Patent Application
20240096179
The embodiments are generally related to wagering on live sporting events, and specifically play by play wagering and the sharing of wagers.
Current sports betting platforms lack a way of driving user engagement and do not offer a way to encourage users to continue to place wagers through a live event.
A wagering platform can provide notifications of live events upon which an individual may place a wager, however it can be difficult to motivate a user to place wager, even if they are registered. However, a user who is either not watching a live event or may be watching but not placing wagers may not be sufficiently aware or engaged to make wagers.
Individuals wagering on a live sporting event will typically have a preference for a type of wager that they will accept, such as on whether a team in an American football game will run or throw, instead of wagering on whether the team will score on the next play. However, there is no current way to encourage these individuals to place wagers more frequently or place wagers on plays that they otherwise might not otherwise consider.
Embodiments can include methods, systems, and apparatuses for making and sharing wagers on single plays in a live event in real time. One embodiment includes a method of sharing a wager placed by a first user on a single play inside of a live sporting event a wagering network; including receiving data from a live sporting event upon which wagers can be placed on plays inside of that live event, and placing a wager, by at least a first user, on a play in the live event, where the user shares the wager.
Another exemplary embodiment includes a system for placing and sharing wagers on a single play taking place during a live sporting event, including: a wagering network that facilitates wagering in real time on single plays taking place during a live sporting event; a wagering terminal that facilitates placing individual wagers, the wagering terminal communicatively coupled to the wagering network; a wager sharing module that is prompted by the placement of a first wager on the wagering terminal, the wager sharing module providing a list of contacts on the wagering terminal; and a notification sent to one or more contacts on the contact list from the wagering terminal.
Another embodiment includes a computer implemented method for placing and sharing wagers placed on a wagering network, including executing on a processor the steps of: displaying an interface of a wagering game for wagering in real time on single plays taking place during a live sporting event; displaying one or more wagering options; displaying a placed wager; displaying a list of contacts; and displaying a notification that a message has been sent to one or more contacts in the list of contacts, the notification related to the placed wager.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of systems, methods, and various other aspects of the embodiments. Any person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g. boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent an example of the boundaries. It may be understood that, in some examples, one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another, and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive descriptions are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles.
Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following description and related figures directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention
As used herein, the word exemplary means serving as an example, instance or illustration. The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms embodiments of the invention, embodiments or invention do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.
Further, many of the embodiments described herein are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that the various sequence of actions described herein can be performed by specific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) and/or by program instructions executed by at least one processor. Additionally, the sequence of actions described herein can be embodied entirely within any form of computer-readable storage medium such that execution of the sequence of actions enables the processor to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the various aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the embodiments described herein, the corresponding form of any such embodiments may be described herein as, for example, a computer configured to perform the described action.
With respect to the embodiments, a summary of terminology used herein is provided.
An action refers to a specific play or specific movement in a sporting event. For example, an action may determine which players were involved during a sporting event. In some embodiments, an action may be a throw, shot, pass, swing, kick, hit, performed by a participant in a sporting event. In some embodiments, an action may be a strategic decision made by a participant in the sporting event such as a player, coach, management, etc. In some embodiments, an action may be a penalty, foul, or type of infraction occurring in a sporting event. In some embodiments, an action may include the participants of the sporting event. In some embodiments, an action may include beginning events of sporting event, for example opening tips, coin flips, opening pitch, national anthem singers, etc. In some embodiments, a sporting event may be football, hockey, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, MMA, boxing, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, horse racing, car racing, boat racing, cycling, wrestling, Olympic sport, eSports, etc. Actions can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “bet” or “wager” is to risk something, usually a sum of money, against someone else's or an entity on the basis of the outcome of a future event, such as the results of a game or event. It may be understood that non-monetary items may be the subject of a “bet” or “wager” as well, such as points or anything else that can be quantified for a “wager” or “bet.” A bettor refers to a person