IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,586,441
Granted Patent B2
US 12,586,441 · App. 18/403,399 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Selective redemption of gaming establishment ticket vouchers

Inventors: Jeffery Shepherd (Reno, NV); Kevin Higgins (Reno, NV)
Assignee: IGT
G07F17/3241G06Q30/0185G06Q50/34G07F17/3244
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,586,441
App. No.
18/403,399
Filed
Jan 3, 2024
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3715
USPC
463/25
Abstract

Systems and methods that associate zero, one or more redemption attributes with a ticket voucher, wherein the associated redemption attribute determines one or more channels by which the ticket voucher may be redeemed.

Claims (33)

1 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to an occurrence of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, cause the processor to:

determine, based on an analysis of monitored activity data received, via a network interface, from a device operating independent of the processor, if any monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as potential suspicious activity, wherein activity data is monitored in association with a plurality of electronic gaming machines and comprises at least one of: an identified occurrence of an amount of currency received to modify a credit meter followed by a cashout event without at least a threshold amount of wagers placed, and an identified occurrence of at least a threshold quantity of credit meter movements from a beginning of a session to an ending of the session caused by the cashout event,

responsive to the determination being that a monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as the potential suspicious activity and responsive to a separate determination to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, cause a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with an amount of funds to be issued, wherein the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher comprises a displayed redemption limitation notification pertaining to a restricted redemption of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher to access the amount of funds and an electronic record of the issued gaming establishment ticket voucher is associated, in a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with a restricted redemption attribute, and

responsive to the determination being that the monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request does not qualify as the potential suspicious activity and responsive to the separate determination to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, cause the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with the amount of funds to be issued, wherein the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher comprises no displayed redemption limitation notification and the electronic record of the issued gaming establishment ticket voucher is not associated, in the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with any restricted redemption attribute.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause data associated with at least one of the restricted redemption attribute and the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause data associated with at least one of the restricted redemption attribute and the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a shared cache accessible by a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises one of an electronic gaming machine of the plurality of electronic gaming machines and a kiosk associated with a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the restricted redemption attribute comprises a designated gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state that is different from a paid gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state and a non-designated unpaid gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the restricted redemption attribute is associated with an eligible redemption via a first gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher redemption device and an ineligible redemption via a second, different gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher redemption device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein causing the electronic record of the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher to be associated, in the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with the restricted redemption attribute occurs after the issuance of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with the amount of funds.

9 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to an occurrence of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, cause the processor to:

determine, based on an analysis of monitored activity data received, via a network interface, from a device operating independent of the processor, if any monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as a potential suspicious activity, wherein activity data is monitored in association with a plurality of electronic gaming machines and comprises at least one of: an identified occurrence of an amount of currency received to modify a credit meter followed by a cashout event without at least a threshold amount of wagers placed, and an identified occurrence of at least a threshold quantity of credit meter movements from a beginning of a session to an ending of the session caused by the cashout event, and

responsive to the determination being that a monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as the potential suspicious activity and responsive to a separate determination not to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, cause a display, by a display device, of a denial of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request and forgo causing any gaming establishment cashless ticket vouchers associated with any amount of funds to be issued in association with the occurrence of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause data associated with the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause data associated with the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a shared cache accessible by a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

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

responsive to an occurrence of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request:

determining, by a processor and based on an analysis of monitored activity data received, via a network interface, from a device operating independent of the processor, if any monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as potential suspicious activity, wherein activity data is monitored in association with a plurality of electronic gaming machines and comprises at least one of: an identified occurrence of an amount of currency received to modify a credit meter followed by a cashout event without at least a threshold amount of wagers placed, and an identified occurrence of at least a threshold quantity of credit meter movements from a beginning of a session to an ending of the session caused by the cashout event,

responsive to the determination being that a monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request qualifies as the potential suspicious activity and responsive to a separate determination to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, causing a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with an amount of funds to be issued, wherein the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher is caused to include a displayed redemption limitation notification pertaining to a restricted redemption of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher to access the amount of funds, and an electronic record of the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher is caused to be associated, in a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with a restricted redemption attribute, and

responsive to the determination being that the monitored activity associated with the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request does not qualify as the potential suspicious activity and responsive to the separate determination to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request, causing the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with the amount of funds to be issued, wherein the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher comprises no displayed redemption limitation notification and the electronic record of the issued gaming establishment ticket voucher is not associated, in the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with any restricted redemption attribute.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising causing data associated with at least one of the restricted redemption attribute and the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising causing data associated with at least one of the restricted redemption attribute and the potential suspicious activity to be communicated to a shared cache accessible by a server of a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system that determines whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining, by the processor, whether to approve the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher request.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the device comprises one of an electronic gaming machine of the plurality of electronic gaming machines and a kiosk associated with a gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher system.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the restricted redemption attribute comprises a designated gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state that is different from a paid gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state and a non-designated unpaid gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher state.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the restricted redemption attribute is associated with an eligible redemption via a first gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher redemption device and an ineligible redemption via a second, different gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher redemption device.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein causing the electronic record of the issued gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher to be associated, in the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher database, with the restricted redemption attribute occurs after the issuance of the gaming establishment cashless ticket voucher associated with the amount of funds.

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 Jan 3, 2024
From: SHEPHERD, JEFFERY; HIGGINS, KEVIN
To: IGT
Reel/Frame 066011/0329 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17684127 · Mar 1, 2022
Related Publication 20240135778A1 · Apr 25, 2024
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