Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely crediting and billing usage of a plurality of electronic entertainment machines situated at different locations. Each electronic entertainment is connected via a transmission link to a billing computer situated at a central billing location. The establishment having an electronic entertainment machine may award credit to the electronic entertainment machine by remote control after a customer has paid for credit or the user can insert money in the machine. Each electronic entertainment machine records the number of credits that have been awarded to the machine. At a predetermined time, the billing computer polls each location via the transmission link, and the electronic entertainment machine at each location transmits credit data to the billing computer. Each location is then billed for the use of their respective electronic entertainment machines as determined by the number of awarded credits. The present invention optionally includes means for remotely activating or deactivating an electronic entertainment machine from the central billing location should the need arise. Also, one machine at a location can be a master and other machines are linked to the master to provide the crediting and billing system for all the location machines.

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First Claim