who bets or wagers. A bettor may also be referred to as a user, client, or participant throughout the present invention. A “bet” or “wager” could be made for obtaining or risking a coupon or some enhancements to the sporting event, such as better seats, VIP treatment, etc. A “bet” or “wager” can be done for certain amount or for a future time. A “bet” or “wager” can be done for being able to answer a question correctly. A “bet” or “wager” can be done within a certain period of time. A “bet” or “wager” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “book” or “sportsbook” refers to a physical establishment that accepts bets on the outcome of sporting events. A “book” or “sportsbook” system enables a human working with a computer to interact, according to set of both implicit and explicit rules, in an electronically powered domain for the purpose of placing bets on the outcome of sporting event. An added game refers to an event not part of the typical menu of wagering offerings, often posted as an accommodation to patrons. A “book” or “sportsbook” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
To “buy points” means a player pays an additional price (more money) to receive a half-point or more in the player's favor on a point spread game. Buying points means you can move a point spread, for example up to two points in your favor. “Buy points” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “price” refers to the odds or point spread of an event. To “take the price” means betting the underdog and receiving its advantage in the point spread. “Price” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
“No action” means a wager in which no money is lost or won, and the original bet amount is refunded. “No action” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “sides” are the two teams or individuals participating in an event: the underdog and the favorite. The term “favorite” refers to the team considered most likely to win an event or game. The “chalk” refers to a favorite, usually a heavy favorite. Bettors who like to bet big favorites are referred to “chalk eaters” (often a derogatory term). An event or game in which the sports book has reduced its betting limits, usually because of weather or the uncertain status of injured players is referred to as a “circled game.” “Laying the points or price” means betting the favorite by giving up points. The term “dog” or “underdog” refers to the team perceived to be most likely to lose an event or game. A “longshot” also refers to a team perceived to be unlikely to win an event or game. “Sides”, “favorite”, “chalk”, “circled game”, “laying the points price”, “dog” and “underdog” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “money line” refers to the odds expressed in terms of money. With money odds, whenever there is a minus (−) the player “lays” or is “laying” that amount to win (for example $100); where there is a plus (+) the player wins that amount for every $100 wagered. A “straight bet” refers to an individual wager on a game or event that will be determined by a point spread or money line. The term “straight-up” means winning the game without any regard to the “point spread”; a “money-line” bet. “Money line”, “straight bet”, “straight-up” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “line” refers to the current odds or point spread on a particular event or game. The “point spread” refers to the margin of points in which the favored team must win an event by to “cover the spread.” To “cover” means winning by more than the “point spread”. A handicap of the “point spread” value is given to the favorite team so bettors can choose sides at equal odds. “Cover the spread” means that a favorite win an event with the handicap considered or the underdog wins with additional points. To “push” refers to when the event or game ends with no winner or loser for wagering purposes, a tie for wagering purposes. A “tie” is a wager in which no money is lost or won because the teams' scores were equal to the number of points in the given “point spread”. The “opening line” means the earliest line posted for a particular sporting event or game. The term “pick” or “pick 'em” refers to a game when neither team is favored in an event or game. “Line”, “cover the spread”, “cover”, “tie”, “pick” and “pick-em” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
To “middle” means to win both sides of a game; wagering on the “underdog” at one point spread and the favorite at a different point spread and winning both sides. For example, if the player bets the underdog +4½ and the favorite −3½ and the favorite wins by 4, the player has middled the book and won both bets. “Middle” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Digital gaming refers to any type of electronic environment that can be controlled or manipulated by a human user for entertainment purposes. A system that enables a human and a computer to interact according to set of both implicit and explicit rules, in an electronically powered domain for the purpose of recreation or instruction. “eSports” refers to a form of sports competition using video games, or a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers. Digital gaming and “eSports” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The term event refers to a form of play, sport, contest, or game, especially one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck. In some embodiments, an event may be football, hockey, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, MMA, boxing, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, horse racing, car racing, boat racing, cycling, wrestling, Olympic sport, etc. Event can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “total” is the combined number of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including overtime. The “over” refers to a sports bet in which the player wagers that the combined point total of two teams will be more than a specified total. The “under” refers to bets that the total points scored by two teams will be less than a certain figure. “Total”, “over”, and “under” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “parlay” is