Abstract: A program for rewarding players for gaming at a casino establishment provides a player with real-time incentives while the player is playing at a gaming machine in the casino. Information about the player and/or the player's gaming activity is collected while the player is at a gaming machine in a casino. This information is used by a marketing system to select an incentive to provide to the player. The incentive is then delivered to the player, for example manually by a casino employee or automatically using a printer or other mechanism at the gaming machine. Various types of incentives can be provided to a player, including incentives designed to provide the player with an experience that is favorable to the casino and incentives designed to keep the player gaming in a casino for a longer amount of time.

Abstract: A multi-property comp bank allows comp points to be earned and redeemed in an aggregated manner at a plurality of affiliated casino properties. The comp bank includes a first bank account of comp points for each casino patron having a balance that is visible to the patron, accessible by the patron, and directly redeemable by the patron, and a second bank account of comp points having a balance that is invisible to the patron, accessible only by authorized casino employees, and redeemable on a discretionary basis only by authorized casino employees. Each award of comp points is apportioned between the patron's first and second bank accounts according to a predetermined ratio. The comp points in the first bank account can be aggregated across properties and redeemed at any property, whereas the comp points in the second bank account can be redeemed only at the property where they were earned.

Abstract: A program for rewarding players for gaming at a casino establishment provides a player with real-time incentives while the player is playing at a gaming machine in the casino. Information about the player and/or the player's gaming activity is collected while the player is at a gaming machine in a casino. This information is used by a marketing system to select an incentive to provide to the player. The incentive is then delivered to the player, for example manually by a casino employee or automatically using a printer or other mechanism at the gaming machine. Various types of incentives can be provided to a player, including incentives designed to provide the player with an experience that is favorable to the casino and incentives designed to keep the player gaming in a casino for a longer amount of time.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing a customer tracking and recognition program that encompasses customers' gaming and non-gaming activity alike at a plurality of affiliated casino properties. Customer information is accumulated at each affiliated casino through one or more LAN-based management systems, updated to a central patron database (CPDB) that is coupled to each casino LAN through a WAN, and made available to each affiliated casino property as needed. Customer accounts are automatically activated and provided with data from the CPDB when a customer from one casino property first visits an affiliated casino property. Customer accounts are updated with new activity data whenever a management system associated with the casino receives customer data from input devices, such as card readers, workstations, and dumb terminals, located at various venues throughout the casino. Customers are awarded points, based on their tracked activity at all affiliated casino properties.

Abstract: A personal convenience unit for use with a gaming machine provides various compartments and amenities that enhance the comfort and convenience of the gaming machine for a patron, thereby enabling and encouraging longer periods of play and greater customer loyalty. The personal convenience unit includes a base unit with at least one interior compartment that is separate from the interior portions of the gaming machine and which is lockable by the patron for securing personal items of the patron. The base unit may have a portion upon which the gaming machine rests, and a portion that extends on the side of the gaming machine. The personal convenience unit includes a personal amenity cabinet, preferably on the side of the gaming machine, which includes an open and recessed compartment to provide convenient access to and concealment of other personal items such as coin cups and the like.