Patent Publication Number: US-2022215724-A1

Title: Methods for social monetary giving in the gaming environment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of and is a Divisional to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/277,363, filed on Feb. 15, 2019, entitled “METHODS FOR SOCIAL MONETARY GIVING IN THE GAMING ENVIRONMENT,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety, for all that it teaches and for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to online streaming sessions and more particularly to live streaming of video, audio and/or other media between a player of a gambling machine or game and a set of viewers in which the viewers and player can interact and the viewers can participate. 
     Live streaming is a popular concept for various online games, which allows gamers to stream their game play to various online services such as Twitch.tv and YouTube where interested viewers can watch, chat, and generally be a part of the action. The live streaming category has proven to be very popular online. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a gaming system comprising a display, a plurality of input devices, a communications interface, a processor coupled with each of the display, the plurality of input devices, and the communications interface, and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor. The memory can have stored therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to conduct, through the communications interface, a streaming session with a plurality of viewer systems through a streaming system. Conducting of the streaming session can comprise receiving media content from the plurality of input devices and providing the media content and game play information of a gambling event to the streaming system. The instructions can further cause the processor to receive, through the communications interface, during the conducting of the streaming session, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems. The action can indicate a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with a participant in the gambling event and associated with the gaming system. The instructions can further cause the processor to provide, through the display, an indication of the action by the user of the one of the viewer systems and the transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event. 
     According to another embodiment, a streaming system can comprise a communications interface, a processor coupled with the communications interface, and a memory coupled with the processor. The memory can store therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to establish, through the communications interface, a streaming session between a first gaming system and a plurality of viewer systems. The streaming session can comprise an exchange of media between the first gaming system and the plurality of viewer systems. The instructions can further cause the processor to receive, through the communications interface, from the first gaming system during the streaming session, game play information of a gambling event, provide, through the communications interface, the game play information to the plurality of viewer systems, and receive, through the communications interface, during the streaming session an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems. The action can indicate a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with a user of the first gaming system. The user of the first gaming system can comprise a participant in the gambling event. The instructions can further cause the processor to provide, through the communications interface, to the first gaming system, an indication of the action by the user of the one of the viewer systems. 
     According to yet another embodiment, a method for conducting a streaming session related to a gambling event, the method can comprise receiving, by a streaming system through a communications network, a request from an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) to initiate the streaming session and sending, by the streaming system through the communications network, a message to each of a plurality of viewer systems. The message can comprise a notification of initiation of the streaming session. The method can further comprise receiving, by the streaming system, from a viewer system of the plurality of viewer systems, a message requesting participation in the streaming session and establishing, by the streaming system, the streaming session between the EGM and the viewer system. The streaming session can comprise an exchange of media between the EGM and the viewer system and game play information of a game executing on the EGM. The method can further comprise receiving, by the streaming system through the communications network and during the streaming session, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems and providing, by the streaming system through the communications network, to a first gaming system, an indication of the action by the user of one of the viewer systems. 
     Additional features and advantages are described herein and will be apparent from the following Description and the figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating additional details of an exemplary gaming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating additional details of an exemplary streaming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for streaming of video, audio and/or other media from a gaming system to a set of viewers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for providing a streaming session between a player of a gaming system and a set of viewers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for providing a streaming session between a player of a gaming system and a set of viewers according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in connection with a live streaming of video, audio and/or other media between a player of a gambling machine or game and a set of viewers in which the viewers and player can interact and the viewers can participate monetarily. More specifically, a gaming system at a casino can capture audio and/or video of a player at the gaming system as well as game play information for a game in which the player is participating. The captured video, audio, and/or other media can be combined with the game play information and published by the gaming system in a live stream to a streaming system. A set of viewers can then access the streaming system to watch the stream and interact with the player. For example, the viewers can participate in a chat session with the player. In other cases, the viewers may additionally or alternatively be able to participate monetarily using virtual or real currency, for example, by contributing funds to the player, participating in back betting on the game being played in the session, etc. Other features and functions of various embodiments will be described herein. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary environment in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As illustrated in this example, a system  100  can comprise one or more gaming systems  105 A and  105 B. The gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can comprise, for example, one or more Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) through which players  110 A and  110 B can play any of a variety of well-known casino games such as slots, video poker, bingo, etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can comprise one or more Electronic Table Games (ETG) through which the players  110 A and  110 B can play electronic versions of common casino table games such as poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. In yet another case, either or both of the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can additionally or alternatively comprise a sports betting kiosk or cabinet through which the players  110 A and  110 B can view sporting events and place wagers on those sporting events. According to one embodiment, the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can either or both comprise some combination of these types of systems, e.g., a sports betting kiosk or EGT providing EGM casino games such as slots, video poker, etc. or other combinations. 