a single bet that links together two or more wagers; to win the bet, the player must win all the wagers in the “parlay”. If the player loses one wager, the player loses the entire bet. However, if he wins all the wagers in the “parlay”, the player wins a higher payoff than if the player had placed the bets separately. A “round robin” is a series of parlays. A “teaser” is a type of parlay in which the point spread, or total of each individual play is adjusted. The price of moving the point spread (teasing) is lower payoff odds on winning wagers. “Parlay”, “round robin”, “teaser” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “prop bet” or “proposition bet” means a bet that focuses on the outcome of events within a given game. Props are often offered on marquee games of great interest. These include Sunday and Monday night pro football games, various high-profile college football games, major college bowl games and playoff and championship games. An example of a prop bet is “Which team will score the first touchdown?” “Prop bet” or “proposition bet” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “first-half bet” refers to a bet placed on the score in the first half of the event only and only considers the first half of the game or event. The process in which you go about placing this bet is the same process that you would use to place a full game bet, but as previously mentioned, only the first half is important to a first-half bet type of wager. A “half-time bet” refers to a bet placed on scoring in the second half of a game or event only. “First-half-bet” and “half-time-bet” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
A “futures bet” or “future” refers to the odds that are posted well in advance on the winner of major events, typical future bets are the Pro Football Championship, Collegiate Football Championship, the Pro Basketball Championship, the Collegiate Basketball Championship, and the Pro Baseball Championship. “Futures bet” or “future” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The “listed pitchers” is specific to a baseball bet placed only if both of the pitchers scheduled to start a game actually start. If they don't, the bet is deemed “no action” and refunded. The “run line” in baseball, refers to a spread used instead of the money line. “Listed pitchers” and “no action” and “run line” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
The term “handle” refers to the total amount of bets taken. The term “hold” refers to the percentage the house wins. The term “juice” refers to the bookmaker's commission, most commonly the 11 to 10 bettors lay on straight point spread wagers: also known as “vigorish” or “vig”. The “limit” refers to the maximum amount accepted by the house before the odds and/or point spread are changed. “Off the board” refers to a game in which no bets are being accepted. “Handle”, “juice”, vigorish”, “vig” and “off the board” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
“Casinos” are a public room or building where gambling games are played. “Racino” is a building complex or grounds having a racetrack and gambling facilities for playing slot machines, blackjack, roulette, etc. “Casino” and “Racino” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Customers are companies, organizations or individual that would deploy, for fees, and may be part of, of perform, various system elements or method steps in the embodiments.
Managed service user interface service is a service that can help customers (1) manage third parties, (2) develop the web, (3) do data analytics, (4) connect thru application program interfaces and (4) track and report on player behaviors. A managed service user interface can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Managed service risk management services are a service that assists customers with (1) very important person management, (2) business intelligence, and (3) reporting. These managed service risk management services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Managed service compliance service is a service that helps customers manage (1) integrity monitoring, (2) play safety, (3) responsible gambling and (4) customer service assistance. These managed service compliance services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Managed service pricing and trading service is a service that helps customers with (1) official data feeds, (2) data visualization and (3) land based, on property digital signage. These managed service pricing and trading services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Managed service and technology platform are services that helps customers with (1) web hosting, (2) IT support and (3) player account platform support. These managed service and technology platform services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Managed service and marketing support services are services that help customers (1) acquire and retain clients and users, (2) provide for bonusing options and (3) develop press release content generation. These managed service and marketing support services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Payment processing services are those services that help customers that allow for (1) account auditing and (2) withdrawal processing to meet standards for speed and accuracy. Further, these services can provide for integration of global and local payment methods. These payment processing services can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Engaging promotions allow customers to treat your players to free bets, odds boosts, enhanced access and flexible cashback to boost lifetime value. Engaging promotions can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
“Cash out” or “pay out” or “payout” allow customers to make available, on singles bets or accumulated bets with a partial cash out where each operator can control payouts by managing commission and availability at all times. The “cash out” or “pay out” or “payout” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners, including both monetary and non-monetary payouts, such as points, prizes, promotional or discount codes, and the like.
