US20070082730A1

US20070082730A1 - Pari-mutuel betting kiosk

Info

Publication number: US20070082730A1
Application number: US11/245,965
Authority: US
Inventors: Patrick Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-10-08
Filing date: 2005-10-08
Publication date: 2007-04-12

Abstract

A method and device are provided that allow a wagering consumer to place wagers on pari-mutuel events without being at the originating facility or at another licensed pari-mutuel betting facility. A betting kiosk is placed in a location open to the public with a high speed communication link to the betting kiosk. Instructions for setting up and maintaining an advance deposit wagering account are provided at the wagering consumer's kiosk. A wagering consumer deposits funds into the advance deposit wagering account and then places bets and has his account credited or debited depending on the success of the bets placed. The betting kiosk sends the wagering consumer's information securely to an advance deposit wagering company, and receives information from the advance wagering company regarding authorization to make a bet. The betting kiosk has video and audio display capability and receives video and audio feeds from facilities allowing wagering consumers to see and hear the pari-mutuel event upon which the bet was placed. A video and audio archive is also available to allow wagering consumers to review prior pari-mutuel events before placing their bets.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and device for placing pari-mutuel bets on pari-mutuel wagering events at thoroughbred, harness, trotting, greyhound race tracks and other legal pari-mutuel wagering events from public locations without requiring a gaming license.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pari-mutuel wagering in the United States was, for many years, one of the very few forms of legal gambling. Such gambling was strictly confined to the locations where the event was being held. Pari-mutuel wagering is commonly used on events such as thoroughbred, harness, trotting, greyhound, and jai alai wagering wherein a pool is established for a particular type of bet (i.e. win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc.) and then proceeds from the pool are divided among the winning wagering consumers. Pari-mutuel wagering is common and advantageous to facility operators because, prior to paying out the proceeds to the winners, the facility operator deducts a fixed percentage known as the takeout. Typically, the takeout is approximately 15-27 percent of the pool depending on the type of bet (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc.) and statutory restrictions. For wagering placed at the location of the pari-mutuel event, the facility operator would retain the takeout as revenue, less required payments as required by contract and statute.
This business model was the constant for more than a century, before widely available simulcasting of pari-mutuel events became available. At that point, a wagering consumer at one facility could wager on an event being held at another facility. This expanded even further to the point where facilities which did not host any wagering events on premises could obtain a license to take wagers on pari-mutuel events being conducted at multiple facilities, in the same state, in the United States and internationally. Wagering consumers bet with a person employed by or under contract to the licensed operator of the facility. This person is commonly known as a teller. The wagering consumer would indicate their wager to the teller, who accepts cash and then provides the wagering consumer with a ticket providing a record of the wager. If the wagering consumer had bought a winning ticket, the ticket could then be returned to that or another teller to receive cash proceeds calculated, as set forth above, according to the pari-mutuel wagering system.
Advances in technology in the 1980's and 1990's led to self-service machines wherein a teller was replaced by these self-service machines that sell and cash tickets. The machines provide cash vouchers for winnings, which could in turn be converted into cash at a teller location. Some self-service machines accept either cash for the placing of a wager, or a voucher.
Equipment provided at a licensed facility allowed wagering consumers to place wagers there and have their bets placed into the facility's pari-mutuel pool. With the initial form of simulcast pari-mutuel wagering, a licensed simulcast operator had a direct communication link to the facility where the event was being conducted so that the wagers generally became part of the facility's pari-mutuel pool and the payout to the winners was the same as that paid out at the facility itself.
In the late 1990's, the reach of legal gambling on pari-mutuel events, specifically horse racing, was dramatically expanded when it became possible, and legal, for advance account wagering services to set up funded accounts for wagering consumers and to accept bets over the phone or Internet for pari-mutuel wagering events at any facility hosting a pari-mutuel event. An account is set up and maintained by a licensed Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) Company and the wagering consumer is assigned a unique account identifying user name or account number and password or pin to access his ADW Company account. When the wagering consumer makes a wager, and before the wager is placed with the facility's main pool, confirmation that there are sufficient funds to cover the wager is received by the ADW Company, and the wagering consumer can place bets on a pari-mutuel event at any originating pari-mutuel facility, which by agreement permits the ADW Company to accept wagers on its events. The wagering consumer can place his wager against his ADW account by using a hard line phone, cellular or mobile phone, web enabled phones, personal data assistant (PDA) or other devices as well as a computer (via the Internet). The amount of the wager is deducted from his account and, if the bet is successful, his account is credited with the pari-mutuel odds payout. The ADW Company has reliable, fast communications links with the originating pari-mutuel event facility so that wagers made