     As will be described in greater detail below, the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can be equipped with input devices such as webcams or other cameras, microphones, etc. to capture audio and/or video of the player  110 A and  110 B and/or the game as it is being played. The gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can also store and execute software instructions that cause the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B to capture game play information for the game in which the player is participating, e.g., bets placed, current pot or prize amounts, etc. The software instructions can further cause the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B to combine the captured video, audio, and/or other media with the game play information into a live stream and publish the live stream to a streaming system  115  for broadcast. In other implementations, the video and/or audio may be captured and encoded by the streaming system  115  while the game is being played on the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B thereby offloading the overhead of capturing and encoding the video and/or audio stream from the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B. 
     The streaming system  115  can comprise, for example, one or more web servers or other servers communicatively coupled with the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B via one or more communications networks (not shown here) such as one or more wired and/or wireless Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), the Internet, etc. Generally speaking, the streaming system  115  can store and execute a set of software instructions which cause the streaming system  115  to receive the stream published by the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B and make the stream available to other users. For example, the system  100  can further comprise a set of viewer systems  102 A,  120 B, and  120 C communicatively coupled with the streaming system  115  via one or more communications networks (not shown here) such as one or more LANs, WANs, the Internet, etc. The viewer system  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C can comprise any of a variety of possible computing devices including, but not limited to, a desktop computer  120 A, a laptop computer  120 B, a mobile device  120 C such as a smartphone, tablet, etc., or other similar devices. 
     Through the viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C, a set of viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C can then access the streaming system  115  to watch the stream from one or more of the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B and interact with one or more of the players  110 A and  110 B. For example, the streaming system  115  can provide video and/or text-based chat which the viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C can use participate in a chat session with one or more players  105 A and  105 B during the streaming session. That is, through the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B, streaming system  115  and viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C, the viewers can receive and watch the video, audio, and/or other media of the stream and view the game play information to watch and listen to the players  110 A and/or  110 B while viewing the game as it progresses. Through the viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C, the streaming system  115 , and the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B, the viewers can also interact with the players  110 A and/or  110 B at the same time, e.g., through video and/or text-based chat. 
     The system  100  can also include a venue management system  130 , such as a casino management system  115  communicatively coupled with the streaming system  115  through one or more communications networks (not shown here) such as one or more LANs, WANs, the Internet, etc. While not shown here, the venue management system may additionally or alternatively be communicatively coupled with the gaming systems  105 A and  105 N through one or more communications networks (not shown here). Generally speaking, the venue management system  130  can comprise one or more servers and/or other computing devices storing and executing software instructions for monitoring, tracking, and managing various assets of the venue such as the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B, for example. Among the software instructions executed by the venue management system  130  can be instructions causing the venue management system  130  to maintain an electronic wallet  135  for each player  110 A and  110 B. As known in the art, this electronic wallet  135  can represent an account of the player  110 A and  110 B and can store information indicating real or virtual currency available for game play and/or withdrawal by the player  110 A and  110 B. 
     According to one embodiment, viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C can participate and interact with players  110 A and  110 B by contributing money, real or virtual, which can then be credited to the electronic wallet  135  associated with a player  110 A or  110 B. As will be described in greater detail below, this contribution can take many different forms under a variety of different models. In any of these cases, the streaming system  115  can receive a message from a viewer system  120 A indicating a viewer  125 A using that system  120 A wishes to donate, gift, or otherwise contribute some monetary value to a particular player  110 A. The streaming system  115  can pass this request to the venue management system  130  which can in turn affect the transfer according to processes as known in the art. For example, the transfer may comprise a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the viewer  125 A, e.g., a credit card account, electronic wallet, bank account, etc., to an electronic record associated with the player  110 A, e.g., the electronic wallet account for the player. This transfer may occur at or near the time of the request or at a later time, for example, depending upon the outcome of the current game. In either case, the streaming system  115  can also send a message to the player  110 A to whom the transfer was made through the gaming system  105 A that player  110 A is using which can, in turn, present a notification in the user interface to the player  110 A so that the player  110 A is aware of the transfer. The player  110 A may then thank the viewer  125 A making the contribution, donation, or gift or otherwise acknowledge the transfer. 
