US 5,326,104 · Granted 1994-07-05

Secure automated electronic casino gaming system

An automated casino gaming system includes a central game controller to which a number of automated writer stations are connected. In the keno playing embodiment disclosed, the automated writer stations each have a keypad with two colored LEDs mounted under each key. To play a game, patrons first insert a card into the automated writer station to identify their account maintained on the central game controller. The patron then enters a wager on the automated writer station. As the patron picks the desired numbers, LEDs of one color associated with the keys for the numbers will light. The patron presses a PLAY key to transmit an electronic "ticket" to the central game controller. When the period for entering wagers has ended, the central game controller requests a random draw from a separate, secure random number generator. The central game controller credits the accounts of winning players according to a preconfigured pay table before transmitting the results to the automated writer stations, where the draw is displayed on the keypad one number at a time using a second color of LED. The system can be configured with a cutoff level, with wins above the cutoff level being flagged for handpayment or for the automatic generation of tax forms. Cashier workstations connected to the central game controller implement a total cash management system which tracks all transactions and determines the amount of cash that should be at each cashier station.

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