Player operated win checker appended to lottery agent terminal

• US 5,417,424 A
• Filed: 09/28/1993
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Inventors: Snowden, Guy B., Markowicz, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Kerry
• Application Number:
  US08/128,473
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 273/148 R, 273/138 A, 273/138 R, 273/139, 273/144 B, 273/269, 364/412
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A wagering system such as a lottery with a central computer communicating with agent terminals at which tickets are issued, for example in convenience stores and the like, has a player-operated win-checking system coupled to the communications network, preferably as a peripheral to the agent terminal but possibly as a separate network terminal. Player choices and game identifications are bar coded on the tickets. A player scans the ticket automatically to trigger comparison of the bar coded data with winning entry data kept in a past game memory, such that the system need not resort to stored data on individual wager transactions to check for wins. This reduces the burden on the agent and the network because most issued tickets need not be checked by attempting to validate them for a payout. A limited number of past games are stored, e.g., the most recent thirty Keno game cycles of a game run at five minute intervals. One or more of the win checking system, the agent terminal and the central computer can hold the past game memory. Winning choice data is downloaded after each game, or scanned player choices are uploaded, to effect the comparison. If a ticket is too old for the corresponding game data to remain in the past game memory, the player is directed to the agent, who can use the terminal to attempt to validate the old ticket as a winner.

Claims

1. A computerized wagering system wherein player choices are matched with wiring indicia, comprising:

at least one central computer operable to manage successive wagering games;

a plurality of distributed wager processing terminals in at least intermittent data communication with the central computer, the wager processing terminals and the central computer accepting and paying on wagers in the wagering games, each said terminal having input means and output means for managing a player entry via interactive display and input between the terminal and one or both of an agent and a player operating said terminal, the terminal and the central computer accepting wagering data defining choices of players of the wagering games managed by the central computer, said wagering data being reposed to the central computer, acknowledged to the terminal by the central computer as referenced to the player entry, and evidenced by a ticket for the player entry, the ticket bearing the player choices and an identification of the game, at least part of said wagering data being recorded for later reference, whereby the ticket can be verified to be a winning ticket when presented for redemption as a winning ticket;

a player operated win-checking system separate from the wager processing terminals, the win-checking system being coupled to the computerized wagering system, the win-checking system comprising input means for entry of player choices and a corresponding identification of the game from an issued ticket;

a past game memory coupled to at least one of the central computer, one of the wager processing terminals and the win-checking system, for receiving and storing said winning indicia after the winning indicia is determined for the successive wagering games, the winning indicia being indexed to the identification of the game, wherein at least one of the win-checking system, the central computer and said one of the wager processing terminals is operable responsive to the win-checking system to make a comparison of the player choices from the issued ticket of a particular player entry, with contents of the past game memory applicable to a corresponding game, and to distinguish a winning combination therein; and

,

output means coupled to the win-checking system for indicating whether or not the winning combination is found on the issued ticket, responsive to a result of said comparison, whereby the winning combination is found and indicated unofficially by the win-checking system, apart from said operation of the wager processing terminal for validating winning tickets, and without reference to the particular player entry in the wagering data as needed to validate the ticket as a winning ticket.

2. The computerized wagering system according to claim 1, wherein the wager processing terminal is also alternatively operable interactively for data communications with the central computer for entering from the ticket the player choices and the identification thereon and communicating at least one of the player choices and the identification, and a code referenced to the player entry by the acknowledgment, at least one of the wager processing terminal and the central computer being operable to compare the identification and the player choices from the ticket with the winning indicia and the identifications of the successive games stored in the central computer, and to distinguish a winning combination therein with reference to the particular player entry in the wagering data;

and

wherein the output means of the wager processing terminal is operable for indicating whether or not the winning combination was found on the ticket;

whereby screening of tickets is accomplished via the win-checking system and validation of winning tickets is accomplished using the wager processing terminal.

3. The computerized wagering system according to claim 1, wherein the input means coupled to the processor of the win-checking system comprises an automatic ticket reader.

4. The computerized wagering system according to claim 3, wherein the automatic ticket reader comprises at least one of an optical character reader, a bar code scanner, a magnetic strip reader, and a data communications receiver.

5. The computerized wagering system according to claim 1, wherein the successive wagering games involve matching a first number of player choices to a larger number of potential winning choices, a winning entry being determined by at least one of correspondence, and extent of the correspondence, between the player choices and winning choices that are chosen from the potential winning choices for each of the wagering games, and wherein the processor of the win-checking system includes means for determining whether the player choices from the ticket exceed a minimum correspondence meriting a payout.

6. The computerized wagering system according to claim 5, wherein the wagering games include Keno and the processor of the win-checking system also includes means for determining that the player choices from the ticket fail to exceed a second, lower minimum correspondence meriting a payout.

