Devices, Systems, and Methods For Accessing a Line of Credit Associated With a Player Wagering Account

Abstract

A method of dynamically adjusting a player's line of credit associated with a wagering activity includes the acts of establishing a line of credit for a player and monitoring at least one factor associated with a player's wagering activity. The method further includes the acts of calculating a credit factor related to the monitored at least one factor and applying the credit factor to a player's line of credit to adjust a player's line of credit one of upwardly and downwardly responsive to the monitored at least one factor.

1 . A method of dynamically adjusting a player's line of credit associated with a wagering activity, comprising:
 establishing a line of credit for a player;   monitoring at least one factor associated with said player's wagering activity;   calculating a credit factor related to the monitored at least one factor; and   automatically applying said credit factor to said line of credit to adjust said line of credit upwardly or downwardly responsive to the monitored at least one factor.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring comprises trending of said at least one factor. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one factor comprises a trending of a wagering pattern. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one factor comprises a trending of at least one of a player's winnings, losses, rate of play, or duration of play. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one factor comprises at least one of a pattern of line of credit payments, a timing of line of credit payments, or an amount of line of credit payments. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one factor comprises an amount of funds in a wagering account of said player. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said credit factor is increased in relation to an amount of funds in said wagering account. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from a handheld gaming device or portable electronic device via a wireless communication link to a remote computer system, a signal representing a request to access a line of credit. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said credit factor comprises a value between one and ten. 
   
   
       10 . A system for accessing a line of credit associated with a player's wagering account, said system comprising:
 a gaming machine having a display that displays a wagering game, a communication interface for communicating over a communication link, and a controller programmed to, responsive to a player input, output a signal related to the player input through said communication interface and over said communication link; and   at least one storage device bearing at least player line of credit data, said at least one storage device being associated with a controller, wherein the controller associated with the at least one storage device is programmed to receive via the communication link a signal representing a request of an advance of at least a portion of a player's line of credit, and, responsive thereto, to cause a number of credits commensurate with the requested advance to be associated with a player's wagering account and to output a signal related to the requested advance to said gaming machine over said communication link.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said gaming machine comprises a handheld gaming machine. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said gaming machine comprises a biometric characteristic input device. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising a memory bearing a plurality of player biometric characteristic profiles or templates. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said player line of credit data is divided into a plurality of sub-portions, each of said plurality of sub-portions being independently accessible to the player. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said controller associated with said at least one storage device is further programmed to monitor a player's wagering account when an obligation on a line of credit is outstanding and to automatically apply any funds in excess of said outstanding obligation from said wagering account to said line of credit. 
   
   
       16 . A method of accessing a line of credit associated with a wagering activity, comprising:
 establishing a line of credit for a player;   communicating a request, responsive to a player input in a gaming machine, through a communication interface and over a communication link to an external system associated with said line of credit, said request relating to a request for an advance against said player's line of credit;   associating a number of credits commensurate with the requested advance with a player's wagering account; and   outputting a signal related to the requested advance to said gaming machine over said communication link.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: dividing said line of credit into a plurality of substantially equal sub-portions, each sub-portion being independently accessible to the player. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said act of outputting a signal comprises outputting to said gaming machine a representation of said wagering account information following said act of associating. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said external system is configured to output a notification signal to said gaming machine over said communication link when a player's outstanding credit obligation reaches a predetermined percentage relative to the credit limit of said line of credit. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: transferring funds from the wagering account to said line of credit to fulfill at least a part of an outstanding obligation regarding said line of credit. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said gaming machine is a handheld gaming machine. 
   
   
       22 . A method of dynamically adjusting a player's line of credit associated with a wagering activity, comprising:
 establishing a line of credit for a player;   monitoring at least one factor associated with a player's subsequent wagering activity;   adjusting a player's line of credit upwardly or downwardly responsive to the monitored at least one factor.