Methods and apparatus for providing a lottery game

• US 20070066382A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Penrice, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,740 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 17/3244 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

Abstract

A gaming apparatus and method of play including a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the value input device. The controller receives wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, with the wager data including a first plurality of indicia of a first type, a second plurality of indicia of the first type, where the second plurality of indicia potentially randomly selected to replace one or more of the indicia of a first type in at least one of the first plurality of indicia, and the second plurality of indicia also having an indicia of a second type. A winner is determined from matching any of the first plurality of indicia of the first type with any of the second plurality of indicia of the first type, including any replaced indicia, and a value payout is associated with the level of matching.

Claims

1. A gaming method comprising:

receiving wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, said wager data comprising a first plurality of indicia of a first type selected by said person;

receiving data representing a second plurality of indicia of said first type, said second plurality of indicia of said first type being randomly selected,

replacing one or more of said plurality of indicia of a first type from at least one of said first plurality of indicia and said second plurality of indicia with an indicia of a second type;

determining whether any of said first plurality of indicia of a first type match any of said second plurality of indicia of a first type;

matching said indicia of a second type with at least one of said second plurality of indicia of a first type if said indicia of a second type replaces an indicia of a first type from said first plurality of indicia;

matching said indicia of a second type with at least one of said first plurality of indicia of a first type if said indicia of a second type replaces an indicia of a first type from said second plurality of indicia, and

determining a value payout associated with an outcome of said game.

2. A gaming method as defined in claim 1 further comprising causing a video image representing said game to be generated, said video image comprising an image of said second plurality of indicia of a first type.

3. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, wherein replacing one or more of said plurality of indicia of a first type with an indicia of a second type comprises randomly replacing one or more of said plurality of indicia of a first type with an indicia of a second type.

4. A gaming method as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising automatically selecting said first plurality of indicia of a first type in response to an action by said person.

5. A gaming method as defined in claim 1 additionally, comprising randomly selecting said second plurality of indicia of said first type.

6. A gaming method as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

randomly associating a multiplier factor with said wager, and

multiplying said value payout by said multiplier factor.

7. A gaming method as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising:

randomly assigning a value to said multiplier factor, and

multiplying said value payout by said randomly assigned value.

8. A gaming method as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising randomly associating said multiplier factor with said indicia of a second type.

9. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising:

receiving wager data representing a plurality of wagers, each of said wagers comprising a first plurality of indicia of a first type selected by a person;

selecting a wager from said plurality of wagers; and

replacing an indicia from said first plurality of indicia of a first type of said selected wager with an indicia of a second type.

10. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising:

receiving wager data in response to wagers made by a plurality of persons, each of said wager comprising a first plurality of indicia of a first type selected by a person;

selecting a person from said plurality of persons; and

replacing an indicia from said first plurality of indicia of a first type of said selected person with an indicia of a second type.

11. A gaming method as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising:

receiving wager data representing at least one wager from a plurality of gaming apparatuses, each of said wagers comprising a first plurality of indicia of a first type selected by a person;

selecting a gaming apparatus from said plurality of gaming apparatuses; and

replacing an indicia from said first plurality of indicia of a first type of said selected gaming apparatus with said indicia of a second type.