National customer recognition system and method

A method for tracking customer activity at a plurality of casino properties wherein each casino property includes a computer-implemented management system and at least one input device coupled to the management system for transferring activity data of a customer to the management system, the management system of each casino property being further coupled to a central database server, the method comprising the steps of:

• at each of the plurality of casino properties, assigning a customer ID and a corresponding customer account to each of a plurality of customers at the casino property, and storing the customer ID and corresponding customer account assigned at a casino property in the management system at the casino property, each customer account at each casino property including an accumulated point balance from betting activity at the casino property;
• forming, from the customer accounts in each of the management systems at the plurality of casino properties, a database of customer accounts in the central database server, each customer account in the database accessible through the corresponding customer ID, each customer account in the central database including a theoretical win profile determined as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period;
• monitoring at least one input device at a casino property for activity data of a customer, including a customer ID;
• responsive to detecting a customer ID, determining whether the corresponding customer account is activated in the management system of the casino property;
• responsive to determining that the corresponding customer account is activated in the management system, updating the corresponding customer account with the activity data of the customer monitored at the input device;
• and
• responsive to determining that the corresponding customer account is not activated in the management system:
• copying selected activity data of the customer from the corresponding customer account in the central database to the management system at the casino property to activate the customer account in the management system at the casino property, the selected activity data including the theoretical win profile of the customer;
• updating the accumulated point balance in the activated customer account in the management system as a function of activity data of the customer monitored at the input devices;
• and
• updating the theoretical win profile of the customer in the activated customer account in the central database as a function of estimated winnings of the casino from the betting activity of the customer at the casino property.

A method for making customer account data collected at one or more casino properties available at another casino property, wherein each casino property is coupled to a management system for tracking activity data of a customer accumulated through at least one input device in the casino property and wherein the management system is further coupled to a central database, the method comprising the steps of:

• issuing to each of a plurality of customers at a plurality of casino properties a customer ID number for identifying an associated customer account;
• adding the customer accounts to the central database;
• storing for each customer account in the central database an accumulated point balance generated as a function of a monetary value of activity data of the customer at the plurality of casino properties, and a theoretical win profile generated as a function of estimated winnings from betting activity of the customer at the plurality of the casino properties over a time period;
• retrieving selected data of the customer, including either the accumulated point balance or the theoretical win profile, of the customer generated at at least one first casino property from a customer account in the central database in response to an input of the associated customer ID number to the management system at a second casino property;
• and
• updating the accumulated point balance or the theoretical win profile of the customer account in the central database a function of activity data of the customer and betting activity of the customer tracked at at least one input device at a second casino property through the management system of the second casino property.

A system for tracking customer activity at a plurality of casino properties using customer accounts customer IDs, the system comprising:

• a local computer system at each of the casino properties;
• at least one input device at each casino property and coupled to the local computer system for transmitting customer activity data received at the input device, including a customer ID and any customer betting activity, to the local computer system;
• a management system coupled to each of the local computer systems for receiving the customer activity data from the coupled input devices, the management system being further coupled to a central database for selectively retrieving customer account data from the central database associated with the customer ID, and selectively updating the retrieved customer account data with the received customer activity data from the coupled input device;
• and
• the central database comprising:
• a plurality of customer accounts for the customers, each customer account having an associated customer ID, and customer activity data including an accumulated point balance generated as a function of betting of the customer at the plurality of casino properties, and a theoretical win profile generated as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period;
• and,
• a database management program for receiving customer activity data from each management system, updating the customer accounts of the central database, including the accumulated point balance and the theoretical win profile each customer account, to reflect customer activity data at the plurality of casino properties, and providing selected customer activity data to a local computer system at a casino property through the management system coupled to the local computer system.

A computer implemented method for rewarding patronage of a customer at a plurality of casino properties, the method comprising the steps of:

• monitoring betting activity of the customer at a plurality of the casino properties;
• storing a customer account for the customer;
• periodically updating a theoretical win profile for the customer as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period, the theoretical win profile for subsequently determining complementaries or services to be provided to the customer;
• storing the theoretical win profile in association with the customer account;
• and
• providing access to the theoretical win profile in the customer account at any of the plurality of casino properties.