     As illustrated here and according to one embodiment, the venue management system  130  can additionally or alternatively comprise software instructions which, when executed, can cause the venue management system  130  to perform various player tracking functions  140 . The player tracking functions  140  can comprise tracking the play of a player  110 A to determine how they are performing in relation to other players  110 B. Additionally, or alternatively, the player tracking functions  140  can comprise tracking contributions, donations, gifts, or other transfers from the viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C to the players  110 A and  110 B. 
     According to one embodiment, the system  100  can also include a tournament management system  145 . In some cases, a single player  110 A playing a single game at a single gaming system  105 A can interact with one or more viewers  125 A,  125 B, and/or  125 C, i.e., one gaming system  105 A publishes a stream to the streaming system  115  that is distributed to one or more viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and/or  120 C. In other cases, more than one player  110 A and  110 B and/or more than one gaming system  105 A and/or  105 B can be joined together into a tournament by the tournament management system  145 . In such cases, the tournament management system  145  can identify and manage game play between the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B and/or players  110 A and  110 B and the streaming system  115  can combine the streams from the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B or otherwise made the different streams available to the viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C. 
     In use, the gaming system  105 A and  105 B connects to and allows the player  110 A and  110 B to login to the streaming system  115 , captures frames from its screen during game play, encodes the captured frames using a video compression algorithm, and uploads them to the player&#39;s  110 A or  110 B stream in the streaming system. Before the captured data is encoded by the gaming system  105 A and  105 B, additional aspects of the image may be adjusted based upon configuration. For example, overlays may be added to the video stream that describe game play information. This game play information can comprise, for example, details about the player&#39;s session or period of time including, but not limited to, largest win in the session, session duration, amount bet for the session, amount won for the session, jackpots won for the session, etc. Other game play information captured and encoded into the stream can include, but is not limited to, achievements, number of viewers, gifts sent to the player by a viewer, e.g., total and/or individual gifts as they occur, contributions to a charity from a viewer on behalf of a player, e.g., total and/or individual contributions as they occur, etc. Details about a tournament a player is in, can also be captured and encoded into the stream including, but not limited to wagers for the tournament, wins for the tournament, current standing in the tournament, etc. 
     Game outcome data may also be published by the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B to the streaming system  115 . This data can be used by the streaming system  115  to perform a variety of activities including, but not limited to, recording historical play statistics for a player, capturing and saving video streams surrounding large wins or jackpots, win streaks, tracking the play of a player to determine how they are performing in relation to other players etc. Game outcome data may also be used for the purposes of building an achievement system, where players can earn achievements on the streaming system  115  for their play, such as badges, avatars, access to emojis, prizes, e.g., cash or physical goods, etc. At the most basic level, game outcome data can consist of the wager and the win, i.e., zero or above, but more detailed data can be sent as well. For example, outcome data for a hand of video poker can describe the hand dealt, the cards held, and the final hand. 
     Since the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B encodes the video stream, activities occurring on the streaming system can be sent to the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B to update any graphical elements rendered in the video stream. For example, if a viewer  125 A sends a gift to a player  110 A, the streaming system can generate an award message and either send that to the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B, or the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can actively poll the streaming system  115  for notification messages. Upon receipt of a notification message, the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can act upon the notification. This can include displaying a notification on the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B screen that only the player  110 A and  110 B at the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B can see. It can also result in the rendering of one or more notifications onto the game itself. In other cases, it could additionally or alternatively result in the rendering of one or more notifications into the video stream, which can be viewable by online viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C but may not be seen by the player  110 A and  110 B at the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B. 
     According to one embodiment, the players  110 A and/or  110 B can connect peripherals to the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B to further enhance the broadcasting experience. One example of such a peripheral can be a headset which provides a microphone so the player can speak to the viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C. The headset may be a wired or wireless headset. If wired, it may connect to the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B over USB Audio, standard analog headphone and speaker jacks, or optical inputs and outputs. If wireless, the headset may connect to the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B over Bluetooth or other wireless protocol. The gaming systems  105 A and  105 B may also provide one or more USB power outlets to drive peripherals provided by the player, such as a wireless base station for gaming quality headphones. 
