MX2007011740A - Systems and methods for gaming from an off-site location. - Google Patents

Abstract

Exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games from an off-site location via an online network. For example, a server may receive, from a client terminal, a purchase request for a plurality of wagers from a patron before a game play has begun. The server may determine the results of the plurality of wagers and store the results in a database before the game play has begun. Then, the server may adjust an account of the player based on the results before the game play has begun, and send the results to the client terminal before the game play has begun, in response to a request to reveal the results. Additionally, exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games using variable pay tables based on denomination amounts, number of wagers, amounts of previous wagers. Such systems and methods may, for example, establish a plurality of denomination levels and corresponding pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the denomination value increases.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PLAYING FROM A LOCATION OUTSIDE THE FACILITIES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to games, and more particularly, to a system, method, and article of manufacture to provide the sponsors with the ability to Play games from an off-site location. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gaming facilities (e.g., casinos) operate in a highly competitive environment. To maximize revenue, these facilities try to attract new and repeat sponsors by making sponsors feel welcome and appreciated. For example, these facilities frequently offer a wide variety of courtesies and services other than gambling, such as restaurants and valet services, and entertainment options such as concerts and theatrical events. Further. Successful gaming facilities must constantly update the games, the courtesies, and the services they offer to the sponsors, in order to remain competitive. New players in the gaming industry face even more difficulties. For example, they are necessary huge amounts of capital to finance the design and development of a new gaming facility. These problems prevent non-gambling type hotel facilities, such as hotels, motels, amusement parks, theme parks, and resorts, and retail complexes, such as grocery stores and gas stations, from entering the city. Game industry. One way for both gaming facilities to increase their revenues and for non-gaming facilities to enter the gaming industry would be for each to provide sponsors with the ability to play from off-site locations (eg, from home). ) through an online network (for example, the international network). These facilities, however, face many problems associated with providing off-site games through an online network. One problem is that sponsors do not have confidence in the safety of online networks, such as the international network, and are therefore hesitant to provide personal information or to buy bets through online networks. Another problem is that games via online networks, such as the International Network, are not legal in many places. Therefore, these facilities They may not be able to provide sponsors with such skill. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A game method consistent with the present invention may include receiving, on a server, a purchase request for a plurality of bets from a sponsor to a client terminal before the game has been started; determining, on the server, the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; storing in the server the results of the plurality of bets, in a database, before the game has been started playing, adjusting in the server a player's account, based on the results of the plurality of bets, before that the game has been started; and sending from the server the results of the plurality of bets to the client's terminal, before the game has been started, in response to a request received on the server, to reveal the results of the plurality of bets. Another game method consistent with the present invention may include receiving on the server an identifier of the sponsor identifying a sponsor from a first terminal of the client, before the game has been started; receive on the server a purchase request for at least one bet from the customer's first terminal, before the game has been started; upload to the account, on the server, a balance of accounts of a sponsor account corresponding to the identifier received from the sponsor, based on the purchase request received; determine on the server a result of the at least one bet, before the game has been started; store in the server the result of the at least one bet, in a database, before the game has been started; adjust on the server to the account balance of the sponsor's account, based on the outcome of the at hand a bet, before the game has been started; and sending from the server, to a second terminal of the client, the results of the at least one bet before the game has been started, in response to the identifier of the sponsor identifying the sponsor and a request received in the server for reveal the results of the at least one bet without the game played. A gaming system consistent with the present invention may include a plurality of client terminals, each one including; means to receive from a sponsor, an identifier of the sponsor, which identifies the sponsor and a purchase request for a plurality of bets before a game has been started, and means to transmit the sponsor's identifier and the purchase request before the game has been started; and a server, connected to each of the plurality of terminals of the client, and which includes: means for receiving, from the plurality of client terminals, the identifiers of sponsors and the purchase requests before the game has begun to be played. game, means for charging the sponsor's account corresponding to the identifier of the sponsor in response to the purchase request, before the game has been started, means for determining the results of the plurality of bets before it is has begun to play the game, means to adjust the account of the sponsor based on the results of the plurality of bets, before the game has been started, means to store the results of the plurality of bets, before the game has been started; and means for sending, to the client terminals, the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started, in response to the sponsor's identifier, which identifies the sponsor and a request received on the server to reveal the results of the plurality of bets without the game played.

Another gaming system consistent with the present invention may include a plurality of client terminals, each including an identification component to receive, from a sponsor, a sponsor identifier, which identifies the sponsor before play has begun. the game, an output device for displaying a selection menu that includes an option to purchase a plurality of bets, an input device for receiving, from the sponsor, a purchase request for a plurality of bets before it has been started to play the game, and a first communication device to transmit the sponsor's identifier and the purchase request before the game has been started; and a server connected to each of the plurality of client terminals, and which includes: a second communication device to receive, from the plurality of client terminals, the sponsor's identifier and the purchase request, before it has been received. started to play the game, a communications component to charge the sponsor's account corresponding to the sponsor's identifier in response to the purchase request, before it begins to play the game, a betting component to determine the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started, a component of adjustments to adjust the account of the sponsor based on the results of the plurality of bets, before the game has begun to be played, a database for storing the results of the plurality of bets before it has begun to play the game, and a transmitter to send, to the client's terminals, the results of the plurality of bets during the game. Another gaming system consistent with the present invention may include a plurality of customer terminals at the facility to receive a request to purchase bets; a server, connected to each of the plurality of client terminals in the facilities to receive the requests to purchase bets before a game has been started, determine the results of the bets purchased before it has begun to play the game, adjust the accounts of the players based on the results of the bets purchased before the game has been started, and store the results of the bets purchased before the game has been started; and a plurality of client terminals outside the facilities, connected to the server via an online network, to receive the results of the bets compared from the server during the game played.

Another method of games consistent with the present invention may include receiving, on a server, a sponsor identifier identifying a sponsor from a first client terminal before the game has been started; receiving, on the server, a purchase request for a plurality of bets from the client's first terminal, before the game has been started; make a charge, on the server, to an account balance of a sponsor's account corresponding to the sponsor's identifier received in the received purchase request; determine on the server the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; adjusts on the server, the account balance of the sponsor's account based on the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; storing, on the server, the results of the plurality of bets in a database before the game has been started; send from the server the results of the plurality of bets to a second client terminal, during the game. A server connected to a plurality of client terminals in a gaming system consistent with the present invention can include means for receiving, from a sponsor in a customer's first terminal, a request of purchase for at least one bet before a game has been started; means for determining a result of the at least one bet before the game has been started: means for adjusting a sponsor's account balance based on the outcome of the at least one bet, before it has begun play the game; means for storing the result of the at least one bet, before the game has been played; and means for sending the result of the at least one bet to a second client terminal during the game played. Another server connected to a plurality of client terminals in a gaming system consistent with the present invention, may include a communications device to receive from a sponsor in a client terminal, - a purchase request for a plurality of bets, before that the game has been started; a betting component to determine the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; an adjustment component for adjusting a sponsor's account balance based on the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; a database for storing the results of the plurality of bets before the game has been started; and a shipping component for send the results of the plurality of bets to the client's terminal during the game played. Another method of games consistent with the present invention may include, receiving on a server a purchase request for at least one bet from a first terminal of the client, before the game has been started; determine on the server the results of the at least one bet, before the game has been started; update on the server a sponsor account balance in accordance with the results of the at least one bet, before the game has been started; store in the server the results of the at least one bet, in a database, before the game has been started; receiving on the server an application from a second terminal of the client to reveal the results of the at least one bet without the game played; and send, from the server, the results of the at least one bet to the second terminal of the client. Another game method consistent with the present invention may include, receiving on a server a purchase request for at least one bet from one played at a first terminal of the client, before the game has been started; determine on the server a result of the at least one bet, before it has begun to play the game; store the result in a database on the server, before the game has been started; adjust a player account on the server based on the result, before the game has been started; receive a request on the server to reveal the result; send the result from the server to a second terminal of the client; and display the result in the second terminal of the client after a predetermined period of time from the sending of the result. Another game method consistent with the present invention may include receiving, on a server, a purchase request for at least one bet from a player at a first terminal of the client, before the game has been started; determining on the server a result of the at least one bet before the game has been started; store the result in the server, in a database, before the game has been started; adjust a player account on the server, based on the results, before the game has been started; receive, on the server, a request to reveal the result; send the result from the server to a second client terminal; and displaying the result in the second terminal of the client after a predetermined period of time from the sending of the result.