7. The computerized wagering system according to claim 6, wherein the wagering games are conducted periodically a plurality of times per day, and wherein the memory of the processor includes capacity to store at least a most recent hour of winning combinations and identifications.

8. The computerized wagering system according to claim 7, wherein the wagering games are conducted at about five minute intervals and the memory of the processor includes capacity to store about thirty winning combinations and identifications.

9. The computerized wagering system according to claim 1, wherein the win-checking system is coupled to the computerized wagering system through the terminal, and wherein the winning indicia is transmitted from the central computer to the terminal, the past game memory being accessible to at least one of the terminal and the win-checking system.

wherein the output means of the wager processing terminal is operable for indicating whether or not the winning combination was found on the ticket;

whereby screening of tickets is accomplished via the win-checking system and validation of winning tickets is accomplished using the wager processing terminal.

10. A computerized wagering system wherein player choices are matched with winning indicia, comprising:

at least one central computer operable to manage successive wagering games;

a plurality of distributed wager processing terminals in at least intermittent data communication with the central computer for operations including at least one of accepting and paying on wagers in the wagering games, each said terminal having input means and output means for managing a player entry via interactive display and input between the terminal and one or both of an agent and a player, the terminal and the central computer accepting wagering data defining choices of players of the wagering games managed by the central computer, said wagering data being reported to the central computer, acknowledged to the terminal by the central computer as referenced to the player entry, and evidenced by a ticket for the player entry, the ticket bearing the player choices and an identification of the game;

a win-checking system coupled to the computerized wagering system for operation by players apart from said operations of the wager processing terminals, the win-checking system comprising input means for entry of player choices and a corresponding identification of the game from an issued ticket;

a past game memory coupled to at least one of the central computer, one of the wager processing terminals and the win-checking system, for receiving and storing winning indicia chosen for the successive wagering games, the winning indicia being indexed to the identification of the game, wherein at least one of the win-checking system, the central computer and said one of the wager processing terminals is operable responsive to the win-checking system to make a comparison of the player choices from the issued ticket of a particular player entry, with contents of the past game memory applicable to a corresponding game, and to distinguish a winning combination therein;

output means coupled to win-checking system for indicating whether or not the winning combination is found on the issued ticket, responsive to a result of said comparison, whereby the winning combination is found and indicated apart from said operation of the wager processing terminal and without reference to the particular player entry in the wagering data; and

,

wherein the past game memory is sufficient to store the winning indicia and identifications of a limited number of the wagering games conducted successively, such that newer wagering game data is available in the memory and older wagering game data is unavailable, for comparison with the player choices from the ticket, and wherein the win-checking system is operable via the output means to indicate when the player choices and the identification applicable to the particular player entry are unavailable, whereupon said ticket can be checked by communications between the terminal and the central computer.

11. A win checking system for a wagering system wherein player choices are matched with winning indicia, the wagering system having a central computer to manage successive wagering games, and wager processing terminals in data communication with the central computer, the terminals each having input means and output means and communicating interactively with one of an agent and a player to accept wagering data defining choices of players of the wagering games, to report the wagering data to the central computer, to receive an acknowledgment from the central computer referenced to the player entry, to issue a ticket evidencing the player choices and an identification for at least one game to which the choices are applicable, and to store a record of player wagers for comparison with issued tickets for validating issued tickets later presented as winning tickets, the win checking system comprising:

input means for entry of player choices and a corresponding game identification from an issued ticket;

a past game memory, coupled to at least one of the central computer, one of the wager processing terminals and a processor of said win-checking system, the past game memory receiving and storing data representing winning indicia and the corresponding game identification of a plurality of the successive games;

wherein at least one of the central computer, the wager processing terminals and the processor of the win-checking system is operable to make a comparison of the identification and the player choices from the issued ticket with the winning indicia and the identifications of the successive games stored in the past game memory, and to distinguish an unvalidated winning combination therein without reference to the record of player wagers; and

,

output means triggerable as a function of said comparison for indicating whether or not the winning combination is found on the issued ticket, whereby the winning combination is found and indicated apart from said operation of the terminal.

12. The win-checking system according to claim 11, wherein the input means coupled to the processor of the win-checking system comprises an automatic ticket reader with at least one of an optical character reader, a bar code scanner, a magnetic strip reader, and a data communications receiver.

13. The win-checking system according to claim 11, wherein the successive wagering games involve matching a first number of player choices to a larger number of potential winning choices, a winning entry being determined by at least one of correspondence, and extent of the correspondence, between the player choices and winning choices that are chosen from the potential winning choices for each of the wagering games, and wherein the comparison determines whether the player choices from the ticket exceed a minimum correspondence meriting a payout.