     The gaming systems  105 A and  105 B may detect when headphones are connected and mute the gaming systems&#39;  105 A and  105 B native speakers and route all output to the headphones so that the risk of echo when the player is speaking into their headphone microphone is minimized, but portions of the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B speakers may still play sound on key events, such as large jackpots, during certain in-game bonuses, etc., in order to still have the EGM or ETG contribute to the general ambiance of the casino for exciting events. 
     Online viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C may be able to view a player&#39;s  110 A and/or  110 B live stream, or they may pay a required or optional fee, e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc., to view the live stream, or participate in some live chat. If viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C are required to pay to fully participate in the stream, then some percentage of that may be transferred and credited to the player  110 A or  110 B, e.g., through the electronic wallet  135  for the player  110 A or  110 B maintained by the venue management system  130 . Some percentage of that fee may also be shared with the casino that the player  110 A or  110 B plays at and if the player  110 A or  110 B has played at multiple casinos, then the fee may be split amongst those casinos based upon a reasonable formula based upon hours played, coin-in, etc. The operator of the streaming system  115 , if different from the casino, may also take a percentage of subscription revenue. 
     According to one embodiment, viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C can send monetary gifts to players  110 A and  110 B as a virtual “thank you” for playing well, or performing some action requested by a viewer. These gifts can be funded by electronic credits that viewers establish with the streaming system  115 . In one embodiment, these gifts can be transferred to an account established for the player  110 A and  110 B in the streaming system  115 . In another embodiment, these credits can be transferred to a cashless wagering system that the player has established at a participating casino, e.g., the electronic wallet  135  maintained by the venue management system  130 . In another embodiment, these credits can be directly transferred to a credit meter of the gaming system  105 A or  105 B for use in future wagers. These transfers to the gaming system  105 A or  105 B can be recorded using the existing wagering account transfer or bonus meters tracked by the gaming system  105 A or  105 B, or alternatively, specific meters can be added to the gaming system  105 A or  105 B to track external gifts to the gaming system  105 A or  105 B credit meter. For example, online viewers  125 A,  125 B, and/or  125 C may congratulate a player  110 A for earning a royal flush in a poker game by gifting him $20. Alternatively, an online viewer  125 A may request, through an online chat, that the player  110 A hold certain cards in a poker hand by gifting the player  110 A some amount of money. In yet another example, a viewer  125 A can give the player  110 A a certain win, e.g., the viewer  125 A might give the player  110 A a “flush” in poker and that might cost $40 if the payment for flush, at the current configuration, is $40. Additionally, or alternatively, viewers  110 A and  110 B can contribute money to a pot or pool which can increase until, at some point, it gives the player  110 A a pay table win. For example, 10 viewers may give a total of $100 to the player  110 A. If, in the current configuration, $95 is the win for four-cherries on a slot game being played on the gaming system  105 A, the player can be awarded a four-cherry win based on the $100 pot. In other words, casino game wins can be awarded as the prize instead of directly transferring money to the player. This can work especially well for a progressive win since viewers can contribute to the pool, which is a progressive pool, and at some point the pool can be awarded to the player. 
     According to one embodiment, online viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C who are located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legalized, can place back-bets on play performed by the player. In one embodiment, an online viewer  125 A can establish an online wagering account with the streaming system  115  and pre-fund the account with credits. Then, after joining or subscribing to a live stream or channel of a player  110 A, the online viewer  125 A can elect to place a bet equaling the bet placed by the player  110 A, as long as the viewer&#39;s associated streaming system  115  account has enough credits to fund the bet. If the player  110 A does not win a game cycle or wager, then the online viewer  125 A also loses. If the player  110 A wins, then any viewer  125 A who was betting along with the player  110 A can also win the same amount. In other cases, some percentage of the viewer&#39;s  125 A win can be automatically shared with or gifted to the player  110 A. 
