Managing mobile applications in a gaming environment

Abstract

Technology for managing mobile applications on an electronic gaming machine (EGM) in communication with a mobile device over a communications network is disclosed. An EGM may perform an account login by a user using a gaming host application associated with the EGM such that the account login triggers the gaming host application to launch a selected mobile gaming application for game play on the EGM.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing mobile applications on an electronic gaming machine (EGM), the method comprising:
 receiving, by the EGM, account login information from a mobile device over a communication network;   creating, by the EGM, an account login session using the account login information from the mobile device; and   launching, in response to the account login session, a selected mobile gaming application for game play on one of the EGM or mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the selected mobile gaming application for a current game being provided by the EGM. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to creating the account login session, performing one of:
 automatically switching, by the mobile device, operation of a gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application;   switching operation, on the mobile device, between the selected mobile gaming application and a gaming host application according to a selected indicator; and   automatically switching, by one of the EGM and the mobile device, operation of the selected mobile gaming application to an alternative selected mobile gaming application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising installing, in response to the account login session, the selected mobile gaming application on the mobile device to facilitate the game play on the EGM, wherein the selected mobile gaming application is provided by the EGM to complete the install on the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising transmitting, from the gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application on the mobile device, identity information of a user associated with the account login information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising performing one of:
 restricting, by the mobile device, interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application when the selected mobile gaming application fails to provide the gaming host application an application programming interface (API) key; and   providing, by the selected mobile gaming application to the gaming host application on the mobile device, an application programming interface (API) key to enable interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising validating, by the selected mobile gaming application, exchanged data including the identity information from the gaming host application using a cryptographic signature. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, pursuant to creating the account login session, performing:
 funding a bet associated with the game play, establishing a credit balance to fund the bet associated with the game play, receiving one or more login credentials of the user, and providing player loyalty account information.   
     
     
         9 . An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprising:
 a display;   a communication module;   a memory device; and   a processor executing instructions stored in the memory device, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 create an account login session using account login information received from a mobile device through the communication module; and 
 in response to the creating the account login session, launch a selected mobile gaming application for game play on one of the EGM or mobile device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The EGM of  claim 9 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to determine the selected mobile gaming application for a current game being provided by the EGM. 
     
     
         11 . The EGM of  claim 9 , wherein subsequent to creating the account login session, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform one of:
 automatically switching, by the mobile device, operation of a gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application;   switching operation, on the mobile device, between the selected mobile gaming application and a gaming host application according to a selected indicator; and   automatically switching, by one of the EGM and the mobile device, operation of the selected mobile gaming application to an alternative selected mobile gaming application.   
     
     
         12 . The EGM of  claim 9 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions, in response to the account login session, install the selected mobile gaming application on the mobile device to facilitate the game play on the EGM, wherein the selected mobile gaming application is provided by the EGM to complete the install on the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The EGM of  claim 11 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to transmit, from the gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application, identity information of a user associated with the account login information. 
     
     
         14 . The EGM of  claim 13 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform one of:
 restrict interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application when the selected mobile gaming application fails to provide the gaming host application an application programming interface (API) key; and   provide, by the selected mobile gaming application to the gaming host application, an application programming interface (API) key to enable interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application.   
     
     
         15 . The EGM of  claim 14 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to validate, by the selected mobile gaming application, exchanged data including the identity information from the gaming host application using a cryptographic signature. 
     
     
         16 . The EGM of  claim 13 , wherein pursuant to creating the account login session, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform:
 funding a bet associated with the game play, establishing a credit balance to fund the bet associated with the game play, receiving one or more login credentials of the user, and providing player loyalty account information.   
     
     
         17 . A system for managing mobile applications on an electronic gaming machine (EGM), the system comprising:
 a communications network;   a mobile device; and   the EGM, the EGM including a processor executing instructions stored in a memory device, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 create an account login session using account login information received from the mobile device through the communication network; and 
 in response to the creating the account login session, launch a selected mobile gaming application for game play on one of the EGM or mobile device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform one of:
 determine the selected mobile gaming application for a current game being provided by the EGM;   subsequent to creating the account login session, automatically switching, by the mobile device, operation of a gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application;   subsequent to creating the account login session, switching operation, on the mobile device, between the selected mobile gaming application and a gaming host application according to a selected indicator;   subsequent to creating the account login session, automatically switching, by one of the EGM and the mobile device, operation of the selected mobile gaming application to an alternative selected mobile gaming application; and   install, in response to the account login session, the selected mobile gaming application on the mobile device to facilitate the game play on the EGM, wherein the selected mobile gaming application is provided by the EGM to complete the install on the mobile device.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to transmit, from the gaming host application to the selected mobile gaming application, identity information of a user associated with the account login information. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform one of:
 restricting interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application when the selected mobile gaming application fails to provide the gaming host application an application programming interface (API) key;   providing, by the selected mobile gaming application to the gaming host application, an application programming interface (API) key to enable interaction between the selected mobile gaming application and the gaming host application; and   validating, by the selected mobile gaming application, exchanged data including the identity information from the gaming host application using a cryptographic signature.