Inventory manager-chip kiosk

Abstract

A chip dispensing kiosk including a vault for holding casino chips, a dispensing assembly for dispensing selected numbers of casino chips and security and input systems to allow a pit boss to access the kiosk and have the kiosk dispense selected numbers of chips. The kiosk is interactive with the casino's accounting system so as to report the dispensing of casino chips or receipt of casino chips.

1 . A casino chip dispensing kiosk to provide casino chips for a plurality of chip gaming stations, the kiosk comprising: 
 a housing;    a chip vault configured to be secured within said housing;    a plurality of casino chip stacker assemblies within said chip vault to bank casino chips;    a ticket/bill validator configured to identify characteristics of tickets; and    a control system coupled to said ticket/bill validator and said chip vault to control the dispensing of casino chips from said chip vault.    
   
   
       2 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a communication link to communicate with a casino computer configured to monitor transactions within the casino over a network.    
   
   
       3 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , wherein said ticket/bill validator is configured to read encoded data identifying the number and denomination of casino chips received or requested.  
   
   
       4 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a data input device for allowing an operator to provide instructions to said control system of said kiosk.    
   
   
       5 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , wherein said control system includes means for communicating with a plurality of computers positioned throughout the casino include at least one of: 
 a pit workstation computer;    a cashier station computer;    a count room computer;    a chip gaming station processor;    a database server; and    a Host Management System.    
   
   
       6 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 A biometric security device interconnected to said control system for accepting biometric information to authorize transactions performed by said casino chip dispensing kiosk.    
   
   
       7 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , wherein said housing and said chip vault are located in the pit workstation.  
   
   
       8 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , wherein said chip vault further comprises an electronic tracking device.  
   
   
       9 . The kiosk of  claim 1 , wherein said chip vault further comprises a chip reader for automatically sensing chip denominations.  
   
   
       10 . A casino chip dispensing kiosk for dispensing casino chips, comprising: 
 a housing;    a chip vault for dispensing casino chips;    an input device for entering data into said kiosk;    a ticket reader;    a controller interfacing with said input device, ticket reader, and chip vault for controlling the dispensing of casino chips upon receipt of instructions via said ticket reader or input device and authorization information.    
   
   
       11 . The kiosk of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a chip reader for automatically sensing and tabulating chip denominations and quantities.    
   
   
       12 . The kiosk of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a biometric security device for accepting biometric information to authorize transactions performed by said casino chip dispensing kiosk.    
   
   
       13 . The kiosk of  claim 10 , wherein said housing and said chip vault are located in the pit workstation.  
   
   
       14 . The kiosk of  claim 10 , wherein said casino chip dispensing kiosk is located in or approximate to the casino's table game pit area.  
   
   
       15 . A method of casino table chip transaction management for the automation and validation of fill event transactions for gaming tables from one or more chip dispensing kiosks positioned proximate the gaming tables, the steps comprised of: 
 a) providing at least one gaming station processor at a gaming table within a pit area of a casino,    b) providing at least one casino chip dispensing kiosk approximate said pit area of a casino,    c) initiating a fill event request at said at least one gaming station processor at a gaming table for a quantity of casino chips,    d) communicating said request from said at least one gaming station processor to said at least one casino chip dispensing kiosk, and    e) receiving the requested quantity of casino chips at the at least one gaming table from said at least one casino chip dispensing kiosk approximate said pit area.