Electronic wagering system employing machine-readable optical codes

A wagering server system comprising:

• a network communication interface;
• a processor circuit coupled to the network communication interface;
• and a storage medium coupled to the processor circuit and storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to:
• receive, from a wager selection station via the network communication interface, event parameters of a future event on which wagers may be placed, specified by first user input entered via the wager selection station, the future event occurring external to the wagering server system;
• generate a unique reference from which the event parameters are derivable, the unique reference being suitable for encoding in a machine-readable optical code;
• cause the unique reference to be encoded in the machine-readable code;
• cause the wager selection station to display the machine-readable code to a user at the wager selection station;
• receive, from a mobile communication device via the network communication interface, the unique reference having been decoded from the machine-readable optical code scanned by the mobile communication device from the wager selection station;
• derive the event parameters from the unique reference received from the mobile communication device;
• determine, based on the event parameters derived from the unique reference, a wager on the future event with the event parameters;
• transmit an indication of the wager to the mobile communication device;
• receive a request from the mobile communication device to place the wager;
• and
• cause the wager on the future event to be placed.

A computer-implemented wagering method comprising:

• scanning a machine-readable optical code via an imaging device of a mobile communication device;
• retrieving a unique reference by decoding the machine-readable optical code;
• transmitting the unique reference, via a network communication interface of the mobile communication device, to a server of an electronic wagering system for deriving from the unique reference, at the server, event parameters of a future event on which wagers may be placed, the future event occurring external to the electronic wagering system;
• receiving from the server, at the mobile communication device via the network communication interface, the event parameters derived from the unique reference at the server;
• receiving user input at the mobile communication device to place a wager on the future event with the event parameters;
• and
• transmitting a request to the server to place the wager.