FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for managing a gambler’s use of a plurality of online gambling services. In particular, the present invention is particularly helpful for gamblers to monitor their overall expenditure and winnings when utilizing a plurality of online gambling services.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are various entities (known as “bookmakers” or “bookies”) who provide gambling services including platforms which receive bets and pay winnings to gamblers in respect of sporting and similar events. Examples of popular sporting events offered for betting include boxing, horse racing and dog racing. Bets or wagers can also be placed in respect of other events in which it is possible for the bookmaker to take a position against potential gamblers, including for example the outcome of political elections. The bookmaker is sometimes referred to as the “house”.

[0003] Traditionally, the betting platform was limited to a bookie located at the event itself (e.g. at a horse race) or handled by relevant personnel at a dedicated place of betting located remotely from an event but still requiring the gambler’s physical presence (e.g. at a venue that provides access to a broadcast or live stream of an event with the ability to place bets or wagers with a wagering organisation such as the “Totalisator Agency Board” ((T.A.B.) in Australia).

[0004] With the evolution of the internet and portable user communication devices such as smartphones, the “online” environment now provides remote access to a number of betting platforms. Typically, individual bookmakers, or bookmaking agencies, offer their services through a website that is accessible online, and many now also offer their services through Android or IOS software applications that are available to download from an online store and executable by gamblers using their handheld devices. Such apps can be highly addictive, hence it is not uncommon for gamblers to become hooked and spend considerably more than the amount they originally intended or budgeted. [0005] Existing computer-implemented devices and software which enable users to engage with individual gambling services require a gambler to download and install multiple different software applications, and subsequently interact with each application individually in order to deposit funds for use in relation to each service, to monitor statistics such as gambling expenditure and winnings, and to enter preferences such as placing a limit upon how much money can be gambled over a period of time (if the particular application offers such functionality). Whilst such applications enable a gambler to monitor information such as gambling expenditure and winnings in relation to each service, the process of tracking gambling expenditure and winnings in real-time across multiple gambling services becomes very difficult. In other words, for gamblers who subscribe to more than one gambling service (which is common for gamblers with a range of interests regarding sporting events), it becomes relatively easy to lose track of total gambling expenditure and total winnings across all online gambling services to which the gambler subscribes and uses. Losing track of total gambling exposure financially is emerging as more significant problem as a result of the COVID pandemic and there are indicators of increased online gambling activity in recent months with individuals spending their retirement savings on gambling applications in an effort to generate income and meet the costs of daily living.

[0006] In addition to tracking gambling expenditure, e.g. funds utilised in gambling which may also include funds utilised from earnings (profit), there is benefit in tracking funds deposited by the gambler, e.g. funds deposited from the user’s bank account(s). Each individual software application may operate an interface different to that of other applications, and the gambler may not necessarily be provided the same information and/or functionality across all interfaces. For example, it may be that not all gambling services allow subscribers to view the total amount they have deposited over a period of time, or to specify a maximum allowable deposit, despite the gambling service having access to relevant data that would enable the provision of such information and functionality.

[0007] It therefore becomes difficult or impossible for a gambler using multiple gambling services to meaningfully track the total deposits they have made over time across all services, and understand, or limit, their deposits once a predefined maximum allowable deposit has been reached. [0008] It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.

[0009] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any suggestion, that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for managing use of a plurality of online gambling services, the method including: receiving, by one or more processors, a request from a gambler’s data communication device associated with a plurality of online gambling services, the request seeking: information relating to the gambler’s use of the plurality of online gambling services, and receiving, by the one or more processors, with one or more computer systems associated with the plurality of online gambling services, data from the one or more computer systems substantially in real-time, the data relating to the gambler’s use of each of the plurality of online gambling services; generating, by the one or more processors and based on the received data, aggregated information associated with the gambler’s use of the plurality of gambling services; and providing, by the one or more processors, for display on the gambler’s data communication device, the aggregated information according to the received data.

[0011] For the purpose of the present specification, the data relating to the gambler’s use within the context of the present invention includes any data that assists in understanding the gambler’s gambling activity and/or gambling habits. Such data my include, but is not limited to, the number of wagers (bets) placed by the gambler, the times of day that bets are placed by the gambler, and monetary amounts spent on betting within a particular time period, the amount of time spent by the gambler on the one or more online gambling services, the quantity of gambling services to which the gambler subscribes, the average monetary amount the gambler deposits (spends) within a given period of time in respect of each of the online gambling services to which the gambler subscribes, the average aggregated monetary amount the gambler deposits (spends) within a given time period across all of the gambling services to which the gambler subscribes, the maximum funds deposited by the gambler, and trends regarding the gambler’s deposits over time.

