LOTTERY GAME SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PLAYING

• US 20120135793A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intralot, Inc. (Intralot SA)
• Original Assignee: Intralot International Ltd. (Intralot SA)
• Inventors: Antonopoulos, Constantinos
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0659 Drawing a line
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2402 Input by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00097 Board games with labyrinths, path finding, line forming labyrinths in boxes with small balls A63F7/04; other labyrinth games A63F9/0078
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0605 Lottery games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/065 Tickets or accessories for use therewith A63F3/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/068 Accessories therefor, e.g. ticket scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

A lottery game system includes a number of lottery tickets, a playing area disposed on each lottery ticket, the playing area having a number of paths each traversing in the playing area. A starting point and a finishing point are disposed on the playing area. A first winning predetermined path begins at the starting point and ends at the finishing point and is initially concealed from a player prior to commencing play of the lottery game. A special point is disposed among the various paths and a second winning path, defined as a portion of the first winning path, begins at the starting point and ends at the special point. The special point is positioned before the finishing point. The second winning path results in a higher winning amount than the first winning path. The lottery game system may further include a lottery wand manipulated by a user wherein the lottery wand remains in contact with said lottery ticket along said winning path. Further, the lottery game system may include at least one lottery terminal which is operative to print at least one playing area and to dispense at least one lottery ticket.

Claims

1. A lottery game system, comprising:

a plurality of lottery tickets;

a playing area disposed on each said lottery ticket, said playing area having a plurality of paths each traversing in said playing area;

a starting point and an end point disposed on said playing area;

a first winning predetermined path, said path beginning at said starting point and ending at said end point, wherein said path is initially concealed from a player prior to commencing play of the lottery ticket.

2. The lottery game system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one lottery terminal, wherein said lottery terminal is operative to print said at least one playing area and to dispense said at least one lottery ticket.

3. The lottery game system of claim 1, further comprising:

a lottery wand manipulated by the user to traverse said playing area.

4. The lottery game system of claim 3, wherein said lottery wand remains in contact with said lottery ticket along said winning path.

5. The lottery game system of claim 1, further comprising:

a special point disposed among said plurality of paths; and

a second winning path, defined as a portion of said first winning path, wherein said portion begins at said starting point and ends at said special point, said special point being positioned before said end point.

6. The lottery game system of claim 1, further comprising:

a subset of said plurality of lottery tickets on which said playing area has a greater number of paths than a remainder of said lottery tickets to thereby increase a level of difficulty of playing said subset of lottery tickets.

7. The lottery game system of claim 5 wherein said first winning path results in a higher winning amount than said second winning path.

8. the lottery game of claim 7 wherein said plurality of paths are delineated by game indicia on the playing area.

9. The lottery game system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of paths includes a series of said dots sequentially traversed on said playing area between said starting point and said finishing point.

10. The lottery game system of claim 7, further comprising:

a subset of said plurality of lottery tickets on which said playing area has a greater number of paths than a remainder of said lottery tickets to thereby increase a level of difficulty of playing said subset of lottery tickets.

11. The lottery game of claim 9 wherein the number of said plurality of paths is increased by increasing a number of said dots.

12. The lottery game system of claim 9, further comprising:

a special point defined as one of said dots disposed among said plurality of paths; and

a second winning path, defined as a portion of said first winning path, wherein said portion begins at said starting point and ends at said special point, said special point being positioned before said finishing point.

13. The lottery game system of claim 12 wherein said first winning path results in a higher winning amount than said second winning path.

14. The lottery game system of claim 8 wherein said game indicia comprises:

at least one maze disposed on each said playing area, said maze having a plurality of passages and a plurality of walls; and

wherein said winning path traverses said plurality of passages.

15. The lottery game system of claim 14 wherein said winning path traverses said plurality of passages without intersecting one of said walls

16. The lottery game system of claim 14, further comprising:

a special point disposed among said plurality of paths; and

a second winning path, defined as a portion of said first winning path, wherein said portion begins at said starting point and ends at said special point, said special point being positioned before said end point.

17. The lottery game system of claim 1, further comprising:

a subset of said plurality of lottery tickets on which said playing area has a greater number of paths than a remainder of said lottery tickets to thereby increase a level of difficulty of playing said subset of lottery tickets; and

wherein the number of paths is increased by increasing a number of at least one of said passages and said walls.

18. The lottery game system of claim 17 wherein said first winning path results in a higher winning amount than said second winning path.

19. A lottery game system, comprising:

a plurality of lottery tickets;

a playing area disposed on each said lottery ticket, said playing area having a plurality of paths each traversing in said playing area;

a starting point and an end point disposed on said playing area;

a first winning predetermined path, said path beginning at said starting point and ending at said end point wherein said path is initially concealed from a player prior to commencing play of the lottery ticket;

a special point disposed among said plurality of paths;

a second winning path, defined as a portion of said first winning path, wherein said portion begins at said starting point and ends at said special point, said special point being positioned before said end point, wherein the first winning path results in a higher winning amount than the second winning path;

a lottery wand manipulated by the user to traverse said playing area, wherein said lottery wand remains in contact with said lottery ticket along said winning path; and

at least one lottery terminal, wherein said lottery terminal is operative to print said at least one playing area and to dispense said at least one lottery ticket.

20. A lottery ticket, comprising:

a playing area;

a plurality of paths traversing in said playing area;

a starting point and an end point disposed on said playing area; and

a first winning, predetermined path, said path beginning at said starting point and ending at said finishing point, wherein said first winning path is initially concealed to a player prior to commencing play of said lottery ticket.

21. The lottery ticket of claim 20, further comprising:

a special point disposed among said plurality of paths; and

a second winning path, defined as a portion of said first winning path, wherein said portion begins at said starting point and ends at said special point and before said end point.

22. A method for playing a lottery game, comprising the steps of:

supplying a player with at least one lottery ticket including a playing area having a plurality of paths;

defining a first winning path comprising a single, predetermined path among said plurality of paths, wherein the first winning path is unknown to the player; and

allowing the player to attempt to purchase said first winning path by tracing a path among said plurality of paths.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

printing said at least one playing area on said lottery ticket; and

dispensing said lottery ticket.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

defining a special point disposed among said plurality of paths; and

defining a second winning path as a portion of said first winning path.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

Printing a subset of said lottery tickets on which said playing area has a greater number of paths than a remainder of the lottery tickets to thereby increase a level of difficulty of playing the subset of lottery tickets.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

defining a first winning amount according to the first winning path and a second winning amount according to the second winning path, wherein said first winning amount is greater than said second winning amount.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

indicating a desired difficulty level of a lottery game to a vendor; and

receiving a lottery ticket from the vendor with desired difficulty level