     As noted above, the tournament management system  145  can allow multiple players  110 A and  110 B to play in a casino tournament game where the players  110 A and  110 B compete to determine who will win the tournament. One or more players  110 A and/or  110 B in the tournament may choose to stream their play live using the streaming system  115 . In such a configuration, the streaming system  115  and/or tournament management system  145  can track the score of the gaming systems  105 A and  105 B that are participating in the tournament. The streaming system  115  can use the data published by the tournament system  145  to display leaderboards of various types, including, for example, the current leaderboard and/or the current player&#39;s position on the overall leaderboard. According to one embodiment, gifts given to players  110 A and  110 B participating in a tournament by viewers  125 A.  125 B, and/or  125 C can impact a player&#39;s position in the tournament. For example, if a player  110 A has a credit meter balance of $1000 after one minute of play, and they are currently ranked third on the leaderboard, and an online viewer  125 A gifts that player  110 A $200, then the player  110 A may jump into first place on the leaderboard. Additionally, or alternatively, online viewers  125 A.  125 B, and  125 C may be able to place wagers on which player  110 A or  110 B may win a tournament. If an online viewer  125 A correctly picks the winning player  110 A, then the wagers posted by losing online viewers  125 B and  125 C, minus some rake, can be paid to the winning viewer  125 A (or viewers). 
     According to one embodiment, the gaming system  105 A and/or  105 B broadcasting a stream may encode in the stream an advertisement for the casino or venue in which the gaming system  105 A and/or  105 B is located. For example, when rendered on the viewer system  120 A, the base game may be surrounded by a logo or advertisement from the casino. In another approach, the advertisement may be provided to and displayed on the viewer system  120 A separate from the streaming video. In either case, the advertisement might offer players discounts, free points, or free promotional credits at the casino for signing up for a visit to the casino. Additionally, or alternatively, the advertisement can offer viewers  125 A,  125 B, and/or  12 C who associate their account with the streaming system  115  to a casino player tracking account various privileges based upon how much they watch, how many gifts they give players, or how many back-bets they place. For example, players can earn points, promotional credits, comps, etc. based upon how much play they view that is broadcast from that casino. Such promotions can be funded by a casino if the casino that is hosting the player gets a percentage of the subscriptions to a player&#39;s channel, gifts, and/or back-bets or a percentage of the hold associated with back-bets. 
     According to one embedment, players  110 A and  110 B can also be able to place wagers on sporting events through the gaming system  105 A and  105 B and have information about their bets broadcast in the stream. For example, details for each sports wager placed may be published by the gaming system  105 A and/or a sports betting system (not shown here) to the streaming system  115  to keep track of the sports wagering performance of the player  110 A. As the events associated with a sports wager occur or finalize, the results of the wager may be reported to the streaming system  115  by the gaming system  105 A or the sports betting system. This allows the streaming system  115  to update player statistics and possibly award the player  110 A any achievements. Back-betting by viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C in certain jurisdictions may also be possible, so the streaming system  115  may also update win and loss records for back-bet sports bets placed by viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating additional details of an exemplary gaming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in this example, a gaming system  105 A can comprise a processor  205 . The processor  205  may correspond to one or many computer processing devices. For instance, the processor  205  may be provided as silicon, as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), any other type of Integrated Circuit (IC) chip, a collection of IC chips, or the like. As a more specific example, the processor  205  may be provided as a microprocessor, Central Processing Unit (CPU), or plurality of microprocessors that are configured to execute the instructions sets stored in a memory  235 . Upon executing the instruction sets stored in memory  235 , the processor  205  enables various functions of the gaming system  105 A as described herein. 
     A memory  235  can be coupled with and readable by the processor  205  via a communications bus  260 . The memory  235  may include any type of computer memory device or collection of computer memory devices. Non-limiting examples of memory  235  include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Electronically-Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), etc. The memory  235  may be volatile or non-volatile in nature. The memory  235  may be configured to store the instruction sets depicted in addition to temporarily or permanently storing data for the processor  205  to execute various types of routines or functions. 
     The processor  205  can also be coupled with one or more communication interfaces  210  via the communications bus  260 . The communication interfaces  210  can comprise, for example, any one or more of a variety of wired and/or wireless interfaces to one or more LANs and/or WANs, such as an Ethernet network, a Token-Ring network and/or the like, a virtual network, including without limitation a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an infra-red network, a wireless network (e.g., a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.9 suite of protocols, the Bluetooth® protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol); and/or any combination of these and/or other networks. 
