the user.

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 Apr 1, 2024
From: HIGGINS, KEVIN; SHEPHERD, JEFFERY
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 066967/0944 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17118118 · Dec 10, 2020
Related Publication 20240104649A1 · Mar 28, 2024
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