Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 20050250567A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Sabet, Bijan, Hardy, Dow, LaRocca, Paul, Yanowitz, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game includes a game similar to the well-known game of COLLAPSE.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game of chance comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket; and

providing for the player to play another game on different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the code is used to gain security access in obtaining results of the game of chance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes issuing at least one of a lottery ticket, a scratch ticket, and a pull-tab ticket.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing further comprises an act of providing a computer-based game which the player plays to reveal the results of the game of chance.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of providing a computer-based game further comprises an act of permitting access to the results of the game of chance by using the code as a decryption key to obtain the results.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of storing, on a server, the results of the game of chance.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising storing, in a database of a computer system, a portion of a decryption key, the portion being used along with the code by the computer system to obtain the results.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of providing includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the another game.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising an act of obtaining, from the database of the computer system, the portion of the decryption key based on an identifier printed on the ticket.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the identifier is a serial number associated with the ticket.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of presenting, to the player, an interface in which the player is permitted to enter the code to obtain security access to the results.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another game is a game of chance.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another game is a slot machine.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the another game is a computer-based game involving a grid of elements, and wherein the player removes at least one group of elements by selecting the group within an interface of the computer-based game.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ticket discloses the number of slot machine pulls awarded the player.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is predetermined.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is predetermined.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the reveals are randomly determined by the client.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sequence of reveals is stored in a database of a server.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of revealing, to the player, an item associated with at least one of the at least one group of elements when the at least one group of elements is removed.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the item is used to play a second game.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the item is used by the player to reveal a prize won by the player.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, and credit.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein an indication of the prize won by the player is stored in a database of a server, and is downloaded to a computer presenting the computer-based game to the player.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of associating, with the ticket, additional opportunities to win.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing, by a first server associated with a first game, a result associated with the game of chance.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first server further comprises a random number generator, and the random number generator performs an act of determining a set numbers associated with the issued ticket.

32. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of determining the result of the game of chance based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the game of chance includes at least one of a Keno game and a bingo game, and the act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket comprises an act of selecting a predetermined number of numbers from a predetermined set of numbers.

35. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to redeem the issued ticket without playing the game on the different medium.

36. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined by a predetermined game script.

37. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system.

38. The method according to claim 36, further comprising an act of determining a predetermined game script where a magnitude of prizes awarded for reveals associated with later win opportunities are progressively greater than the magnitude of prizes associated with reveals associated with earlier win opportunities.

39. The method according to claim 36, further comprising an act of determining, for an issued ticket indicated as a losing ticket, a game script comprising an indication that the player was substantially close to winning.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.

42. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before gaining access to obtain results associated with the ticket.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issued ticket discloses a number of game instances awarded to the player.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is determined after the ticket is issued to the player.

45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the another game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

47. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is determined prior to issuing the ticket to the player.