Location-based account management and fraud-detection system for use with mobile gambling applications
Apparatus and method provide for wagering across multiple gaming operators operating at respective locations, using respective accounts accessible according to a location of a player. The first and second accounts may be linked to a linking account, and money is transferrable between the linking account and each of the first and second accounts. The second account may be accessible by a player to place wagers associated with a second gaming operator at a second location, but not to place wagers associated with a first gaming operator operating at a first location. While a player is currently located at the second location, an amount of money from the first account may be transferred to the linking account and the amount of money from the linking account may be transferred to the second account.
1 . A system comprising:
one or more server computers, each of the one or more server computers including at least one processor, the one or more server computers being configured to:
receive login information of a user from a mobile gambling application being executed on a smartphone, wherein the login information enables access to a user account established with a gaming operator of the mobile gambling application;
attempt to verify the login information;
based at least on successful verification of the login information, provide the user access to the user account via the mobile gambling application;
receive at least Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the smartphone while the smartphone executes the mobile gambling application;
based at least on the GPS data, determine whether the user is in a location where wagering is permitted;
based at least on a determination that the user is in the location where wagering is permitted:
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a request to transfer money from a pre-permissioned financial account of the user to the user account, wherein the pre-permissioned financial account is associated with a financial institution;
determine that an amount of the money is less than a maximum transfer amount designated for the location where wagering is permitted;
while a current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is permitted and the determination that the amount of the money is less than the maximum transfer amount, approve the request; and
based at least on a determination that the user is in a location where wagering is not permitted, deny the first request.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to receive at least one of:
an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
an identifier of a network that the smartphone is connected to;
an identifier of a geofence in which the smartphone is located; or
triangulation data; and
wherein to determine whether the user is in the location where wagering is not permitted, the one or more server computers are configured to determine whether the user is in the location where wagering is not permitted based on at least the GPS data and one or more of the IP address, the identifier of the network that the smartphone is connected to, the identifier of the geofence in which the smartphone is located, or the triangulation data.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the location where wagering is permitted is a geofenced area at a casino property.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a second request to transfer money from the pre-permissioned financial account of the user to the user account;
determine that an amount of money associated with the second request is greater than the maximum transfer amount designated for the location where wagering is permitted;
based at least on a determination that the amount of money associated with the second request is greater than the maximum transfer amount designated for the location where wagering is permitted, deny the third request;
receive at least second GPS data from the smartphone;
based at least on the second GPS data, determine whether the user is in a location where (i) wagering is permitted and (ii) there is no maximum transfer amount;
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a third request to transfer money from the pre-permissioned financial account of the user to the user account; and
while the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where (i) wagering is permitted and (ii) there is no maximum transfer amount, approve the third request.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more server computers are configured to:
receive at least second GPS data from the smartphone;
based at least on the second GPS data, determine whether the user is in a location where casino wagering is not permitted and (ii) sports betting wagering is permitted;
i) receive a casino wager from the mobile gambling application associated with the user account; and
while the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where (i) casino wagering is not permitted and (ii) sports betting wagering is permitted, deny the casino wager.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:
create the user account based on receiving at least one of a name of the user, an address of the user, or a social security number of the user.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the name of the user, the address of the user, or the social security number of the user are received in person at a casino.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein to provide the user access to the user account via the mobile gambling application, the one or more server computers are configured to enable the mobile gambling application to display a balance of money in the pre-permissioned financial account.
9 . A system comprising:
one or more server computers, each of the one or more server computers including at least one processor, the one or more server computers being configured to:
receive login information of a user from a mobile gambling application being executed on a smartphone, wherein the login information enables access to a user account established with a gaming operator of the mobile gambling application;
attempt to verify the login information;
based at least on successful verification of the login information, provide the user access to the user account via the mobile gambling application;
receive at least Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the smartphone while the smartphone executes the mobile gambling application;
based at least on the GPS data, determine whether the user is in a location where wagering is permitted;
based at least on a determination that the user is in the location where wagering is permitted:
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a request to wager a first amount of money on a game, wherein the first amount of money is in the user account;
while a current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is permitted, approve the request to wager;
based at least on the determination that the user is in a location where gambling is not permitted:
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a request to withdraw a second amount of money from the user account for deposit in a pre-permissioned financial account associated with a financial institution; and
while the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is not permitted:
deny the request to withdraw based at least on one of: the determination that the user is in the location where wagering is not permitted, or a determination that the second amount of money is greater than a maximum transfer amount.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to receive at least one of:
an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
an identifier of a network that the smartphone is connected to;
an identifier of a geofence in which the smartphone is located; or
triangulation data; and
wherein to determine whether the user is in the location where wagering is not permitted, the one or more server computers are configured to determine whether the user is in the location where wagering is not permitted based on at least the GPS data and one or more of the IP address, the identifier of the network that the smartphone is connected to, the identifier of the geofence in which the smartphone is located, or the triangulation data.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the location where wagering is permitted is within a geofenced area at a casino property.
12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:
receive at least second GPS data from the smartphone;
based at least on the second GPS data, determine whether the user is in the location where wagering is permitted;
receive, from the mobile gambling application, a second request to withdraw a third amount of money from the user account for deposit in the pre-permissioned financial account; and
while the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is permitted, approve the second request to withdraw.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to determine that the third amount of money is less than the maximum transfer amount designated for the location where wagering is permitted; and
wherein the one or more server computers are configured to execute the second request to withdraw while the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is permitted and the determination that the third amount of money is less than the maximum transfer amount.
14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the second amount of money in the request to withdraw is less than or equal to the first amount of money in the request to wager.
15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more server computers are further configured to:
create the user account based on at least one of receiving a name of the user, an address of the user, and a social security number of the user.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the name of the user, the address of the user, or the social security number of the user are received in person at a casino.
17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein to provide the user access to the user account via the mobile gambling application, the one or more server computers are configured to enable the mobile gambling application to display a balance of money in the pre-permissioned financial account.
18 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a determination that the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where (i) wagering is permitted and (ii) there is no maximum transfer amount is further based on at least one of:
an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
an identifier of a network that the smartphone is connected to;
an identifier of a geofence in which the smartphone is located; or
triangulation data.
19 . The system of claim 5 , wherein a determination that the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where (i) casino wagering is not permitted and (ii) sports betting wagering is permitted is further based on at least one of:
an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
an identifier of a network that the smartphone is connected to;
an identifier of a geofence in which the smartphone is located; or
triangulation data.
20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein a determination that the current location of the user continues to be determined as the location where wagering is permitted is further based on at least one of:
an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
an identifier of a network that the smartphone is connected to;
an identifier of a geofence in which the smartphone is located; or
triangulation data.