through the ADW Company are made part of the originating facility's pari-mutuel pool. By contract, the ADW Company receives a portion of the takeout for originating the wager. Thus, through the use of a telephone, internet or other communication device and an ADW account, a wagering consumer can wager on a variety of pari-mutuel events at a variety of originating pari-mutuel facilities, from a number of public and private locations. The use of an audio phone is disadvantageous, however, in that the handicapping information (such as, in a thoroughbred race, the horse's prior starts, bloodlines, and even jockey) available to the wagering consumer is limited or non-existent. The use of video phones, while known in the art, are prohibitively expensive and of generally low speed communications so that the download of handicapping information, while existent, is not practical. Clearly, a computer having a high speed Internet connection is comparatively advantageous by providing a wagering consumer the capability to download the facility's race card/schedule (which may include some handicapping information). Thus, the wagering consumer is in a more knowledgeable position from a handicapping standpoint if he has the facility's race card/schedule than if he is just choosing a horse, or a number, upon which to wager from a telephone prompt. A high speed video connection to a pari-mutuel event originating facility is clearly desirable over a purely audio communication link to the facility. As set forth above, the wagering consumer's account is credited or debited, depending on the success of the bet. Efficient communication between the ADW Company and the originating pari-mutuel event facility make it possible for all wagers, whether placed remotely through the ADW Company or physically at the originating facility can be placed into a single pari-mutuel pool at the originating facility. This is important from the standpoint that it eliminates confusion as to the payout and because it increases the handle for the originating facility, which bears the cost of putting on the event. While there do exist instances in which more than one pool exists for a given event, it is generally better to avoid such a situation to avoid “pool shopping”.
While the explosion of cell phone use has made it possible to place wagers on pari-mutuel events from virtually anywhere through ADW accounts the limitations of communicating over cell phones carry significant disadvantages. For example, the vast majority of cell phones are not presently equipped with high speed video communications so that a wagering consumer cannot generally receive a video feed of the event upon which he has wagered. In addition, using a telephone keypad to select and enter account information, followed by facility selection, event selection, and wager selection (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, etc., and amount of each wager) becomes a laborious and time consuming task. A computer having a high speed Internet connection and a graphic operating system allow a wagering consumer to bet using their ADW account by clicking on facility location, event selection, horse or participating player, and other information.
The advent of the personal computer and Internet, and the application to pari-mutuel wagering and Advance Deposit Wagering accounts has solved some of those problems in that facilities offer simulcast video streams of their event race cards, totalisator/odds boards, and even real time video of the events themselves. A wagering consumer can place wagers through an ADW account after reviewing a facility's betting card and tote board, and can then watch streaming video of the event race if his computer has the necessary application software to display the video/audio and if the Internet connection is sufficiently high speed.
The present invention addresses the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a betting kiosk at a fixed location with a high speed communication link. The kiosk is beneficial in that it brings a legal wagering event to consumers in a non-licensed facility. It allows consumers to easily make wagers in a facility without the involvement of the facility in the wager transaction.
The betting kiosk is user friendly, with instructions on how to open and maintain an Advance Deposit Wagering account, and has dedicated keys to allow a user to easily and quickly select a facility (e.g. a particular race track), an event (e.g. a specific race) and an entrant in that event (e.g. a horse) upon which to place a wager. The kind of wager and amount are then easily entered. The betting kiosk may be provided with either a key pad or touch screen controls to accept simple user input and a thermal printer to print a ticket/receipt of each wager.
Finally, once the bet is placed, the kiosk affords the wagering consumer an opportunity to watch the event upon which he has bet by virtue of a display of a video feed from the facility over a high speed streaming video communication link. The kiosk has high quality video resolution provided by state of the art video cards and monitors. An audio feed is also provided to give the wagering consumer the facility's announcer's call of the race, which is particularly advantageous if the video monitor is small or if the video feed is bumpy or slow, because the audio feed is not bumpy or slow.
By simply providing access to Advance Deposit Wagering accounts through the kiosk, the present invention is compliant with state and federal law regarding pari-mutuel wagering , while also bringing the opportunity to wager on pari-mutuel events to public locations that are not currently licensed to accept wagers. This is particularly advantageous for sports bars, restaurants, and other public retail locations that can now provide an additional entertainment option to their customers and as a tool to acquire and retain additional customers, who have or may have an interest in pari-mutuel events and legal United States based wagering. Making pari-mutuel wagering more accessible and convenient in this manner is also advantageous to the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry by increasing participation in pari-mutuel wagering, thereby providing improved outlets and greater distribution for their product. The high speed Internet connection allowing for real time display of the pari-mutuel event and the facility's event card provides a wagering consumer more information regarding the event participants and a greater knowledge base to make a wager, then watch the event, at any location, public or private, licensed or unlicensed. Without the kiosk of the present invention, a wagering consumer was forced to either “phone in” a wager, and not have any meaningful data on the event or the opportunity to watch the event, or to carry around a personal computer and search for a high speed connection.
Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for placing legal wagers on pari-mutuel events from public or private locations without a wagering or gaming license.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for placing wagers on pari-mutuel events providing real time video and audio display of facility conditions, odds and races bet upon.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for placing wagers on pari-mutuel events using advance deposit wagering accounts and providing real time video and audio of display of events bet upon.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for wagering on pari-mutuel events using secure, high speed communications with the originating pari-mutuel facility to provide streaming audio and video to remote betting kiosks.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for betting on pari-mutuel events comprising a betting kiosk having simple access and instructions on how to set up and use advance deposit wagering accounts.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having high speed communications provisions allowing real time display of video and audio of facility conditions, odds and the pari-mutuel events themselves.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having secure access to advance deposit wagering accounts allowing wagering consumers to place wagers on pari-mutuel events.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fixed betting kiosk in a public or private, unlicensed facility for receiving advance deposit wagering account wagers and displaying video and audio output from the originating pari-mutuel facility.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having provisions for accessing archived video of completed pari-mutuel events in which current competitors have competed to allow wagering customers to become more fully informed in making wagers on pari-mutuel events.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having a security interlock switch to automatically log off users when they walk away from the kiosk.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a betting kiosk having a user keyboard for placing wagers and a receipt generator for printing out confirmation receipts of the wagers.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for accepting wagers on pari-mutuel events at facilities not having a gaming license.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for conducting the business of wagering on pari-mutuel events by providing a convenient and accessible opportunity in locations that that do not have a gaming license to set up advance deposit wagering accounts and to take wagers using ADW accounts on pari-mutuel events.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for allowing a wagering consumer to remotely place a pari-mutuel wager on a pari-mutuel event from a location open to the public, even when the public location does not have a gaming license. The wagering consumer can also view video of the pari-mutuel event wagered upon at the unlicensed public location. The invention also provides a consumer an opportunity to watch pari-mutuel events even if they have not wagered on the event. The steps of the business method are to first, provide a betting kiosk having user input capacity and video and audio display capacity. This allows the user to access an existing advance deposit wagering account or to set up a new account, and it also allows a user to select and receive the video and audio from any pari-mutuel event/facility in the world, regardless of whether the user has placed a bet on the event or on any event. The next step is to provide a high speed dedicated communication link from the betting kiosk to an advance deposit wagering company to communicate wager information from the kiosk to the advance deposit wagering company. The business method also provides a secure authorization means for a user to access an advance deposit wagering account.
The next step in the method is the communicating of video and audio feeds generated at a pari-mutuel wagering facility to the betting kiosk. The business method next provides simple instructions to a user at the kiosk on how to set up and access an advance deposit wagering account at the betting kiosk. Finally the business method of the present invention contemplates the step of placing the betting kiosk in a lawfully compliant location open to the public.
The most preferred embodiment of the business method of the present invention further comprises the step of providing a security interlock cutoff so that when a wagering consumer walks away from the betting kiosk, the transactions in the wagering consumer's account are terminated automatically. In addition, the method of the present invention further comprises the step of communicating daily facility schedule card information from a pari-mutuel facility to the betting kiosk.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a betting kiosk for use in any licensed or unlicensed facility wherein a user input device is provided to confirm advance deposit wagering account information. The kiosk also has means for selecting the video, audio, data stream from a desired pari-mutuel facility, and means for displaying the video, audio, data stream from the desired facility.
The kiosk of the present invention has means for communicating bet information to the desired pari-mutuel facility through the advance deposit wagering company, such that a bet is placed into an appropriate parimutuel pool. The preferred embodiment of the betting kiosk further comprises a high speed communication link to an advance deposit wagering company, and a security pad positioned adjacent said betting kiosk requiring wagering consumer presence thereon in order to stay logged in to the advance deposit wagering account.
