Gaming System with Wager Location

Abstract

A gaming system ( 1 ) comprises a gaming server ( 2 ), one or more player stations ( 3 ) and a communication network ( 4 ) capable of providing communication between the gaming server ( 2 ) and each player station ( 3 ). Each player station ( 3 ) is located remotely from the gaming server ( 2 ) and is capable of rendering to a player a simulation one or more games and of enabling the player to place a wager on a turn of any one of the games of chance.

1 . A gaming system, comprising:
 a gaming server;   a plurality of player stations remote from the gaming server, each player station being capable of rendering to a player a simulation of at least one game of chance and enabling the player to place a wager on a turn of the at least one game of chance; and   a communication network capable of providing communication between the gaming server and the plurality of player stations characterised in that   the gaming server records transaction data relating to each wager placed by any player on each turn of the at least one game of chance, the transaction data including at least the size of the wager, the time and date of the wager, an outcome of the turn of the game of chance, a geographic location of the player station on which the wager was placed by the player, and a status of the wager, the status being successful if the outcome of the turn of the game is a favourable outcome, and the status being unsuccessful if the outcome of the turn of the game is not a favourable outcome.   
   
   
       2 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1  in which each player station has a unique identification code. 
   
   
       3 . A gaming system as claimed in either one of  claims 1  or  2  in which the geographic location of any player station is stored in a player station database associated with the gaming server, the player station database being indexed according to the unique identification codes of the plurality of player stations. 
   
   
       4 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3  in which the gaming server derives the geographic location of any player station from the player station database by means of the unique identification code of that player station as an index. 
   
   
       5 . A gaming system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the gaming server maintains a register of all players who utilise the gaming system to play the at least one game of chance. 
   
   
       6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 5  in which the register stores, for each player, a player identity and a corresponding unique code of at least one player identification token. 
   
   
       7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 6  in which the player identification token is any one of an identification card, a driver's licence, a credit card or a debit card. 
   
   
       8 . A gaming system as claimed in either one of  claims 6  or  7  in which each player terminal requires any player to be identified before commencing play of the at least one game of chance, and in which the transaction data relating to any wager includes an identity of the player who placed that wager. 
   
   
       9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 5  that includes an administration facility communicable with the gaming server by means of the communication network, the administration facility being configurable to determine, at least one of:
 (a) a total gross win or loss for each individual player in the register; and   (b) a total gross win or loss for each one of the plurality of player stations of the gaming system.   
   
   
       10 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 9  in which the administration facility is still further configurable to determine at least one of:
 (c) a gross win or loss for all player stations whose geographic location falls within a selectable geographical area; and   (d) a total gross win or loss for all the player stations together.   
   
   
       11 . A gaming system as claimed in either one of  claims 9  or  10  in which the administration facility accumulates, in an accumulation account, a proportion of all wagers placed by any player on any of the plurality of player stations whose geographic location falls within a selectable geographic area. 
   
   
       12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11  in which the administration facility reimburses, out of the contents of the accumulation account, a community in the selectable geographical area in respect of the gross loss at all player stations whose geographic location falls within the selectable geographic area. 
   
   
       13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11  in which the administration facility reimburses the community in respect of a total of all wagers placed at any player station whose geographic location falls within the selectable geographic area. 
   
   
       14 . A gaming system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which any player station accepts wagers in one of a number of different standard wager denominations, each one of the number of different standard wager denominations being a predetermined integral or fractional number of units of credit. 
   
   
       15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 14  that the player station database stores, for each player station, a corresponding standard wager denomination for wagers placed by the player at that player station. 
   
   
       16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 15  in which the administration facility derives the wager denomination of any particular player station from the player station database by means of the unique identification code of that player station as an index. 
   
   
       17 . A gaming system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each player station has a processor and a display monitor on which the simulation of the at least one game of chance is rendered to the player. 
   
   
       18 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 17  in which the player station has any one or more of a coin acceptor, a banknote validator, a keypad and a printer. 
   
   
       19 . A gaming system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the communication network is the Internet. 
   
   
       20 . A method of operation of a gaming system, comprising the steps of:
 providing a gaming server, a plurality of player stations remote from the gaming server, and a communication network capable of providing communication between the gaming server and the plurality of player stations;   rendering to a player, on a player station, a simulation of at least one game of chance;   enabling the player to place a wager on the turn of the at least one game of chance at the player station;   determining an outcome of the turn of the at least one game of chance; and   recording transaction data relating to each wager placed by the player on the turn of the at least one game of chance, the transaction data including at least the size of the wager, the time and date of the wager, an outcome of the turn of the game of chance, a geographic location of the player station on which the wager was placed by the player, and a status of the wager, the status being successful if the outcome of the turn of the game is a favourable outcome, and the status being unsuccessful if the outcome of the turn of the game is not a favourable outcome.   
   
   
       21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20  in which a unique identification code is assigned to each player station. 
   
   
       22 . A method as claimed in either one of  claims 20  or  21  in which a geographic location of any player station is stored in a player station database, the player station database being indexed according to the unique identification codes of the plurality of player stations. 
   
   
       23 . A method as claimed in  claim 22  in which the geographic location of any player station is derived from the player station database by means of the unique identification code of that player station as an index. 
   
   
       24 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 20  to  23  that includes a further step of maintaining a register of all players who utilise the gaming system to play the at least one game of chance. 
   
   
       25 . A method as claimed in  claim 24  that includes a step of storing, for each player in the register, a corresponding player identity and a corresponding unique code of at least one player identification token. 
   
   
       26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25  in which a player is required to be identified before commencing play of the at least one game of chance, and in which an identity of the player who placed a wager is included in the transaction data relating to that wager. 
   
   
       27 . A method as claimed in  claim 24  in which the gaming system is configured to determine at least one of:
 (a) a total gross win or loss for each individual player in the registry; and   (b) a total gross win or loss for each one of the plurality of player stations of the gaming system.   
   
   
       28 . A method as claimed in  claim 27  in which the gaming system is still further configured to determine at least one of:
 (c) a gross win or loss for all player stations whose geographic location falls within a selected geographical area; and   (d) a total gross win or loss for all the player stations together.   
   
   
       29 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 20  to  28  which includes a step of accumulating, in an accumulation account, a proportion of all wagers placed by any player on any one of the plurality of player stations whose geographic location falls within a selected geographic area. 
   
   
       30 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  which includes a step of reimbursing, out of the contents of the accumulation account, a community in the selected geographic area in respect of the gross loss at all player stations whose geographic location falls within the selected geographic area. 
   
   
       31 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  in which a community is reimbursed, out of the contents of the accumulation account, in respect of a total of all wagers placed at any player station whose geographic location falls within the selected geographic area. 
   
   
       32 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 20  to  31  in which wagers are accepted in one of a number of different denominations, each one of the number of different denominations being a number of predetermined integral or fractional number of units of credit. 
   
   
       33 . A method as claimed in  claim 32  that includes a step of storing, for each player station, a corresponding denomination for wagers accepted at that player station. 
   
   
       34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  that includes a step of deriving the wager denomination of any particular player station from the player station database by means of the unique identification code of that player station as an index.