Another method of play consistent with the present invention may include receiving a purchase request for a bet from a player at a first terminal of the client before the game has been started; associate an amount of the purchase with the bet; determine a payment table based on the amount of the purchase; determine a result of the bet based on the determined payment table, before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a second client terminal. Another method of gaming consistent with the present invention may include, receiving a purchase request for a bet from a player at a first client terminal, before the game has been started; associate a denomination value with the bet; determine a payment table for the bet based on the denomination value; determine a result of the bet based on the payment table determined before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a second client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result.

Another method of play consistent with the present invention may include, receiving a request for reimbursement from a player to collect an estimated amount of a bet placed previously; receiving a purchase request from the player to use at least some of the prize amount to place a new bet; determine a prior payment table used to determine the amount of prize from the previously placed bet; select a new payment table for the new bet in such a way that the new payment table has better probabilities of winning than the previous payment table; determine a result of the new bet using the new pay table, before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result. Another gaming method consistent with the present invention may include receiving a purchase request for a plurality of bets from a player at a first customer terminal before the game has been started; associating a first denomination value with the plurality of bets; determine a payment table based on the first denomination value; determine the results of the plurality of bets based on the pay table before the game has been started; receiving from a second terminal of the client, a request to reveal the modified results, wherein the request includes a second denomination value greater than the first value of denomination; dividing the second naming value between the first naming value to determine a number of modified results; add, in the server, the number of results modified in a total prize; and send from the server the total prize to the second terminal of the client, in response to the request to reveal the modified results. Another method of play consistent with the present invention may include receiving a request for reimbursement from a player, to collect a prize amount from a previously placed bet; receiving a purchase request from the player to use at least some of the prize amount to place a new bet; determine a result of the new bet before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and form part of this specification, illustrate one of several embodiments consistent with the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The appended drawings are incorporated and form part of this specification, and together with the description, explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary game system consistent with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another exemplary game system consistent with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another exemplary game system consistent with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary client terminal consistent with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary server consistent with the present invention; FIGs. 6-8 are flow charts of an exemplary method for operating a system consistent with the present invention; FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for determining a result based on a payment table; FIG. 10 is an exemplary denomination mapping table; and FIG. 11 is an exemplary prize chart. DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. Systems, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention allow a sponsor to play games from an off-site location (eg, the sponsor's home) via an online network (eg, the international network). For example, systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention may assign a unique identifier of the sponsor (e.g., an account number) or a delivery device (such as a magnetic card or transmitter) with a Sponsor's unique identifier for each sponsor. The sponsor may use the identifier of the sponsor or the associated shipping device to register at a customer terminal located in a facility, such as a catering facility or retail complex. To provide security, the Sponsor can also ask the sponsor to enter a pre-set personal identification number (PIN) or use a biometric authentication. After registering at the customer's terminal, the sponsor can use an input device at the client's terminal, to enter a request to buy at least one bet. The client terminal can then send a request to buy a bet to a server. The term bet, as used in this application, refers to playing a game (for example, a game of the type of slot machine). As part of the purchase request, you can request that the sponsor specify the selection information, such as an amount of the purchase, the number of bets, or a denomination value for each bet. After the server receives the request, it makes a charge to the account balance corresponding to the sponsor's account, based on the request, for example, subtracting the purchase amount from the sponsor's account balance. Then, the server immediately determines the outcome of each bet using one of a number of different known methods and stores the result of each bet in a transaction history file corresponding to the sponsor's account.

