System and method for applying lottery multipliers

• US 6,969,318 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Multi-State Lottery Association
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Tedesco, Daniel E., Tulley, Stephen C., Santisi, Steven M., Walker, Jay S., Mik, Magdalena, Packes, John M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US09/525,875
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 463 16- 20, 463/1, 463 23- 27
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically
• 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 system, method, and ticket for a lottery player to increase a payout received for winning a lottery game is disclosed. A request to purchase a set of play indicia (e.g. lottery numbers) and to associate the play indicia with a multiplier is received from a player. Data relating to the set of play indicia and data identifying the multiplier are stored in a memory where they are logically associated with each other. A purchase price is determined for the multiplier based upon various factors including the expected value of the multiplier as applied to a lottery ticket. The set of play indicia may be for a drawing-type lottery game and/or an instant-type lottery game and may be defined by characters and/or other representations. The magnitude of the multiplier may be determined at random.

Claims

1. A method of processing lottery ticket sales comprising:

determining a price for eligibility for a multiplier option,

wherein a magnitude of a multiplier is determined at random;

receiving, via an input device, a request to purchase a set of play indicia;

receiving, via the input device, a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option;

associating the play indicia with the multiplier,

wherein a magnitude of the multiplier is changed to one if a redemption value of the set of play indicia is outside a defined range of redemption values; and

pricing a lottery ticket based on the price for eligibility for the multiplier option and a price of the associated play indicia.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option includes offering for purchase eligibility for a multiplier option having a magnitude within a defined range of magnitudes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option includes offering for purchase eligibility for a multiplier option having a magnitude that is at least one of an integer, a fraction, and a mixed number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option includes offering for purchase eligibility for a multiplier option that may be at least one of a double multiplier, a triple multiplier, and a quadruple multiplier.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating the play indicia with the multiplier includes storing data related to the set_—

of play indicia and the multiplier.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of storing data includes storing the data in a registration database.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of transmitting the data between a lottery server and at least one of a player terminal and a lottery terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a cashier to offer to sell a second multiplier option having a multiplier with a larger magnitude than the randomly selected magnitude.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the price for eligibility for the multiplier option and a price for eligibility for at least one additional multiplier option having a multiplier with a different magnitude than the randomly selected magnitude.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of inputting data relating to the play indicia and the multiplier, wherein the step of inputting the data is selected from at least one of scanning a code representative of the data, keying in the data, recognizing a voice command, and receiving the data from a terminal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a price for eligibility for the multiplier option includes computing an expected value of the multiplier option.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the price includes determining the price based upon the expected value of the multiplier option.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of computing includes computing the expected value of the multiplier option based on at least the product of at least two of a probability of a set of play indicia being a winning set of play indicia, a value of a winning set of play indicia, and a sharing discount.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the price includes determining the price based upon at least one of:

a markup value, a magnitude of the multiplier, a number of other multipliers sold, an anticipated number of other multiplier that will be sold, an average magnitude of other multipliers sold, a total magnitude of other multipliers sold, a set of other multipliers sold, a number of lottery players, a number of play indicia sets being sold, a number of other play indicia sets sold, an anticipated number of other play indicia sets that will be sold, a total number of play indicia sets sold, a number of unique play indicia sets sold, an anticipated number of additional play indicia sets that will be sold, an anticipated number of times a particular set of play indicia set will be sold, the probabilities of each of the possible quantities sold of each of the possible set of play indicia that are sold, a number of play indicia sets associated with the multiplier, a number of winning play indicia sets to which the multiplier can be applied, a probability of wiring a lottery, a size of a lottery jackpot, a lottery payout table, a set of lottery payout amounts, a type of lottery, a set of rules of a lottery, conditions defined to effect the magnitude of the multiplier, and external predefined conditions.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the play indicia are for a drawing-type lottery game.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the play indicia are for an instant-type lottery game.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier can be applied to redemption values of any of the sets of play indicia associated with the multiplier.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier can be applied to a redemption value of any one of the sets of play indicia associated with the multiplier.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier can be applied to a redemption value of at least one set of play indicia specified by the player and associated with the multiplier.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier can be applied to a redemption value of at least one set of play indicia associated with the multiplier and specified by a lottery provider.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier can only be applied to a redemption value of a play indicia recorded on lottery tickets from a predefined group of instant-type lottery tickets.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplier is applied to a redemption value of a set of play indicia based upon the outcome of a predefined event.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the multiplier varies based on at least one of a location from which the play indicia is purchased, a value of the play indicia, a type of lottery game, an outcome of an event, an initial magnitude of the multiplier, and a specified time frame.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the play indicia are recorded on a lottery ticket.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the lottery ticket is in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to purchase at least one additional set of play indicia; and

associating the additional sets of play indicia with the multiplier.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a first set of the play indicia is recorded on a first lottery ticket, a second set of the play indicia is recorded on a second lottery ticket, and an indicia of the multiplier are recorded on a third lottery ticket.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of play indicia and an indicia of the multiplier are recorded on a lottery ticket.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of recording the play indicia on a first lottery ticket and recording an indicia of the multiplier on a second lottery ticket.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

identifying the first lottery ticket with a ticket identifier; and

recording the ticket identifier on the second lottery ticket.

31. A method comprising:

determining a price for eligibility for a multiplier option,

wherein a magnitude of a multiplier will be determined at random;

receiving, via an input device, a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option and an associated set of play indicia,

wherein the multiplier is not to be applied to the set of play indicia if a redemption value of the set of play indicia exceeds a certain value; and

determining a price for a lottery ticket associated with the multiplier and the associated set of play indicia.

32. A method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a request to purchase a plurality of sets of play indicia and eligibility for a multiplier option, wherein a magnitude of a multiplier is won;

associating the plurality of sets of play indicia with the multiplier option,

wherein the multiplier is not to be applied to a set of play indicia if a redemption value of the set of play indicia exceeds a certain value; and

determining a price for the multiplier option based upon at least the multiplier option including a multiplier with a randomly selected magnitude and a quantity of the plurality of sets of play indicia associated with the multiplier option.

33. A method comprising:

determining an expected value of a multiplier option wherein the multiplier option includes a multiplier having a magnitude that will be determined at random in conjunction with a lottery drawing; and

receiving, via an input device, a request to purchase the multiplier option at a price based on the expected value, wherein the multiplier includes an undetermined magnitude at the time of the request and can be applied to a redemption value of at least one set of play indicia,

wherein the multiplier is not to be applied to the at least one set of play indicia if the redemption value of the set of play indicia exceeds a certain value.

34. A method comprising:

determining a price for eligibility for a multiplier option, wherein a magnitude of a multiplier is to be determined at random;

receiving, via an input device, a request to purchase play indicia;

receiving, via the input device, a request to purchase eligibility for the multiplier option;

associating the play indicia with the multiplier option;

pricing a lottery ticket based on the price of the multiplier option and a price of the associated play indicia;

executing a lottery drawing;

determining, randomly, the magnitude of the multiplier;

determining a prize based on the result of the lottery drawing, the magnitude of the multiplier, and the play indicia,

wherein the multiplier is not applied in the determination of the prize if an initial value of the prize exceeds a certain value; and

associating the prize with the play indicia.