Grid-Based Lottery Game and Associated System

• US 20100273548A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Bozeman, Alan Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,900 B2
• 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

A method and associated system for hosting a lottery game includes designating a plurality of game player positions on a predetermined grid presented to the player on a play slip, the game player positions defining a pathway on the grid. The pathway includes the player positions is continuous from a start grid position to a finish grid position. A lottery ticket is issued to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway on the grid. The lottery authority randomly selects at least one position on the grid. A winning outcome is determined based on a value of the player positions in the pathway from the start grid position to the finish grid position prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

Claims

1. A method for hosting a lottery game, comprising the steps of:

designating a plurality of game player positions on a predetermined grid presented to the player on a play slip, the game player positions defining a pathway on the grid, said pathway including all of the player positions and being linear and continuous from a start grid position to a finish grid position;

issuing a lottery ticket to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway on the grid;

the lottery authority randomly selecting at least one position on said grid; and

determining a winning outcome of the game based on a value of the player positions in the pathway from the start grid position to the finish grid position prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the player positions in the pathway have an equal value and the winning outcome is based on the number of player positions in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a maximum prize is awarded for a winning outcome wherein the pathway is not intersected by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising randomly selecting a plurality of lottery positions on the grid from a plurality of separate subsets of positions defined on said grid, wherein the number of subsets is equal to the number of randomly selected lottery positions, and only one position is selected from each of the subsets.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising randomly assigning player indicia to the player positions in the pathway and displaying the player indicia on the lottery ticket issued to the player, the player indicia having varying values between different indicia.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a prize award for the winning game outcome is based on a total value of the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid are the player'"'"'s entry to a draw game and are compared to a randomly generated set of lottery indicia to determine the winning outcome in the lottery game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a prize award for the winning outcome is based on the number of matches between the randomly generated lottery indicia and the player'"'"'s entry.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the lottery authority'"'"'s random selection of at least one grid position occurs at the time of game entry and is indicated on the lottery ticket issued to the player that also indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lottery authority'"'"'s random selection of at least one grid position applies to multiple players and is not indicated on the lottery ticket issued to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.

11. A system for hosting a lottery game, comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines;

a server, said server in communication with said gaming machines via said communication network;

said gaming machines configured to issue a lottery ticket to a player that indicates a pathway of selected game player positions on a predetermined grid, the pathway including all of the player'"'"'s selected positions and being linear and continuous from a start grid position to a finish grid position;

said server configured to randomly select at least one lottery position on said grid and to determine a winning outcome of the game based on a value of the player positions in the pathway from the start grid position to the finish grid position prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the player positions in the pathway have an equal value and said server is configured to determine the winning outcome based on the number of player positions in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said server is configured to determine a maximum prize for a winning outcome when the pathway is not intersected by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said server is configured to randomly select a plurality of lottery positions on the grid from a plurality of separate subsets of positions defined on said grid, wherein the number of subsets is equal to the number of randomly selected lottery positions, and only one position is selected from each of the subsets.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said server is configured to randomly assign player indicia to the player positions in the pathway, said gaming machines configured to display the player indicia on the lottery ticket issued to the player, the player indicia having varying values between different indicia.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said server is configured to determine a prize award for the winning game outcome based on a total value of the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid constitute the player'"'"'s entry to a draw game, said server configured to randomly generate a set of lottery indicia and compare the player'"'"'s entry to the randomly generated set of lottery indicia to determine the winning outcome in the lottery game.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said server is configured to randomly select the at least one lottery grid position at the time of game entry, said game machines configured to indicate the lottery grid position on the lottery ticket issued to the player that also indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said server is configured to randomly select the same at least one lottery grid position for multiple players subsequent to the players'"'"' entry in the game, wherein the lottery grid position is not indicated on the lottery ticket issued to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.