Once the results of the bets have been determined and stored by the server on the premises, the sponsor may use the client's terminal off-site, such as a computer located at the sponsor's home, to disclose the results of the betting. the bets. The customer's terminal outside the facility connects to the server within the facilities via a public network, such as the international network. The server identifies the appropriate account of the sponsor and the transaction history file through the receipt of the sponsor's identifier. To provide additional security, you can ask the sponsor to enter the authentication information, such as a pre-set PIN, or use biometric authentication. The results of the bets can be disclosed to the sponsor using a disclosure component, such as a graphic user interface application of the machine type of twenty one, keno, or slot machines (eg, spinning or multi-line reels), which can be stored in the customer's terminal outside the facilities. The server can send the result of each posting to the disclosure component, which in turn can display a different graphical user interface depending on whether the result was a win or loss. The sponsor can Keep revealing the remaining bets or stop playing at any time. After the sponsor has stopped playing, the sponsor may return to the facility to collect his account balance, which can be adjusted by an amount that reflects any money won or lost by the sponsor when it reveals any bets. The methods systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention receive requests for purchase of bets from the patrons in the facilities, determine the results of the bets in the facility, but may reveal the results of the bets in a location different from the installation. In addition, the results can be stored in the sponsor's account and revealed by the sponsor in the installation. The foregoing and the following examples are made to be illustrative of the features of the present invention rather than limiting this in any way. In addition, systems, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention are not limited to any particular installation or sponsor. An installation may include, but is not limited to, a catering facility (eg, gaming complexes, hotels, motels, amusement parks, theme parks, and resorts) and a retail facility (e.g., retail stores). food and gas stations). A sponsor may include, but is not limited to, a host or client of the facility. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary game system 100, consistent with the present invention. As shown, the system 100 may include one or more terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the premises, one or more terminals, 104a-104n, of customer service, one or more terminals, 106a-106n, of the client outside the facilities, and a server 108, which are interconnected via a network 110. In the following description, a customer terminal within the individual facilities, a service terminal of the individual customer, a customer terminal outside of the the individual facilities are referred to as a customer terminal 102 within the premises, a customer service terminal 104, and a customer terminal 106 off-site, respectively. In addition, the terminals 102a-102n, the customer within the premises, the terminals, 104a-104n, customer service, and the terminals, 106a-106n, of the customer outside the premises are collectively referred to as customer terminals. The terminal 102 of the customer within the premises can be a computer or a similar device that can receive or retrieve the sponsor's identifiers (for example, account numbers), receive requests from the sponsors, display information to the sponsors, and communicate with the server 108. Using the customer's terminal 102 within the premises, a sponsor, for example, You can buy bets or carry out other tasks, such as playing traditional games on the premises, locating other sponsors, communicating with other sponsors on the premises. The terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the facilities can be located throughout the installation. In one embodiment, a sponsor may use the customer's terminal 102 within the premises to reveal the results of previously purchased bets. For example, if the installation is a casino, the terminal 102 of the customer within the premises can be located in a restaurant in the casino or the hotel room of the sponsor, so that the sponsor can reveal the results of the purchased bets previously, in a different location from the casino floor. Of course, systems, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention may also allow a sponsor to disclose the results of purchased bets. previously, in a customer terminal on the casino floor. In one embodiment, the terminals, 102a-102n, of the client within the facilities may be the player terminals or kiosk terminals described in the US Patent Application No. 09 / 488,556 (the "application 556"), filed on 21 January 2000; the player terminals described in US Patent Application No. 08 / 877,375 (the "application 375"), filed on June 17, 1997, now US Patent No. 6,280,328, or US Patent No. 5,674,128 (the "Patent 128"; the client terminals of the sponsor described in US Patent Application No. 09 / 689,842 (the" application 842"filed on October 13, 2000) or the client terminals of the sponsor described in the US Patent Application No. 09 / 689,841 (the "application 841"), filed on October 13, 2000. The contents of all the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein, alternatively the terminals, 102a-102n, of the client within the facilities can be combined with the player terminals, the kiosk terminals, or the client terminals of the sponsor described in the aforementioned applications. Terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the premises can be used to fulfill the tasks carried out by the player's terminals, the kiosk terminals, or the client terminals of the sponsor described in the aforementioned applications. For example, a sponsor may use customer terminals 102a-102n within the premises to communicate with or locate other sponsors of the facility, including sponsors that may be on the premises and sponsors that may be off-site, for example, the sponsors that may be using the terminals, 106a-106n, of the client outside the facilities, to play games. As shown in Figure 1, the systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention may also include one or more terminals 104a-104n, customer service. The customer service terminal 104 can be a computer or a similar device that can be used to fulfill administrative and management tasks, such as opening accounts for sponsors or generating various internal reports. In general, the customer service terminals 104a-104n can only be used by the personnel in the installation. In one embodiment, a sponsor may purchase bets at terminals 104a-104n, customer service. In other mode, a sponsor can set up an account for another person (for example, an amino or a member of their family) and buy bets for the account as a gift. Alternatively, if the person already has an account with the installation, the sponsor can simply buy bets for the account. In this situation, the sponsor would also need to provide information (for example, sponsor's name or sponsor's identifier) that identifies the person's account. In another embodiment, a sponsor may disclose the results of bets-purchased at the customer service terminal 104. For example, if a sponsor prefers to receive the total amount earned or period after processing all bets purchased instead of disclosing the results one at a time, the sponsor may request that information from a dependent at the customer service terminal 104. In one embodiment, the customer service terminals 104a-104n may be the customer service stations, buyer service stations, cashier stations, or the administration and report generation stations described in the v556 application; the cashier station or the buyer service station described in the '375 application and the patent v 128; the customer service terminals described in the '842 application; and the customer terminals described in the '841 application. Alternatively, terminals 104a-104n, customer service can be combined with those that include customer service stations, buyer service stations, ATM stations, management and reporting stations, or service terminals to the client described in the aforementioned applications. In yet another embodiment, the customer service terminals 104a-104n can be used to fulfill the tasks carried out by the customer service stations, the buyer service stations, the cashier stations, the management stations and generation of reports, or the customer service terminals described in the aforementioned applications. For example, the customer service terminals 104a-104n can communicate with the server 108 to transmit new programs and program updates to the terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the premises and to remotely reconfigure these terminals the client's. As shown in Figure 1, the systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention may also include one or more terminals, 106a-106n, of the customer off-site. The terminal 106 of the client outside the facilities can be a computer or a similar device. The terminals, 106a-106n, of the customer outside the premises are located outside the facility, for example, in the home of a sponsor. Using the customer's terminal 106 off-site, a sponsor may disclose the results of previously purchased bets or perform other tasks, such as communicating or locating other sponsors in a facility, or other sponsors that may be registered in other facilities. terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer outside the facilities. In one embodiment, the customer's terminal 106 off-site can also be used to buy bets. As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing systems, methods and articles may also include the server 108. The server 108 may be a computer or similar device that maintains and controls the terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the premises, the terminals 104a- 104n, customer service, and terminals, 106a-106n, customer's off-premises. In addition, the server 10-8 can receive a request to purchase bets, make charges to the account balance of the sponsors based on the purchase requests, determine the results of each bet, store the results of each bet in a file of history of transactions corresponding to the sponsor's account, or receive and process the requests for developing bets. In an alternative embodiment, the server 108 may send requests for the purchase or development of bets to another server or system for processing. The server 108 may include a database to store the sponsor account file for each sponsor. Each sponsor's account file may include, for example, the sponsor's identifier (for example, the account number), the sponsor's identification information (for example, name, address, or date of birth), information from the sponsor. Sponsor's preferences (for example, your favorite drink, sandwich, language, restaurant, or golf course), and a transaction history file to store the results of the bets purchased. Server 108 may be located in a secure area of the facility, accessible only by authorized personnel. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, only server 108 is displayed. When the size of system 100 grows, however, additional servers can be added. These additional servers can help with the load balance. In addition, some servers can be used for requests within the facilities and others can be used for requests outside the facilities. For example, some servers can be used to process requests for the purchase and development of bets received from terminals, 102a-102n, from the customer within the facilities and others can be used to process requests for the purchase and development of bets that are received from the terminals, 106a-106n, of the client outside the facilities. In one embodiment, the server 108 may be the transaction processing subsystem described in the v556 application, or the central control network described in the '375 application or the' 128 patent. Alternatively, the server 108 may be. combined with a system that includes the courtesy server or the transaction processing system described in the v556 application; the central control network, the game server, or the terminal server described in the application 375 or the patent? 28: or the server 110 described in the application 1842. In yet another embodiment, the server 108 may be used to fulfill the tasks carried out by the courtesy server or the transaction processing subsystems described in the '556 application; the central control network, the game server, or the terminal server described in the application (375 or the patent 1128; or the server 110 described in the application '842. For example, the server 108 can help a Sponsor to locate other sponsors or communicate with other sponsors. The network 110 can be an individual network or a combination of any type of computer network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). For example, the network 110 may comprise an Ethernet network operation in accordance with the IEEE 802.3 standard. In addition, the network 110 may be a combination of public networks (for example, the international network) and private networks, for example, as shown in FIG 2, the network 110 may include a public network 204 (for example, the international network) and a private network 202 (eg, a LAN) The other components shown in FIG.2 are similar to the components shown in FIG.1 and therefore will not be described in detail here. in one embodiment, the network 110 can be a combination of virtual LANs, other system configurations and networks will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the above and following description, and therefore, are also within the scope of the invention. For example, as shown in FIG 3, the systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention can be combined with an existing game system 302. can be able be any gaming system, such as the video game system described in the application '556 or the gaming system without money described in the application' 375 or the patent '128. In this example, a sponsor may use a client terminal that exists in the existing game system 302 or the system 100 to send a request to purchase bets to the existing game system 302. Upon receipt of the request to purchase bets, the existing game system 302 may transmit the request to the server 108 together with the sponsor identifier, sponsor. The request can include, for example, the amount of the purchase. The server 108 can receive the request and the identifier of the sponsor. The server 108 can then determine the number of bets that can be compared, based on the request, for example, the amount of the purchase. Next, the server 108 can determine the outcome of each bet and store the result of each bet in the transaction history file corresponding to the identifier of the received sponsor. After the results have been stored, the sponsor may use a customer terminal 102 within the premises or a customer terminal 106 off-site to reveal the results of the purchased bets. In an alternative modality, the request to purchase bets can be generated automatically whenever the sponsor leaves the client terminal in the existing game system 302. In this embodiment, the existing game system 302 can send the sponsor's account balance, which can be used as the purchase amount, the bet purchase request, and the sponsor's identifier for server 108. A person skilled in the art would appreciate that the systems, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with the invention can also be implemented either individually or in combination with the inventions described in the application '556, the application' 375, the patent '128, the application v842, or the request '841. While the components of FIGs. 1-3 are shown as logical devices, a person skilled in the art would readily understand that each is associated with a respective physical device. For example, as described in the above description, the server 108 may be a physical device, such as a computer. Also, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that system components 100 may use individual or combination protocols and technologies to communicate with each other. For example, server 108 and client terminals can use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Control protocol and Transmission / International Network Protocol (TCP / IP) for transport and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to present the information to the sponsors. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a sponsor wishing to use the system 100 can establish a sponsor account for storage on the server 108. This account can be established, for example, in a customer service terminal 104, which can be located, for example, in the reception of a hotel. In one embodiment, the customer service terminal 104 may be operated by an employee of the facility. In another embodiment, the customer service terminal 104 can be without the intervention of the man, obtaining information from a sponsor through a series of interactive menus. To establish an account the sponsor may need to provide some identifying information (eg, name, address, or date of birth) and preference information (eg, favorite drink, sandwich, language, restaurant, or golf course) ). Once the sponsor provides the requested information, the customer service terminal 104 sends the information to the server 108, which in turn establishes a sponsor account file for the sponsor, and sends the sponsor the unique identifier of the sponsor.

An identifier of the sponsor may include letters, numbers, or a combination of both. In addition, during the establishment of the account, the sponsor can be requested to select a personal identification number ("PIN") through an input interface, such as a numeric keypad. In another embodiment, the sponsor identifier may be stored in a shipping device (eg, a magnetic card) and the shipping device may be provided to p. in yet another mode, in addition to storing the sponsor's identifier, an encrypted version of the PIN can also be stored in the sending device.

