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Pari-mutuel betting kioskRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Including Means For Processing Electronic Data (e.g., Computer/video Game, Etc.), Credit/debit Monitoring Or Manipulation (e.g., Game Entry, Betting, Prize Level, Etc.)Pari-mutuel betting kiosk description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070082730, Pari-mutuel betting kiosk. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a method and device for placing pari-mutuel bets on pari-mutuel wagering events at thoroughbred, harness, trotting, greyhound race tracks and other legal pari-mutuel wagering events from public locations without requiring a gaming license. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Pari-mutuel wagering in the United States was, for many years, one of the very few forms of legal gambling. Such gambling was strictly confined to the locations where the event was being held. Pari-mutuel wagering is commonly used on events such as thoroughbred, harness, trotting, greyhound, and jai alai wagering wherein a pool is established for a particular type of bet (i.e. win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc.) and then proceeds from the pool are divided among the winning wagering consumers. Pari-mutuel wagering is common and advantageous to facility operators because, prior to paying out the proceeds to the winners, the facility operator deducts a fixed percentage known as the takeout. Typically, the takeout is approximately 15-27 percent of the pool depending on the type of bet (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc.) and statutory restrictions. For wagering placed at the location of the pari-mutuel event, the facility operator would retain the takeout as revenue, less required payments as required by contract and statute. [0003] This business model was the constant for more than a century, before widely available simulcasting of pari-mutuel events became available. At that point, a wagering consumer at one facility could wager on an event being held at another facility. This expanded even further to the point where facilities which did not host any wagering events on premises could obtain a license to take wagers on pari-mutuel events being conducted at multiple facilities, in the same state, in the United States and internationally. Wagering consumers bet with a person employed by or under contract to the licensed operator of the facility. This person is commonly known as a teller. The wagering consumer would indicate their wager to the teller, who accepts cash and then provides the wagering consumer with a ticket providing a record of the wager. If the wagering consumer had bought a winning ticket, the ticket could then be returned to that or another teller to receive cash proceeds calculated, as set forth above, according to the pari-mutuel wagering system. [0004] Advances in technology in the 1980's and 1990's led to self-service machines wherein a teller was replaced by these self-service machines that sell and cash tickets. The machines provide cash vouchers for winnings, which could in turn be converted into cash at a teller location. Some self-service machines accept either cash for the placing of a wager, or a voucher. [0005] Equipment provided at a licensed facility allowed wagering consumers to place wagers there and have their bets placed into the facility's pari-mutuel pool. With the initial form of simulcast pari-mutuel wagering, a licensed simulcast operator had a direct communication link to the facility where the event was being conducted so that the wagers generally became part of the facility's pari-mutuel pool and the payout to the winners was the same as that paid out at the facility itself. [0006] In the late 1990's, the reach of legal gambling on pari-mutuel events, specifically horse racing, was dramatically expanded when it became possible, and legal, for advance account wagering services to set up funded accounts for wagering consumers and to accept bets over the phone or Internet for pari-mutuel wagering events at any facility hosting a pari-mutuel event. An account is set up and maintained by a licensed Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) Company and the wagering consumer is assigned a unique account identifying user name or account number and password or pin to access his ADW Company account. When the wagering consumer makes a wager, and before the wager is placed with the facility's main pool, confirmation that there are sufficient funds to cover the wager is received by the ADW Company, and the wagering consumer can place bets on a pari-mutuel event at any originating pari-mutuel facility, which by agreement permits the ADW Company to accept wagers on its events. The wagering consumer can place his wager against his ADW account by using a hard line phone, cellular or mobile phone, web enabled phones, personal data assistant (PDA) or other devices as well as a computer (via the Internet). The amount of the wager is deducted from his account and, if the bet is successful, his account is credited with the pari-mutuel odds payout. The ADW Company has reliable, fast communications links with the originating pari-mutuel event facility so that wagers made through the ADW Company are made part of the originating facility's pari-mutuel pool. By contract, the ADW Company receives a portion of the takeout for originating the wager. Thus, through the use of a telephone, internet or other communication device and an ADW account, a wagering consumer can wager on a variety of pari-mutuel events at a variety of originating pari-mutuel facilities, from a number of public and private locations. The use of an audio phone is disadvantageous, however, in that the handicapping information (such as, in a thoroughbred race, the horse's prior starts, bloodlines, and even jockey) available to the wagering consumer is limited or non-existent. The use of video phones, while known in the art, are prohibitively expensive and of generally low speed communications so that the download of handicapping information, while existent, is not practical. Clearly, a computer having a high speed Internet connection is comparatively advantageous by providing a wagering consumer the capability to download the facility's race card/schedule (which may include some handicapping information). Thus, the wagering consumer is in a more knowledgeable position from a handicapping standpoint if he has the facility's race card/schedule than if he is just choosing a horse, or a number, upon which to wager from a telephone prompt. A high speed video connection to a pari-mutuel event originating facility is clearly desirable over a purely audio communication link to the facility. As set forth above, the wagering consumer's account is credited or debited, depending on the success of the bet. Efficient communication between the ADW Company and the originating pari-mutuel event facility make it possible for all wagers, whether placed remotely through the ADW Company or physically at the originating facility can be placed into a single pari-mutuel pool at the originating facility. This is important from the standpoint that it eliminates confusion as to the