[0012] It will be appreciated that by the use of the system and method of the claimed invention, a user (gambler) is able to synchronise all of their existing betting applications and all of the payment methods available to the gambler such that the system represents a single platform and access point for the gambler through which all online gambling services accessed and utilised by the gambler and all funds allocated for betting on events are managed and monitored within a single application thereby enabling the gambler to obtain within a single view all relevant information regarding the gambler’s activity.

[0013] In an embodiment, the aggregated information relating to the plurality of online gambling services includes one or more of the following across all of the plurality of online gambling services: total deposits; total gambling expenditure; total available balance; total amount “in play”; total profits; total losses; net position.

[0014] In an embodiment, the aggregated information is displayed alongside nonaggregated information which includes one or more of the following in respect of each of the plurality of online gambling services: deposits; gambling expenditure; available balance; amount “in play”; profits; losses; net position.

[0015] In an embodiment, the information displayed may further include one or more of the following: a breakdown of the deposits to each individual online gambling service; a breakdown of the winnings from each individual online gambling service; a return on investment (ROI) displayed as a dollar amount, percentage or number of units, where the gambler may select the form in which the ROI is displayed; a strike rate defined as the number of placed wagers divided by the number of winning wagers across each individual online gambling service; a total strike rate defined as the number of placed wagers divided by the number of winning wagers across all of the online gambling services; a betting frequency defined as the number of wagers placed across each individual online betting service; a total betting frequency defined as the number of wagers placed across all online betting services; a list of wager sizes from highest to lowest across individual betting services and across all online betting services; an amount of funds deposited over time across individual online betting services; and the total amount of funds deposited over time across all online betting services;

[0016] It will be appreciated that the plurality of online gambling services may include any service in respect of which a gambler may deposit an amount of funds representing a wager and includes, but is not limited to, agencies such as online betting agencies, online casinos, poker machine accounts accessed through a poker (“pokie”) card and lottery agencies. For example, in one embodiment, a user may link their poker machine account (accessed through their pokie card) to the system application to thereby manage deposits to their pokies card.

[0017] In an embodiment the method includes providing, by the one or more processors, a summary of total deposits and withdrawals by a gambler for each individual online betting service according to a pre-defined time period. For example, the time period may include a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly time period as defined by the gambler.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment the method includes providing, by the one or more processors, a summary of total deposits and withdrawals by a gambler across all of the online betting services according to a pre-defined time period. For example, the time period may include a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly time period as defined by the gambler

[0019] In an embodiment, the information that is displayed may be further filtered by the user, including by one or more of the following categories: a particular gaming service or group of services; a period of time; and particular gambling events or event types.

[0020] In another embodiment, additional or alternative categories may be used to filter information including detailed information comparing different categories of gambling events such as horse racing as compared with dog racing and/or football. Another alternative is filtering information according to strike rate or return on investment as compared with the bet type.

[0021] In an embodiment, the information displayed includes one or more graphical representations of the gambler’s activity.

[0022] In an embodiment, the gambler may include one or more criteria to prevent or limit expenditure where the one or more criteria includes a total amount deposited by the gambler over a predefined period of time into a betting account associated with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, or any associated betting account. The one or more criteria may also include a predefined threshold representing a maximum deposit amount.

[0023] According to another embodiment, the criteria includes a total or average amount that is wagered by the gambler when engaging with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, and includes the predefined threshold that is a maximum total or a maximum average amount that may be wagered as defined by the gambler.

[0024] According to yet another embodiment, the criteria includes a total time spent by the gambler engaging with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, and the predefined threshold is a maximum amount of time that may be spent as defined by the gambler.

[0025] According to a further embodiment, the criteria includes a particular time zone or time zones that may be problematic for the gambler to engage with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, and the predefined threshold is identifying engagement during the particular time zone(s). [0026] In an embodiment, the method further includes providing, by the one or more processors, one or more notifications to the gambler that indicate when the one or more criteria are met or exceeded.

