ROLLING RAFFLE GAME, PRIZE METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION METHOD

• US 20100203943A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael Hughes
• Original Assignee: Michael Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/671,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20100203943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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

For a premium wager, a raffle game is added to a lottery game play. All players of the base game (who purchased the add-on game or not) who achieve a pre-determined outcome receive a raffle game play which is entered into a raffle drawing at no additional cost. The raffle drawing is held, and the winning raffle outcome is identified. Winning raffle ticket recipients submit their tickets to the lottery authority for their prize. A determination is made if the add-on game was purchased with the base game play associated to the winning raffle ticket. If the add-on game was purchased with the base game play, the player receives the raffle prize. If the add-on game was not purchased with the base game play associated to the winning raffle ticket the player receives a free QP lottery ticket in lieu of receiving the raffle prize and the unpaid raffle prize (or a percentage thereof) rolls over to a subsequent raffle drawing. Improvements to a base lottery game are presented which offer players enhanced odds of a winning outcome and qualification to participate in the add-on raffle game of the present invention. The raffle pari-mutuel prize pool consists of a percentage of raffle game sales over a drawing period plus unpaid prize money carried forward from previous draws. In one embodiment, 50% of the pari-mutual prize pool plus any unpaid fixed prize monies carried forward from previous draws is allocated to a fixed prize pool in a drawing period. The fixed prize pool is allocated to a number of different fixed prize units, defined by a method herein. In one embodiment, a pari-mutual grand prize payout does not influence unpaid fixed prize monies carried forward to subsequent drawings and a fixed prize payout does not influence unpaid pari-mutuel grand prize monies carried forward to subsequent drawings, which provides a host with a consistent offering of prizes, drawing period after drawing period; building “prize momentum” regardless of poor weekly game play sales after a grand prize payout. Lastly, an express means for facilitating the lottery game plays of the present invention in an electronic lottery game network is taught. The use of a dispensing terminal interface, which when combined with the methods herein provides quicker transaction periods and assists players in express “impulse game-play” transactions when strategically positioned.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A method for facilitating a game play in an electronic lottery game network, the network utilizing at least one registration terminal, at least one terminal interface for player interaction, at least one central processing system, and at least one player financier, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving player registration data through a registration terminal, the registration data including at least a selected one of a game play preference, game indicia, a player unique identifier and an electronic payment means;

b. storing the registration data associated to a player record on a storage medium disposed whereby a unit of the player'"'"'s data is searchable via the storage medium;

c. receiving a player'"'"'s unique identifier through a terminal interface and transmitting associated signals to the central processing system;

d. identifying the player'"'"'s record in a database of registered player records and retrieving associated player game play data;

e. transmitting signals representing a unit of said data to the terminal interface;

f. totaling a wager associated to a player game play request from the terminal interface;

g. transmitting a financing request to the player'"'"'s financier through a secure payment gateway;

h. indicating the outcome of a player game play request to the player through the terminal interface, where;

1. if the financing request is approved by the player'"'"'s financier;

1a. an approval indication is received by the lottery authority,

1b. approved funds are received by an account controlled by the lottery authority through a method commonly used in electronic transaction processing, and

1c. the requested game play is processed and issued to the player; and

;

2. if the financing request is declined by the player'"'"'s financier;

2a. an indication of the declined financing request is displayed through the terminal interface; and

i. storing a record of the game play request at the central processing center.

39. The method of claim 38 characterized in that the central processing system provides an electronic customized drawing outcome notification to the player.

40. The method of claim 38 characterized in that a player'"'"'s monetary prize as a result of a game play winning outcome is transferred electronically to an account associated to the player by the central processing system.

41. The method of claim 40 characterized in that the central authority receives a transaction fee for the electronic transfer of the monetary prize to a player'"'"'s account.

42. The method of claim 38 characterized in that a player is issued a nonredeemable receipt in lieu of a redeemable ticket.

43. The method of claim 42 characterized in that a selected one of the registration terminal and the terminal interface for player interaction is a selected one of a personal computer, interactive television, cell phone and PDA, and the nonredeemable receipt is issued electronically.

44. The method of claim 38 characterized in that a player'"'"'s personal identifier is a selected one of a fingerprint, a retinal scan, an issued number, a username, a password, and an electronically readable card.

45. The method of claim 38 characterized in that a player is provided on the terminal interface the option of a selected one of:

selecting a pre-stored game play for purchase, deselecting a pre-stored game play for purchase, editing game play indicia, editing game play preferences, editing a purchase request for a game play, confirming a purchase request for a game play, selecting a pre-stored game play financing method, editing a game play financing method, registering as a new player, modifying the player'"'"'s permanent record, purchasing a game play, and submitting a payment means through the terminal interface.

46. The method of claim 38 characterized in that a selected one of the game play purchased and the prize resulting from a winning game play outcome is associated to the registered player for the corresponding drawing at the central processing center.

47. A system for implementing a game play in an electronic lottery game network, the system comprising:

a network means for communicating with and receiving player registration data from a plurality of registration terminals;

a network means for communicating with and receiving unique identifying information from a plurality of players through a plurality of terminal interfaces;

a record organization and access means which includes using the unique identifying information of a player to locate and access a player record;

a means to detect a cut-off time to discontinue processing game plays in specific drawings;

a means for access to a secure gateway to communicate a financing request to a player'"'"'s financier;

a means to electronically receive game play wagers from a player'"'"'s financier; and

a computer readable medium on which is stored a plurality of player records and a computer program for processing and administrating lottery game plays, the computer program comprising computer instructions that when executed by a processor perform the functions of;

a. processing and servicing game play requests;

b. coordinating the use of player records to identify pre-stored player game play data;

c. requesting and receiving wagers via electronic means from a player'"'"'s financier;

d. communicating game play information with players;

e. recording player game play transactions; and

f. issuing game plays through a terminal interface.

48. The system of claim 47 characterized in that the system provides an electronic customized drawing outcome notification to the player.

49. The system of claim 47 characterized in that a player'"'"'s monetary prize as a result of a game play winning outcome is transferred electronically to an account associated to the player through the system.

50. The system of claim 49 characterized in that a central system authority receives a transaction fee for the electronic transfer of the monetary prize to a player'"'"'s account.

51. The system of claim 47 characterized in that a player is issued a nonredeemable receipt in lieu of a redeemable ticket.

52. The system of claim 51 characterized in that a selected one of the registration terminal and the terminal interface for player interaction is a selected one of a personal computer, interactive television, cell phone and PDA, and the nonredeemable receipt is issued electronically.

53. The system of claim 47 characterized in that a player'"'"'s unique identifying information is a selected one of a fingerprint, a retinal scan, an issued number, a username, a password, and an electronically readable card.

54. The system of claim 47 characterized in that a player is provided on a terminal interface the option of a selected one of:

selecting a pre-stored game play for purchase, deselecting a pre-stored game play for purchase, editing game play indicia, editing game play preferences, editing a purchase request for a game play, confirming a purchase request for a game play, selecting a pre-stored game play financing method, editing a game play financing method, registering as a new player, modifying the player'"'"'s permanent record, purchasing a game play, and submitting a payment means through the terminal interface.

55. The system of claim 47 characterized in that a selected one of the game play purchased and the prize resulting from a winning game play outcome is associated to the registered player for the corresponding drawing at a central processing center.