A method for conducting the business of wagering on pari-mutuel events is also provided comprising the steps of placing a user friendly betting kiosk for receiving wagers in a public place not licensed as a gaming location. Next, a communications network between the kiosk and the pari-mutuel facility's pari-mutuel pool is provided so that wagers at said betting kiosk are included in said pari-mutuel pool.
The business method of the present invention providing for the placement of a user friendly kiosk further comprises placing a betting kiosk having a video display for providing simple, prompt driven instruction to wagering consumers on how to set up an advance deposit wagering account and how to place bets after the advance deposit wagering account is set up.
The preferred embodiment of the business method further comprises placement of a user friendly betting kiosk. The method further comprises the step of placing a betting kiosk having a video display for providing video depiction of a pari-mutuel event regardless of whether or not there has been a wager placed on the event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the betting kiosk of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a multiple terminal video display betting kiosk.
FIG. 3 is a communication schematic illustrating transfer of data to and from the kiosk, advance deposit wagering company and the originating facility.
FIGS. 4 is flow chart illustrating the flow of information to and from the betting kiosk of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A betting kiosk 10 is disclosed which may be located in any facility, regardless of whether it has a gaming license, which provides wagering consumers with a means for placing wagers on any pari-mutuel event, such as horse races, at any facility (the originating facility) anywhere in the world. The betting kiosk 10 merely requires power and a high speed Internet communication link 12 to place wagers and receive information from the originating facility as set forth in more detail herein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the betting kiosk 10 is located in a public place accessible to the public to place wagers on pari-mutuel events such as horse races. By so locating the betting kiosk 10, it provides a method for conducting the business of wagering on pari-mutuel events, such as thoroughbred, harness, trotting and greyhound races plus games of jai alai, conveniently accessible to a large segment of the population that would not otherwise be able or inclined to participate in placing wagers on legal pari-mutuel wagering events such as the races and jai alai described above. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates its use with any pari-mutuel facility, it is most illustrative to describe its operation in terms of horse race betting, although the principles of the present invention may be extended to, and specifically contemplate, the use in any form of pari-mutuel wagering, including without limitation horse races, dog races and Jai Alai.
The betting kiosk 10 is accessible to those experienced in pari-mutuel wagering who have an advanced deposit wagering account already set up. For those wagering consumers, the betting kiosk 10 is designed to prompt and accept account identification information to confirm the account information and balance via communication with an advance deposit wagering company. Upon confirmation of identity and account balance information, the betting kiosk 10 then visually prompts the wagering consumer to select a facility at which a wager is to be placed. When the facility has been identified by the wagering consumer, the Advance Deposit Wagering Company procures data from the facility including, typically, audio and video feeds and a schedule card via a high speed communication link 13. The data is then communicated to the wagering consumer at the kiosk 10 via a high speed communication link 15, the data comprising with a screen depicting the schedule card at the selected facility and an audio and video feed from the facility. In addition, archived audio, video and text results of prior events may be stored, either by the Advance Deposit Wagering Company or by the selected facility, such archives being available to wagering consumers for handicapping purposes.
The wagering consumer then selects the event upon which he wishes to place a wager, and the wagering consumer then is presented with a listing of the participants in the field for that event. The wagering consumer is then prompted to select a type and amount of wager. The wagering consumer then selects the horse upon which a bet is to be made and, if it is a single horse bet (win, place or show) clicks on a DISPLAY TICKET button. If the wagering consumer is placing a multi-race or multi-horse wager (such as an exacta, trifecta, superfecta) or box or wheel bet, the wagering consumer is prompted to enter each leg of the bet. When all legs have been completed, the wagering consumer clicks on a DISPLAY TICKET button. The wagering consumer then confirms the type and amount of wager, horses and race(s) selected and, when the wagering consumer is sure the bet is correct, clicks on a SUBMIT BET button.
