Patent ID: 6997807
Filing Date: 2006-02-14
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A method of operating gaming machines connected to a system computer associated with a database, each of said gaming machines having a credit meter and being associated with a card reader and a controller assembly coupled to said system computer, comprising: providing a player card to at least one player; creating a player account in said database, said player account associated with said player card and having a plurality of separate account balances, each said account balance indicating a separate value amount; establishing a first account balance in said player account based on cash value; establishing a second account balance in said player account based on promotional value; inserting said player card into said card reader associated with one of said gaming machines; applying credits to said credit meter of said one gaming machine by said one player accessing said player account at said gaming machine, said step of applying credits including decrementing at least one of said first account balance and said second account balance; preventing applied credits on said credit meter based on decrementing said second account balance from being cashed out at said one gaming machine; and cashing out applied credits on said credit meter based on decrementing said first account balance.