Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tracking customer purchases using a unique anonymous identifier. Customer purchases are monitored by obtaining a unique anonymous identifier from the customer as part of a current transaction; and associating the current transaction with a prior transaction using the unique anonymous identifier. The unique anonymous identifier can be, for example, a purchase identifier associated with the prior transaction, and provides a link among a plurality of transactions associated with the customer. The current or prior transaction (or both) can optionally be clustered with one or more transactions associated with registered users having known demographics to obtain demographic current and prior transactions.

Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games from an off-site location via an online network. For example, a server may receive, from a client terminal, a purchase request for a plurality of wagers from a patron before a game play has begun. The server may determine the results of the plurality of wagers and store the results in a database before the game play has begun. Then, the server may adjust an account of the player based on the results before the game play has begun, and send the results to the client terminal before the game play has begun, in response to a request to reveal the results. Additionally, exemplary systems and methods allow a patron to play games using variable pay tables based on denomination amounts, number of wagers, amounts of previous wagers. Such systems and methods may, for example, establish a plurality of denomination levels and corresponding pay tables such that odds of winning increase as the denomination value increases.

Abstract: A system, method, and article of manufacture are disclosed that comprise receiving, from one or more client terminals, two or more purchase requests, wherein each of the purchase requests identifies a wager for one or more multi-player games. A wager result is then determined for each wager at the time of purchase and stored in a database. Once all the wagers for an instance of a game are received, an outcome, such as a set of cards, is determined for each player and, if appropriate, the house (the host of the game). The outcome for each player is based on the previously determined wager result(s) and the type of game played. The outcome(s) are then stored with the wager(s) and wager result(s) in a transaction history file corresponding to each of the game's patrons (players) and in a game status file.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for management of intellectual capital in an enterprise. The disclosed investment capital management tool obtains a description of a plurality of innovations of the enterprise; provides the descriptions to a plurality of employees; allows the plurality of employees to invest a pool of investment units in one or more of the plurality of innovations; and prioritizes the plurality of innovations based on the investments. In addition, the disclosed investment capital management tool can obtain a description of a plurality of innovations of the enterprise; provides the descriptions to a plurality of employees; allows the plurality of employees to record contributions to the innovations in records associated with the description; and provides the descriptions and an indication of the corresponding contributions to a plurality of employees.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for identifying a winner in a bingo game. Players may obtain bingo cards from point-of-sale (POS) terminals that physically prints bingo cards for players in an embodiment where the player appears in person to purchase tickets, or from point-of-sale (POS) terminals that permit players to play bingo in an on-line environment. A game processor maintains a linked list identifying each card in play containing each possible value. Each entry in a linked list includes a pointer to the next element in the linked list. Each bingo card is represented as a bitmap containing an entry corresponding to each square on the bingo card. Each entry in the linked list also identifies the particular square on the bingo card containing the corresponding value, thereby allowing the appropriate entry in the corresponding bitmap to be identified. As each number is drawn, the game processor utilizes the linked list to identify all of the bingo cards in play having the drawn number.