Fantasy sports league application and associated methods

Abstract

A fantasy sports league application is operated on a computerized device for managing a bet relating to statistics of a sporting event. The statistics may relate to a team, position, play, or player. The terms of the bet may be defined relating to a bet amount, bet type, scoring procedure, and/or duration. The bet may be created by a creator using an interface. A user may view and accept the bet, and may also make a counteroffer. Users may create and join leagues and private groups. The bet may be confirmed when the creator and the user agree on terms. Funds relating to the bet may be collected and dispersed.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing a simulation sports game relating to statistics of a sporting event using a fantasy betting application, wherein the fantasy betting application comprises rules managed by a rules engine and stored in a database included in a computerized device with a processor and memory, the method comprising:
 creating a bet to define a created bet by
 defining conditions of the bet including a bet duration, 
 defining terms of the bet including a bet amount and a bet subject relating to the sporting event and comprising at least one of a team, a position, a play, and a player, and 
 defining limitations of a counteroffer, wherein the limitations of the counteroffer include a range of allowable values corresponding to the terms of the bet; 
   posting the created bet to define a posted bet by
 authorizing the created bet for posting by selectively analyzing the created bet for compliance with the rules stored in the database, and 
 displaying, upon determination of compliance with the rules, the terms of the created bet using a first interface; 
   creating the counteroffer to define a created counteroffer by
 negotiating terms of the counteroffer by transmitting a question related to the created bet and receiving a respective response related to the question, 
 defining conditions of the counteroffer including a counteroffer duration, and 
 defining the terms of the counteroffer, wherein the terms of the counteroffer are selected from the limitations of the counteroffer, and include a counteroffer amount and a counteroffer subject relating to the sporting event and comprising at least one of a team, a position, a play, and a player; 
   posting the created counteroffer to define a posted counteroffer by
 authorizing the created counteroffer for posting by selectively analyzing the created counteroffer for compliance with the rules stored in the database, and 
 displaying, upon determination of compliance with the rules, the terms of the created counteroffer using a second interface; 
   initiating the simulation sports game to define a confirmed bet by
 receiving acceptance of one of the posted bet and the posted counteroffer; 
   wherein the rules comprise allowance criteria for at least one of a bet value, a bet type, and scoring procedure;   wherein the bet value defines criteria for valuation of winning the simulation sports game;   wherein the bet type defines criteria for determining a winner of the simulation sports game;   wherein the scoring procedure defines a measurement of the statistics of the sporting event using the criteria for determining the winner of the simulation sports game;   wherein the steps of creating the bet, posting the created bet, creating the counteroffer and posting the created counteroffer are carried out using the computerized device.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein a user is associated with user data to identify information relating to the user, wherein a league is definable to include members selected from a group of users, and wherein the league is configurable to include membership restrictions relating to the user data of each user in the group of users. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  further comprising comparing the user data with the membership restrictions to determine eligibility of the user for admission into the league. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein a user is included in a group of users; wherein a community interface is included to selectively share user data associated with the user with additional users in the group of users; wherein at least part of the user data is selectable between being privately held and publicly shared; and wherein the user data that is publicly shared is comparable by each user with at least one other user in the group of users. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein a user is included in a group of users; wherein a performance based ranking system is included to provide a ranking of each user against the group of users; and wherein operation of the performance based ranking system comprises:
 defining the rules to assign weighted points to the confirmed bet relating to the terms of the confirmed bet and an outcome of the confirmed bet, wherein the ranking is defined by an accumulation of the weighted points, and wherein the ranking is associated with the user; 
 comparing the confirmed bet made by the user to the rules to determine a number of weighted points to be added to the accumulation of weighted points of the user; 
 comparing the accumulation of weighted points of the user to the accumulation of weighted points of additional users within the group of users to determine the ranking of the user among the users in the group. 
 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the statistics relating to the sporting event are included on a network connected device to be accessed by the fantasy betting application. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising selectively defining an expiration of the created bet. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising accepting funds for the confirmed bet, holding the funds until the winner of the simulated sports game is determined, and dispersing at least part of the funds to the winner of the simulated sports game after the winner is determined; wherein the funds to be collected are defined by the terms of the confirmed bet; and wherein disbursement of the funds to the winner is defined by the conditions of the confirmed bet. 
     