14. The win-checking system according to claim 13, wherein the wagering games include Keno and the comparison further determines that the player choices from the ticket fail to exceed a second, lower minimum correspondence meriting a payout.

15. The win-checking system according to claim 14, wherein the wagering games are conducted periodically a plurality of times per day, and wherein the memory of the past game memory includes capacity to store at least a most recent hour of winning combinations and identifications.

wherein at least one of the central computer, the wager processing terminals and the processor of the win-checking system is operable to make a comparison of the identification and the player choices from the issued ticket with the winning indicia and the identifications of the successive games stored in the past game memory, and to distinguish an unvalidated winning combination therein without reference to the record of player wagers;

and,

output means triggerable as a function of said comparison for indicating whether or not the winning combination is found on the issued ticket, whereby the winning combination is found and indicated apart from said operation of the terminal.

16. A win checking system for a wagering system wherein player choices are matched with winning indicia, the wagering system having a central computer to manage successive wagering games, and wager processing terminals in data communication with the central computer, the terminals each having input means and output means and conducting operations interactively with one of an agent and a player to accept wagering data defining choices of players of the wagering games, to report the wagering data to the central computer, to receive an acknowledgment from the central computer referenced to the player entry, and to issue a ticket evidencing the player choices and an identification for at least one game to which the choices are applicable, comprising:

input means for entry of player choices and a corresponding game identification from an issued ticket;

a past game memory, coupled to at least one of the central computer, one of the wager processing terminals and a processor of said win-checking system, the past game memory being operable to receive and store data representing winning indicia and the corresponding game identification of a plurality of the successive games;

wherein at least one of the central computer, the wager processing terminals and the processor of the win-checking system is operable to make a comparison of the identification and the player choices from the issued ticket with the winning indicia and the identifications of the successive games stored in the past game memory, and to distinguish a winning combination therein;

output means triggerable as a function of said comparison for indicating whether or not the winning combination is found on the issued ticket, whereby the winning combination is found and indicated apart from said operation of the terminal; and

,

wherein the past game memory is sufficient to store the winning indicia and identifications of a limited number of the wagering games conducted successively, such that newer wagering game data is available in the past game memory and older wagering game data is unavailable, for comparison with the player choices from the ticket, and wherein the output means is arranged to indicate when the player choices and the identification applicable to a particular ticket are unavailable, whereupon said particular ticket can be checked by communications between the terminal and the central computer.

17. A method of checking wins in a wagering system wherein player choices evidenced by issued tickets are to be matched against winning indicia, the wagering system having a central data store of wagering data identifying particular wager transactions, for comparison with data on previously accepted wagers evidenced by the issued tickets when the issued tickets are presented for validation as winning tickets, and wager processing terminals coupled to the central data store via a communication network, the terminals having input means and output means operable interactively with one of an agent and a player for accepting wagers and recording the player choices for the particular wager transactions, the terminals and the data store being coupled over a data network, the method of checking wins comprising the steps of:

maintaining a past game memory in addition to the wagering data on particular wager transactions, the past game memory being coupled to the communication network and storing corresponding winning choices indexed to game identifications in the wagering games for at least a predetermined time after the wagering games occur, whereby the winning choices for particular games can be checked without attempting to validate the issued tickets as winning tickets by accessing the wagering data identifying the particular wager transactions;

providing a ticket reader on the network, and reading the player choices and the game identification applicable thereto from tickets issued to players and presented as potential winning tickets;

determining the winning choices for said game identification in the past game memory, and comparing the player choices from the potential winning tickets to the winning choices in the past game memory;

distinguishing unvalidated winning tickets among the potential winning tickets, without reference to the wagering data on the particular wager transactions, the winning tickets meeting a minimum criteria of comparison between the player choices read from the ticket and the winning choices in corresponding said wagering games.

18. The method of checking wins according to claim 17, further comprising validating a ticket distinguished as a winning ticket, after said distinguishing step, by reference to the wagering data on the particular wager transactions for verifying that the winning tickets distinguished from the potential winning tickets with reference to the wagering data on the particular wager transactions.

19. The method of checking wins according to claim 17, wherein the ticket reader is provided as a peripheral to one of the terminals, and further comprising reporting over the network one of the winning choices with corresponding game identifications of said wagering games, and the player choices with game identifications from the issued tickets, said reporting over the network being accomplished for at least one of downloading the winning choices and the corresponding game identifications to said past game memory and uploading the player choices and game identifications from the tickets, for comparison with the past game memory.

20. The method of checking wins according to claim 19, wherein the past game memory is located on a same premises as the terminal and the winning choices and corresponding game identifications are downloaded to the past game memory over the network.