Lottery ticket and word game played thereby

• US 6,241,246 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oberthur Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oberthur Gaming Technologies Incorporated (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Guttin, Susan, Schaefer, Carla
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, DOLORES R
• Application Number:
  US09/417,437
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 273/139, 273/138.1, 273/269, 273/272, 273/273, 463/17, 463/10, 283/901, 283/903
• US Class Current: 273/139
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0428 Crosswords
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0665 having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer for educational purposes G09B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

A lottery ticket having a first game area with a grid of target letters arranged so that at least some of the letters form target words and a second game area having a list of preselected game words which are covered by a scratch-off layer. The game words are matched with the target words to determine if a prize has been won. An enhanced play action in the form of at least one third game area may be provided.

Claims

1. A lottery ticket comprising a substrate having thereon:

a) a first game area comprised of a grid of target letters arranged so that at least some of the letters are arranged in a group to form target words;

b) a second game area comprised of a list of a plurality of game words each game word covered by a scratch-off layer wherein up to all of the game words are present as target words in the first game area; and

c) prize determining means for determining a prize based on the number of game words which appear as target words in the first game area.

2. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first game area is covered by a scratch-off layer.

3. The lottery ticket of claim 2 wherein the scratch-off layer is transparent.

4. The lottery ticket of claim 2 wherein the scratch-off layer is opaque, said lottery ticket further comprising an overprint layer over the scratch-off layer including a second grid of identical target letters.

5. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first game area is arranged in a plurality of rows and columns containing a plurality of boxes with each box containing a target letter.

6. The lottery ticket of claim 2 wherein the target words are formed by combining target letters in a column, in a row, or in a diagonal line.

7. The lottery ticket of claim 3 wherein the minimum number of target letters to form a target word is three.

8. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the prized determining means comprises a chart, said chart including a list of the number of target words which are matched by game words and a prize for matching at least a minimum number of game words and target words.

9. The lottery ticket of claim 1 further comprising an enhanced play action in the form of at least one third game area.

10. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the third game area may include at least one game symbol which may result in a prize being won or an increase in the value of a prize already won.

11. The lottery ticket of claim 10 wherein the third game area may include a game word which may appear as a target word in the first game area.

12. The lottery ticket of claim 10 wherein the third game area may include a game symbol which increases the value of a prize already won.

13. The lottery ticket of claim 10 wherein the at least one game symbol is covered by a scratch-off layer which is removable by the player.

14. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein less than all of the game words appearing in the second game area appear as target words in the first game area.