     
         9 . A method for managing a simulation sports game relating to statistics of a sporting event using a fantasy betting application wherein the fantasy betting application comprises rules managed by a rules engine and stored in a database included in a computerized device with a processor and memory, comprising:
 creating a bet, the bet being created by a creator to define a created bet, by
 defining conditions of the bet, 
 defining terms of the bet, and 
 defining limitations of a counteroffer, wherein the limitations include a range of allowable values corresponding to the terms of the bet, 
   posting the created bet to the database, wherein the created bet is viewable by a user using an interface;   creating the counteroffer, the counteroffer created by the user to define a created counteroffer, by
 negotiating terms of the counteroffer by transmitting to the creator a question related to the created bet and receiving from the creator a respective response related to the question, 
 defining conditions of the counteroffer, and 
 defining the terms of the counteroffer, wherein the terms of the counteroffer are selected from the limitations of the counteroffer; 
   initiating the simulation sports game to define a confirmed bet by
 receiving one of acceptance by the user of the posted bet and 
 acceptance by the creator of the posted counteroffer; 
 accepting funds for the confirmed bet; 
 holding the funds for the confirmed bet until the winner of the simulation sports game is determined; and 
 dispersing at least part of the funds to the winner of the simulation sports game after the winner is determined; 
 wherein the funds to be collected are defined by the terms of the confirmed bet; 
 wherein disbursement of the funds to the winner is defined by the conditions of the confirmed bet; and 
 wherein a fee is collectible from the funds prior to dispersing remaining the funds to the winner; 
   wherein the user is included in a group of users;   wherein a community interface is included to selectively share user data associated with the user with additional users in the group of users and to provide intercommunication among each user in the group of users;   wherein at least part of the user data is selectable between being privately held and publicly shared;   wherein the user data that is publicly shared is comparable by each user with at least one other user in the group of users;   wherein the rules establish allowance criteria for at least one of a bet value, a bet type, a bet expiration, and scoring procedure;   wherein the bet value defines criteria for valuation of winning the simulation sports game;   wherein the bet type defines criteria for determining a winner of the simulation sports game;   wherein the bet expiration defines criteria for fixing an end date of the simulation sports game;   wherein the scoring procedure defines a measurement of the statistic relating to the sporting event using the criteria for determining the winner of the simulation sports game; and   wherein the steps of creating the bet, posting the created bet, creating the counteroffer and posting the created counteroffer are carried out using the computerized device.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein a league is definable to include members selected from the group of users; and wherein the league is configurable to include membership restrictions relating to the user data of each user in the group of users. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  further comprising comparing the user data with the membership restrictions to determine eligibility of the user for admission into the league. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the user is included in a group of users, wherein a performance based ranking system is included to provide a ranking of each user against the group of users, and wherein operation of the performance based ranking system comprises:
 defining the rules to assign weighted points to the confirmed bet relating to the terms of the confirmed bet and an outcome of the confirmed bet, wherein the ranking is defined by an accumulation of the weighted points, and wherein the ranking is associated with the user; 
 comparing the confirmed bet made by the user to the rules to determine a number of weighted points to be added to the accumulation of weighted points of the user; and 
 comparing the accumulation of weighted points of the user to the accumulation of weighted points of additional users within the group of users to determine the ranking of the user among the users in the group. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 9  further comprising the creator selectively allowing the created bet to be split and the user selectively requesting the created bet to be split; wherein splitting the created bet is defined as allowing parts of the created bet to be independently confirmable. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the statistics relating to the sporting event are included on a network connected device to be accessed by the fantasy betting application. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 9  further comprising selectively defining at least one of an expiration of the created bet, a duration of the created bet, and odds relating to the created bet. 
     
     
         16 . A fantasy betting application comprising:
 a database to include data, the database being stored in a computerized device including a processor and memory;   an interface to be manipulated by a creator or a user to manage a simulation sports game relating to statistics of a sporting event;   a rules engine to manage rules relating to the simulation sports game, the rules being stored in the database and configured to define allowance criteria for a bet value, a bet type, and a scoring procedure, wherein the bet value defines criteria for valuation of winning the simulation sports game, wherein the bet type defines criteria for determining a winner of the simulation sports game, and wherein the scoring procedure defines a measurement of the statistics of the sporting event using the criteria for determining the winner of the simulation sports game;   wherein the database is accessible over a network;   wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to manage the simulation sports game by
 facilitating creation of a bet by the creator to define a created bet that comprises conditions of the bet, terms of the bet, and limitations of a counteroffer wherein the limitations include a range of allowable values corresponding to the terms of the bet; 
 facilitating posting of the created bet to be receivable and viewable by a user using the interface; 
 facilitating creation of the counteroffer by the user to define a created counteroffer that comprises conditions of the counteroffer, and selectively negotiated terms of the counteroffer received as at least one response from the creator to at least one question by the user and selected from the range of allowable values corresponding to the limitations of the counteroffer; and 
 facilitating initiation of the simulation sports game to define a confirmed bet that comprises one of acceptance by the user of the posted bet and acceptance by the creator of the posted counteroffer. 
   
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 16  wherein the user is associated with user data to identify information relating to the user; wherein a league is definable to include members selected from a group of users; and wherein the league is configurable to include membership restrictions relating to the user data of each user in the group of users. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 16  wherein the user is included in a group of users; wherein a community interface is included to selectively share user data associated with the user with additional users in the group of users; wherein at least part of the user data is selectable between being privately held and publicly shared; and wherein the user data that is publicly shared is comparable by each user with at least one other user in the group of users. 
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 16  wherein the user is included in a group of users, wherein a performance based ranking system is included to provide a ranking of each user against the group of users, wherein operation of the performance based ranking system comprises:
 defining the rules to assign weighted points to the confirmed bet relating to the terms of the confirmed bet and an outcome of the confirmed bet, wherein the ranking is defined by an accumulation of the weighted points, and wherein the ranking is associated with the user; 
 comparing the confirmed bet made by the user to the rules to determine a number of weighted points to be added to the accumulation of weighted points of the user; 
 comparing the accumulation of weighted points of the user to the accumulation of weighted points of additional users within the group of users to determine the ranking of the user among the users in the group. 
 
     
     
         20 . A system according to  claim 16  wherein funds are accepted for the confirmed bet; wherein the funds are held until the winner of the confirmed bet is determined; and wherein the funds to be collected are defined by the terms of the confirmed bet.