payout and because it increases the handle for the originating facility, which bears the cost of putting on the event. While there do exist instances in which more than one pool exists for a given event, it is generally better to avoid such a situation to avoid "pool shopping". [0007] While the explosion of cell phone use has made it possible to place wagers on pari-mutuel events from virtually anywhere through ADW accounts the limitations of communicating over cell phones carry significant disadvantages. For example, the vast majority of cell phones are not presently equipped with high speed video communications so that a wagering consumer cannot generally receive a video feed of the event upon which he has wagered. In addition, using a telephone keypad to select and enter account information, followed by facility selection, event selection, and wager selection (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc., and amount of each wager) becomes a laborious and time consuming task. A computer having a high speed Internet connection and a graphic operating system allow a wagering consumer to bet using their ADW account by clicking on facility location, event selection, horse or participating player, and other information. [0008] The advent of the personal computer and Internet, and the application to pari-mutuel wagering and Advance Deposit Wagering accounts has solved some of those problems in that facilities offer simulcast video streams of their event race cards, totalisator/odds boards, and even real time video of the events themselves. A wagering consumer can place wagers through an ADW account after reviewing a facility's betting card and tote board, and can then watch streaming video of the event race if his computer has the necessary application software to display the video/audio and if the Internet connection is sufficiently high speed. [0009] The present invention addresses the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a betting kiosk at a fixed location with a high speed communication link. The kiosk is beneficial in that it brings a legal wagering event to consumers in a non-licensed facility. It allows consumers to easily make wagers in a facility without the involvement of the facility in the wager transaction. [0010] The betting kiosk is user friendly, with instructions on how to open and maintain an Advance Deposit Wagering account, and has dedicated keys to allow a user to easily and quickly select a facility (e.g. a particular race track), an event (e.g. a specific race) and an entrant in that event (e.g. a horse) upon which to place a wager. The kind of wager and amount are then easily entered. The betting kiosk may be provided with either a key pad or touch screen controls to accept simple user input and a thermal printer to print a ticket/receipt of each wager. [0011] Finally, once the bet is placed, the kiosk affords the wagering consumer an opportunity to watch the event upon which he has bet by virtue of a display of a video feed from the facility over a high speed streaming video communication link. The kiosk has high quality video resolution provided by state of the art video cards and monitors. An audio feed is also provided to give the wagering consumer the facility's announcer's call of the race, which is particularly advantageous if the video monitor is small or if the video feed is bumpy or slow, because the audio feed is not bumpy or slow. [0012] By simply providing access to Advance Deposit Wagering accounts through the kiosk, the present invention is compliant with state and federal law regarding pari-mutuel wagering , while also bringing the opportunity to wager on pari-mutuel events to public locations that are not currently licensed to accept wagers. This is particularly advantageous for sports bars, restaurants, and other public retail locations that can now provide an additional entertainment option to their customers and as a tool to acquire and retain additional customers, who have or may have an interest in pari-mutuel events and legal United States based wagering. Making pari-mutuel wagering more accessible and convenient in this manner is also advantageous to the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry by increasing participation in pari-mutuel wagering, thereby providing improved outlets and greater distribution for their product. The high speed Internet connection allowing for real time display of the pari-mutuel event and the facility's event card provides a wagering consumer more information regarding the event participants and a greater knowledge base to make a wager, then watch the event, at any location, public or private, licensed or unlicensed. Without the kiosk of the present invention, a wagering consumer was forced to either "phone in" a wager, and not have any meaningful data on the event or the opportunity to watch the event, or to carry around a personal computer and search for a high speed connection. Objects of the Invention [0013] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for placing legal wagers on pari-mutuel events from public or private locations without a wagering or gaming license. [0014] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for placing wagers on pari-mutuel events providing real time video and audio display of facility conditions, odds and races bet upon. [0015] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for placing wagers on pari-mutuel events using advance deposit wagering accounts and providing real time video and audio of display of events bet upon. [0016] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for wagering on pari-mutuel events using secure, high speed communications with the originating pari-mutuel facility to provide streaming audio and video to remote betting kiosks. [0017] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for betting on pari-mutuel events comprising a betting kiosk having simple access and instructions on how to set up and use advance deposit wagering accounts. [0018] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having high speed communications provisions allowing real time display of video and audio of facility conditions, odds and the pari-mutuel events themselves. [0019] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having secure access to advance deposit wagering accounts allowing wagering consumers to place wagers on pari-mutuel events. [0020] It is another object of the present invention to provide a fixed betting kiosk in a public or private, unlicensed facility for receiving advance deposit wagering account wagers and displaying video and audio output from the originating pari-mutuel facility. [0021] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having provisions for accessing archived video of completed pari-mutuel events in which current competitors have competed to allow wagering customers to become more fully informed in making wagers on pari-mutuel events. Continue reading about Pari-mutuel betting kiosk... Full patent description for Pari-mutuel betting kiosk Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Pari-mutuel betting kiosk patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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