# US 2014/0194195 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 2014/0194195 A1 - Document ID: US20140194195A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/210,456 - 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/US20140194195A1 ## 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 stored value transactions in a gaming environment, the system comprising: (A) a financial account associated with a patron; (B) a player's card account issued by a casino operator and associated with the patron, said player's card account different from the financial account, (C) a secured network associated with the financial account; (D) a secure payment gateway communicatively connected to the secured network associated with the financial account; (E) an electronic funds transfer terminal in exclusive secured communication with the secure payment gateway; (F) a funds management portal in secured communication with the secure payment gateway; (G) a secured local host network communicatively connected to the funds management portal; and (H) a casino management system administered by the casino operator and in secured communication with the funds management; wherein the system is configured to: (a) accept instructions from the patron to purchase credits via an electronic funds transfer at the electronic funds transfer terminal; (b) 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; (c) 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; (d) communicate an authorization from the funds management portal to the casino management system via the secured local host network to dispense credits to the patron; and (e) credit, by the casino management system, the patron's player's card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer as a stored value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises stored value capability. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the single card further comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises a pre-paid debit card. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the player's card account comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the casino management system is further configured to credit the patron's player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 12 A method for stored value transactions in a gaming environment, the method comprising: (A) using an electronic funds transfer terminal at or proximate to a gaming or amusement device to provide instructions for transferring electronic funds from a financial account; (B) generating a request for an electronic funds transfer by the electronic funds transfer terminal; (C) securely communicating the request for an electronic funds transfer from the electronic funds transfer terminal to a secure payment gateway; (D) securely communicating the request for an electronic funds transfer from the secure payment gateway to a financial server associated with the financial account via a network associated with the financial server; (E) securely receiving an electronic funds transfer from the financial server via the network associated with the financial server at the secure payment gateway; (F) securely communicating the electronic funds transfer from the secure payment gateway to a funds management portal; (G) generating an authorization to dispense credits to the patron by the funds management portal; (H) securely communicating the authorization to dispense credits to the patron from the funds management portal to a casino management system operative within the gaming environment; and (I) applying, by the casino management system, the credits to a player's account associated with the patron as a stored value, said account different from the patron's financial account. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises stored value capability. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the single card comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises a pre-paid debit card. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein the single card comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer less any fees applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein the casino management system applies credits to the player card account in the amount of the electronic funds transfer plus any reward points applicable to the electronic funds transfer. ### Claim 23 A method for stored value transactions in a gaming environment, the method comprising: (A) providing a player's card account to a patron, said account administered by a casino operator and comprising a stored value component; (B) providing a single card to the patron associated with the player's card account, said card permitting the patron to access any funds associated with the stored value component in said player's card account; and (C) permitting the patron to electronically transfer funds between the player's card account and at least one other financial account associated with the patron different from the player's card administered by a casino operator. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises stored value capability. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24 wherein the single card comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23 wherein the player's card account is uniquely identified by a single card issued by or on behalf of the casino operator which also comprises a pre-paid debit card. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26 wherein the single card comprises a Visa, Mastercard, or ATM card.