The betting kiosk 10 is also accessible to new users and provides an initial SET UP account screen 17 for users that do not have an advance wagering account already set up. The betting kiosk 10 will prompt a wagering consumer for identifying information (name, address, social security number, birthdate) via the SETUP screen 17 and will then prompt the new user to select a pin/password. The new users age and residency is then confirmed via a reporting agency. Once it is confirmed that the user is a resident of a state where it is legal to have an advance deposit wagering account and that they are of a legal age in that state, the account is created and they are provided with a unique account identifying number. When the account is successfully set up, the betting kiosk 10 will prompt the new user to make a deposit of funds into the account via their checking account or from a debit or credit card. The use of advance deposit wagering accounts as a means for placing wagers on pari-mutuel events, such as horse races and Jai-Alai, is well known. Prior to the present invention, the use of advance deposit wagering accounts has been limited to wagering consumers who either call in from telephone, whether land-line, cellular, or PDA or who use a computer with Internet connectivity to access their ADW account to place wagers. The greatest disadvantage of telephone use is that, while the use of the cell phone is convenient, and makes a ADW account very accessible from effectively anywhere, the transaction in placing a wager using a cell phone or hard line phone or in checking on results are done using the telephone keypad or responding to audio prompts or with a live operator, all of which are limited in their ability to quickly and easily transfer the depth and volume of information in an efficient manner. A wagering consumer using a cell phone to access an ADW account cannot generally get the quality video feed and, even if the cell phone does have a high speed connection and the necessary application software to display video, the size of the phone's LCD display is generally too small to discern the horses or progress in a large field of horses.
The use of a computer having a high speed connection to place pari-mutuel wagers, on the other hand, solves some of the cell phone problems in that many personal computers have the necessary software and can have a high speed connection to allow meaningful video display from the pari-mutuel facility. The size of the computer video display is even dramatically improved over the cell phone display.
Neither of the above two approaches, the convenient cell phone and the high speed computer network, recognize the value of providing a high speed Internet connected portal providing access to pari-mutuel wagering, the portal having the capacity to display, via video, pari-mutuel facilities' streaming video feeds, at a location where it is accessible to the public that does not generally participate in pari-mutuel wagering. The present invention provides a business method for increasing participation in pari-mutuel wagering by providing betting kiosks that are convenient and accessible to the general public, located in restaurants, sports bars and other non-typical, unlicensed and non-gaming locations. The betting kiosks provide the quantity and quality of information available to wagering consumers via a high speed internet connection 15, providing facility and handicapping information and video streams of pari-mutuel events, without requiring the wagering consumers to look for high speed connections for the personal computer.
The betting kiosk 10 comprises an interactive video display monitor 14 on which a wagering consumer makes various selections to place a wager. For example, in the event the wagering consumer is making a wager on a horse race, after logging onto or setting up an advance deposit wagering account, the wagering consumer selects the facility (the track) at which the event is being held. The wagering consumer then selects the event (race number), the type of wager, (win, place, show, exacta, quinella, trifecta, daily double, pick 3, pick 4, pick 6, etc.,) the amount of the wager and the participant (horse number). The interactive video display also gives the wagering consumer the opportunity to view track conditions, scratches or changes in the race card, morning line odds, current odds, historical data about the horse and jockey and other data graphically on the video display monitor 14. Once selected, the video display monitor 14 provides streaming video from the selected track and/or race card/odds information from the track.
The betting kiosk 10 also has speakers 16 providing output of the audio feed received from the originating facilities. The receipt and output of the audio feed at speakers 16 is important in the event the high speed video display becomes disabled or sluggish. The audio feed is more reliable and will provide some limited information about the track conditions, odds, and the race itself even if the video feed falters.
The kiosk 10 further comprises a user input device 18, depicted as a keyboard in the preferred embodiment in FIG. 1 necessary to make the video display 14 interactive. It is specifically contemplated, however, that other user input devices, such as a touch screen or mouse may be used without departing from the principles of the present invention. The user input device 18 is used, as discussed in more detail herein, to enter confirmation data regarding the user account number and security data and then to select the pari-mutuel facility (e.g. a race track when applied to horse racing) at which the wager is to be made and to select the pari-mutuel event (e.g. the number of the race) and the participant (the number of the horse). Finally, the user input device is employed to enter wager information (type and amount) which is ultimately used to transfer funds from his advance deposit wagering account to the pari-mutuel pools set up at the selected facilities. The betting kiosk 10 further comprises a thermal ticket generator 22 which provides the wagering consumer the option of printing out a confirmation receipt after the wager has been placed at the desired facility.
Finally, the kiosk 10 is equipped with a security pad 24 which must have a user standing thereon for the kiosk 10 to continue to communicate information to and from the advance deposit wagering account company. The purpose of the security pad 24 is to prevent the accidental walking away from the kiosk 10 by the wagering consumer while still logged onto his advance deposit wagering account. Unauthorized betting in the wagering consumer's advance deposit wagering account is thereby prevented by including a simple weight sensitive electrical switch in the security pad as a permissive contact necessary for operation of the kiosk 10.
While FIG. 1 shows the kiosk 10 in a single terminal configuration, FIG. 2 reflects another embodiment in which multiple wagering consumers can use the kiosk at once. That is, if three persons want to place wagers simultaneously or bet on and watch events from different facilities, each can log onto his own advance deposit wagering account without having to stand in line and wait for the other to finish.
