On-line lottery game system

• US 6,383,078 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eLottery, Inc. (eLOT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eLottery, Inc. (eLOT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yacenda, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US09/528,487
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-19, 463/25, 463/29-30, 463/40-42, 700/91-93, 379/88.17, 379/88.19
• US Class Current: 463/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A system and a method is provided for facilitating on-line lottery games over the Internet. The system includes terminals each having a modem for connecting to a service provider server for accessing the electronic network, and an agent server for storing criteria required for playing the lottery games, for verifying information received from the service provider server with the criteria, and for providing lottery games to the terminals. The service provider server receives information associated with a player when the player requests access to the electronic network from one of the terminals. The agent server is connected to the service provider server for receiving the information from the service provider server when the player is routed to the agent server.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating lottery game play over an electronic network, comprising:

a plurality of terminals each having a modem for connecting to a service provider server providing the electronic network, the service provider server receiving player information from a player and location information associated with location of the player from a telephone service provider when the player requests access to the electronic network from one of the terminals; and

an agent server for storing criteria required for playing the lottery games, the agent server being connected to the service provider server for receiving the player and location information when the player is routed to the agent server from the service provider server, for verifying the player and location information with the criteria, and for providing lottery games to the player.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the agent server includes:

a first database for storing the criteria required for playing the lottery games;

a second database for storing the player and location information received from the service provider server;

a verification unit for verifying the player and location information with the criteria; and

a data process unit for providing control and data signals to the first and second databases and the verification unit.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, further including a game server for providing the lottery games to the player of the verified information through the electronic network under control of the data process unit.

4. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the criteria include borders of certain state within which the player of the verified information is located.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the location information is associated with a terminal at which the player accesses the electronic network.

6. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the location information includes automatic number identification (ANI) information, and the verification unit determines location of the player using the ANI information.

7. The system as defined in claim 6, wherein the telephone service provider generates the ANI information to the service provider server.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the player requests are in Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) format.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the criteria is set and provided by a state lottery administrator supervising state-sponsored lottery games.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic network includes a global computer network.

11. A system for facilitating lottery games over an electronic network, comprising:

at least one terminal at which a player requests access to the electronic network;

a network provider for providing the electronic network, the network provider including;

means for receiving ANI information associated with location of the player from means for providing a telephone service to the player; and

means for receiving player identification (ID) information associated with the player from the player;

a first database for receiving and storing the ANI information and the player ID information;

a second database for storing criteria setting forth requirements for playing the lottery games;

means for verifying the ANI information and the player ID information with the criteria; and

means for selectively providing the lottery games to verified player.

12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the means for verifying includes:

means for determining location of the player from the ANI information; and

means for determining whether the location of the player falls within area designated in the criteria.

13. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein the electronic network is a global computer network, and the lottery games are provided on a website over the global computer network.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the ANI information is provided to the network provider when the player accesses the global computer network, and the player ID information is provided to the network provider when the player is routed to the website.

15. A method for facilitating lottery games over an electronic network provided by a network provider, comprising the steps of:

accessing the electronic network at a terminal for playing the lottery games;

providing the network provider with a first information associated with a location of the terminal from a telephone service provider when a player at the terminal accesses the electronic network;

providing the network provider with a second information associated with the player from the player when the player is routed to an agent providing the lottery games over the electronic network;

receiving criteria setting forth requirements for playing the lottery games;

verifying the first and second information with the criteria; and

providing the lottery games to the player of the verified information.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of verifying includes the steps of:

determining the location of the terminal from the first information; and

determining whether the location falls within area designated by the criteria.

17. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the first information includes ANI information generated by the telephone service provider.

18. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the criteria is set and provided by a state lottery administrator supervising state-sponsored lottery games.