System and method for applying lottery multipliers

• US 7,513,825 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mosser; Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/425,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 22, 463/25, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273269-270
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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. An embodiment of the present invention also includes a computer system having a memory for storing data related to the lottery game and having a processor in communication with the memory. The processor is operative to store data in the memory identifying a first set of play indicia, a second set of play indicia, and a multiplier. Further, the processor is operative to associate the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia with the multiplier and calculate a purchase price for the multiplier. Further, the processor is operative to apply the multiplier to redemption values of one or more sets of play indicia associated with the multiplier according to various different algorithms to compute a payout amount to award a lottery player.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

receive a request of a player to purchase a first instant-type lottery ticket having a first outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the first instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the first outcome comprises;

receive a request of the player to purchase a second instant-type lottery ticket having a second outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the second instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the second outcome comprises,

in which the first instant-type lottery ticket is associated in a batch with the second instant-type lottery ticket,

determine the first outcome of the first instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the first outcome comprises a cash redemption value;

determine the second outcome of the second instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the second outcome comprises a multiplier redemption value and wherein the multiplier redemption value is applicable to the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket;

determine total winnings for the player based on the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket and the multiplier redemption value of the second instant-type lottery ticket; and

output an indication of the winnings for the player.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the play indicia displayed on the first and second instant-type lottery tickets are indistinguishable from each other so that the player cannot tell initially whether the player might win cash or a multiplier.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which determining the total winnings comprises multiplying the cash redemption value by the multiplier redemption value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the batch has no redemption value if the cash redemption value is zero.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the multiplier redemption value is applicable to a subsequently purchased winning set of play indicia.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first lottery terminal, a request of a player to purchase a first instant-type lottery ticket having a first outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the first instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the first outcome comprises;

receiving a request of the player to purchase a second instant-type lottery ticket having a second outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the second instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the second outcome comprises,

in which the first instant-type lottery ticket is associated in a batch with the second instant-type lottery ticket,

determining the first outcome of the first instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the first outcome comprises a cash redemption value;

determining the second outcome of the second instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the second outcome comprises a multiplier redemption value and wherein the multiplier redemption value is applicable to the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket;

determine total winnings for the player based on the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket and the multiplier redemption value of the second instant-type lottery ticket; and

outputting, via a second lottery terminal, an indication of the winnings for the player.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the play indicia displayed on the first and second instant-type lottery tickets are indistinguishable from each other so that the player cannot tell initially whether the player might win cash or a multiplier.

8. The method of claim 6, in which determining the total winnings comprises multiplying the cash redemption value by the multiplier redemption value.

9. The method of claim 6, in which the batch has no redemption value if the cash redemption value is zero.

10. The method of claim 6, in which the multiplier redemption value is applicable to a subsequently purchased winning set of play indicia.

11. A computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to direct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, via a first lottery terminal, a request of a player to purchase a first instant-type lottery ticket having a first outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the first instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the first outcome comprises;

receiving a request of the player to purchase a second instant-type lottery ticket having a second outcome comprising either a cash redemption value or a multiplier redemption value, in which the second instant-type lottery ticket does not indicate, prior to be being played, which type of redemption value the second outcome comprises,

in which the first instant-type lottery ticket is associated in a batch with the second instant-type lottery ticket,

determining the first outcome of the first instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the first outcome comprises a cash redemption value;

determining the second outcome of the second instant-type lottery ticket, wherein the second outcome comprises a multiplier redemption value and wherein the multiplier redemption value is applicable to the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket;

determine total winnings for the player based on the cash redemption value of the first instant-type lottery ticket and the multiplier redemption value of the second instant-type lottery ticket; and

outputting, via a second lottery terminal, an indication of the winnings for the player.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, in which the play indicia displayed on the first and second instant-type lottery tickets are indistinguishable from each other so that the player cannot tell initially whether the player might win cash or a multiplier.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, in which determining the total winnings comprises multiplying the cash redemption value by the multiplier redemption value.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, in which the batch has no redemption value if the cash redemption value is zero.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, in which the multiplier redemption value is applicable to a subsequently purchased winning set of play indicia.