Advance deposit wagering accounts were created to provide a means by which wagering consumers could bet on a race even if they were not at a pari-mutuel facility or at a licensed gaming facility, allowing them to bet by phone or personal computer from their home, office or other location. Advance deposit wagering accounts are funded by a wagering consumer so that he can make wagers out of the account, and then the account is debited whenever a bet is made and it is credited when the bet is successful.
As shown in FIG. 3, the betting kiosk 10 communicates with the advance deposit wagering company 30. The wagering consumer inputs identifying data (i.e. name, username, password, account number, social security number, etc.) which is then transmitted to the advance deposit wagering company on a high speed communication link 31. Once that is accomplished, the wagering consumer is prompted to select a facility at which he wishes to place a bet. After he makes his track selection, the wagering consumer then, using the streaming audio and video and data sent by the facility to the Advance Deposit Wagering Company 30 via high speed link 37, which is then relayed to the kiosk 10 via high speed communication link 39, makes his selections (event, participant, type of bet and amount) and then the whole data packet is communicated from the wagering consumer to the advance deposit wagering company via high speed line 40 and then to any of multiple facilities 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D via high speed lines 44, 46, 48, 50, for example, for inclusion in the facilities' pari-mutuel pool.
If the bet is successful, the user's advance account is credited with the appropriate payout according to the pari-mutuel payout.
It is specifically contemplated by the principles of the present invention that the kiosk 10 shall be lawfully placed in jurisdictions that permit advance deposit wagering accounts. It is also specifically contemplated they will be placed in restaurants, sports bars, social clubs and other similar public facilities that do not have a gambling license but which are attended by the general population. A specific objective is to reach those members of the general public who are not traditional gamblers or are not able to access the product in another manner and to provide them convenient access to participate in the fun and exciting world of pari-mutuel wagering. The kiosk 10 provides a wagering consumer the ability to not only place wagers on pari-mutuel events occurring around the world, but also to view, in real time, the video and audio results of pari-mutuel events on which they have wagered. The kiosk 10 also acts as a monitor linked to all the pari-mutuel wagering facilities around the world which is accessible to the general public, whether they have wagered on an event or not.
The principle of the present invention, the business method wherein a video display or replay of a pari-mutuel event is available, whether a wager has been placed or not, will enhance the use of the kiosk because it is well known that a significant number of the curious viewers of the events will become wagerers after being introduced to pari-mutuel wagering. Within the principles of the present invention, the kiosk 10 thus provides a diversion for patrons of a bar or restaurant in that they will be able to watch horse races (or other pari-mutuel events) even if they have not wagered on them. Eventually, because of the simplicity of the advance deposit wagering account setup and registration, a portion of the casual, non-wagering race watchers will become wagering users of the kiosk 10. The goal of the business method of the present invention, to make pari-mutuel wagering more accessible to and more widely participated in by the general public, is thus achieved by the provision of kiosk 10 allowing wagerers and non-wagerers to view video of races.
The kiosk 10 of the present invention requires only a power connection and a high speed communication link, and makes pari-mutuel wagering accessible to the population at large at restaurants, bars,social clubs, retail locations and other establishments without requiring them to transport a laptop computer with application software looking for a high speed data connection. The kiosk 10 is also clearly advantageous over the use of telephone based access to advance deposit wagering account wagering because it provides a reliable and meaningful video display of the pari-mutuel event upon which a wager is made. Telephones generally available and in common use are not capable of real time video display, and, even in the event telephone communications are sufficiently fast to receive real time video, the limited size of the telephone video display is inadequate to meaningfully view a video stream of a pari-mutuel event such as a horse race. The kiosk 10 of the present invention, with its high speed connection and continuous connection to pari-mutuel facilities through an advance deposit wagering company, including the real time video feed to pari-mutuel events taking place, solve the problems and disadvantages associated with the use of telephones, including wireless cell phones. Further, it provides a real time video display of the pari-mutuel event, at the user's selection, without requiring the user to carry around a laptop computer looking for a high speed connection.
The kiosk 10 of the present invention provides a portal into the world of pari-mutuel wagering for the general public and non traditional gambler by providing simple, low maintenance access at convenient locations. The method of doing business whereby the kiosk 10, is placed in restaurants, bars and other non-gaming establishments, provides simple and convenient access and thereby expands the reach of the parimutuel wagering by reaching an untapped segment of the general population.
The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a wagering consumer to remotely place a pari-mutuel wager on a pari-mutuel event from a location open to the public and then viewing said pari-mutuel event wagered upon comprising the steps of:

