Gaming device and method

• US 20060035698A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brian J. Roberts, David B. Petch
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Roberts, David B. Petch
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian J., Petch, David B.
• Application Number:
  US11/190,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035698A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/065 Tickets or accessories for use therewith A63F3/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/002 Precutting and tensioning or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/10 from or with devices for breaking partially-cut or perforated webs, e.g. bursters
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/06 Polymers provided for in subclass C08G
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 163/10 Epoxy resins modified by unsaturated compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 4/06 Organic non-macromolecular compounds having at least one polymerisable carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond in combination with a macromolecular compound other than an unsaturated polymer of groups C09D159/00 - C09D187/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/031 Organic compounds not covered by group G03F7/029
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/68 in which the articles are torn or severed from strips or sheets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A gaming machine is provided for playing several types of games. For example, scratch-off and pull-tab tickets, or scratch-off, pull-tab and lotto tickets can be sold from the same machine. The winnings from one game can be used to create credits in the machine for buying tickets in a different game from the same machine. Preferably, all instant-winner tickets move past transparent windows so they can be seen while being dispensed. A separate/drive module is provided which can be used in a number of different configurations. It has a rotary helical separator member which spans multiple channels to separate tickets in any of the channels. A single drive source in the housing rotates the separate drives in each channel. Preferably, tickets in strips move upwardly past the windows to simplify the dispensing mechanism and the loading of tickets in the machine. An ejector mechanism which reverses the direction of movement of separated tickets to inhibit theft also is provided.

Claims

1. A multi-game ticket self-service terminal, comprising:

a housing for storing a plurality of different types of game tickets, said types including tickets stored in strips in which individual tickets are delineated from one another by lines of weakness, and lottery tickets bearing numbers for use in a drawing to determine a winner;

means for selectively dispensing said tickets in response to the receipt of credits;

a currency acceptor device mounted in said housing to accept currency and produce a corresponding credit;

detector means for detecting the amount of winnings a winning ticket is worth; and

credit means for making a credit in the amount of such worth available for use in buying from said terminal tickets of a type different from said winning ticket.