Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 20050250569A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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
• Application Number:
  US11/027,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/067 using carbon or graphite coating
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/06 Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games small boxes with balls used for generating random numbers A63F7/048; lottery apparatus G07C15/00; lottery gaming stations, online lottery or bingo G07F17/329; printing processes for lottery tickets B41M3/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0625 Devices for filling-in or checking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0655 Printing of tickets, e.g. lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0665 having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer for educational purposes G09B
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value

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 blackjack game. In another example, the blackjack game is coupled with a second level game in which the result is revealed. In a specific example, the second level game is a slot machine game.

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 a blackjack game on different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the code is used to gain security access to obtain results of the game of chance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes an act of 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 an act of 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 blackjack 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 blackjack game includes a slot machine game.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blackjack game is a computer-based game involving a plurality of hands of the blackjack game, and wherein the player plays the plurality of hands of blackjack within an interface of the computer-based game.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ticket discloses the number of game instances of the blackjack game awarded to 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 a second level game.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the item is used to play a second level 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 19, wherein the item associated with the second level game is a spin provided in the first level game, and wherein the method further comprises acts of:

permitting the player, in the second level game, to spin a slot machine game, the slot machine game having an associated pay table;

determining and displaying an outcome of the slot machine game; and

awarding a prize to the player if the slot machine outcome matches at least one entry of the associated pay table.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising an act of associating a spin achieved in a first level game with an outcome revealed in the second level game.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising an act of displaying, if the slot machine outcome matches the at least one entry of the associated pay table, the prize awarded to the player.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the outcome is determined prior to play of the blackjack game.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the outcome is independent of play of the blackjack game.

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

28. 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.

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

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

32. 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.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

36. The method according to claim 32, 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.

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

38. The method according to claim 37, 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.

39. The method according to claim 36, 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.

40. 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.

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

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

43. The method according to claim 41, 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.

44. The method according to claim 41, 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.

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

46. The method according to claim 40, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.

47. The method according to claim 40, wherein the player is permitted to redeem the ticket online.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the player is permitted to redeem the ticket to play one or more additional online games.

49. The method according to claim 48, further comprising an act of receiving an access code for playing the one or more additional online games.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein the access code is transmitted electronically to the player.

51. 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.

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

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

54. The method according to claim 53, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the another game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

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

57. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of downloading a game program, the game program, when executed, renders an interface of the blackjack game in an interface of a game-playing computer system.

58. The method according to claim 57, wherein the game program does not require an installation of one or more components on the game-playing computer system.

59. The method according to claim 57, wherein the game program executes within a browser program window in an interface of the game-playing computer system.

60. The method according to claim 57, wherein the game program is programmed using Macromedia Flash programming.

14. The method according to claim 14, wherein the player is permitted to play, with each one of the game instances, a plurality of hands of blackjack.