providing a betting kiosk having user input capacity and video and audio display capacity;

providing a high speed dedicated communication link to said betting kiosk;

providing secure authorization means for a user to access an advance deposit wagering account;

communicating wager information from said betting kiosk to an advance deposit wagering company;

communicating video and audio feeds generated at said facility to said betting kiosk;

providing simple instructions on how to set up and access an advance deposit wagering account at said betting kiosk; and

placing said betting kiosk in a lawfully compliant location open to the public.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a security interlock cutoff so that when a wagering consumer walks away from said betting kiosk, the transactions in the wagering consumer's account are terminated automatically.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of communicating daily facility schedule card information from at least one facility to said betting kiosk.

4. A betting kiosk for use in any licensed or unlicensed facility comprising:

a user input device to confirm advance deposit wagering account information;

means for selecting the video, audio, data stream from a desired facility;

means for displaying the video, audio, data stream from a desired facility and means for communicating bet information to said desired facility whereby a bet is placed into an appropriate parimutuel pool.

5. The betting kiosk set forth in claim 4 further comprising a high speed communication link to an advance deposit wagering company.

6. The betting kiosk as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a security pad positioned adjacent said betting kiosk requiring wagering consumer presence thereon in order to stay logged in to the advance deposit wagering account.

7. A method for conducting the business of wagering on pari-mutuel events comprising the steps of:

placing a user friendly betting kiosk for receiving wagers in a public place not licensed as a gaming location;

establishing a communications network between said kiosk and a facility's pari-mutuel pool so that wagers at said betting kiosk are included in said pari-mutuel pool.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said placing a user friendly kiosk step further comprises the step of placing a betting kiosk having a video display for providing simple, prompt driven instruction to wagering consumers on how to set up an advance deposit wagering account and how to place bets after the advance deposit wagering account is set up.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said placing user friendly betting kiosk step further comprises placing a betting kiosk having a video display for providing video depiction of a pari-mutuel event upon which a wager has been placed if selected by a wagering consumer.