Grid-Based Multi-Lottery Game and Associated Method

• US 20110281629A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Meyer, Mark G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/06 Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games small boxes with balls used for generating random numbers A63F7/048; lottery apparatus G07C15/00; lottery gaming stations, online lottery or bingo G07F17/329; printing processes for lottery tickets B41M3/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• 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 lottery game method and associated system include offering a plurality of different draw-type lottery games to players, with each of the lottery games having a different game theme and respective rules of play. Lottery tickets are issued to the players in the different lottery games, with each lottery ticket having a grid of uniquely identifiable positions displayed thereon. The number of grid positions may vary between the different lottery games. In a single drawing event, grid positions are randomly and sequentially drawn in a number so as to encompass all of the different types of grids for the respective different lottery games. The sequential order in which the grid positions were drawn is provided to the players and prizes are determined for winning lottery tickets in each of the different lottery games as a function of the order in which the grid positions are sequentially and randomly drawn.

Claims

1. A lottery game method, comprising:

offering a plurality of different draw-type lottery games to players, each of the lottery games having a different game theme and respective rules of play;

issuing lottery tickets to players in the different lottery games, each lottery ticket having a grid of uniquely identifiable positions displayed thereon;

in a single drawing event, randomly and sequentially drawing grid positions in a number so as to encompass all of the different types of grids for the respective different lottery games, and providing to the players the sequential order in which the grid positions were drawn; and

wherein prizes are determined for winning lottery tickets in each of the different lottery games as a function of the order in which the grid positions are sequentially and randomly drawn.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein a first one of the lottery games includes randomly populating the grids on each ticket with indicia from a field of indicia that is unique to the lottery game such that each indicia is located in a respective grid position and the entire field of indicia is randomly populated into the grid, and indicating a set of player indicia on each lottery ticket within the lottery game, the set of player indicia comprising a randomly generated or player-selected subset of the field of indicia for the particular lottery game, and wherein a win in the first lottery game is a function of the number of grid positions drawn prior to matching all of the player indicia in the grid on the respective lottery ticket.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein a second one of the lottery games includes randomly designating the grid positions on the lottery tickets, and a wherein a win in the lottery game is a function of forming a predefined pattern in the grid using a predefined number of the randomly drawn grid positions that is less than all of the grid positions.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein the theme of the first one of the lottery games includes a respective puzzle that is solved by the set of player indicia.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein a plurality of the lottery tickets within the first one of the lottery games have the same puzzle solved by the same set of player indicia, with the set of player indicia being randomly populated into different grid positions between the respective lottery tickets.

6. The method as in claim 2, wherein a second one of the lottery games includes randomly populating the grids on each ticket with indicia from a field of indicia that is different than the field of indicia in the first lottery game such that each indicia is located in a respective grid position and the entire field of indicia is randomly populated into each grid, and indicating a set of player indicia on each lottery ticket, the set of player indicia comprising a randomly generated or player-selected subset of the field of indicia for the second lottery game, and wherein a win in the second lottery game is a function of the number of grid positions drawn prior to matching all of the player indicia on the respective lottery ticket.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the field of indicia for the first one of the lottery games comprises the letters of the alphabet, and the set of player indicia comprises letters needed to solve a word puzzle, and the field of indicia for the second one of the lottery games comprises numbers within a defined range, and the set of player indicia comprises a subset of the numbers needed to solve a number puzzle.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the randomly generated grid positions from the drawing event is a wild position that may be used by a player to select any position on their respective lottery ticket grid.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein each of the different lottery games includes a different prize structure and odds of winning based on the number of positions in their respective grid.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the grid positions are numbered on the lottery tickets, and the numbers are randomly and sequentially drawn in the single drawing event and presented to the players in the order drawn.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the number of grid positions varies between the different lottery games.

12. A system for hosting a plurality of different draw lottery games, comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of game terminals;

a server in communication with said game terminals via said communication network;

a plurality of lottery tickets issued in each of the different lottery games;

said game terminals configured to issue said lottery tickets to players, with each lottery ticket in each game having a grid of uniquely identifiable positions displayed thereon;

said game terminals further configured to transmit information on each ticket issued to said server, said server storing a record of each ticket issued that includes the transmitted information;

wherein in a single drawing event, grid positions are randomly and sequentially drawn in a number sufficient to encompass all of the different types of grids for the respective different lottery games, and the sequential order of the drawn grid positions is provided to the players; and

said server further configured to determine winning tickets from the stored records and determine prizes for winning lottery tickets as a function of the order in which the grid positions are sequentially and randomly drawn.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the game terminals or server are configured for randomly populating the grids on each ticket of a first one of the lottery games with indicia from a field of indicia that is unique the first lottery game such that each indicia is located in respective grid position and the entire field of indicia is randomly populated into each grid, and to indicate a set of player indicia on each lottery ticket in the lottery game, the set of player indicia comprising a randomly generated or player-selected subset of the field of indicia for the particular lottery game, and said server configured to determine a win in the first lottery game as a function of the number of grid positions drawn prior to matching all of the player indicia on the respective lottery ticket.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the game terminals or server are configured for randomly designating the grid positions in a second one of the lottery games on the lottery tickets within the lottery game, and said server configured to determine a win in the lottery game as a function of forming a predefined pattern in the grid using a predefined number of the randomly drawn grid positions that is less than all of the grid positions.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the game terminals are configured to provide the lottery tickets for the first one of the lottery games with a puzzle that is solved by the set of player indicia.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein said game terminals provide a plurality of the lottery tickets for the first lottery game with the same puzzle solved by the same set of player indicia, said game terminals or server randomly populating the field of indicia into different grid positions between the respective lottery tickets.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein said game terminals or server are further configured for randomly populating the grids on each ticket in a second one of the lottery games with indicia from a field of indicia that is different than the field of indicia in the first lottery game such that each indicia is located in a respective grid position and the entire field of indicia is randomly populated into each grid, and to indicate a set of player indicia on each lottery ticket in the second lottery game that comprises a randomly generated or player-selected subset of the field of indicia for the second lottery game, and said server configured to determine a win in the second lottery game as a function of the number of grid positions drawn prior to matching all of the player indicia on the respective lottery ticket.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the field of indicia for the first one of the lottery games comprises the letters of the alphabet, and the set of player indicia comprises letters needed to solve a word puzzle, and the field of indicia for the second one of the lottery games comprises numbers within a defined range, and the set of player indicia comprises a subset of the numbers needed to solve a number puzzle.

19. The system as in claim 12, wherein the number of grid positions varies between the different lottery games.

20. The system as in claim 12, wherein said game terminals comprise players'"'"' Internet-enabled devices.