Electronic lottery system with promotion prize distribution

• US 20070021164A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Games Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Games Incorporated
• Inventors: Lind, Clifton, Lind, Jefferson
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A method includes communicating a distribution group of lottery game play records to a data storage device accessible to an assignment component included in a lottery gaming system. This assignment component may comprise a player station in the gaming system, a central computer system, or some intermediate component between the central computer system and player station. The method also includes communicating one or more promotion records to the data storage device accessible to the assignment component. The assignment component assigns game play records from the distribution group in response to lottery game play requests entered at a player station in the gaming system. However, in response to some lottery game play requests entered through the player stations, the assignment component assigns a promotion record in addition to, or in lieu of, a game play record. In these cases the player may be awarded a promotion prize associated with the assigned promotion record.

Claims

1. A method including:

(a) communicating a distribution group of lottery game play records to an assignment component included in a gaming system, and storing the distribution group so as to be accessible to the assignment component;

(b) communicating one or more promotion records to the assignment component, and storing the one or more promotion records so as to be accessible to the assignment component, each promotion record being distinct from a result in a lottery game structure;

(c) receiving a lottery game play request in the gaming system; and

(d) in response to the lottery game play request, assigning a respective one of the one or more promotion records for the lottery game play request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating one or more promotion records to the assignment component is performed separately from communicating the distribution group to the assignment component.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the one or more promotion records to the assignment component is performed concurrently with communicating the distribution group.

4. The method of claim 3 further including incorporating the one or more promotion records into the distribution group prior to communicating the distribution group to the assignment component.

5. The method of claim 1 further including associating each promotion record with a respective lottery game play record in the distribution group, and wherein assigning the respective one of the one or more promotion records for the lottery game play request includes assigning the lottery game play record with which the respective promotion record is associated.

6. The method of claim 1 further wherein storing the one or more promotion records so as to be accessible to the assignment component includes storing the one or more promotion records separately from the distribution group.

7. The method of claim 1 further including inserting each promotion record into the distribution group between two respective lottery game play records.

8. The method of claim 1 further including recalling at least each promotion record remaining unassigned from the assignment component, the recalling being performed in response to a promotion recall command.

9. The method of claim 1 further including invalidating at least each promotion record remaining unassigned at the assignment component, the invalidating being performed in response to a promotion recall command.

10. A gaming system including:

(a) a data storage device storing a distribution group of lottery game play records and one or more promotion records;

(b) an assignment component having access to the data storage device, the assignment component for receiving a lottery game play request from a player station and assigning a respective one of the one or more promotion records for the lottery game play request.

11. The gaming system of claim 10 further including a distribution component for communicating the distribution group of lottery game play records to the data storage device.

12. The gaming system of claim 11 wherein the distribution component is also for communicating the one or more promotion records to the data storage device.

13. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein the distribution component communicates the distribution group to the data storage device concurrently with communicating the one or more promotion records to the data storage device.

14. The gaming system of claim 12 wherein the distribution component communicates the distribution group to the data storage device as a separate operation from communicating the one or more promotion records to the data storage device.

15. The gaming system of claim 12 further including a promotion control component for producing a promotion recall command and communicating the promotion recall command to the assignment component.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 wherein the assignment component responds to the promotion recall command by causing at least each respective promotion record remaining unassigned at the data storage device to be communicated back to the distribution component.

17. The gaming system of claim 15 wherein the assignment component responds to the promotion recall command by causing at least each respective promotion record remaining unassigned at the data storage device to be invalidated.

18. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the assignment component is also for assigning a respective lottery game play record from the distribution group for the lottery game play request.

19. The gaming system of claim 10 wherein the respective one of the one or more promotion records is associated with a respective one of the lottery game play records in the distribution group and wherein the assignment of the respective one of the one or more promotion records effectively assigns the respective lottery game play record with which the respective promotion record is associated.

20. A program product stored on one or more computer readable devices, the program product including:

(a) record store program code executable for causing a distribution group of lottery game play records and one or more promotion records to be stored at a data storage system from which lottery game play records are assigned in a lottery gaming system; and

(b) assignment program code executable for assigning a respective one of the one or more promotion records for a lottery game play request received from a player station in a lottery gaming system, the respective promotion record being distinct from a result in a lottery game conducted through the lottery gaming system.

21. The program product of claim 20 further including distribution program code executable for communicating the distribution group and the one or more promotion records to a data processing system associated with the data storage system.

22. The program product of claim 21 wherein the distribution program code is executable for communicating the distribution group and the one or more promotion records concurrently to the data processing system associated with the data storage system.

23. The program product of claim 21 wherein the distribution program code is executable for communicating the distribution group to the data processing system associated with the data storage system separately from communicating the one or more promotion records to the data processing system associated with the data storage system.

24. The program product of claim 20 further including promotion control program code executable for producing a recall command for the one or more promotion records.

25. The program product of claim 24 wherein the record store program code is also executable for responding to the recall command by causing at least each respective promotion record that remains unassigned to be removed from the data storage system.

26. The program product of claim 24 wherein the record store program code is also executable for responding to the recall command by causing at least each respective promotion record that remains unassigned to be invalidated so that each respective promotion record that remains unassigned is unassignable for a respective lottery game play request.

27. The program product of claim 24 wherein the assignment program code is also executable for responding to the recall command by disabling any respective one of the one or more promotion records from being assigned for the respective lottery game play request.