“Customized betting” allow customers to have tailored personalized betting experiences with sophisticated tracking and analysis of players' behavior. “Customized betting” can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Kiosks are devices that offer interactions with customers clients and users with a wide range of modular solutions for both retail and online sports gaming. Kiosks can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Business Applications are an integrated suite of tools for customers to manage the everyday activities that drive sales, profit, and growth, from creating and delivering actionable insights on performance to help customers to manage the sports gaming. Business Applications can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
State based integration allows for a given sports gambling game to be modified by states in the United States or countries, based upon the state the player is in, based upon mobile phone or other geolocation identification means. State based integration can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Game Configurator allow for configuration of customer operators to have the opportunity to apply various chosen or newly created business rules on the game as well as to parametrize risk management. Game configurator can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
“Fantasy sports connector” are software connectors between method steps or system elements in the embodiments that can integrate fantasy sports. Fantasy sports allow a competition in which participants select imaginary teams from among the players in a league and score points according to the actual performance of their players. For example, if a player in a fantasy sports is playing at a given real time sports, odds could be changed in the real time sports for that player.
Software as a service (or SaaS) is a method of software delivery and licensing in which software is accessed online via a subscription, rather than bought and installed on individual computers. Software as a service can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Synchronization of screens means synchronizing bets and results between devices, such as TV and mobile, PC and wearables. Synchronization of screens can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Automatic content recognition (ACR) is an identification technology to recognize content played on a media device or present in a media file. Devices containing ACR support enable users to quickly obtain additional information about the content they see without any user-based input or search efforts. To start the recognition, a short media clip (audio, video, or both) is selected. This clip could be selected from within a media file or recorded by a device. Through algorithms such as fingerprinting, information from the actual perceptual content is taken and compared to a database of reference fingerprints, each reference fingerprint corresponding to a known recorded work. A database may contain metadata about the work and associated information, including complementary media. If the fingerprint of the media clip is matched, the identification software returns the corresponding metadata to the client application. For example, during an in-play sports game a “fumble” could be recognized and at the time stamp of the event, metadata such as “fumble” could be displayed. Automatic content recognition (ACR) can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Joining social media means connecting an in-play sports game bet or result to a social media connection, such as a FACEBOOK® chat interaction. Joining social media can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Augmented reality means a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. In an example of this invention, a real time view of the game can be seen and a “bet” which is a computer-generated data point is placed above the player that is bet on. Augmented reality can be integrated into the embodiments in a variety of manners.
Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. It can be understood that the embodiments are intended to be open ended in that an item or items used in the embodiments is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.
It can be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments, only some exemplary systems and methods are now described.
Further, embodiments may include a plurality of sensors 104 that may be used such as motion sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, cameras such as an RGB-D Camera which is a digital camera capturing color (RGB) and depth information for every pixel in an image, microphones, radiofrequency receiver, a thermal imager, a radar device, a lidar device, an ultrasound device, a speaker, wearable devices etc. Also, the plurality of sensors may include tracking devices, such as RFID tags, GPS chips or other such devices embedded on uniforms, in equipment, in the field of play, in the boundaries of the field of play, or other markers on the field of play. Imaging devices may also be used as tracking devices such as player tracking that captures statistical information through real-time X, Y positioning of players and X, Y, Z positioning of the ball.
Further, embodiments may include a cloud 106 or communication network which may be a wired and/or a wireless network. The communication network, if wireless, may be implemented using communication techniques such as Visible Light Communication (VLC), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Infrared (IR) communication, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Radio waves, and other communication techniques known in the art. The communication network may allow ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system resources and higher-level services that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort, often over Internet and relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, like a public utility, while third-party clouds enable organizations to focus on their core businesses instead of expending resources on computer infrastructure and maintenance. The cloud 106 may be communicatively coupled to wagering network 108 which may perform real time analysis on the type of play and the result of the play. The cloud 106 may also be synchronized with game situational data, such as the time of the game, the score, location on the field, weather conditions, and the like which may affect the choice of play utilized. For example, in other exemplary embodiments, the cloud may not receive data gathered from sensors and may, instead, receive data from an alternative data feed, such as SportsRadar®. This data may be provided substantially immediately following the completion of any play and the data from this feed may be compared with a variety of team data and league data based on a variety of elements, including down, possession, score, time, team, and so forth, as described in various exemplary embodiments herein.