The sending device can be a magnetic card, a smart card, a credit card, a debit card, a radio frequency transmitter, an infrared frequency transmitter, a magnetic device, or a similar device that can store an identifier of the sponsor . In addition, the shipping device may comprise jewelry (such as a watch, a brooch, a bracelet, a tie pin, or a buckle) with a transmitter or other promotional item (such as a key ring) with a transmitter. In one embodiment, the sending device can transmit a sponsor identifier, to, for example, an identification component of customer terminals. For some types of sending devices, a number pre-assigned to the sending device can be used as the unique identifier of the sponsor and therefore, the server 108 does not need to generate a sponsor identifier. For example, if the sending device is a credit card or a debit card, the account number printed on the credit card or debit card can be used as the sponsor's identifier. In another modality, the sponsor identification information and preference information could be sent to the system 100 before the sponsor arrives at the facility, for example, via the international network, so that the sponsor's account could be ready. when the sponsor arrives at the installation. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a customer terminal 102 within the premises consistent with the present invention. As shown, the customer terminal 102 within the premises may include an attraction component 402, a development component 404, an identification component 406, a navigator 408, a communications device 410, an input device 412, an 414 output device, one device / speaker 416 audio, processor and memory 418, or other storage 420 of programs and data. The attraction component 402 may comprise a computer application for graphically displaying graphics to attract a sponsor to a customer terminal 102 within the premises. The developing component 404 may comprise a computer application that runs electronic games, such as keno, twenty-one, or slot games (for example, spinning reel or multi-line revelation). A sponsor can use the development component 404 to reveal the results of previously purchased bets. The 108 may send the result of each bet to the developing component 404 and depending on the result, the developing component may display a particular graphical user interface indicating a loss or gain. For example, if the result of a bet is a win in the amount of $ 1 and the sponsor is playing a game of "rotating fruit", which is a type of spinning reel game, the developing component 404 can display an interface user graph (for example, three apples) that indicate an earned amount of $ 1. On the other hand, if the sponsor won 50F, the 404 component of development may display a graphical user interface (for example, two apples and one orange) that indicates an earned amount of 50F.

The identification component 406 can be a combination of programs and equipment and even sponsor help to register at the client's terminal. In one embodiment, the identification component 406 may include a receiving device and a program controller to support the receiving device. The receiving device may include a magnetic card reader, a smart card reader, a radio frequency receiver, an infrared frequency receiver. A magnetic device detector, or any similar device known to those skilled in the art, that retrieves or receives the sponsor identifier information. The type of the sending device can dictate the type of receiving device. In another embodiment, the identification component 406 may include a biometric authentication device, such as a fingerprint scanner, to biometrically authenticate the sponsor. In yet another embodiment, the identification component 406 may be a computer application that interacts with the server 108 to authenticate the identity of the sponsor. For example, the identification component 406 may interact with the server 108 to ask a sponsor for information, such as the sponsor's social security number or date of birth, which uniquely identifies the sponsor. The identification component 406 can send the information to the server 108, which can compare the information with the information stored in the sponsor's account file to authenticate the identity of the sponsor. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention are not limited to the authentication methods described above. The browser 408 may include a conventional computer application, such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR OR international network EXPLORER, to issue the HTTP requests to the server 108. For example the browser 408 may request a specific network page or query the server 108 to perform a query of the database. The browser 408 can read the embedded HTML codes in the network pages received from the server 108 to determine how, where, and what colors and fonts should be displayed in the elements of the network pages. In one embodiment, instead of using the development component 404, a sponsor may use the browser to reveal the results of previously purchased bets. In yet another modality, a sponsor you can use the browser 408 in combination with the development component 404, to reveal the results of previously purchased bets. The communication device 410 may include an interface device that transmits the information from the client terminal 102 within the facilities to the network 110 and receives the information that is routed to the client terminal 102 within the facilities from the network 110. For example, the communications device 410 may be a network interface or modem card. In one embodiment, when information is sent, the communications device 410 can divide. the information in packets that are sent through the TCP / IP network 110 to the server 108. In addition, the communications device can verify errors in the transmission using, for example, cyclic redundancy check ("CRC"). The input device 412 may include a device that is used to receive the entries of a sponsor. For example, the input device 412 may include a keyboard, a numeric keypad, or a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or rolling ball). A number keypad may comprise a conventional numeric or alphanumeric keyboard input device. An input device may not be necessary, however, since the Sponsor may be able to use the output device 414, for example, if the output device 414, for example, if the output device 414 includes a touch screen. The output device 414 may include a device that displays the information to users or receives user input. For example, the output device 414 may comprise a touch screen video monitor for displaying video graphics or receiving sponsor entries, such as a PIN. A touch screen may not be necessary, however, since sponsor entries can be made through an entry 412 device. The client terminal 102 within the premises may also include a module 416 of the audio / speaker device comprising a conventional audio card, amplifier, or loudspeaker for displaying the audio. In addition, terminal 102 of the client within the premises may also include the processor and memory 418. The memory may include ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The processor can control the components of the client terminal 102 and help process the requests received from the components. In addition, the terminal 102 of the client within the facilities may include other 420 storage of programs and data, such as an operating system. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the client terminal 102 within the facility may include some or all of the components shown in FIG. 4. For example, in a facility that does not want sponsors to have the ability to disclose the results of bets previo purchased at the facility, the terminals, 102a-102n, of the customer within the premises may not include component 404 of revealed. In addition, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the customer terminal 102 within the premises may include additional components not shown in FIG. 4. For example, the customer service terminal 104 may include a printing device for printing, for example, the information received from the server 108. In addition, the terminal 102 of the customer within the premises may also include hearing aids, for example , to listen to messages, and text-to-speech or voice-to-text conversion programs, respectively, to listen to received messages or to send messages. In addition, although not shown, the customer service terminal 104 and the customer terminal 106 outside the premises may also include some or all of the components that are included in the terminal 102 of the client within the facilities shown in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the customer service terminal 104 may also include a device that can write to the sending device. For example, if the sending device is a magnetic card, the customer service terminal 104 may include a magnetic card distribution system as described in the '556 patent application. The customer service terminal 104 may also include a scanning device to scan and store a signature or photograph of the sponsor or to explore a driver's license of the sponsor. In another embodiment, the customer service terminal 104 may include recognition programs to detect the sponsor's identifier information, such as the name, address or date of birth, of the sponsor's driver's license. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary server 108 consistent with the present invention. As shown, the server 108 may include a communications component 502, a transaction component 504, a betting component 506, and a database database 508. The communications component 502 may include a combination of programs and devices , such as a network server and a network interface card. Communications component 502 can receive messages from and send messages to the client's terminals. The communication component 502 can identify a sponsor by comparing, for example, the sponsor's identifier, the sponsor's, with the sponsor's account and then, authenticating the sponsor when comparing, for example, the sponsor's PIN, with the sponsor's account . The communication component 502 can also decode, decrypt, and verify for errors, the messages received from the client terminals. It can also encrypt or encrypt messages to the client's terminals. The communications component 502 can also act as an interface between the client terminals and other components of the server 108. In one embodiment, the communications component 502 can send messages, such as purchase and development requests, to the taction component 504 or to component 506 of bets for further processing. In another embodiment, the communications component 502 can retrieve the results of previously purchased bets from the 508 database and send these results to the client's terminals. Although not shown, the communications component 502 may include a database interface to write the information and retrieve information from the 508 database. In yet another modality, the communications component can determine if the sponsor's account has a sufficient balance to buy bets and if it has a sufficient balance, it can charge the sponsor's account for the amount of the purchase and then send the request to the 506 betting component for further processing. If the sponsor's account does not have a sufficient balance, the communications component 502 may send a message to the client's terminal to display a notification to the sponsor that the sponsor does not have sufficient funds. The taction component 504 can receive requests from the communications component 502 and can tmit the requests to the betting component 506. The taction component 504 generally tracks all tactions that are processed by the server 108 and can be used in conjunction with the customer service terminal 104 to generate reports, such as authentication failures or usage reports. The betting component 506 receives the requests for the purchase of bets from the taction component 504 or the communication component 502. In addition, the betting component 506 can process betting purchase requests or send the request to another component or server for processing. To process the purchase requests for bets, the betting component can calculate the number of bets, if the number was not specified by the sponsor or if the sponsor specifies only the amount of the purchase. The number of bets can be calculated, for example by dividing the purchase amount by the denomination value. Then, the betting component determines the outcome of each bet using any of an infinite number of methods. The methods used to determine the outcome of a bet are well known to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of the present application. Examples include using electronically controlled om number generators or using predefined, even disordered output values (eg, om multipliers). As an example, if even disordered exit values are used, such as om multipliers, and if a sponsor buys ten bets, the result of each of the ten bets can be calculated by multiplying the denomination value of each bet by the corresponding om multiplier, as shown in Table 1 below: Table 1 In another embodiment, the betting component 506 may include some or all of the components of the manufacturing server described in the '556 application or may interact with the manufacturing server to request a number of scraping tickets equivalent to the number of bets requested by a sponsor and then the results of each of the scraping tickets are determined. The server 108 may also include a database 508. The database 508 stores the sponsor account files, each sponsor account file that includes a sponsor identifier and a transaction history file. When the betting component 506 determines the outcome of each bet, it stores the result in the transaction history file in the 508 database so that the results can be revealed later using this transaction history file. The 508 database can also store graphic menus and other multimedia information. Although not shown, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the server 108 may include other components, such as an output device (eg, a monitor), input devices (e.g., keyboard and signaling devices). , network operating system, and a database server. The network operating system may include a conventional network operating system, such as WINDOWS NT SERVER. The network operating system can process requests from client terminals, monitor physical elements and logical elements, coordinate communications on the network, and provide transaction security. The database server can accumulate and maintain the database database 508. In addition, the database server can retrieve the sponsor's account information, graphic menus, and other information from the 508 database. multimedia to respond to requests from the client's terminals. In addition, the database server can be a SQL server (Structured Query Language). FIGs. 6-7 are flowcharts of an exemplary method for operating a system consistent with the present invention. In the exemplary method of FIGs. 6-7. it is assumed that the sponsor has already established an account with the system 100. In addition, in the following description, the use of the term, client terminal includes both the terminal 102 of the client within the premises and the terminal 106 of the client outside the facilities. The sponsor can register at the client terminal by entering the login information such as his sponsor identifier (step 602). The client terminal may then send a "login" message, which includes the sponsor identifier, to the server 108 (step 604). Although not shown in FIG. 6, if the client terminal is not connected to the server 108, a connection can be established, for example, using the communication device 410 (for example, the modem). The server 108 receives the "login" message and can then determine whether the sponsor identifier corresponds to an established sponsor's account and can also retrieve the account file corresponding to the sponsor's identifier, from database 508 (step 606). The method by which the sponsor enters the login information may vary depending on the sending device and the receiving device. By example, if the sending device is an infrared or radio frequency transmitter, the sponsor may not need to take any action to enter the login information as long as and / or when the transmitter can communicate with a receiver. On the other hand, if the sending device is a magnetic card, the sponsor may need to enter the card into a receiving device, such as a card reader, to register at the customer's terminal. Alternatively, if the sending and receiving devices are not used, the sponsor may be asked to enter, for example, their sponsor identifier. Although not shown in FIG. 6, in response to the login message from the client terminal, the server 108 can send to the client terminal an authentication message that requires the sponsor to authenticate their identity using, for example, a biometric device, such as, a fingerprint scanner. In another modality, if the sponsor selects a PIN during the establishment of the account, the sponsor may need to enter the PIN to register at the client's terminal and authenticate their identity. Alternatively, you can request that the sponsor provide other information, such as your social security number, to authenticate your identity. These and other authentication methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing and following description, and therefore, are also within the scope of the present invention. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the client terminal sends the authentication information that the sponsor provides or the client terminal retrieves from a sending device, to the server 108. Next, the server 108 compares this information with the information stored in the sponsor's account file to authenticate the identity of the sponsor. If the login information and authentication information sent by the client terminal correspond to the information on the server 108, the server sends a selection menu to the client terminal to display it to the sponsor (steps 606 and 608). On the other hand, if the information is not correct, the sponsor can be asked to provide the login or authentication information again (steps 602, 604, 606). It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a selected number of attempts to register at the client's terminal can be provided to a sponsor and that the sponsor can be requested to be placed on the client's terminal.