     The memory  235  can store therein sets of instructions which, when executed by the processor  205 , cause the processor  205  to conduct live streaming of video, audio and/or other media related to a game being played on the gaming system  105 A. More specifically, the memory  235  can store and the processor  205  can execute a set of game play instructions  240 . When executed by the processor  205 , the game play instructions  240  can cause the processor  205  to play a game such as slots, video poker, etc. and present output of that game through a display  215  and/or one or more speakers  220  of the gaming system  105 A coupled with the processor  205  through the communications bus  260 . The game play instructions  240  can also cause the processor  205  to maintain in the memory  235  a set of game play information  245  such as bets place, current pot or prize amounts, etc. 
     The memory  235  can also store, and the processor  205  can execute, a set of streaming manager instructions  250 . When executed by the processor  205  the streaming manager instructions  250  can cause the processor  205  to conduct, through the communications interface(s)  210 , a streaming session with a plurality of viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C through a streaming system  115  as described above. Conducting of the streaming session can comprise receiving media content from a plurality of input devices such as a camera  225  and/or a microphone  230  coupled with the processor  205  via the bus  260  and providing the media content and game play information  245  of to the streaming system  115  through the communication interface(s)  210 . The streaming manager instructions  250  can also cause the processor  205  to receive, through the communications interface(s)  210 , during the conducting of the streaming session, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C. The action can indicate a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with the player of the gaming system  105 A. For example, the transfer of value can comprise a transfer of monetary value from the user of the one of the viewer system to the player. 
     The memory  235  can also store, and the processor  205  can execute, a set of streaming user interface instructions  255 . When executed by the processor  205 , the streaming user interface instructions  255  can cause the processor  205  to provide, through the display  215  and/or speaker(s)  220 , an indication of the action by the user of the viewer system and the transfer of value. For example, providing the indication of the action by the user of the viewer system and the transfer of value can comprise providing an overlay on a user interface presented in the display  215 . The overlay can present the indication of the transfer of value. According to one embodiment, the streaming user interface instructions  255  can also cause the processor  205  to conduct a chat session between the player and users of the viewer systems allowing the viewers to interact with the player, e.g., through video and/or text-based chat. 
     As noted above, the transfer of value from the viewer to the player may be conditional depending upon the outcome of the game. Accordingly, the set of streaming user interface instructions  255  can cause the processor  205  to provide a notification of the transfer through the display  215  and/or speaker(s)  220  based on the outcome of the game as indicated by the game play instructions  240  and/or game play information  245 . Additionally, or alternatively, the set of streaming manager instructions  250  can further causes the processor  205  to provide a notification of an outcome of the game in the stream to the viewers, i.e., through the communication interface(s) to the streaming system  115 . 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating additional details of an exemplary streaming system  115  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in this example, a streaming system  115  can comprise a processor  305  such as any of the various types of processors described above. A memory  315  can be coupled with and readable by the processor  305  via a communications bus  355 . The memory  315  can comprises any one or more of the different types of volatile and/or non-volatile memories described above. The processor  305  can also be coupled with one or more communication interfaces  310 . The communication interfaces  310  can comprise, for example, any one or more of a variety of wired and/or wireless interfaces to one or more LANs and/or WANs, such as an Ethernet network, a Token-Ring network and/or the like, a virtual network, including without limitation a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an infra-red network, a wireless network (e.g., a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.9 suite of protocols, the Bluetooth® protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol); and/or any combination of these and/or other networks. 
     The memory  315  can store therein sets of instructions which, when executed by the processor  305 , cause the processor  305  to conduct live streaming of video, audio and/or other media between a gaming system  105 A and one or more viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C as described above. More specifically, the memory can have stored therein a set of video streaming instructions which, when executed by the processor  305 , cause the processor  305  to establish, through the communications interface(s)  310 , a streaming session between a first gaming system  105 A and a plurality of viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C. As noted, the streaming session can comprise an exchange of media between the first gaming system  105 A and the plurality of viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C. According to one embodiment, the memory  315  can also store a set of player and/or viewer account information  325 . This account information  325  can comprise user information for players and/or viewers registered with the streaming system  115  and can be used by the processor  305  when executing the video streaming instructions  320  to identify, authenticate, and/or authorize the player and/or viewers when they access the streaming system  115  during establishment of the streaming session. 