Further, embodiments may include a wagering network 108 which may perform real time analysis on the type of play and the result of a play or action. The wagering network 108 (or cloud 106) may also be synchronized with game situational data, such as the time of the game, the score, location on the field, weather conditions, and the like which may affect the choice of play utilized. For example, in other exemplary embodiments, a wagering network 108 may not receive data gathered from sensors and may, instead, receive data from an alternative data feed, such as SportsRadar®. This data may be provided substantially immediately following the completion of any play and the data from this feed may be compared with a variety of team data and league data based on a variety of elements, including down, possession, score, time, team, and so forth, as described in various exemplary embodiments herein. The wagering network can offer a number of software as a service managed services such as, user interface service, risk management service, compliance, pricing and trading service, IT support of the technology platform, business applications, game configuration, state based integration, fantasy sports connection, integration to allow the joining of social media, as well as marketing support services that can deliver engaging promotions to the user.
Further, embodiments may utilize a user database 110 which contains data relevant to all users of the system, which may include a user ID, a device identifier, a paired device identifier, wagering history, and wallet information for each user. The user database may additionally include a table of contacts for each user which are user IDs for other users who have been added by a user. The table of contacts may also include other relevant information for communicating with the contacts such as their user IDs for other social network platforms, email addresses and phone numbers.
Further, embodiments may include an odds calculation module 112 which utilizes historical play data to calculate odds for in-play wagers.
Further, a historical plays database 114, that contains play data for the type of sport being played in a live event 102. For example, in American football, for optimal odds calculation, the historical play data should include meta data about the historical plays, such as time, location, weather, previous plays, opponent, physiological data, etc.
Further, embodiments may utilize an odds database 116 that contains the odds calculated by the odds calculation module, and the multipliers for distance and path deviation, and is used for reference by the base wagering module 118 and to take bets from the user through a user interface and calculate the payouts to the user.
Further, embodiments may include a base wagering module 118 that allows the user to place wagers on individual events in the live event 102. The user may make a traditional wager on the event, such as wagering that the next play in an American football game will be a run instead of a pass. In this example the user is getting 2/1 odds on the run, meaning that for every $100 they wager, they will receive $200 if they win. The base wagering module 118 can also allow users to share their wager with other users. The wager sharing module 120 is called when a wager is place and may also be called upon a user winning a wager allowing the user to share their wager with a second user and invite the second user to place a wager on the same play and join a chat conversation with the user. The invitation receiving module 122 is called when the base wagering module 118 receives a message from the wagering network 108 allowing the user to accept the invitation and place a wager on the same play as the user who sent the invitation and also join a chat conversation with the user who sent the invitation. Upon completion of a play, the base wagering module 118 determines the result of wager and adjusts the balance of the user's account in the user database 110 base upon the result of the wager.
Further, embodiments may include a wager sharing module 120 that is prompted by the base wagering module 118 when a user places a wager, providing to the user a list of contacts stored in the user database 110 and allowing the user to select one or more contacts to invite to either make the same bet on the same play or to join a live synchronous or asynchronous messaging session to communicate and place future wagers during the live event 102. The wager sharing module 120 further receiving notification that the user the invited contact has elected to make the same bet and/or join the messaging session for the duration of part or all of the remainder of the live event 102, or alternatively that the invitation has been rejected or timed out.
Further, embodiments may include an invitation receiving module 122 that may be prompted by the base wagering module 118 when the base wagering module 118, upon polling a wagering network 108 for received messages, receives a message from the wagering network 108. The message can include at least an invitation to place a wager on the same play and additionally an invitation to join a chat conversation with the user who sent the invitation.
The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63085389 | Sep 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17961883 | Oct 2022 | US |
| Child | 18521029 | US | |
| Parent | 17086803 | Nov 2020 | US |
| Child | 17961883 | US |
