Patent ID: 7740538
Filing Date: 2010-06-22
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A method of providing a bonus award for using a player tracking account associated with a gaming establishment, the method comprising: (a) detecting that a player has accessed the player tracking account using at least one server including a processor, memory and a communication interface configured to communicatively couple the at least one server to a gaming machine; (b) determining whether the player accessed the player tracking account within a limited period of time allotted for awarding the bonus award for using the player tracking account, wherein the determination is made using the at least one server by associating a time stamp with the player's access to the player tracking account and wherein determining whether the player accessed the player tracking account within a limited period of time includes comparing the time stamp with the limited period of time; (c) determining, using the at least one server, whether the player accessed the player tracking account in a manner meeting an additional criterion for awarding the bonus award other than accessing the player tracking account within the limited period of time wherein the additional criterion includes having the player's access to the player tracking account match a specified sequence number in a sequence of player tracking account accesses by multiple players; (d) if the player both accessed the player tracking account in a manner meeting the additional criterion and within the limited period of time, providing the bonus award for using the player tracking account by making a bonus award presentation on a player tracking device associated with a gaming machine; and (e) prior to providing the bonus award for using the player tracking account, using the at least one the server to determine that the player made a wager on a game.