     The video streaming instructions  320  can further cause the processor  305  to receive, through the communications interface(s)  310 , from the first gaming system  105 A during the streaming session, game play information of a gambling event, e.g., a game being played on the gaming system  105 A, and provide, through the communications interface(s)  310 , the game play information to the plurality of viewer systems  120 A,  120 B, and  120 C. 
     During the streaming session, the video streaming instructions  320  can further cause the processor  305  to receive, through the communications interface(s)  310 , an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems  120 A. The action can indicate a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems  120 A to an electronic record associated with a user of the first gaming system  105 A. For example, and according to one embodiment, the memory  315  may further comprise a set of funding account information  330 . This information  330  can comprise electronic records representing previously funded accounts for the viewers  125 A,  125 B, and  125 C. The transfer of value can comprise, for example, a transfer of monetary value from the viewer  125 A using one of the viewer systems  120 A to player  110 A of the gaming system  105 A who is a participant in the gambling event. Accordingly, the video streaming instructions  320  can further cause the processor  305  to update the electronic record in the funding account information associated with the viewer and perhaps another record associated with the participant in the gambling event and provide, through the communications interface(s)  310 , a message to the first gaming system  105 A indicating the transfer of monetary value. 
     According to one embodiment, the memory  315  can also store a set of tournament play instructions  335 . When executed by the processor  305 , during establishment of the streaming session, the set of tournament play instructions  335  can further cause the processor  305  to establish the streaming session with a second gaming system  105 B. In such cases, the streaming session can further comprise an exchange of media between the second gaming system and the plurality of viewer systems and the gambling event can comprise a tournament between the user of the first gaming system  105 A and a user of the second gaming system  105 B as participants in the tournament. 
     According to one embodiment, the memory  315  can additionally or alternatively store a set of advertising instructions  340 . When executed by the processor  305 , the advertising instructions  340  can cause the processor to encode in the stream an advertisement for the casino or venue in which the gaming system  105 A and/or  105 B is located. For example, this encoding can cause the viewing system  120 A, when rendering the stream, to display the base game surrounded by a logo or advertisement from the casino. In another approach, the advertising instructions  340  may provide the advertisement to the viewer system  120 A separate from the streaming video. In either case, the advertisement might offer players discounts, free points, or free promotional credits at the casino for signing up for a visit to the casino. Additionally, or alternatively, the advertisement can offer viewers  125 A,  125 B, and/or  125 C who associate their account with the streaming system  115  to a casino player tracking account various privileges based upon how much they watch, how many gifts they give players, or how many back-bets they place. 
     Additionally, or alternatively, the memory  315  can store a set of back-betting instructions  350 . When executed by the processor  305 , the back-betting instructions  345  can establish an online wagering account for a viewer, e.g., as a record in the funding account information, with the streaming system  115  and pre-fund the account with credits. The back-betting instructions  345  can then cause the processor  305  receive a bet from the viewer using this pre-funded account. If the player  110 A does not win a game cycle or wager, then the online viewer  125 A also loses and the back-betting instructions  345  can decrement the value of the account. If the player  110 A wins, then the viewer  125 A who was betting along with the player  110 A can also win the same amount and the back-betting instructions  345  can increment the viewers account accordingly. 
     According to one embodiment, the memory  315  can additionally or alternatively store a set of achievement instructions  350 . When executed by the processor  305 , the achievement instructions  350  can cause the processor  305  to track player achievements on the streaming system  115  for their play and make awards such as badges, avatars, access to emojis, prizes, e.g., cash or physical goods, etc. Game outcome data tracked by the achievement instructions  350  can comprise of the wager and the win, i.e., zero or above, but more detailed data can be sent as well. For example, outcome data for a hand of video poker can describe the hand dealt, the cards held, and the final hand. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for streaming of video, audio and/or other media from a gaming system to a set of viewers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, this example illustrates processes as may be performed by a gaming system  105 A or  105 B as described above. As illustrated in this example, streaming of video, audio and/or other media from a gaming system to a set of viewers can begin with conducting  405  a streaming session with a plurality of viewer systems through a streaming system. The conducting  405  of the streaming session can comprise receiving media content from a plurality of input devices, such as a camera, microphone, etc., and providing the media content and game play information of a gambling event, e.g., a game being played on the gaming system, to the streaming system. Conducting  405  the streaming session can further comprise conducting a chat session between the participant in the gambling event and users of the plurality of viewer systems. 