[0027] It will be appreciated that in addition to one or more notifications that indicate a negative occurrence, for example, where a gambler has reached the predefined threshold indicating the maximum allowable losses, the method encompasses the inclusion of criteria that indicate a positive occurrence. For example, where a gambler breaks even regarding profits and losses within an online gambling service, or where the gambler reaches a predefined desired total profit across all of the online gambling services.

[0028] In an embodiment, if the result of analysing the received data is a determination that the one or more criteria satisfies a predefined threshold, the method further includes: implementing, by the one or more processors, the gambler’s request to prevent or limit further expenditure or gambling activity by the gambler.

[0029] In this way, the skilled addressee will appreciate that the system enables gamblers to set goals and limits (i.e. total deposits, total time spent, total losses within a given time period) and to effectively control his/her gambling habits whilst still engaging in entertaining activity that has the potential to yield profits.

[0030] In an embodiment, the gambler may establish a limit regarding the total funds able to be deposited according to one or more time periods. For example, the gambler may establish a limit of funds able to be deposited according to certain time periods (or certain days) in which they know they are more likely to increase their spending on gambling activities, for example, when drinking with friends between the hours of 7pm to midnight or every Saturday and Sunday. In this example, the gambler may limit themselves a $50 deposit/hour between the hours of 7pm and midnight or set themselves a total spending amount of $500 across a weekend. Accordingly, a user is able to control their gambling at times when they are more vulnerable to spending unwisely in respect of their gambling entertainment.

[0031] The system may also provide links to the user device in relation to gambling support services or government support services that are activated in the event minimum criteria thresholds are satisfied, or are satisfied on a regular basis, and hence the system may recognise the gambler exceeding the criteria and prompt the gambler to contact a support service.

[0032] In an embodiment, implementing the request to prevent or limit expenditure by the gambler may include: implementing, over a predefined period of time, a limit regarding the amount of further funds that are able to be deposited into the betting account(s) associated with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, or any associated betting account(s), and/or freezing, for a predetermined period of time, an amount that has previously been deposited into the betting account(s) associated with the one or more of the plurality of gambling services or any associated betting account(s).

[0033] In an embodiment, providing for display on the user device a result of analyzing the retrieved or monitored data includes providing for display the total amount deposited by the gambler over the predefined period of time, and the maximum deposit amount that has been exceeded, or is about to be exceeded.

[0034] In an embodiment, the above described associated betting account(s) may include an independent betting account operated by the one or more processors and accessible by the gambler’s communication device, the independent betting account enabling the gambler to deposit or withdraw funds independently of the betting accounts associated with the plurality of online gambling services.

[0035] In an embodiment, interfacing, by the one or more processors, with one or more computer systems associated with the plurality of online gambling services further enables the one or more processors to: exchange funds between the independent betting account and one or more of the accounts associated with the plurality of online gambling services.

[0036] In an embodiment, the transfer of funds from the independent betting account to one or more of the accounts associated with the plurality of online gambling services is based upon an instruction received from the gambler’s data communication device.

[0037] In an embodiment, when the independent betting account is utilised by the gambler for the purpose of depositing funds, access to the betting accounts associated with the plurality of online gambling services for the purpose of depositing funds may be disabled. [0038] The term “expenditure” as used in the present specification is the amount of money actually spent by a gambler over a period of time, i.e. when placing wagers or bets in connection with each of the plurality of online gambling services, and may include expenditure of funds generated from winning (i.e. profits). The term “deposit” as used in the present specification is the amount of money a gambler transfers to each of the plurality of online gambling services, or any associated account, over a period of time, i.e. funds made available by the gambler for betting or wagering in each of the plurality of online gambling services. The term “amount in play” is the amount that is the subject of a live bet or wager, where the result is yet to be determined or yet to be officially published.

[0039] In an embodiment, the one or more processors are configured execute computer instruction causing an interface with one or more computer systems associated with the plurality of online gambling services where a gambler may perform actions (e.g., review balances, deposit/transfer funds and place wagers) within each individual online gambling service without requiring he gambler to enter individual authentication details for each online gambling service linked to their account. In this regard, the system application and method of this embodiment enables a gambler to access functionality and perform actions associated with each of the plurality of online gambling services by entering only one set of authentication details (e.g., username and password) relating to the system application of the present embodiment that is downloaded and saved on their user device. This advantageously avoids a user being required to separately enter authentication details across each individual online gambling service when seeking to, for example, place a wager. Such an arrangement conserves computer processing and memory resources and also provides the additional technical benefit of providing a simplified and more efficient user interface that enables a gambler to place one or more wagers and/or transfer funds across multiple online gaming services with a single authentication step. It will be appreciated that such functionality is particularly advantageous within the context of the present embodiment, since gamblers are often required to act quickly when seeking to place a wager with respect to a game that is about to commence, for example, a horse race.

