Patent attributes
The invention generally pertains to a system and method for determining if a player has placed a bet in a bet spot on a gaming table, such as, for example, a main bet spot or a progressive or proposition bet spot. By way of example, the tabletop of a gaming table has a plurality of player positions having one or more bet spots positioned in proximity to each player position on the top surface. The tabletop has a light sensor associated with each bet spot and positioned beneath the gaming table layout to detect light intensity through the layout. A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are associated with each light sensor. The plurality of LEDs are located beneath the gaming table layout so as to illuminate through the material of the gaming table layout. More specifically, the LEDs are configured to illuminate through the layout when a gaming chip is detected in the bet spot, which causes a change in the light intensity detected by the light sensor associated with the bet spot because the bet spot is covered by a gaming chip.