Systems and methods for providing gaming activities
First Claim
1. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
- defining a plurality of risk profiles, wherein each risk profile defines a proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk;
receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player and a risk profile selected by that player;
allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile selected by that player, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile selected by a given player affects the relative probability of that player winning a prize in relation to the gaming activity in exchange for the entry fee provided; and
updating a database with data indicative of the allocation of one or more entries to each player.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are various systems and methods for providing gaming activities, these particularly relating to gaming activities where a plurality of players provide respective entry fees. Traditional gaming activities necessarily involve the player putting his or her entry fee at risk. The present invention, at least in some of its preferred forms, modifies the traditional approaches of operating such gaming activities so that the player'"'"'s entry fee is not necessarily placed entirely at risk. Indeed, in some embodiments a player is provided with an option to participate on the basis that his or her entry fee is wholly refundable while retaining the opportunity to win prizes, potentially alongside more risky though still modified participation by other players.
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Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a plurality of risk profiles, wherein each risk profile defines a proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player and a risk profile selected by that player; allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile selected by that player, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile selected by a given player affects the relative probability of that player winning a prize in relation to the gaming activity in exchange for the entry fee provided; and updating a database with data indicative of the allocation of one or more entries to each player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 35, 37)
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18. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a risk profile, the risk profile defining a non-zero proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player; allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity wherein the risk profile affects the relative probability of that player winning a prize in relation to the gaming activity in exchange for the entry fee provided; and updating a database with data indicative of the allocation of one or more entries to each player. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38)
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39. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a plurality of risk profiles, wherein each risk profile defines a proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player and a risk profile selected by that player; and allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile selected by that player, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile selected by a given player affects the quantum of entry fee in exchange for which a predetermined number of entries is allocated. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a plurality of risk profiles, wherein each risk profile defines a proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player and a risk profile selected by that player; and allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile selected by that player, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile selected by a given player affects one or more characteristics of a prize winnable by that player in exchange for the entry fee provided. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a risk profile, the risk profile defining a non-zero proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player; and allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile affects the quantum of entry fee in exchange for which a predetermined number of entries is allocated. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76)
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77. A method for providing a gaming activity wherein a plurality of players provide respective entry fees, the method including the steps of:
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defining a risk profile, the risk profile defining a non-zero proportion of an entry fee that is refundable on the basis of predetermined refund criteria and a complementary proportion of the entry fee that is placed at risk; receiving, for each player, data indicative of the entry fee provided by that player; and allocating to each player, on the basis of the entry fee provided by that player and the risk profile, one or more entries in relation to the gaming activity, wherein the risk profile affects one or more characteristics of a prize winnable by that player in exchange for the entry fee provided. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80)
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Specification