[0040] In an embodiment, the method further includes providing, by the one or more processors, a comparison of the betting odds across various betting agencies registered with the system application of the present invention. In this embodiment, the method also includes calculating, by the one or more processors, the best odds and rebate available across each of the betting agencies as will be appreciated by the skilled reader, this embodiment further reduces that consumption of capacity resources that would otherwise be required and utilised in the event the gambler were required to individually investigate each individual service for the information required.

[0041] In an embodiment, the method further includes generating a profile of the gambler’s habits over time and monitoring the gambler’s activity to determine deviations from the gambler’s standard profile and provides notifications regarding same to the gambler and/or another entity (e.g., a spouse or therapist) authorised by the gambler to receive such notifications.

[0042] The method further includes providing a range of reporting functions to the gambler to enable the gambler to obtain a brief summary with respect to their transactions across various online gambling services including the gambler’s net position within each online gambling service and also the gambler’s overall net position across all of the online gambling services to which the gambler has subscribed.

[0043] The method further includes providing a range of detailed reports regarding a gambler’s expenditure as compared with any profits arising from the gambler’s activities such that the gambler may consider total loss/profit with respect to individual online gaming services and/or individual events or types of event;

[0044] In an embodiment, details regarding the gambler’s activities and transactions are stored in a secure and encrypted form for the gambler’s reference whilst maintaining security and privacy regarding the details of the gambler’s online gambling activities.

[0045] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a system facilitating real-time selection and acceptance of a service offering, the system including: one or more memories, and one or more processors operable to: receive a request from a gambler’s data communication device associated with a gambler utilizing the plurality of online gambling services, the request seeking: information relating to the gambler’s use of the plurality of online gambling services, and receiving, by the one or more computer systems associated with the plurality of online gambling services, data from the one or more computer systems substantially in real-time, the data relating to the gambler’s use of each of the plurality of online gambling services; generate, based on the received data, aggregated information associated with the gambler’s use across the plurality of gambling services; and provide, for display on the gambler’s data communication device, the aggregated information according to the received data.

[0046] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable medium having a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors to: receive a request from a gambler’s data communication device associated with a gambler utilizing the plurality of online gambling services, the request seeking: information relating to the gambler’s use of the plurality of online gambling services, and receiving data from the one or more computer systems substantially in real-time, the data relating to the gambler’s use of each of the plurality of online gambling services; generate, based on the received data, aggregated information associated with the gambler’s use across the plurality of gambling services; and provide, for display on the gambler’s data communication device, the aggregated information according to the received data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Features of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limited to the following Figure(s), in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:

[0048] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary computer-implemented system for managing use of a plurality of online gambling services in accordance with the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram associated with the server component of the system illustrated in Figure 1 ;

[0050] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process that enables data transfer between the server of Figure 2 and computer or information systems associated with online betting agencies;

[0051] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process that enables a user to download and install a software application and subsequently login, or register, to use the software application for interacting with the system illustrated in Figurel ;

[0052] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process that enables the user to view information relating to their interaction with the online betting agencies including aggregated information;

[0053] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process that enables the user to manage their interaction with the online betting agencies including managing betting limits; and

[0054] Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process that enables the user to transfer funds into an independent account from which funds may then be transferred to/from the online betting agencies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

[0055] For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present disclosure is described by referring to an embodiment thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be readily apparent however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, some methods and structures have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

[0056] As used herein, the terms “a” and “an” are intended to denote at least one of a particular element, the term “includes” means includes but not limited to, the term “including” means including but not limited to, and the term “based on” means based at least in part on.

