Positive-return gambling

• US 6,966,836 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eacom Incorporated
• Inventors: Rush, Nicholas J., Kapalka, Jason M., Sidhu, Sukhbir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): COBURN, CORBETT B
• Application Number:
  US09/715,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 463/21, 463/25, 463/28
• US Class Current: 463/28
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A method and system of providing players with positive return in a gambling game. Tokens are won or lost in a manner that assures net positive return. Token value is determined based on the total number of outstanding tokens, or on the total number that have been issued in a predetermined time period, so that the total prize payout is predetermined and constant. In one embodiment, tokens act as lottery tickets, and prizes are awarded to winners of the lottery, so that a player'"'"'s chance of winning the lottery is based on the percentage of outstanding tokens he or she possesses.

Claims

1. A gambling system, comprising:

at least one token account for tracking tokens associated with a player;

a gambling game apparatus, coupled to the at least one token account, configured to award tokens and to credit and debit the at least one token account, the gambling game apparatus providing a statistically positive token return to players; and

a token conversion module for converting tokens according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the token conversion module comprises a lottery module for randomly selecting at least one token from the set of tokens, and awarding at least one predefined prize to a player whose account contains the selected token.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the token conversion module determines a cash value for each token by dividing a predetermined cash award by the number of tokens in the set of tokens.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a payout module, coupled to the token conversion module, for paying at least a subset of the players the cash value of at least a subset of the tokens in the player'"'"'s token account.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded to all players.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded within a defined time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the token conversion module automatically converts tokens at the expiry of a predetermined time period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the token conversion module automatically converts tokens on a daily basis.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the token conversion module automatically converts tokens after a predetermined number of definable units of gameplay.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each definable unit of gameplay comprises a game.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the gambling game comprises one is selected from the group consisting of:

video poker;

slot machine;

blackjack;

roulette;

sports pool;

sports book;

keno;

bingo; and

solitaire.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each token account is persistent over at least two gaming sessions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein each token account expires after a predetermined time period.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the gambling game apparatus comprises a network-enabled user interface for accepting input and providing output across a network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the gambling game apparatus comprises an automated game machine.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the total value of all tokens is derived from an account funded by one or more advertisers.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the total value of all tokens is derived from a source other than the players.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the total value of all tokens is derived from a source other than a provider of the game apparatus.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one payout event has a zero token payout value and an odds of occurrence of greater than 50 percent.

21. A method of providing a gambling game, comprising:

awarding an initial quantity of tokens to at least one player;

crediting and debiting at least one player with tokens responsive to the gameplay of the player in a gambling game, the gambling game providing a statistically positive token return to players; and

converting tokens according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein converting tokens comprises randomly selecting at least one token from the set of tokens, and awarding at least one predefined prize to a player having the selected token.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein converting tokens comprises determining a cash value for each token by dividing a predetermined cash award by the number of tokens in the set of tokens.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising paying at least a subset of the players the cash value of at least a subset of the tokens in the player'"'"'s token account.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded to all players.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded within a defined time period.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of converting tokens is automatically performed at the expiry of a predetermined time period.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the gambling game is selected from the group consisting of:

video poker;

slot machine;

blackjack;

roulette;

sports pool;

sports book;

keno;

bingo; and

solitaire.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of converting tokens is performed automatically after a predetermined number of definable units of gameplay.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each definable unit of gameplay comprises a game.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein tokens are persistent over at least two gaming sessions.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein tokens expire after a predetermined time period.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the gambling game is implemented using a network-enabled user interface for accepting input and providing output across a network.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein the gambling game is implemented on an automated game machine.

35. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable code for implementing a gambling game, the code comprising:

computer-readable code adapted to award an initial quantity of tokens to at least one player;

computer-readable code adapted to credit and debit at least one player

with tokens responsive to the gameplay of the player in a gambling game, the gambling game providing a statistically positive token return to players; and

computer-readable code adapted to convert tokens according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to convert tokens comprises computer-readable code adapted to randomly select at least one token from the set of tokens, and award at least one predefined prize to a player having the selected token.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to convert tokens comprises computer-readable code adapted to determine a cash value for each token by dividing a predetermined cash award by the number of tokens in the set of tokens.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising computer-readable code adapted to pay at least a subset of the players the cash value of at least a subset of the tokens in the player'"'"'s token account.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded to all players.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the set of tokens comprises all tokens awarded within a defined time period.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to convert tokens automatically operates at the expiry of a predetermined time period.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the gambling game is selected from the group consisting of:

video poker;

slot machine;

blackjack;

roulette;

sports pool;

sports book;

keno;

bingo; and

solitaire.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable code adapted to convert tokens operates automatically after a predetermined number of definable units of gameplay.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein each definable unit of gameplay comprises a game.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein tokens are persistent over at least two gaming sessions.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein tokens automatically expire after a predetermined time period.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the gambling game is implemented using a network-enabled user interface for accepting input and providing output across a network.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the gambling game is implemented on an automated game machine.

50. A system for positive-return gambling, comprising:

at least one token account for tracking tokens associated with a first one of a plurality of players;

a gambling game apparatus, coupled to the at least one token account, configured to award tokens and to credit and debit the at least one token account responsive to gameplay of the first user in a game provided by the apparatus, the gambling game apparatus providing a statistically positive token return to the players; and

a module, coupled to the at least one token account, for converting tokens into entries for one or more prize drawings;

wherein tokens are credited or debited to the at least one token account at each of a plurality of payout events associated with the game,

each payout event having an associated payout value in tokens and an odds of occurrence,

wherein for each payout event, the payout value multiplied by the odds of occurrence produces a yield per token bet, wherein a total of the yields per token bet for all payout events is greater than one, and wherein one or more payout events have a token payout value that is less than a number of tokens bet and wherein said one or more payout events have a combined odds of occurrence of greater than 50 percent.