System and method wherein game players visit one or more communication-enabled locations to collect credit for losing primary lottery game tickets

• US 10,332,349 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Mound, Andrew Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US14/949,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system and method are provided for play of a game of chance wherein players in a primary game collect credit or value for losing primary game tickets. A plurality of physical locations are designated as authorized communication-enabled locations and are configured with a transmitter device that broadcasts an ID signal unique to the location or a receiver that receives an ID signal unique to a particular player. The identity and location of the locations is published to the players. The players are provided with capability to receive the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the locations on a mobile smart device, or to broadcast the ID signal unique to the player for receipt by the receiver in locations. A game server automatically identifies the player and the particular location upon receipt of a transmission that includes the ID signal unique to the location or the ID signal unique to the player. The game server generates a personalized message to the player with instructions as to how the player can take action at the location to have the value assigned to a losing game ticket credited to a player'"'"'s account.

Claims

1. A method for play of a game of chance wherein players in a primary game collect credit or value for losing primary game tickets, the method comprising:

assigning losing game tickets from the primary game a predetermined value that is associated with a serial number or code on the respective losing game ticket, and storing the values and associated serial number or code in a database;

designating a plurality of physical locations as authorized communication-enabled locations, wherein the locations are configured with a transmitter device that broadcasts an ID signal unique to the communication-enabled location that is received by a mobile smart device carried by the player, or a receiver that receives an ID signal transmitted by the mobile smart device carried by the player that is unique to the player;

providing the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations to the players;

the players receiving the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the communication-enabled locations on the mobile smart device carried by the player, or the mobile smart device broadcasting the ID signal unique to the player that is received by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations;

providing a game server that is common to the communication-enabled locations, wherein when the player is in one of the communication-enabled locations, the game server automatically identifies the player and the particular communication-enabled location upon receipt of a transmission that includes at least part of the ID signal unique to the communication-enabled location or the ID signal unique to the player; and

providing a personalized message to the player with instructions as to how the player can take action at the communication-enabled location to have the value assigned to a losing game ticket credited to a player'"'"'s account maintained for he player.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the personalized message instructs the player to transmit the serial number or code from one or more of the losing game tickets, wherein the server retrieves the value assigned to the losing game ticket from the database and credits the player'"'"'s account with the value.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the value assigned to the losing game tickets is a predetermined number of points, the points accumulating in the player'"'"'s account until a level of points is reached that permits the player to redeem the points.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the players are provided one or more of:

(1) an application for download to the mobile smart device carried by the player, the application enabling receipt and recognition by the mobile smart device of the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the communication-enabled locations;

or (2) an application for download to the mobile smart device that causes the mobile smart device to transmit the ID signal unique to the player that is received by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the game server is in secure communication with one or all of:

the player'"'"'s mobile smart device;

the receiver at the communication-enabled location;

or a functional component at the communication-enabled location for communicating with the player.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the transmitter device is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) beacon that emits a unique BTLE ID signal, and the application downloaded to the player'"'"'s mobile smart device receives the BTLE ID signal and transmits all or a portion of the BTLE ID signal to the game server.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the BTLE beacon is incorporated with a functional component display in the BTLE-enabled location, the game server communicating the personalized message to the player via the display.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the display is an interactive display via which the player communicates with the game server.

9. The method as in claim 6, wherein the game server communicates the personalized message to the player via the player'"'"'s mobile smart device.

10. The method as in claim 6, wherein the BTLE beacon is incorporated with a functional component within the communication-enabled location that performs other game-related functions.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the functional component is one of a ticket checker device that scans the losing game tickets presented by the player and communicates with the game server to verify or authenticate the losing game tickets, or a game console wherein the player can interactively engage with the game server to transmit the serial number or code from the losing game tickets or perform other game-related functions.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations are published to the players via an electronic map provided on a website.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the player is required to collect a set of tokens from a plurality of the communication-enabled locations before the value assigned to the losing game ticket is credited to the player'"'"'s account, each of the communication-enabled locations having a unique one of the tokens assigned thereto, the electronic map also identifying the token assigned to each of the communication-enabled locations.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the tokens are Bingo numbers and the players are required to collect tokens to satisfy a Bingo pattern on a Bingo card.