[0057] The present invention relates to at least a computer-implemented system and method for managing use, by a gambler (120), who uses a plurality of online gambling services or agencies (100), the system and method utilising a central server (20) in communication with one or more user devices (130). The central server (20) maintains one or more processors and/or databases for performing functions including receiving a request from a data communication device such as a mobile phone (130) associated with the gambler (120), the request associated with the plurality of online gambling services (100) and, in particular, seeking information relating to the gambler’s use of the plurality of online gambling services (100). The server (20) further receives, from one or more computer systems (1 10) or other hardware associated with the plurality of online gambling services (100), betting data (50) substantially in real-time, the data relating to the gambler’s use of each of the plurality of online gambling services (100). Once the above mentioned data has been received, the one or more processors and/or databases associated with the server (20) perform additional functions including generating aggregated information associated with the gambler’s use of the plurality of gambling services (100), and providing, for display (170, 180, 190) on each gambler device (130), the aggregated information according to the received data (50).

[0058] A gambler (120) may send a request to the server (20), through a software application (140) operating on the gambler’s device (130), for the aggregated information. Based on receiving and processing the request, the server (20) may generate a visual representation of the aggregated information which is presented to the gambler (120) on one or more interfaces (170, 180, 190) generated by the application (140) and displayed on the user device (130).

[0059] The skilled addressee would appreciate that the system and method of the present invention thereby provides a single platform for gamblers (120) to manage their interaction with all of the different betting services (100) that they use. Each betting service (100) typically allow gamblers multiple ways to access their services, including through software “apps” that may be downloaded from an appropriate online store and subsequently accessed using the gambler’s device (130). Irrespective of the means by which the gambler (120) interacts with various betting services (100), by utilising the system and method of the present invention, the gambler’s transactions across all of the betting services may be aggregated in order to provide a consolidated summary of the gambler’s betting activity.

[0060] Figure 1 is divided into segments which are further expanded in the subsequent Figures 2 to 7. In particular, segment 200 of Figure 1 shows the server component (20) with which the software application (140) operating on the gambler device(s) (130) is configured to communicate. This is expanded in Figure 2, and the skilled person will appreciate that the steps described herein may be performed using a software application (140) that operates on a portable device such as a mobile phone (130), or any other appropriate application. For example, a software application operating on a computer such as a desktop computer or laptop could also be used.

[0061] As an alternative, or in addition to steps performed by one or more processors associated with user device (130), steps may also be performed by one or more processors associated with the server (20). For example, the server (20) could be programmed to provide any of the functions described herein that cannot be provided locally on the user device (130).

[0062] By way of example, segment 300 of Figure 1 shows the server (20) being caused to communicate with three online betting agencies (100A, 100B, 100C), which is expanded in Figure 3. Segment 400 of Figure 1 shows a gambler (120) downloading and installing the application (140) and subsequently logging into the application (140), which is expanded in Figure 4. Segment 500 of Figure 1 illustrates an example of the gambler’s ability to view aggregated information through one or more interfaces (170, 180, 190) in connection with their use of online betting agency services (via Apps associated with each service or by any other means including physical betting), as expanded in Figure 5. Segment 600 of Figure 1 illustrates the gambler (120) utilising application (140) to manage aspects of their interaction with the online betting services (100), as expanded in Figure 6. Finally, segment 700 of Figure 1 is expanded in Figure 7 and shows how the application (140) may also provide a wagering account (70), also referred to herein as a “wagering wallet”, which enables the gambler (120) as well as the software application (140) to control the spending activities of the gambler (120) as well as enable additional functions as described in greater detail below.

[0063] As mentioned above, Figure 2 shows in greater detail the segment 200 from Figure 1. In particular, Figure 2 shows the server component (20) which includes infrastructure (10) upon which the platform of the present invention operates. The infrastructure (10) may be local or cloud-based. The central server (20) may operate one or more computer applications and maintain one or more databases that enable the following functionality and/or storage:

• register (30) of user accounts relating to gamblers (120) who have registered to use the application (140), each user account including a user profile comprising key information about the registered gambler, including name, address, and credentials such as username and password;

• register (35) of linked betting accounts, i.e. existing online betting accounts established by the gambler (120) with online betting agencies, e.g. betting agencies (100A, 100B, 100C);

• functionality (40) that facilitates the secure communication of data between the central server solution (20) and computer systems (1 10A, 100B, 100C) associated with each agency (100A, 100B, 100C) respectively;

• repository (50) for storing betting data from the online betting agency systems (1 10A, 1 10B, 100C), which data may be processed, analysed and presented to the gambler (120) via various activity and summary interfaces (e.g. 170, 180 and 190) as described in greater detail below; repository (60) for storing data relating to selections by the gambler (120) in respect of managing their interactions with the online gambling services to which they are subscribed, including, for example, data relating to limits placed by the gambler (120) on the number of bets, times of the day that bets can be made, and monetary limits such as the amount that is allowed to be spent within a predetermined time period. The storage of such data in repository (60) enables the server (20) to monitor the limits and take action as the limits are approached or exceeded, as described in greater detail below; and

• wagering account (70) which provides a “wagering wallet” for the gambler (120) that is independent from wagering accounts established with each of the online betting agencies, which account may have direct access to the betting agency accounts for transfer of funds to/from the betting agency accounts.

