Patent ID: 8181863

Claim:
A method comprising: identifying non-negotiable credits from a game of chance associated with an entity with which previous interactions have occurred, the previous interactions earning the non-negotiable credits; converting a quantity of the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of negotiable funds, wherein the converting is performed by a different legal entity than the entity; permitting access to the quantity of negotiable funds for purchases with at least one vender that does not honor the non-negotiable credits, wherein the identifying, the converting, and the permitting are performed by computing equipment having at least one processor executing program instructions that are digitally encoded in at least one storage device, wherein permitting access the quantity of negotiable funds means: (a) the entity providing a user with cash, credit, or other negotiable funds, whereby the user is able to thereafter apply the cash, credit, or other negotiable funds to one or more user specified purchases, wherein said purchases comprise the one or more user specified purchases; (b) the entity providing the vender with cash, credit, or other negotiable funds, whereby the user is able to purchase goods or services from the vender using the entity provided cash, credit, or other negotiable funds; or (c) combinations of (a) and (b).