Contact a person affiliated with the facility after a few unsuccessful attempts. After the customer terminal displays the selection menu, the customer's terminal can receive, from the sponsor, a selection for the betting option (step 630). In response, the customer terminal can send a bet purchase request message to the server 108 (step 630). The 108 may send an acceptance message to the customer's terminal, requesting additional information concerning the purchase of bets (step 632). Although not shown, the client's terminal can then instruct the sponsor to enter the selection information. The selection information may include an amount of the purchase, a denomination value, or a number of bets that the sponsor wishes to purchase. Next, the client terminal receives the selection information from the sponsor (step 610). The amount of the purchase is the total money that the sponsor wants to spend on the bets and the denomination value is the value of each bet. For example, if a sponsor wishes to buy $ 10 in bets of $ 1, the purchase amount is $ 10 and the value of the denomination would be $ 1. In one modality, it can be requested that the sponsor transmit only an amount of the purchase. In this modality, the server 108 may use a denomination value specified by the facility or use the amount of the sponsor's normal bet as the value of the denomination. The amount of the normal bet, for example, may be the value of the average denomination of the previous bets of a sponsor and may be stored in the database 508 together with the other information of the sponsor's preferences. In another modality, if the sponsor is asked to transmit only a denomination value and the number of bets that the sponsor wishes to buy, the purchase amount can be calculated by multiplying the value of the denomination by the number of bets that the sponsor wishes to buy. In yet another embodiment, the server 108 may ignore the denomination value, if any, provided by the sponsor and use a low denomination value, such as 5F. By using a low denomination value, manufacturing systems, methods and articles consistent with the present invention allow the sponsor to vary the value of the denomination when the results are revealed. This embodiment will be described later in detail together with the development process shown in FIG. 8. The client terminal may send the sponsor selection information to server 108 (step 611).

Next, the server 108 determines whether the sponsor's account balance can cover the sponsor's selection (step 612). If the sponsor's account balance can not cover the selection of the sponsor, the server 108 may send a "message of insufficient funds" to the client's terminal (step 612). The customer terminal can then display a message to the sponsor (indicating, for example, that the purchase amount exceeds the sponsor's account balance) and instructs the sponsor to enter a new selection or end the session (step 614) . If the sponsor chooses to end the session, the purchase process is completed (steps 614 and 628). On the contrary, if the sponsor selects to enter a new selection, the client terminal sends the new selection information to the server 108 (steps 614, 610, 611). The manufacturing systems, methods and articles consistent with the invention may also allow the sponsor to deposit more funds in his account to cover the difference between the sponsor's account balance and the selection. On the other hand, if the balance or balance of the sponsor's account covers the selection of the sponsor, the client's terminal may instruct the sponsor to confirm its selection (step 616). If the sponsor does not confirm it, the sponsor may leave the session or return to the menu of selection (steps 618 and 620). If the sponsor wishes to end the session, the client terminal sends an end-of-session message to the server 108 (steps 620 and 628). On the other hand, if the sponsor does not wish to terminate the session the customer terminal can display the selection menu (steps 620 and 608): It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, that the systems, methods and articles of manufacture consistent with The present invention does not need to provide sponsors with the option to confirm their selections after the entry of the sponsor's selections. After the sponsor confirms the selection information (step 618), the client terminal sends a "confirmation" message to the server 108. The server 108 may then charge the sponsor's account for the amount of the purchase (step 622). Although not shown, if the sponsor does not specify the number of bets that the sponsor wishes to purchase, the server 108 may then calculate the number of bets by dividing the amount of the purchase by the value of the denomination. These bets are called in this application as mandatory bets. Next, server 108 can determine the result of each mandatory bet and store each result in a transaction history file corresponding to Sponsor's account file (step 624). Each result can be determined using one of an infinite number of methods, as described in the previous description. For example, if the purchase amount is equal to $ 10 and the denomination equals $ 1, the server 108 may first charge the $ 10 account (step 622). The server 108 can then determine the number of mandatory bets by dividing the purchase amount by the value of the denomination. In this example, the number of mandatory bets is equal to 10. The server 108 can then determine the results of each of the ten $ 1 bets and store the results in a transaction history file that can include two columns, as shown in Table 2. The two columns in Table 2 include the number of bets and the outcome of the bets. Other methods for storing the results in the transaction history file will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the above and following description and are also within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the transaction history file could include less than two columns of information. The systems, methods, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention can use any type of transaction history file that it would allow the client's terminal to later reveal the results of each bet to a sponsor. In the example shown in Table 2, the results of the bets are equal to the amount won for the individual bets. For example, the result of the bet does not. 1 is zero. A person with ordinary skill in the art would understand, however, that the results of bets could be other values, such as the amount earned less the amount of the denomination. Table 2 After determining and storing the results of the ten mandatory bets, the server 108 determines whether the betting bag equals zero (step 626). The betting bag is a sum of the results of the mandatory bets. Until the betting bag is zero, the server 108 can apply the betting bag to the bets additional, determine the results of these bets, and store the results in the database (steps 627, 624 and 626). In the example above, after the results of each mandatory bet are determined and stored, the betting bag equals $ 7. Therefore, in this example, server 108 would apply the betting bag to the seven additional bets at $ 1 each until the betting bag equals zero (step 627, 624, and 626). In addition, each time the server 108 repeats steps 627, 624, and 626, it adds the results of the bets to the end of the transaction history file, as shown in Table 3.