[0064] It is to be understood that despite there being multiple means of data storage described above, this is by way of example only. For example, in an alternate embodiment, all data could be stored in a single repository that is suitably structured and whereby data is suitably categorized.

[0065] Figure 2 also shows that the server (20) is configured to enable communication (80) with the computer systems (1 10A, 110B, 1 10C) that are often used by the respective online betting agencies (100A, 100B, 100C) to manage their own user’s accounts and gambling activities. The server (20) is also configured to enable communication (90) with the user devices (130), in particular the applications (140) operating on the user devices (130), through use of a data communications network such as the internet or similar network.

[0066] Figure 3 shows in greater detail segment 300 of Figure 1 and, in particular, the interface and potential transfer of data that may occur between the server (20) and the multiple online betting agencies (100) when the present invention is implemented. In particular, based upon instructions received by the application (140), the server (20) may be caused to interface information and/or funds to and from the betting agency computer systems (1 10A, 1 10B, 1 10C) and any associated wagering accounts associated with such agencies. The online betting agencies (100) are companies or organisations that offer wagering on sports and other events, and it is to be understood that the method of interfacing with a betting agency may differ on a case by case basis depending upon the computer systems (1 10) and associated capabilities of the online betting agency. [0067] Each online betting agency will typically operate an online IOS or Android App which the gambler (120) utilises to interact with the online betting agency, including to place bets on a particular event. Instead of accessing each of those systems individually to monitor the funds transferred, amounts bet, etc, the gambler (120) may access a single platform offered by the application (140) of the present invention. This not only conserves the gambler’s time and makes it easier and more efficient for the gambler to obtain a clear understanding regarding his/her aggregated usage, but computing/memory resources and network bandwidth are also conserved as a result of the gambler (120) no longer being required to open multiple applications on their devices.

[0068] The online betting agencies, such as agencies 100A, 100B or 100C, may also be requested to register and provide relevant permissions to enable their agency names to be selectable by gamblers (120) when utilising the application (140) and linking particular agencies to their user accounts. In particular, when a gambler (120) signs up, they may specify the particular online betting agencies with whom they hold subscriptions and actively interact. It will be appreciated that appropriate permissions may need to be granted to enable the server (20) to gain access to the computer systems (110) associated with each of the agencies (100), and such permissions could also be established at the time of each agency subscribing to utilise the application (140). However, alternate means of establishing communication and exchange of data/funds between the server (20) and each agency (100) may also be possible.

[0069] Figure 4 shows a user device (130) being operated by the gambler (120) to install the application (140), which may be achieved by downloading the application (140) from an “Application store”. The gambler (120) may create an account using the application (140) and the account information may be stored in the user account register (30). The user account may capture information sufficient to enable the gambler (120) to be correctly identified, as described above. The process of installing the application (140) is indicated by arrow 150, and an example interface which enables the gambler (120) to login or register to use the application (140) is indicated by reference numeral 160.

[0070] After a gambler (120) has successfully registered and logged in to use application (140), they may be prompted to link their account with online betting agencies that are relevant to them. For example, Figure 4 shows a listing of betting agencies (165A, 165B, 165C) selectable in an interface (160) of the application (140), such that the gambler (120) may scroll through the list and recognise betting applications that they currently use and select same for the purpose of linking with the systems (110) associated with that betting agency (100).

[0071] Figure 5 shows various example interfaces (170, 180, 190) which may be presented to the gambler (120) via the application (140), wherein such interfaces provide, amongst other details, aggregated information relating to the gambler’s betting activity across the online betting applications selected by the gambler (120). For example, the homepage interface (170) illustrated by way of example provides an overview of the gambling activity of the gambler (120) and provides a launching page for access to additional information and application functionality (e.g. the wagering wallet balance, betting transactions, and limits that have been set by the gambler and which may further be edited by the gambler).

