Gaming system and method

• US 7,381,132 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/828,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,615 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 26- 28, 463/420, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 221/2, 221/13, 221/1, 221/131, 221/92, 221/15, 221/7
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/065 Tickets or accessories for use therewith A63F3/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/002 Precutting and tensioning or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/10 from or with devices for breaking partially-cut or perforated webs, e.g. bursters
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• 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 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

The gaming system operates a lottery system for a single state, or includes multiple state systems, each having many different instant-winner ticket games and distributed ticket dispensers. A supervisory computer system is provided. A jackpot is provided which increases with the sale of each ticket in the system. The dispensers have code readers which are used to detect the sale of each ticket. The game is won when the code number detected by one of the code readers matches the code for a jackpot winner.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of independent sub-systems, each of said sub-systems including

a different type of ticket-based lottery game;

a first jackpot game;

a plurality of game tickets each having indicia for use in the play of at least one of the different types of ticket-based lottery games and each also having a respective machine readable ticket code unique to that ticket in said sub-system, the machine readable ticket code for use in the play of the first jackpot game;

a plurality of distributed terminals for dispensing the game tickets,

at least one central computer in communication with said terminals,

each of said terminals having at least one code reader for reading said machine readable ticket code from each of said game tickets when the ticket is dispensed,

data storage means for storing a prize code,

comparison means for comparing said prize code with said machine readable ticket code read from each of said game tickets, and for indicating a match between said machine readable ticket code and said prize code; and

a supervisory computer means connected for communication with the at least one central computer of each of said independent sub-systems, said supervisory computer means being programmed to receive ticket sales data from each of said sub-systems, determine the amount of a jackpot prize based on said ticket sales data, and communicate information to each of said sub-systems as to the amount of said jackpot prize and the occurrence of a match between a prize code and a ticket code.

2. The system of claim 1, in which each of said sub-systems is located in a different state.

3. A method for facilitating the play of a shared jackpot game which can be won by tickets from any of a plurality of different types of instant ticket-based lottery games, comprising:

storing a plurality of gaming tickets for the plurality of instant ticket-based lottery games of different types in each of a plurality of gaming ticket dispensers, each of said tickets bearing indicia for use in the play of one of the instant ticket-based lottery games and each of said tickets also having a respective machine readable ticket code unique to that ticket;

dispensing a ticket for one of the plurality of instant ticket-based lottery games from one of the plurality of gaming ticket dispensers;

reading the machine readable ticket code on the ticket;

based on the machine readable ticket code read from the ticket, determining if the ticket is a winner in the shared jackpot game; and

responsive to determining that the ticket is a winner in the shared jackpot game, informing the recipient of said ticket that the ticket is a winner in the share jackpot game.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accumulating a first prize pool by detecting each ticket dispensed from said dispensers and adding a corresponding amount to said first prize pool;

stopping said accumulation upon the detection of the dispensing of said winner; and

starting to accumulate a new prize pool upon the detection of the dispensing of an additional ticket after the detection of said winner; and

starting said new prize pool with an amount greater than zero.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

accumulating a first prize pool by detecting each ticket dispensed from said dispensers and adding a corresponding amount to said first prize pool;

stopping said accumulation upon the detection of the dispensing of said winner; and

starting to accumulate a new prize pool upon the detection of the dispensing of an additional ticket after the detection of said winner;

accumulating a second prize pool by adding an amount of money per ticket significantly less than the amount of money added to the first prize pool for each ticket dispensed prior to the award of the jackpot prize; and

using said second prize pool to start said new prize pool after the detection of said winner.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing jackpot winner-indicating;

as part of determining if the ticket is a winner in the shared jackpot game, comparing the jackpot winner-indicating information and the machine readable ticket code read from the ticket.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing human-readable information regarding winning the first ticket-based lottery game, said human-readable information being covered by a manually-removable covering, said human-readable information including the amount of any winners to which the ticket holder is entitled in said first ticket-based lottery game.

8. A method for facilitating the play of a shared jackpot game which can be won by tickets from any of a plurality of instant ticket-based lottery games, comprising:

providing a plurality of ticket dispensing machines;

dispensing instant-winner lottery tickets from said machines, each instant-winner lottery ticket having information identifying one of a plurality of different instant ticket-based games in which the ticket is issued, and having a removable cover over human-readable gaming information, each of said tickets also bearing machine-readable unique identification information;

providing a shared jackpot prize pool which tickets from the plurality of said different instant ticket-based games are eligible to win;

providing a code reader in each of said dispensing machines, the code reader configured to said machine-readable identification information and to produce corresponding signals; and

detecting said signals to identify a winner of said jackpot prize,

responsive to the dispensing of each ticket from said dispensing machines, adding to said jackpot prize pool a predetermined amount;

stopping the adding to said prize pool when said winner has been detected; and

starting a new prize pool at an amount lower than that in said jackpot prize pool, after said winner has been detected.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to the dispensing of each ticket from said dispensing machines, accumulating a shadow pool by adding a second predetermined amount, smaller than the predetermined amount; and

using the amount in said shadow pool to start the new prize pool when the winner has been detected.

