METHOD OF CONDUCTING AN OPT-IN SWEEPSTAKES

• US 20140038686A1
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sidney Hardman
• Original Assignee: Sidney Hardman
• Inventors: Hardman, Sidney
• Application Number:
  US13/958,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

According to an embodiment, there is provided a method of increasing participation in lotteries and/or sweepstakes or the like wherein users are given the option of adding some incremental amount to a bill or invoice that the user is required to pay, with the additional amount being the cost of entering a lottery or sweepstakes. In some embodiments, a statement that is sent to the user will contain a check-box or other field that a participant can use to indicate a willingness to enter to participate in the lottery. In some embodiments, the additional amount will be $1.00 up to $3.00. Since the user is obligated to pay the bill or statement anyway, adding an additional amount will not inconvenience the user and, additionally, will preferably be sized so that it will not represent a hardship to most customers.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a sweepstakes, the method comprising:

(a) incurring by a user an initial obligation to pay an amount to an entity;

(b) providing to the user an opportunity to increment said initial obligation by an additional amount in order to be a participant in said sweepstakes;

(c) signaling an acceptance of said opportunity by submitting an indicium of said acceptance to the entity;

(d) receiving by the entity said indicium from the user;

(e) receiving by the entity a payment of said initial obligation and said additional amount;

(f) upon receipt of said indicium and said payment, entering the user into said sweepstakes;

(g) performing steps (a) through (f) until a plurality of different users have been entered into said sweepstakes;

(h) drawing at least one winner from among said users entered into said sweepstakes; and

,

(i) awarding each of said at least one drawn winner a prize, thereby conducting said sweepstakes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said initial obligation is selected from the group consisting of an electric bill obligation, a water bill obligation, a phone bill obligation, a gas bill obligation, and a cable bill obligation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the step of incurring on a monthly basis an initial obligation to pay an amount to an entity.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(j) determining an amount of expenses associated with conducting said sweepstakes;

(k) determining an amount of proceeds from said sweepstakes; and

,

(l) returning at least a portion of the difference between said amount of expenses and said amount of proceeds to said users entered into said sweepstakes.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user is notified of said initial obligation to pay an amount by a printed statement, and wherein step (b) comprises the step of:

(b1) providing to the user an opportunity to increment said initial obligation by an additional amount in order to be a participant in said sweepstakes, said opportunity to increment said initial obligation being provided by an opt-in field on said statement.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein step (c) comprises the step of:

(c1) marking by the user within said opt-in field on said statement and mailing said marked statement to the entity, thereby signaling acceptance of said opportunity.

(c) signaling an acceptance of said opportunity by submitting an indicium of said acceptance to the entity;

7. A method of conducting a sweepstakes, the method comprising:

(a) incurring by a user an obligation to pay an amount to an entity;

(b) receiving by the user a notification of said obligation to pay;

(c) after receipt of said notification, paying by the user of the amount plus an additional amount to the entity in consideration of being entered into the sweepstakes;

(d) performing steps (a) through (c) until a plurality of different users have paid the additional amount to enter said sweepstakes;

(e) drawing at least one winner from among said users entered into said sweepstakes; and

,

(f) awarding each of said at least one drawn winner a prize, thereby conducting said sweepstakes.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said obligation is selected from the group consisting of an electric bill obligation, a water bill obligation, a phone bill obligation, a gas bill obligation, and a cable bill obligation.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein step (a) comprises the step of incurring by the user on a monthly basis an obligation to pay an amount to the entity.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(g) determining an amount of expenses associated with conducting said sweepstakes;

(h) determining an amount of proceeds from said sweepstakes; and

,

(i) returning at least a portion of the difference between said amount of expenses and said amount of proceeds to said users entered into said sweepstakes.