[0072] As a further example, interface (180) provides a quick summary view with respect to transactions to and from each betting application, which gives the gambler (120) a perspective of their betting across the multiple betting applications. By way of further example, interface (190) provides more detailed activity screens including detailed reports of the gambler’s betting performance including graphs and any additional relevant information. Such interfaces will allow gamblers to view their aggregated betting activity across betting applications, and further, add filters to focus upon particular information that may be of interest to the gambler and which may enable the gambler to better manage their subsequent interactions. An example of a filter that may be applied is time period, e.g. all data within the past 30 days, 60 days or year to date (YTD).

[0073] The type of aggregated information that may be presented to the gambler (120) via interfaces such as (170, 180, 190) may further include total deposits, total gambling expenditure, total available balance, total amount “in play”, total profits, total losses, and net position. It will be understood that such information could also be broken down by gambling service such that aggregated information is displayed alongside nonaggregated information.

[0074] The information that is displayed may be further filtered according to a gambler’s selection of a particular betting service or group of services, a particular gambling event or event type (such as horse racing as compared with dog racing and/or football), and strike rate or return on investment as compared with bet type. The present invention is not intended to be limited to any one or group of data filtering options.

[0075] In the event a particular criteria has been defined by the gambler, such as, for example, a criteria to prevent or limit expenditure (as described in greater detail below), the interfaces (170), (180) and/or (190) may further present for display information relating to the extent to which such criteria has not satisfied a predefined threshold.

[0076] Figure 6 shows a further interface (210) which enables the gambler (120) to define one or more such criteria that may include limits and/or goals associated with their betting activities. For example, the gambler (120) may set limits and/or goals (60) to help them control their gambling habits across all of the online betting applications (1 10A, 1 10B and 110C) and the type of criteria to which such limits and/or goals may include, for example, the number of bets, the times of day that bets can be placed, and monetary limits such as the amount allowed to be spent on betting within a particular time period. The interface (210) allows gamblers to monitor the limits, and receive alerts and/or recommendations as gamblers approach or exceed such limits. In this way, the gambler (120) may include criteria to prevent or limit expenditure.

[0077] Where the criteria includes, for example, a total amount deposited by the gambler over a pre-defined period of time into a betting account associated with one or more of the plurality of gambling services (100) or any associated betting accounts such as the independent wagering account (wagering wallet) (70), the gambler (120) may also be prompted to specify a predefined threshold representing a maximum deposit amount.

[0078] Another example of a criteria that may be defined relates to a total or average amount that may be wagered by the gambler (120) when engaging with one or more of the plurality of gambling services (100), in which case the predefined threshold may be a maximum total or a maximum average amount that may be wagered.

[0079] As mentioned above, a further criteria may include a total time spent by the gambler (120) engaging with one or more of gambling services (100), and the predefined threshold according to this example may be a maximum amount of time that is spent interacting with the gambling services. Similarly, the criteria may include a particular time zone or time zones that may be problematic for the gambler (120) when engaging with gambling services, in which case the predefined threshold may be based upon identifying that the gambler is engaging with the services during the particular time zone.

[0080] According to an example, a gambler (120) may set themselves a maximum deposit amount of AU$1 ,000 over a period of time of one calendar month. If the application (140) determines that the gambler has already deposited (across all of the gambling services) an amount of AU$1 ,000 (for example), the maximum deposit criteria has already reached a predefined threshold, and an alert or recommendation may be provided.

[0081] In another example, a gambler (120) may recognise that gambling after 8:00pm on a particular night of the week, such as a Saturday night, is problematic since it generally causes increased engagement with gambling services with reduced positive results. The gambler may impose a “no gambling” criteria during a particular time zone and based upon a determination that the gambler is attempting to engage with one or more services (100) during the particular time zone, the time zone criteria may be determined to have failed to satisfy its predefined threshold.

[0082] As a result of failure to meet predefined thresholds, not only may the failure be reported to the gambler (120) with recommendations, but the gambler (120) may be prevented from engaging any further with one or more of the betting agency services. In this regard, the application (140) may also be configured to disable the gambler’s access to any software application associated with the online betting agencies that may otherwise be accessible on the gambler’s device (130). In other words, the betting agencies may also provide permission for application (140) to disable a gambler’s access to their software application(s) in circumstances where application (140) requests same (e.g. as a result of the particular gambler interacting in a manner that fails to satisfy one or more of the predefined thresholds, or where such action is generated in the form of a recommendation and the gambler subsequently agrees).