10. A system for facilitating the play of a jackpot game together with a separate ticket-based lottery game, comprising:

a game ticket having indicia for use in the play of the separate ticket-based lottery game and a machine readable ticket identifier for use in the play of the jackpot game, where the jackpot game is separate from the separate ticket-based lottery game; and

a prize for winning the separate ticket-based lottery game;

a lottery ticket dispensing machine, including

a code reader to read the machine readable ticket identifier from the game ticket when the game ticket is dispensed by the lottery ticket dispensing machine, and

an output device to indicate the game ticket is a winning ticket for the jackpot game;

wherein the game ticket is a future draw lottery ticket having indicia which are matched against a future drawing event to determine if the lottery ticket is a winner of the separate ticket-based lottery game.

11. A system for facilitating the play of a jackpot game together with a separate ticket-based lottery game, comprising:

a game ticket having indicia for use in the play of the separate ticket-based lottery game and a machine readable ticket identifier for use in the play of the jackpot game; and

a lottery ticket dispensing machine, including

a code reader to read the machine readable ticket identifier from the game ticket when the game ticket is dispensed by the lottery ticket dispensing machine, and

an output device to indicate the game ticket is a winning ticket for the jackpot game,

wherein whether the game ticket wins the jackpot game is determined randomly at the time the game ticket is dispensed.

12. A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of different types scratch-off instant ticket games;

a plurality of scratch-off instant game tickets, each ticket being associated with at least one of the plurality of types of scratch-off instant ticket games, each ticket having indicia for use in the play of the associated scratch-off instant ticket game, and each ticket having a respective machine readable ticket code unique to that ticket in said system;

a shared jackpot game which tickets from the plurality of scratch-off instant ticket games of different types are eligible to win;

a central computer storing a prize code indicating a ticket which is a winner of the jackpot game; and

a plurality of distributed terminals configured to dispense the game tickets, the terminals being in communication with the central computer, each of said terminals having at least one code reader configured to read said machine readable ticket code from each of said game tickets when the ticket is dispensed, the terminals configured to indicate a dispensed ticket is a winner of the jackpot game based on a comparison of the machine readable ticket code from the dispensed ticket and the prize code.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the central computer is configured to perform the comparison.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the terminals are configured to perform the comparison.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the jackpot game is a progressive jackpot game.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the jackpot game is shared across a plurality of gaming jurisdictions, and wherein each of the plurality of scratch-off instant ticket games is offered in at least one of the plurality of jurisdictions.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said terminals further comprise:

storage configured to store the prize code; and

an intermittently-operating modem configured to provide communications between said terminal and said central computer, the modem configured to upload and download information between said terminal and said central computer, the downloaded information including the prize code.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an network connection between each of said terminals and said central computer, each terminal configured to transmit said machine readable ticket code to said central computer via the on-line connection.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein each terminal further comprises a network connection configured to communicate ticket sales information to said central computer, and wherein said central computer is configured to, responsive to the receipt of said ticket sales information, to add pre-determined increment to the amount of the jackpot prize for each ticket sold prior to the awarding of the jackpot prize.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network connection is further configured, responsive to the comparison of the machine readable ticket code from the dispensed ticket and the prize code indicating the dispensed ticket is a jackpot winner, to deliver a match-indicating signal from the terminal to the central computer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the central computer is further configured, responsive to the receipt of the match-indicating signal, to transmit the jackpot prize amount to the terminal.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the central computer is further configured, responsive to the receipt of the match-indicating signal, to stop incrementing the jackpot prize, and to reduce the jackpot prize to a predetermined lower amount.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the indicia on said game tickets are concealed by a removable covering to be removed to play the scratch-off instant ticket game, and wherein said terminals each further comprise a printer configured to print additional indicia, the prize in the instant ticket game for a ticket being based on both the indicia and the additional indicia.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said printer is configured to print said additional indicia on the ticket being dispensed.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said printer is configured to print said additional indicia on a separate sheet.

26. The game system of claim 12, further comprising:

a network between the central computer and each of the plurality of distributed terminals, the central computer configured to transmit the prize code to the plurality of distributed terminals in an encrypted format via the network.

27. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein

the central computer further comprises storage containing a jackpot prize amount for the jackpot game and a first pre-determined increment, the central computer further configured to, responsive to the dispensing of an instant game ticket from one of the plurality of terminals, to add the first pre-determined increment to the jackpot prize amount.

28. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein

the central computer further comprises storage containing a shadow jackpot prize amount for the jackpot game and a second pre-determined increment, second pre-determined increment being significantly smaller than the first predetermined increment, the central computer further configured, responsive to the dispensing of an instant game ticket from one of the plurality of terminals, to add the second pre-determined increment to the shadow jackpot prize amount, and responsive to awarding the jackpot prize, to reset the jackpot prize amount to the shadow jackpot prize amount.

29. The gaming system of claim 27, wherein

each of the terminals includes a display configured to display the jackpot prize amount.

30. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the terminals are configured, responsive to the dispensing of a jackpot winning instant game ticket, to display an indication that an instant ticket being dispensed is a jackpot game winner.