Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 7,666,082 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Sabet, Bijan, Hardy, Dow, LaRocca, Paul, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel; Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US11/002,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 463 17- 19, 463/16, 463/20, 463/29, 273/269, 283/49, 283/903, 283/73, 283/17
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game is a slot machine game.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of playing games of chance comprising acts of:

Issuing, at a point of sale terminal, a ticket that includes a ticket-based game of chance on the ticket to the player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket, wherein results of the ticket based game are stored in a database of a server separate from the ticket and wherein the results are not encoded on the ticket, the ticket based game having an overall prize value;

using the code to access an entry stored in the database of the server to access a computer based game of chance;

providing for the player the computer based game of chance on a different medium than the ticket based game, wherein the player accesses a game interface of the computer based game of chance that includes a computer-based slot machine game that is configured to reveal the results of the ticket based game of chance when the player plays a plurality of game instances of the computer based game of chance on the different medium; and

using the code to obtain, from the database, the results of the ticket based game of chance, wherein the computer based game is a different game than the ticket based game, wherein at least one prize awarded in response to play of the plurality of game instances of the computer based game accumulates to form the overall prize value, and where the ticket based game is previously approved by regulators.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes issuing at least one of a lottery ticket, a scratch ticket, and a pull-tab ticket.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the code to obtain the results of the ticket based game of chance further comprises an act of permitting access to the results of the ticket based game of chance by using the code as a decryption key to obtain the results.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of storing, on a server, the results of the ticket based game of chance.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing, in a database of a computer system, a portion of a decryption key, the portion being used along with the code by the computer system to access the computer based game of chance.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of obtaining, from the database of the computer system, the portion of the decryption key based on an identifier printed on the ticket.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the identifier is a serial number associated with the ticket.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the slot machine game.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of presenting, to the player, an interface in which the player is permitted to enter the code to obtain security access to the results.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one result of a spin of the slot machine game is determined by a random number generator.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slot machine game is a computer-based game including a plurality of reels having a plurality of indicia that, when matched in any one of a plurality of combinations, provides points to the player.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising an act of providing a pay table that determines, based on a particular one of the plurality of combinations, the points provided to the player.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising an act of accruing, by the player, points awarded by playing the slot machine game.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of advancing the player to play an additional game after a predetermined number of points have been accrued by the player.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the additional level game reveals a prize won by the player.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, and credit.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein an indication of the prize won by the player is stored in the database of the server, and is downloaded to a computer presenting the computer-based game to the player.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is predetermined.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein a sequence of reveals of the plurality of game instances is predetermined.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a sequence of reveals of the plurality of game instances is randomly determined by the client.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein a sequence of reveals of the plurality of game instances is determined by a predetermined game script.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of determining a predetermined game script where a magnitude of prizes awarded for reveals associated with later win opportunities are progressively greater than the magnitude of prizes associated with reveals associated with earlier win opportunities.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of determining, for an issued ticket indicated as a losing ticket, a game script comprising an indication that the player was substantially close to winning.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein a sequence of reveals of the plurality of game instances is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of associating, with the ticket, additional opportunities to win.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the computer based game of chance.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

28. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing the results from the server to the computer based game of chance.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of storing, in the database, the results of the ticket based game of chance.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising an act of associating the results with an indication of the ticket.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the server further comprises a random number generator, and the random number generator performs an act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the ticket based game of chance includes at least one of a Keno game and a bingo game, and the act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket comprises an act of selecting a predetermined number of numbers from a predetermined set of numbers.

34. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the ticket based game of chance.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising an act of determining the results of the ticket based game of chance based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

36. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.

37. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.

38. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before gaining access to obtain results associated with the ticket.

39. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issued ticket discloses a number of slot machine spins awarded the player.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein a prize total for the ticket is determined after the ticket is issued to the player.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the another game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein a prize total for the ticket is determined prior to issuing the ticket to the player.

44. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing for the player to use the code on the issued ticket to initiate the slot machine game.

45. The method according to claim 1, wherein the results of the ticket based game of chance comprise a predetermined outcome of the ticket based game of chance.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the predetermined outcome is presented through the results of the ticket based game of chance.

47. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

using the code to gain access to the results of the ticket based game of chance, wherein the results are generated at a predetermined time.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket based game of chance is one of a scratch based lottery ticket game and a printed ticket based lottery game;

and

wherein the computer based game of chance is a computer based slot machine game.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket based game of chance and the computer based game of chance are different types of games.