Pull tab ticket game with both an instant win and bonus award system

• US 5,934,671 A
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Harrison
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Harrison
• Inventors: Harrison, Joseph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US09/074,863
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 273/139, 273/138.1, 283/903, 283/901, 283/105, 283/103, 283/100, 283/98
• US Class Current: 273/139
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/069 having a message becoming legible by tearing-off non-adhesive parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

A fund raising pull tab or break-open ticket game that provides the player a chance to win an instant monetary prize and qualify for a chance on the seal card prize or bonus board award on the same ticket, enabling the game operator full security and game integrity. Security and game integrity is achieved by printing a serial number which is assigned to a game set of tickets at two or more separate locations on the ticket. This would enable the game operator to separate an instant win/qualifier ticket into two or more separate parts should the player reveal symbols on the ticket indicating this to be an instant winning/qualifying ticket. The game operator would then separate the ticket, payout the instant win portion of the ticket, and retain it for accounting purposes. The player would keep the other half or remaining parts of the ticket until the qualifying bonus round of the game. The printing of the game set'"'"'s serial number at two or more locations on the tickets would prevent fraudulent redemption of the ticket while enabling multiple chances for winning on a single ticket.

Claims

1. A ticket game having an instant win and a bonus award system comprising:

a game set of tickets having a plurality of tickets and a serial number assigned to said set of tickets wherein said serial number is the same for all of said tickets in said game set;

each of said tickets in said game set having two or more registration serial number locations on the ticket and having said serial number printed at said locations;

each of said tickets having graphical and/or numerical symbols printed thereon with each of said tickets including a removable means for initially concealing said symbols;

at least some of said symbols in said game set representing an instant win and/or a bonus qualification and wherein upon removal of said concealing means, at least one ticket of said game set displays both an instant win and a bonus qualification symbol printed on said ticket.

2. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said registration locations is positioned at the top of the ticket face and the other of said registration locations is positioned at the bottom or side of the ticket face.

3. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said registration locations is positioned beneath said removable means.

4. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one ticket displaying both an instant win and a bonus qualification symbol is capable of being separated into first and second parts such that said first part displays the instant win symbol and one of said registration serial number locations and said second part displays the bonus qualification symbol and another of said registration serial number locations.

5. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one ticket displaying both an instant win and a bonus qualification symbol is capable of being separated into three or more parts such that each part displays a registration serial number location and a symbol representing a level of play.

6. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein said removable means comprises a pull tab which is removable to form a window wherein said window contains said symbol.

7. The ticket game as recited in claim 6 wherein said ticket comprises one or more windows.

8. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein the game set includes a seal card for determining a winner of the bonus award.

9. The ticket game as recited in claim 1 wherein a winner of the bonus award is determined by a raffle or a drawing.

10. A fund raising pull tab ticket game comprising:

a game set of pull tab tickets, said game set of tickets having a serial number assigned thereto, said serial number being the same for each ticket within said game set and being printed at least at a first and a second location on each of said tickets in said game set;

each of said tickets having graphical and/or numerical symbols printed thereon with each of said tickets including one or more removable pull tabs for initially concealing said symbols;

at least some of said symbols in said game set representing an instant win and/or a bonus qualification symbol and wherein upon removal of said one or more pull tabs, at least one ticket of said game set including both an instant win and a bonus qualification symbol printed on said ticket such that said ticket may be separated into at least a first and a second part wherein said first part comprises said instant win symbol and said serial number printed at said first location and said second part comprises said bonus qualification symbol and said serial number printed at said second location.

11. The pull tab ticket game as recited in claim 10 wherein one of said registration boxes is positioned at the top of the ticket face and the other of said registration boxes is positioned at the bottom or at a side of the ticket face.

12. The pull tab ticket game as recited in claim 10 wherein at least one of said registration locations is positioned beneath at least one of said pull tabs.

13. The pull tab ticket game as recited in claim 10 wherein said ticket displaying both an instant win and a bonus qualification symbol is capable of being separated into three or more parts such that each part displays a registration serial number location and a symbol representing a level of play.

14. The ticket game as recited in claim 10 wherein the game set includes a seal card for determining a winning ticket from the bonus qualification tickets.

15. The ticket game as recited in claim 10 wherein a winner of the bonus qualification tickets is determined by a raffle or a drawing.

16. A method of playing a game employing a ticket having an instant win and a bonus award system comprising:

providing a game set of tickets having a serial number, which is assigned to the game set of tickets, printed at least at two separate locations on the ticket;

providing graphical and/or numerical symbols printed beneath concealing means on each of said tickets, at least some of said symbols representing an instant win or bonus qualification and providing at least one of said tickets with both instant win and bonus qualification symbols;

selling the tickets to players;

having said players reveal said symbols to determine if said ticket is an instant win, bonus qualification, or combination of an instant win/bonus qualification ticket;

separating any instant win/bonus qualification tickets into separate parts;

providing said player with an award for the instant win part of the ticket and retaining said instant win part for accounting purposes; and

allowing the player to retain the other part or parts of the ticket until the qualifying bonus round of the game.

17. The method of playing a game as recited in claim 16 wherein said symbols are revealed by removing one or more pull tabs covering said symbols.

18. The method of playing a game as recited in claim 16 wherein a winner of the qualifying bonus round of the game is determined by the use of a seal card.

19. The method of playing a game as recited in claim 16 wherein a winner of the qualifying bonus round of the game is determined by a raffle or a drawing.

20. The method of playing a game as recited in claim 16 wherein said ticket may be separated into a plurality of parts, each of said parts including said serial number printed thereon, such that said ticket may be used for multiple levels of play.