Systems and methods for remotely providing goods/services to gaming customers

A method for gaming customers of a host to remotely order goods and/or services through use of player points, wherein the player points relate to gaming activity, the method comprising:

• Accumulating player points from gaming activity;
• receiving a player request, through a communications interface, for ordering goods and/or services with the accumulated player points;
• authenticating the player request;
• presenting goods and/or services information including player selectable items;
• receiving one or more items as an order;
• sending order instructions corresponding to the order;
• and
• debiting player points corresponding to the order from the accumulated player points.

A method for a casino to enable a player to redeem loyalty award points issued to the player by at least the casino, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a memory structure to store for the player an account of the loyalty award points awarded by the casino in response to wagering activity of the player;
• (b) the player establishing communication between (i) a terminal and said memory structure and (ii) a provider of goods/services offering a selection thereof to the player in exchange for points;
• (c) controlling the terminal to permit the display of information concerning the goods/services and the player at the terminal selecting a good or service to be redeemed for points;
• (d) debiting the account of player points for the redemption and if the redemption is completed;
• and
• (e) issuing instructions to the provider for the good/service to be provided to the player.

A method for a casino and at least one provider of goods or services to provide the same to customers comprising:

• for each customer storing data in a data structure related to the economic activity of the customer at least at said casino, said data including comp points;
• at a terminal the establishing communication between a server remote from the terminal and said data structure, said server controlling the terminal to display to the player a menu of goods/services available for redemption by the customer in exchange for comp points;
• the player at the terminal entering a selection to be redeemed;
• said server debiting the customer's comp points in exchange for the redemption;
• and the server issuing instructions to fulfill the redemption and provide the selection to the customer.

A system for gaming customers to remotely order goods and/or services through use of player points, wherein the player points relate to gaming activity, wherein the system comprises at least one computer system that is configured to implement a method for gaming customers to remotely order goods and/or services through use of the player points, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory in electronic communication with the processor, said memory storing for each player account information including player points;
• a player terminal including a display;
• a communications interface in electronic communication with the processor;
• said processor configured to (1) receive a request from a player terminal through the communications interface to access the account information, (2) present goods and/or services information to the player at the terminal display, wherein the goods and/or services information relate to items that may be selected by the player;
• said terminal configured for the player to select an item;
• one of said terminal and processor configured to (1) send order instructions for order fulfillment of said selection;
• and (2) record the selection.