Hierarchical lottery network with selection from differentiated playing pools

• US 4,842,278 A
• Filed: 06/10/1988
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Victor Markowicz
• Inventors: Markowicz, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/207,009
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138 A, 273/1 E, 273/DIG. 28, 273/85 G, 273/85 CP, 364/410-412
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2411 Input form cards, tapes, discs
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0655 Printing of tickets, e.g. lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 5/04 Disc roulettes; Dial roulettes; Teetotums; Dice-tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets

Abstract

A network of individual lottery systems, for example a national network of state lotteries, each of the state lotteries operating independently using data entry and validation stations for accepting player data and having independent structure for selecting individual winners based upon coincidence of player-selected data and random data. The individual lotteries feed through to a network-level lottery having a data processor for accepting player entry data for plays in differentiated win pools at the network level. The network pools are differentiated, for example, into a red pool, white pool, and blue pool, each one being selectable by the player and each being separately accumulated and separately awarded, whereby differentiation of the pools due to probability produces competition and additional interest.

Claims

1. A lottery game, comprising:

a plurality of entry and validation stations, each having means to accept player entry data and means to record the player entry data, the player entry data for each of the stations including selections of entries relating to a regional game and also entries in a further centralized game in which players entering a plurality of separate and distinct regional games also select plays for the further game at a more centralized level than said separate and distinct regional games, the further centralized game having at least one means for selecting a winner from players from all of the separate and distinct regional games;

a plurality of regional processing stations in data communication with the entry and validation stations, the regional processing stations receiving the player entry data for the further centralized game according to a predetermined game format, winning players being chosen according to predetermined game procedures in each of the regional games, from at least part of said player entry data;

a central processing station in data communication with at least one of the entry and validation stations and the regional processing stations, the central processing station receiving the player entry data according to a further predetermined game format, winning players to be chosen at the more centralized level according to a further predetermined game procedure in which the player entry data is compared to a winning data pattern; and

,

means differentiating at least one of the player entry data, the predetermined game format and the predetermined game procedure, such that player entry data for successive plays is differentiated into separate playing pools, including regional and more centralized separate playing pools, the separate playing pools all operating according to procedures for determining winning players, and the separate playing pools varying over time as different numbers of plays and wins occur in said differentiated pools.

2. The lottery game of claim 1, wherein the player entry data includes a plurality of indicia selected from a large number of possible indicia, a win being selected by matching player entry data to a randomly selected winning data pattern for each of said regional and centralized games, and the playing pools being differentiated into at least three different pools at the more centralized level selected by the players.

3. The lottery game of claim 2, wherein the playing pools are differentiated into three pools by color designations.

4. The lottery game of claim 3, wherein one criterion for determining the winning player is correlation between at least three player-selected numbers and randomly-selected numbers for each of the differentiated pools.

5. A lottery network comprising:

a plurality of individual lottery systems, each having a data depository and each being operable independently to accept player entry data and to award winning players based upon a win selection procedure, the individual lottery systems further developing a selection of player entry data applicable to a second level of lottery system operating concurrently and defining a network lottery system in which separate and distinct sets of said individual lottery systems process entries for players at a second level apart from said winning players and said win selection procedure;

a network data processor in data communication with each said data depository of the individual lottery systems, the network data processor accepting player entry data from the individual lottery systems applicable to said network lottery system; and

,

a network win selection means, operable to select at least one network winner from players of the individual lottery systems over and above the winning players and the win selection procedure of said individual lottery systems.

6. The lottery network of claim 5, wherein the network encompasses a geographic region and the individual lottery systems are local lotteries within the region.

7. The lottery network of claim 6, wherein the lottery network is a national lottery and the individual lottery systems are local jurisdiction lotteries operated concurrently.

8. The lottery network of claim 7, wherein the lottery network has a plurality of coextensive win pools differentiating between players, a random win number being chosen for each of said pools.

9. The lottery network of claim 8, wherein a single winning criteria is used invariably for all the win pools, but parameters affecting at least one of a winning amount, a maximum win amount, a number of winners and an amount of roll over vary over time between the differentiated win pools.

10. The lottery network of claim 9, wherein the single winning criteria is correlation between player selected data and a random winning data pattern chosen for each of the win pools, different numbers of players, winners and win amounts being experienced by each of said win pools, whereby competition arises between the pools.

11. A national lottery system, comprising:

a plurality of state lottery systems accepting player data at play terminals and selecting winning players for each of said state lottery systems, the state lottery systems being operable independently; and

a national network system of data communication between the state lottery systems, the national network system selecting additional winning players from a pool of players at the play terminals of the state lottery systems, the play terminals for the state lottery systems each having means for generating indicia applicable to the national network system whereby said additional winning players are selected from players of the state lottery systems.

12. The national lottery system of claim 11, wherein the additional winning players are selected by coincidence of player selected data and randomly-selected data.

13. The national lottery system of claim 12, wherein winners are selected based upon coincidence of player selected data of at least four random numbers within a predetermined range.

14. The national lottery system of claim 13, wherein winners are selected based upon extent of coincidence of six player-selected numbers between 1 and 56.

15. The national lottery system of claim 14, wherein wins are selected in increasing amounts of winning for closer coincidence of player-selected data to the random numbers.

16. The national lottery system of claim 15, wherein at least three matching numbers are needed to win an award, and fewer matching numbers are awarded a fixed prize, and more matching numbers are awarded a pari-mutuelly variable prize.

17. The national lottery system of claim 12, wherein the additional winning players are chosen in a plurality of differentiated categories, winners for each of the categories being concurrently selected and the individual categories corresponding to separate win pools.

18. The national lottery system of claim 17, wherein the separate pools are differentiated by color of at least one of player entry indicia, play terminals and win selection indicia.

19. The national lottery system of claim 18, wherein the pools are differentiated as a red pool, a white pool and a blue pool, each player selecting six entry numbers of 56 possible numbers without repeats, players having at least three numbers matching a randomly-selected six numbers from the same possible numbers being considered winners.

20. The national lottery system of claim 17, wherein the differentiated pools have different numbers of players and winners, and award amounts are subject to a maximum, excess player entry proceeds being accumulated and the separate win pool for each of the differentiated pools being independently variable.