Transferring line of credit funds and gaming establishment account funds to a gaming device

Abstract

A system that, responsive to a request to transfer an amount of funds to a gaming device, facilitates a first transfer of an amount of funds from a gaming establishment account and/or a second transfer of an amount of funds associated with a line of credit to the gaming device.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor after an establishment of a line of credit, an occurrence of a request to transfer a first amount of funds from a gaming establishment account to a device and a determination that the gaming establishment account is associated with a second amount of funds that is less than the first amount of funds, cause the processor to:
 determine an amount of funds available in association with the line of credit, and 
 responsive to the determined amount of funds available in association with the line of credit being at least a third amount of funds, communicate data that results in a modification of the gaming establishment account based on the third amount of funds, wherein a sum of the second amount of funds and the third amount of funds equals the first amount of funds, and following the modification of the gaming establishment account, a communication of data occurs that results in a modification of a balance of the device based on the first amount of funds. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a gaming device and the gaming establishment account comprises a cashless wagering account. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the gaming device comprises any of an electronic gaming machine and a gaming table component associated with a gaming table. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a point-of-sale retail terminal and the gaming establishment account comprises a gaming establishment retail account. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second amount of funds associated with the gaming establishment account comprises no funds associated with the gaming establishment account. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a processor of a gaming establishment credit system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modification of the gaming establishment account based on the third amount of funds is associated with a first transaction identifier, the modification of the balance of the device based on the first amount of funds is associated with a second, different transaction identifier, and a master transaction identifier is associated with both the first transaction identifier and the second, different transaction identifier. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modification of the balance of the device based on the first amount of funds occurs independent of any inputs received associated with any activation of any amount of funds from the line of credit. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor after an establishment of a line of credit, cause the processor to:
 receive data associated with a request to transfer a first amount of funds from a gaming establishment account to a device, and 
 responsive to the gaming establishment account being associated with a second amount of funds that is less than the first amount of funds:
 communicate a request for a third amount of funds to a component of a gaming establishment credit system that maintains the line of credit, wherein a sum of the second amount of funds and the third amount of funds equals the first amount of funds, and 
 responsive to the third amount of funds being activated from the line of credit and transferred to the gaming establishment account:
 approve the request to transfer the first amount of funds from the gaming establishment account to the device, and 
 communicate data that results in a modification of a balance of the device based on the first amount of funds. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to the third amount of funds not being activated from the line of credit, cause the processor to deny the request to transfer the first amount of funds from the gaming establishment account to the device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the device comprises a gaming device and the gaming establishment account comprises a cashless wagering account. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the device comprises a point-of-sale retail terminal and the gaming establishment account comprises a gaming establishment retail account. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication of the request for the third amount of funds to the component of the gaming establishment credit system that maintains the line of credit automatically occurs responsive to a determination that the gaming establishment account is associated with the second amount of funds that is less than the first amount of funds. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating a system, the method comprising:
 after an establishment of a line of credit, an occurrence of a request to transfer a first amount of funds from a gaming establishment account to a device and a determination that the gaming establishment account is associated with a second amount of funds that is less than the first amount of funds:
 determining, by a processor, an amount of funds available in association with the line of credit, and 
 responsive to the determined amount of funds available in association with the line of credit being at least a third amount of funds, communicating data that results in a modification of the gaming establishment account based on the third amount of funds, wherein a sum of the second amount of funds and the third amount of funds equals the first amount of funds, and following the modification of the gaming establishment account, a communication of data occurs that results in a modification of a balance of the device based on the first amount of funds. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the device comprises a gaming device and the gaming establishment account comprises a cashless wagering account. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the gaming device comprises any of an electronic gaming machine and a gaming table component associated with a gaming table. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the device comprises a point-of-sale retail terminal and the gaming establishment account comprises a gaming establishment retail account. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second amount of funds associated with the gaming establishment account comprises no funds associated with the gaming establishment account. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the modification of the gaming establishment account based on the third amount of funds is associated with a first transaction identifier, the modification of the balance of the device based on the first amount of funds is associated with a second, different transaction identifier, and a master transaction identifier is associated with both the first transaction identifier and the second, different transaction identifier. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the modification of the balance of the device based on the first amount of funds occurs independent of any inputs received associated with any activation of any amount of funds from the line of credit.