After determining and storing the result of the seven additional bets, the server 108 determines whether the bag of bets is equal to zero (step 626). The betting bag is a sum of the results of the seven additional bets. Until the betting bag is equal to zero, server 108 can apply the betting bag to the additional bets, - determines the results of these bets, and stores the results in the database (steps 627, 624, and 626 ). As shown in Table 3, the new betting pool would be the sum of the results of the last seven bets, which is equal to $ 4. Since the ball of bets is not equal to zero, server 108 can repeat the Steps 627, 624, and 626.

Once the betting bag is equal to steel, the iterative process is completed to determine the results of a bet, store the result, and adjust the stock market. bets (step 628). Although not shown, the server 108 You can now send a message to the customer terminal Notifies the sponsor that the purchase process has been completed. In addition, it will be apparent to an experienced person in the technique that the betting buying process can be asynchronous Specifically, once the sponsor confirms the selection information (step 618), the sponsor can continue to carry out other tasks in the customer terminal. Table 3 Bet No. Result 1 $ 0 2 $ 1 3 $ 2 4 $ 1 5 $ 0 6 $ 0 7 $ 0 8 $ 1 9 $ 2 10 $ 0 1 1 $ 1 12 $ 0 13 $ 0 14 $ 0 15 $ 2 16 $ 0 17 $ 1 In addition, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that various modifications to the process shown in FIG. 6 without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 except that this process is applied to a system that includes multiple servers or is combined with an existing system 302, as shown in FIG. 3. Since FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, only the steps that are different will now be explained. After a sponsor registers at a customer terminal (steps 702, 704, and 706), a selection menu may be presented to the sponsor (step 708). The sponsor can select and play games using the existing system (step 710). After the sponsor finishes playing the games, the sponsor ends the session and the client terminal sends an end-of-session message to the additional server or to the existing system 302 (step 712). After receiving the end of session message from the client terminal, the additional server or the existing system 302 determines whether the sponsor has a positive account balance (step 714). If the sponsor does not have a positive account balance, the process is completed (step 724). On the other hand, if the sponsor does not have a positive account balance or balance (step 714), the additional server or the existing 302 system charges the account balance of the sponsor and send the sponsor's account balance along with the sponsor's identifier to the server 108 (steps 716 and 718). In one embodiment, the additional server or the existing system 302 also sends a desired naming value. Again, the denomination value may be a value that is pre-established by the facility, based on the sponsor's preference, or may be based on the amount of the sponsor's normal bets. The server 108 determines the number of mandatory bets that can be compared using the account balance, determines the results for each bet, and stores the results in a transaction file corresponding to the sponsor's account file (step 718, 720, and 722). ). The rest of the process (steps 723, 720, and 722) is similar to the process (steps 627, 624, and 626) shown in FIG. 6, and therefore can be understood by reference to FIG. 6. Although not shown in Fig. 7, before or after the sponsor ends the session, the client's terminal may instruct the sponsor to choose if the sponsor wishes to use his remaining account balance to purchase bets. Alternatively, when you open your account, you can ask the sponsor to sign a statement that gives the facility the authority to automatically use the sponsor's balance to buy bets.

In addition, the process in FIGs. 6 and 7, can be modified to eliminate the steps to continue applying the betting bag to the additional bets until the betting bag is equal to zero (steps 626 and 627). Alternatively, the manufacturing systems, methods and articles consistent with the present invention may allow the sponsor to request that the server 108 perform these steps after the client's terminal discloses the results of the originally purchased bets. Other such modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art and are also within the scope of the present invention. After the completion of the process in FIGs. 6 and 7, the sponsor has several options. One option is that if the step of applying the betting bag to the additional bets was removed from the process described in FIGS. 6 and 7, the sponsor can go to a customer service terminal 104 to obtain the results, for example, the betting bag. In another embodiment, the sponsor may use either a customer terminal 102 within the premises or a customer terminal 106 off-site to disclose the results of the purchased bets. The process for disclosing the results of these bets will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 8. Again, in the Following description, the use of the client's terminal term includes both the customer's terminal 102 within the premises and the customer's terminal 106 outside the premises. As shown in FIG. 8, the sponsor can initiate the session in a client terminal by entering the login information such as his sponsor identifier (step 802). Steps 802, 804, and 806 are similar to steps 602, 604, and 606, and therefore, will not be described further in detail. If the login information and authentication information sent by the client terminal correspond to the information in the server database 108, the server sends a selection menu to the client terminal to display it to the sponsor (steps 806 and 808). Alternatively, the development component 404 may include a selection menu, which may be displayed to the sponsor. The sponsor can select, for example, the option "Reveal Results" from the selection menu. The customer terminal can receive the sponsor's selection for "Reveal Results" and send a development request to the server 108 (step 810). The server 108 receives the request, retrieves the sponsor's account balance, and sends the account balance to the client's terminal. The The customer terminal in turn displays the account balance to the sponsor. In addition, although not shown, the customer terminal can also display various development methods. The development methods can be the various games that are part of the development component or games can be deployed by the server 108, for example, via servlets and java applets right away, the client terminal receives a selection by a method of developing from the sponsor (step 814). Once the sponsor selects the development method (step 814) the client terminal sends a request to server 108 for the result of the first undisclosed bet (not shown). The server retrieves the result of the first undisclosed bet of the transaction history file corresponding to the sponsor's account, and sends the result to the developing component 404 (not shown). Depending on the result, the development component 404 may display a particular graphical user interface indicating a gain or loss and an updated account balance, if the result was a gain (step 816). For example, if the result of a bet was a profit in the amount of $ 1 and the sponsor is playing the "rotating fruit" game, the developing component 404 can display the graphical user interface (for example three apples) that indicate a winning amount of $ 1. On the other hand, if the sponsor won 50C, the developing component 404 can display the combination (for example two apples and one orange) that indicates a gain amount of 50F. On the other hand, instead of sending the result to the development component 404, the server can send a particular graphical user interface to a client terminal to display it to a user depending on the game and if the result of the bet was a gain or loss (step 815), for example, using servlets and java applets. In addition, the server can also send an updated account balance to the client's terminal to display it to the sponsor (step 816). In another mode, the customer terminal can only update the account balance based on the result and deploy it to the sponsor (step 816). In addition, although server 108 is not displayed, you can mark the particular bet in the transaction history file to indicate that the bet has been revealed. In another embodiment, in addition to selecting the development method, the sponsor can be provided with the option of selecting a denomination value for each bet (step 814). This denomination value can be equal to or less than the denomination value specified by the sponsor when the sponsor purchases the pays. Several methods can be used to allow the patterns to load the denomination value when the results are revealed. For example, when the results of the bets are determined, the server 108 can ignore the value of the denomination, if any, specified by the sponsor and instead use the bets that have a low value, for example 5í. By using a low denomination value when determining the results of bets, the sponsor may be able to vary the value of the denomination when the results are revealed. For example, while a sponsor could specify a denomination value of $ 1 when bets are purchased, server 108 can ignore this selection and instead determine the results of bets with a denomination value of 25 F. Then, during the development process, if the sponsor specifies a first denomination value of $ 1. 50, the server can add the result of the first six bets of 25C to determine the outcome of a $ 1 bet. fifty . Then, if the sponsor specifies a second denomination value of 50 F, the server can add the result of the first two bets to determine the outcome of a 50 F bet. These and other methods will be apparent to a person experienced in the technique from the previous and following description and therefore, are within the scope of the present invention. Next, the server 108 determines if there are additional undisclosed bets (step 818), for example, by examining the transaction history file. If there are additional undisclosed bets, the sponsor can be given the option to reveal these bets (step 822). If the sponsor does not wish to disclose these undisclosed bets, the development process is repeated. On the other hand, if the server determines that there are no undisclosed additional bets, the server 108 may send a message to the customer's terminal to display it to the sponsor, notifying the sponsor that there are no further undisclosed bets (step 818 and 820). If the sponsor does not wish to stop development or if the server has determined that there are no undisclosed additional bets, the server may again display the selection menu (steps 822, 818, 820, and 808). Then, the sponsor can select other options, such as ending the session (step 824). The server completes the sponsor's request and the process is completed (step 828). In one modality, other options that may be available to the sponsor (step 824) include buying additional bets In another embodiment, in step 824, the sponsor may be able to locate other sponsors or communicate with other sponsors. In yet another modality, in step 824, if an installation awards complementary points to a sponsor for playing games, the sponsor may be able to verify the total number of complementary points he has earned or use these supplementary points to obtain items offered by the sponsor. installation, for example. In addition to using the complementary points to obtain items, the sponsor may also be able to buy other items. After completing the process in FIG. 8, if the sponsor has an undisclosed bet, the sponsor can register at the client's terminal to reveal the results of these bets and repeat the process shown in FIG. 8. In another modality, the sponsor can return to the facility and continue to reveal the results using the client's terminal 102 within the facilities. In yet another mode, the sponsor may return to the facility and register at the client's terminal 102 within the premises, for example, to play traditional games. In this mode, the client terminal can send a login message to the server 108. After receiving the login message, the server 108 You can clear the undisclosed bets and add the money applied to the undisclosed bets, and the betting bag to the sponsor's account balance. Then, the sponsor can use this updated account balance, for example, to play traditional games.

