Lottery gaming with merchandising prizes

• US 7,118,476 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: White, Warren R., Luciano, Robert A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/382,631
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 19, 463 21- 22, 463/25, 463 30- 31, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system for use in or with lottery games (including pull-tabs and the like) is disclosed, which provides a new prize award structure. Lottery prizes are issued as certificates, redeemable only for merchandise (not cash). Certificates may be set to any level desired by a lottery operator. Certificates are enabled to be multi-leveled, having a hierarchical and value relationship between levels. Certificates may also be issued as partial certificates, requiring accumulation until they are traded in for a full certificate; partial certificates cannot be used for merchandise redemption directly. Certificates are redeemed for merchandise at physical locations or on-line. Certificates provide the flexibility to be awarded as prizes for heretofore too-frequent events, such as matching only a single ball out of six, greatly enhancing player satisfaction and involvement in lottery and lottery-style games.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing a lottery game, comprising:

providing a lottery game that enables a selection of a first subset of symbols from a set of symbols;

providing a player with the opportunity to win full-value prize certificates that are redeemable for merchandise;

providing a player with the opportunity to win partial-value prize certificates, wherein the partial-value prize certificates have a value less than the full-value prize certificates, and the partial-value prize certificates are not individually redeemable for merchandise;

receiving input from the player selecting a first subset of symbols;

generating and displaying winning symbols, wherein the winning symbols comprise a second subset of symbols selected from the set of symbols;

awarding monetary prizes if there is a first number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols;

awarding full-value prize certificates if there is a second number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the second number of matches is less than the first number of matches; and

awarding partial-value prize certificates if there is a third number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the third number of matches is less than the second number of matches.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing merchandise associated with the lottery game, wherein the merchandise is redeemable for one or more full-value prize certificates; and

receiving player input selecting merchandise in exchange for one or more full-value prize certificates.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of levels of full-value prize certificates and partial-value certificates; and

providing one or more selections of merchandise, wherein each selection of merchandise corresponds to a particular level of the full-value prize certificates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbols comprises six symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 3, and wherein the second number of matches is 1 or 2.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises six symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 4, and wherein the second number of matches is 1, 2, or 3.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises six symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 5, and wherein the second number of matches is 1, 2, 3, or 4.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises six symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 6, and wherein the second number of matches is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises five symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 5, and wherein the second number of matches is 1, 2, 3, or 4.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises five symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 4, and wherein the second number of matches is 1, 2, or 3.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises five symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 3, and wherein the second number of matches is 1 or 2.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of symbol comprises five symbols, and wherein the first number of matches is 2, and wherein the second number of matches is 1.

12. A method for enhancing a lottery game, comprising:

providing a lottery game that enables a selection of a first subset of symbols from a set of symbols, wherein a player is provided with the opportunity to win monetary prizes, full-value prize certificates that are redeemable for merchandise, and partial-value prize certificates,

wherein the partial-value prize certificates have a value less than the full-value prize certificates, and the partial-value prize certificates are not individually redeemable for merchandise;

providing merchandise that is redeemable for one or more full-value prize certificates;

receiving input from the player selecting a first subset of symbols;

generating and displaying winning symbols, wherein the winning symbols comprise a second subset of symbols selected from the set of symbols;

awarding monetary prizes to the player if there is a first number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols;

awarding full-value prize certificates to the player if there is a second number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the second number of matches is less than the first number of matches;

awarding partial-value prize certificates to the player if there is a third number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the third number of matches is less than the second number of matches; and

receiving player input selecting merchandise in exchange for one or more full-value prize certificates.

13. A system for enhancing lottery wins, the system comprising:

a means for running a lottery;

a means for enabling selection of a first subset of symbols from a set of symbols;

a means for selecting a second subset of symbols by the lottery, wherein the second subset is the winning symbols;

a means for determining a number of matched symbols between the first subset and the second subset, wherein the determining means is capable of issuing monetary prizes, redeemable prize certificates, and partial prize certificates for a predetermined number of matched symbols, wherein the partial prize certificates have a value less than the redeemable prize certificates and the partial prize certificates are not individually redeemable for merchandise;

a means for providing a selection of merchandise that is associated with issued prize certificates; and

a means for redeeming issued prize certificates for merchandise selected by a player.

14. A method for enhancing a lottery game, comprising:

providing a lottery game;

providing a player with the opportunity to win full-value certificates that are redeemable for a prize from a selection of merchandise;

providing a player with the opportunity to win partial-value certificates that are not individually redeemable for cash or a prize;

generating and presenting a game outcome for the lottery game, wherein the game outcome comprises a plurality of symbols; and

awarding a monetary prizes, full-value certificates, and partial-value certificates for winning outcomes.