A method for tracking customer activity at a plurality of casino properties wherein each casino property includes a computer-implemented management system and at least one input device coupled to the management system for transferring customer activity data to the management system, the management system of each casino property being further coupled to a central database server, the method comprising the steps of:

• at each of the plurality of casino properties, assigning a customer ID and a corresponding customer account to each of a plurality of customers at the casino property, and storing the customer ID and corresponding customer account assigned at a casino property in the management system at the casino property;
• forming, from the customer accounts in each of the management systems at the plurality of casino properties, a database of customer accounts in the central database server, each customer account in the database accessible through the corresponding customer ID, and including a theoretical win profile determined as a function of estimated winnings of the casino from the betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period;
• monitoring at least one input device at a casino property for customer activity data, including a customer ID;
• responsive to detecting a customer ID, determining whether the customer account corresponding to the customer ID is activated in the management system of the casino property;
• responsive to determining that the corresponding customer account is activated in the management system, updating the corresponding customer account in the management system with the customer activity data monitored at the input device;
• and
• responsive to determining that the corresponding customer account is not activated in the management system, copying selected customer activity data from a customer account corresponding to the customer ID in the central database to the management system at the casino property to activate a new customer account in the management system at the casino property, the selected customer data including the theoretical win profile of the customer;
• updating the theoretical win profile in the customer account in the central database as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the casino property where the customer ID is detected by a monitoring device.

A method for making a theoretical win profile of any customer available at the plurality of a plurality of casino properties, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a central database of customer accounts, each customer account in the central database associated with a customer ID and a theoretical win profile generated as a function of estimated winnings from betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period;
• retrieving the theoretical win profile from a customer account in the central database in response to an input of the associated customer ID number to a computer system at a first casino property;
• and
• updating the theoretical win profile of the customer account in the central database as a function of customer betting activity tracked of the customer at a second casino property through a computer system of the second casino property.

A system for tracking customer activity at a plurality of casino properties using customer accounts associated with customer IDs, the system comprising:

• a local computer system at each of the casino properties;
• at least one input device at each casino property, each input device coupled to the local computer system for transmitting to the local computer system, customer betting data and a customer ID received at the input device;
• a management system coupled to each of the local computer systems for receiving the customer betting data and customer ID of a customer from an input device, the management system being further coupled to a central database for selectively providing the received customer betting data and customer ID to the central database;
• and
• the central database comprising:
• a plurality of customer accounts for the customers, each customer account of a customer including a customer ID and a theoretical win profile;
• and
• a database management program for receiving customer betting data and a customer ID for a customer from a management system, and updating the theoretical win profile of in the customer account in the central database corresponding to the received customer ID as a function of the customer betting data at the plurality of casino properties over a time period.

A system for tracking customer activity at a plurality of casino properties using customer accounts associated with customer IDs, the system comprising:

• at each of the casino properties:
• a local computer system storing a plurality of customer accounts, each customer account including an accumulated point balance generated as a function of betting activity of the customer at the casino property;
• at least one input device coupled to the local computer system for transmitting to the local computer system activity data of a customer received at the input device, the activity data including a customer ID and betting activity of the customer, the local computer system updating the accumulated point balance in a customer account associated with the received customer ID as a function of a monetary value of the betting activity of the customer;
• at least one management system coupled to each of the local computer systems for receiving therefrom the activity data of a customer from an input device coupled thereto, the management system being further coupled to a central database management program, for selectively providing to the central database management program the activity data of the customer;
• a central database comprising:
• a plurality of customer accounts for the customers, each customer account having an associated customer ID and a theoretical win profile;
• and,
• the central database management program for receiving from the management system the activity data, including a customer ID, of a customer, and updating in the central database the theoretical win profile of the customer account associated with the received customer ID as a function of estimated winnings from the betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period.

A method for making customer account data any customer available at any of a plurality of casino properties, the method comprising the steps of;

• storing at each of the plurality of casino properties a local database of customer accounts, each customer account associated with an accumulated point balance generated as a function of a monetary value of betting activity of the customer at the casino property;
• storing a central database of customer accounts, each customer account in the central database associated with a theoretical win profile generated as a function of estimated winnings from betting activity of the customer at the plurality of casino properties over a time period;
• at each casino property, monitoring betting activity of a customer, and accumulating points in the point balance in the customer account of the customer as a function of the monetary value of the monitored betting activity;
• and
• updating the theoretical win profile of the customer account of the customer in the central database as a function of the monitored betting activity of the customer at each casino property.