Alternatively, the sponsor may go to the customer service terminal 104 and request that the undisclosed bets of the sponsor be erased and request a refund of the money that was applied to the undisclosed bets, the betting bag, or any of its balance sheet or account balance. In the latter two modalities, when the undisclosed bets are deleted, the server 108 may record the results of these undisclosed bets in the sponsor's account file and apply these results to the bets purchased by the sponsor in the future. Other such methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing and following description and therefore, are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the sponsor may not choose to disclose the results and may return to the facility and request a refund. Alternatively, the sponsor could return to the facility and may wish to use the money applied in the undisclosed bets to play traditional games.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for determining a result based on a payment table. A customer terminal receives a purchase request for a bet from a player, before the game has been started (step 910). The betting component 506 associates a denomination value with the bet (step 920). In one embodiment, the customer's terminal receives the information from the sponsor as part of the purchase request, and the betting component 506 may use the information to find the value of the denomination. For example, as described in the previous description, as part of the request. of purchase, the sponsor may be required to specify the selection information, such as an amount of the purchase, the number of bets, or a denomination value for each bet. In one embodiment, the sponsor may send only one amount of the purchase. . In this embodiment, or if a denomination value is not otherwise sent by the sponsor, the betting component 506 may use a denomination value specified by the facility, the sponsor's normal bet amount, a randomly determined amount. , etc., as the denomination value. The amount of the normal bet, for example, may be the value of The average denomination of the sponsor's previous bets can be stored in the 508 database along with the other sponsor's preferences information. In yet another mode, the sponsor may transmit only one amount of the purchase and a number of bets, and the denomination value may be calculated, for example, by dividing the number of bets by the amount of the purchase. For example, the sponsor can specify a purchase amount of $ 250 and select 250 bets, which allows the betting component 506 to calculate a denomination value of $ 1.00 per bet. Selecting a purchase amount of $ 500 and 250 bets, the 506 betting component calculates a denomination value of $ 2.00 per bet. In yet another embodiment, the betting component 506 may ignore the value of the denomination, if any, provided by the. sponsor and uses a low denomination value, such as 1F or 5F. When a low denomination value is used, the sponsor may vary the denomination value when the results are revealed, for example by choosing any multiple of the denomination value (for example, 10F, 20F, 30F, etc.) up to the total amount of the denomination. the purchase .

Next, the betting component 506 determines a pay table for the bet (step 930). In certain modalities, the chosen payment table can be determined based on the denomination value. In other modalities, the payment table can be selected based on the amount of the purchase, the number of bets, the information of the player, or this can be chosen at random. FIG. 10 illustrates a naming match table 900 that can be used by the betting component 506 to determine the pay table for the bets. The naming mapping table in FIG. 10 is for illustration only. A skilled artisan will appreciate that many other means and methods can be used to determine a pay table for a bet. In FIG. 10, the first column ("Denomination") contains the denomination amounts that can be associated with a player's bet. The second column ("Payment Table") includes the payment tables that can be associated with the denomination amounts of the first column. For example, Payment Table 1 may be associated with a denomination amount of $ 1.00, Payment Table 2 may be associated with a denomination amount of 50, and Payment Table 3 may be associated with a denomination amount of 5F. . An experienced craftsman will appreciate that Many other combination of payment tables and quantities and denomination are possible. After associating the payment table with the bet, the betting component 506 determines a bet outcome based on the chosen pay table (step 940). In one embodiment, the betting component 506 may use a prize table that contains several pay tables to determine the outcome of the bet. FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary prize table 902. The Results column of table 902 contains variant amounts which can be earned based on a bet from the sponsor. The rows in each pay table of the 902 prize table contain the odds of the players to win the corresponding amount. Award table 902 is for illustration only. An experienced craftsman will recognize that a variety of pay tables, prize tables, odds, etc. can be used. In an exemplary embodiment, the various players, such as Sponsor A, B, and C, may have their bets associated with the corresponding pay tables in accordance with the 900 table of denomination matches. For example, if Sponsor A chooses a denomination value of $ 1.00, then Pay Table 1 would be applied, according to the 900 correspondence table of denominations. Using Table 1, Sponsor A has a 2 to 1 chance of winning 5F, a 3 to 1 chance of winning 10F, and so on. If another player, Sponsor B, chooses a denomination value of 50F, then Payment Table 2 would be applied, according to the 900 correspondence table of denominations. Sponsor B has only a 3 to 1 chance of winning 5F, a 5 to 1 chance of winning 10F, and so on. If a third player, Sponsor C, chooses a denomination value of 5F, Payment Table 3 would be applied, according to the 900 table of correspondence of denominations. Sponsor C has only a 5 to 1 chance of winning 5F, a 7 to 1 chance of winning 10F, and so on. In this exemplary mode. Payment Table 1 (corresponding to a bet of $ 1, according to the 900 table of correspondence of denominations) contains better probability of winning than the Payment Tables 2 and 3 (corresponding to the bets of 50F and 5F, respectively, according to table 900 correspondence of denominations). As shown in accordance with table 900 of denomination correspondence and prize table 902, Sponsor A has a better chance of winning any amount than Sponsors B or C, since that Sponsor A's bet is associated with a higher denomination value ($ 1.00), which in turn is associated with a payment table with better probabilities (Payment Table 1). In the modality described above, the odds of winning increase when the value of the denomination increases. In another modality, the odds of winning may increase when the bet number increases or decreases. In yet another mode, the odds of winning may increase when the amount of the purchase increases or decreases. Other probability determinations may also be used consistent with the present invention. In addition, an experienced artisan will appreciate that the denomination match table 900 can be combined with the prize table 902 or the prize table 902 can be separated into several payment tables. In certain modalities, once the sponsor discloses the results of the bets using the client's terminal off-site, the sponsor may use an entry device in the client's terminal off-site to enter a request to buy at least a bet using the winnings of the previous bets. The customer's terminal outside the premises can then send a request to purchase bets from the server 108.