     During the conducting  405  of the streaming session receive, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems can be received  410 . The action can comprise a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with a participant in the gambling event and associated with the gaming system. The transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event can comprise a transfer of monetary value from the user of the one of the viewer systems to the participant in the gambling event. 
     An indication of the action by the user of the one of the viewer systems and the transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event can be provided  415  through the display of the gaming system. For example, providing  415  the indication of the action by the user of the one of the viewer systems and the transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event can comprise providing an overlay on a user interface presented in the display. The user interface can present the game play information to the participant in the gambling event and the overlay presenting the indication of the transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event. 
     According to one embodiment, the transfer of value can be conditional depending upon the outcome of the gambling event. In such cases, a notification a notification of the transfer of value to the participant in the gambling event can be provided  420  to the player based on the outcome of the gambling event. Providing  420  the notification of the outcome of the gambling event can also include providing a notification of the outcome of the gambling event to each of the plurality of viewer systems. 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for providing a streaming session between a player of a gaming system and a set of viewers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, this example illustrates processes as may be performed by a streaming system  115  as described above. As illustrated here, providing a streaming session between a player of a gaming system and a set of viewers can comprise establishing  505  the streaming session between a first gaming system and a plurality of viewer systems. The streaming session can comprise an exchange of media between the first gaming system and the plurality of viewer systems. In some cases, establishing  505  the streaming session can further comprise establish the streaming session with a second gaming system and, the streaming session can further comprise an exchange of media between the second gaming system and the plurality of viewer systems. For example, the gambling event can comprise a tournament, and the user of the first gaming system and a user of the second gaming system can be participants in the tournament. 
     During the streaming session, game play information of the gambling event can be received  510 , e.g., from the first gaming system and the received game play information can be provided  515  to the plurality of viewer systems. Also, during the streaming session, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems can be received  520 . The action can comprise a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with a user of the first gaming system. For example, the transfer of value from the electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to the electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event can comprise a transfer of monetary value from the user of the one of the viewer systems to the participant in the gambling event. Accordingly, an electronic record associated with the participant in the gambling event can be updated  525  based on the transfer and an indication of the action by the user of the one of the viewer systems can be provided  530  to the player through the first gaming system. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for providing a streaming session between a player of a gaming system and a set of viewers according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in this example, conducting a streaming session related to a gambling event can comprise receiving  605 , by a streaming system through a communications network, a request from an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) to initiate the streaming session. A message can then be sent  610  to each of a plurality of viewer systems. The message can comprise a notification of initiation of the streaming session. According to one embodiment, each viewer system of the plurality of viewer systems to which the message is sent can be associated with a subscriber to a group associated with a user of the EGM. 
     A message from a viewer system of the plurality of viewer systems requesting participation in the streaming session can be received  615  and the streaming session can be established  620  between the EGM and the viewer system. The streaming session can comprise an exchange of media between the EGM and the viewer system and game play information of a game executing on the EGM. 
     During the streaming session, an indication of an action by a user of one of the viewer systems can be received  625 . The action can indicate a transfer of value from an electronic record associated with the user of the one of the viewer systems to an electronic record associated with a user of the EGM. For example, the transfer of value can comprise a transfer of game play credits to the EGM. In some cases, a result of the game executing on the EGM can be shared between the user of the EGM and the user of the viewer system based on the transfer of value. Additionally, or alternatively, the transfer of value may modify an outcome of the game executing on the EGM. According to one embodiment, additional access can be provided  630  based on the transfer. For example, in response to the transfer of value, at least a portion of the media exchanged in the streaming session to a social media system maintaining a social media account for the user of the one of the viewer systems. In any of these cases, an indication of the action by the user of one of the viewer systems can be provided  635  to the first gaming system. 
     The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number of patentable classes or context including any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardware implementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon. 
     Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized. The computer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriate optical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. 
     Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET, Python or the like, conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby and Groovy, or other programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider) or in a cloud computing environment or offered as a service such as a Software as a Service (SaaS). 
     Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable instruction execution apparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that when executed can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions when stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.