[0083] In this way, the present invention not only provides gamblers (120) with the ability to more closely and efficiently monitor aggregated gambling behaviour, but enables gamblers (120) to set goals and limits to effectively control his/her gambling habits. In addition to providing alerts, or preventing access to gambling services, the system may also provide recommendations which may include, for example, recommendations to allow the application (140) to disable access to one or more other applications operating on the gambler’s device, and/or links to gambling support services or Government support services, in the event any one minimum criteria threshold is not satisfied or may not be satisfied sufficiently regularly.

[0084] In addition to disabling access to betting agency applications that may otherwise be accessible on the gambler’s device (130), the wagering wallet (70) that is also accessible in application (140) may also be disabled. As described in more detail below, the wagering wallet (70) may allow funds to be transferred to I from the accounts associated with each of the betting agency services (100), hence disabling such functionality may also be an effective means of enforcing the gambler’s predefined criteria. For example, a limit regarding the amount of further funds capable of being deposited into the betting accounts associated with one or more of the plurality of gambling services, or into the wagering wallet itself, may be limited for a predefined period of time. Further, any funds that are already present in any one of the individual accounts, or in the wagering wallet, may be frozen such that access to those funds is not possible for a predefined period of time.

[0085] The use of the gambler’s independent wagering account or “wagering wallet” (70) is demonstrated in an exemplary interface (220) in Figure 7. It will be appreciated that this wallet may act in one of several ways, including for example as a means of accessing accounts that have previously been established with each of the betting agencies such that the aggregated account balances are displayed and funds may be transferred using application (140) into (230), out of (235), or between, the individual betting agency accounts (where the gambler may be requested to link their own external bank account to enable transfers in/out of the wallet (70)). If the application (140) is caused to prevent, or limit, further funds being utilised by the gambler for any reason, then any further transfers from the linked external bank account may be prevented or limited by the application (140).

[0086] In another embodiment, the wallet (70) may establish an internal bank account that is separate from the gambler’s external bank account and also separate from the individual betting agency accounts. In this embodiment, funds may be transferred into (230) or out of (235) the internal account (again by linking the gambler’s external bank account, for example), and funds in the internal account may subsequently be transferred to/from (250) individual betting agency accounts. If the application (140) is caused to prevent or limit further funds being utilised by the gambler for any reason, then any further transfers from the external bank account to the internal bank account, or from the internal bank account to the individual betting agency accounts, may be prevented or limited by the application (140).

[0087] When the application (140) is caused to prevent, or limit, further funds being utilised by the gambler (120), the application (140) may be further authorised to disable the gambler’s access to the accounts associated with the individual betting agencies in an attempt to bypass the restrictions placed upon the gambler (120) by the application (140), including for example by causing access to betting agency applications operating on the same device to be disabled or limited.

[0088] Since the application (140) has the ability to control the extent to which funds may be transferred, as described above, greater control over the gambler’s utilisation of such funds for gambling purposes may be more easily controlled. Further, by combining the gambling accounts into a single wallet as described above, gamblers (120) have a better control over their funds and increased visibility regarding the financial impact of their gambling.

[0089] It is to be understood that the user device (130) could be a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or another type of computing device. The user device may include a display that provides an interface for the user to input and/or view information. For example, a user could interact with the device using a program executed on a laptop computer, such as a text-based chat program, a voicebased communication program, and/or a video-based communication program. Alternatively, in some cases, the user device (130) could be a telephone (e.g., a landline, cell phone, etc.).

[0090] The central server (20) may be a single computer, the partial computing resources of a single computer, a plurality of computers communicating with one another, or a network of remote servers (e.g., cloud). The one or more servers can house local databases and/or communicate with one or more external databases.

[0091] The user device (130) may communicate with the server (20) over a network. In some embodiments, the network may be a wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet. In other embodiments, the network may be a local area network ("LAN"). For example, in a more remote location far from a metropolitan area, the Internet may not be available. In yet other embodiments, the network may be a combination of a WAN and a LAN. In embodiments where the user device (130) is a phone (e.g., a landline or a cell phone), the communication may pass through a telecommunications network and/or a wide area network.

[0092] Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, will be understood to mean the inclusion of a stated feature or step, or group of features or steps, but not the exclusion of any other feature or step, or group of features or steps.

[0093] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.