To encourage such additional bets, a sponsor making a purchase immediately after the reimbursement of a previous bet may have certain results from a pay table with lower probabilities. For example, if Sponsor B (who originally chose a bet amount of 50F, corresponding to Payout Table 2, according to the 900 correspondence table of denominations) decides to make a purchase request for a second bet immediately after the refund of a first bet, Sponsor B may have the results for the second bet determined from the Pay Table 1 instead of the Pay Table 2. For example, in the first bet of Sponsor B described above, the results of Sponsor B they were determined from the Payment Table 2. Sponsor B had only a 3 to 1 chance of earning 5F, a 5 to 1 chance of earning 10F, and so on. If Sponsor B decides to make a purchase request immediately after the reimbursement of that first bet, the results of Sponsor B may be determined from Payout Table 1. Sponsor B's probabilities of winning will therefore improve for the subsequent bet: Sponsor B will have a 2 to 1 chance of winning 5F, a 3 to 1 chance of earning 10F, and so on, according to Payment Table 1. In the modality described above, the odds of winning may increase when the number of purchase requests of a player increases. In other modalities, a player can be rewarded for betting bigger amounts of money, or for betting more frequently, obtaining a payment table with better probabilities. As described in the above description, once the results of bets have been determined and stored by the server within the premises, the sponsor may use a customer terminal off-site, such as a computer located in the home. o, to reveal the results of the bets. The customer's terminal outside the premises is connected to the server within the facilities through a public network such as the international network. The customer's off-site terminal may consist of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a portable device, or any other device that can receive information and disclose results. In certain other modalities, the results can be determined and displayed based on continuous events. For example, a player can begin to observe the completed results as the results (for example, keno extracts) placed at the end, while the results remain behind the completions of the total results. In another example, individual results may differ for two players with the same result, or for a player with the same result in different games of the game. For example, each player can finally win $ 5.00 on an initial $ 8.00 bet. As shown in Table 4, players can observe different scenarios during the game game, while the end result is the same win ($ 5.00). Table 4 The features outlined above, other aspects and principles of the present invention can be implemented in various system or network configurations to provide automated and computerized tools to provide a sponsor with the ability to play from a location outside the facilities. Such configurations and applications may be specially constructed to carry out the various processes and operations of the invention or these may include a computer or a general purpose computerized platform selectively activated or reconfigured by a programming code to provide the necessary functionality. The processes described here are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device, and can be implemented by any suitable combination of physical components, and logical components, or unalterable software. For example, various general-purpose machines may be used with programs written in accordance with the teachings of the invention, or it may be more convenient to build a specialized apparatus or system to carry out the required methods and techniques. The present invention also relates to a computer-readable medium that includes programming instructions or programming code to perform various computer-implemented operations based on the methods and processes of the invention. The medium and the program instructions may be those designed and constructed especially for the purposes of the invention, or these may be of the well-known and available type for those people who have experience in the techniques of computer programs. The medium can have many forms including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical magnetic disks. Volatile media include, for example, dynamic memories. The transmission means include, for example, coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics. The transmission means can also take the form of acoustic and light waves, such as those generated during data communications by radio and infrared waves. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as that produced by a compiler, and files that contain a high-level code that can be executed by the computer using an interpreter. In addition, other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention described herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplifying only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention that are indicated by the following claims.

Claims (32)

1. CLAIMS 1. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving, in a server, a purchase request for at least one bet from a player in a first terminal of the client, before the game has been started; determining, on the server, a result of the at least one bet before the game has been started; store, in the server, the result in a database before the game has been started; adjust, on the server, a player account based on the result before the game has been started; receive, on the server, a request to reveal the result; and sending from the server, after a predetermined period of time from the reception of the request to reveal the result, the result to a second terminal of the client. The method of claim 1, characterized in that, the second terminal of the client is one of a group of devices consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. 3. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the result from a pre-generated group of results, randomly generating the result, and drawing the result of a lottery. 4. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving, in a server, a purchase request for at least one bet from a player in a first terminal of the client, before a game has been started; determining, on the server, a result of the at least one bet before the game has been started; store, in the server, the result in a database before the game has been started; adjust, on the server, a player account based on the result before the game has been played; receive, on the server, a request to reveal the result; send, from the server, the result to a second terminal of the client; and displaying the result in the second terminal of the client after a predetermined period of time from the sending of the result. 5. The method of claim 4, characterized in that, the second terminal of the client is one of a group of device consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, and a home computer. 6. The method of claim 4, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the result from a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random manner, and drawing the result of a lottery. 7. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving a purchase request for a bet from a player at a first terminal of the client before the game has been started; associate an amount of the purchase with the bet; determine a payment table based on the amount of the purchase; determine a result of the bet based on the determined payment table, before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a second client terminal. 8. The method of claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: establishing a plurality of purchase amounts and the corresponding payment tables in such a way that the probabilities of winning increase when the amount of the purchase increases. 9. The method of claim 7, characterized in that the purchase request includes the purchase amount. The method of claim 7, characterized in that the purchase request includes a number of bets and a denomination value. The method of claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises: calculating the amount of the purchase using the number of bets and the denomination value. The method of claim 7, characterized in that the second terminal of the client is one of a type of device consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. The method of claim 7, characterized in that, the determination comprises one of: recovering the result of a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random way, and get the result of a lottery. 14. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving a purchase request for a bet from a player at a first terminal of the client before the game has been started; associate a denomination value with the bet; determine a payment table for the bet based on the denomination value; determine a result of the bet based on the determined payment table, before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a second client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result. 15. The method of claim 14, characterized in that it comprises; establish a plurality of denomination levels and corresponding payment tables in such a way that the probabilities of winning increase when the value of the denomination increases. 16. The method of claim 14, characterized in that, the purchase request includes the value of the denomination. 17. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the association further comprises: selecting a predetermined denomination value. 18. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the association further comprises: using a denomination value selected by the player. 19. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the association further comprises: calculating the denomination value using the previous denomination values of the player. The method of claim 19, characterized in that, the calculation further comprises: calculating an average naming value using the user's previous naming values. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the second terminal of the client is one of a type of device consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. 22. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the result of a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random way, and get the result of a lottery. 23. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving a request for reimbursement from a player to use at least some of the amount of the prize of a previously placed bet; receive a purchase request for a bet from a player to use at least some of the amount of the prize to place a new bet; determine a pre-pay table used to determine the amount of the prize of the previously placed bet; select a new payment table for the new bet in such a way that the new payment table has better probabilities of winning than the previous payment table; determine a result of the new bet using the new pay table before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to a client terminal in response to the request to reveal the result. 24. The method of claim 23, characterized in that it further comprises: establish a plurality of payment tables in such a way that the probabilities of winning increase when the number of refund requests increases. The method of claim 23, characterized in that the client terminal is one of a type of device consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. 26. The method of claim 23, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the result of a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random manner, and drawing the result of a lottery. 27. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving a purchase request for a plurality of bets from a player in a first terminal of the client before the game has been started; associating a first denomination value with the plurality of bets, · · determining a payment table based on the first denomination value; determine the results of the plurality of bets based on the pay table before the game has been started; receiving, from a second terminal of the client, a request to reveal the modified results, wherein the request includes a second denomination value greater than the first denomination value; dividing the second naming value between the first naming value to determine a number of modified results; add, in the server, the number of results modified in a total prize; and send, from the server, the total prize to the client's second terminal in response to the request to reveal the modified results. The method of claim 27, characterized in that the second terminal of the client is one of a type of device consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. 29. The method of claim 27, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the results of a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random manner, and drawing the result of a lottery. 30. A game method, characterized in that it comprises: receiving a refund request from a player to collect a prize amount from a previously placed bet; receiving a purchase request from the player to use at least some of the prize amount to place a new bet; determine a result of the new bet before the game has been started; receive a request to reveal the result; and send the result to the client's terminal in response to the request to reveal the result. The method of claim 30, characterized in that the second terminal of the client is one of a type of devices consisting of: a mobile telephone, a portable device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and a home computer. 32. The method of claim 30, characterized in that the determination comprises one of: recovering the result of a pre-generated group of results, generating the result in a random manner, and drawing the result of a lottery.