# US 2014/0194194 A1 · Systems and methods for electronic fund transfers for use with gaming systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194194 A1 - Document ID: US20140194194A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/210,450 - Filed: 2014-03-14 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-14 - Assignees: Automated Cash Systems, LLC - Applicants: Automated Cash Systems, LLC - Inventors: Stephen L. Warner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194194A1 ## CPC - G07F 17/3244: {Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes} - G06Q 20/027: {involving a payment switch or gateway} - G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems - G06Q 20/1085: {involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]} - G06Q 40/02: Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03) - G06Q 50/34: Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting - G07F 17/32: for games, toys, sports, or amusements - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Electronic fund transfer (EFT) systems and methods are disclosed for managing and transferring electronic funds from a patron's financial account to provide gaming or amusement credit in physical or electronic form. The systems comprise an electronic fund transfer (EFT) device, a secure payment gateway configured to connect to the patron's financial accounts via a financial network, a host system, and a funds management portal connected to the host system and to the secure payment gateway. The EFT device is configured to communicate with the patron's financial account via a secure connection to the secure payment gateway and to transmit instructions for transferring electronic funds from the patron's financial account to a credit system via the secure payment gateway and the funds management portal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for purchasing gaming or amusement credits via electronic funds transfer, the system comprising: (A) at least one credit system in electronic communication with a secured local host network and configured to dispense credits to a patron; (B) an electronic funds transfer terminal (i) proximate to the location of the patron and proximate to but separate from the at least one credit system, (ii) in exclusive electronic communication with a secure payment gateway via a secured data network, (iii) configured to receive instructions from the patron to transfer funds from a financial account to purchase credits, and (iv) further configured to communicate an electronic fund transfer request to the secure payment gateway; (C) the secure payment gateway (i) in further secured electronic communication with a network associated with the financial account, (ii) configured to communicate the electronic fund transfer request to the network associated with the financial account, (iii) further configured to receive a transfer of electronic funds via the network associated with the financial account; and (D) a funds management portal (i) separate from, but in secured electronic communication with, the secure payment gateway, (ii) in further electronic communication with the secured local host network, (iii) configured to receive the transfer of electronic funds from the secure payment gateway, and (iv) further configured to transmit an authorization via the secured local host network to the at least one credit system to dispense credits to the patron. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein all communications between the electronic funds transfer terminal and the network associated with the financial account pass through the secure payment gateway and are not accessible to the funds management portal or the secured local host network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein all communications between the secure payment gateway and the secured local host network pass through the funds management portal and are not accessible to the electronic funds transfer terminal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein all communications between the secure payment gateway and the secured local host network pass through the funds management portal and are not accessible to the electronic funds transfer terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the funds management portal is further configured to provide accounting and reconciliation for all transfers of electronic funds and for all authorizations to dispense credits to patrons. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the secure payment gateway is further configured to provide accounting and reconciliation of all interactions between the network associated with the financial account and the electronic funds transfer terminal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic funds transfer terminal is not configured to dispense credits to a patron. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic funds transfer terminal further comprises at least one of a Payment Card Industry (PCI) certified device, a PIN entry device (PED) certified device, a point-of-sale (POS) personal identification number (PIN) entry keypad, a payment card reader, a display, a network connectivity module, a printer, a printer port, a secure mobile application, a secure client-side application, and a secure electronic funds transfer application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the payment card reader comprises a smart card reader, a magnetic card reader, a contactless card reader, or a secure contactless proximity card reader. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the secure payment gateway is further configured to communicate a confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request to the electronic funds transfer terminal and the electronic funds transfer terminal is further configured to (a) receive from the secure payment gateway the communication of confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request and (b) display to the patron the confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the secure payment gateway is further configured to communicate a confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request to the electronic funds transfer terminal and the electronic funds transfer terminal is further configured to (a) receive from the secure payment gateway the confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request and (b) provide confirmation or denial of the electronic fund transfer request to the patron in the form of a printed receipt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the secured local host network is not exclusively reserved for use by the funds management portal and the at least one credit system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the secured local host network is exclusively reserved for use by the funds management portal and the at least one credit system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one credit system is configured to dispense credit to the patron as an electronic credit on a local or remote gaming or amusement machine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one credit system is configured to dispense credit to the patron in the form of a redeemable ticket or voucher. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one credit system is configured to dispense credit to the patron in the form of casino chips or tokens. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one credit system is configured to dispense credit to the patron as an electronic credit to patron's account in a player's card system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the network associated with the financial account comprises one of the PLUS, STAR, CIRRUS, INTERLINK, MONEY PASS or NYCE networks. ### Claim 19 A system for purchasing gaming or amusement credits via electronic funds transfer, the system comprising: (A) a financial account associated with a patron; (B) a secured network associated with the financial account; (C) a secure payment gateway communicatively connected to the secured network associated with the financial account; (D) an electronic funds transfer terminal in exclusive secured communication with the secure payment gateway; (E) a funds management portal in secured communication with the secure payment gateway; (F) a secured local host network communicatively connected to the funds management portal; and (G) at least one credit system communicatively connected to secured local host network; wherein the system is configured to (i) accept instructions from the patron to purchase credits via an electronic funds transfer at the electronic funds transfer terminal, (ii) communicate an electronic funds transfer request from the electronic funds transfer terminal via the secure payment gateway to the secured network associated with the financial account, (iii) receive from the secured network associated with the financial account via the secure payment gateway a transfer of electronic funds at the funds management portal, (iv) communicate an authorization from the funds management portal via the secured local host network to the at least one credit system to dispense credits to the patron, and (v) dispense gaming or amusement credits to the patron via the at least one credit system. ### Claim 20 A system for purchasing credits at a gaming or amusement device via electronic funds transfer, the system comprising: (A) a secure payment gateway with exclusive system access to a secured network associated with a financial account of a patron; (B) an electronic funds transfer terminal separate from, but in secured exclusive communication with, the secure payment gateway and configured to originate an electronic funds transfer request to the secured network associated with the financial account of a patron via the secure payment gateway; (C) a funds management portal separate from, but in secure communication with, the secure payment gateway and configured to receive an electronic funds transfer from the secured network associated with the financial account of a patron via the secure payment gateway and to communicate an authorization to a credit system to dispense gaming or amusement credits to the patron; and (D) at least one credit system separate from, but communicatively connected to, the funds management portal via a secured host network and configured to dispense gaming or amusement credits to the patron upon receipt of authorization from the funds management portal; wherein the system is configured to route the confirmation of funds to the funds management portal with appropriate information to identify which gaming or amusement device is associated with the transaction.