Methods and apparatus for providing a lottery game

• US 7,878,895 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Penrice, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US11/580,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/18
• US Class Current: 463/18
• 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 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

A gaming apparatus and method of play including a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the value input device. The controller receives wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, with the wager data including a first plurality of indicia of a first type, a second plurality of indicia of the first type, where the second plurality of indicia potentially randomly selected to replace one or more of the indicia of a first type in at least one of the first plurality of indicia, and the second plurality of indicia also having an indicia of a second type. A winner is determined from matching any of the first plurality of indicia of the first type with any of the second plurality of indicia of the first type, including any replaced indicia, and a value payout is associated with the level of matching.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

said controller being programmed to receive wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, said wager data comprising a first subset of numbers selected by said person from a range of numbers,

said controller being programmed to receive data representing a second subset of numbers randomly selected from said range of numbers, said second subset of numbers being greater in number than said first subset of numbers wherein said first and second subsets of numbers are selected from an identical pool of numbers,

said controller being programmed to, after selection of the second subset, replace one or more of the randomly generated numbers in said second subset with a non-numeric wild symbol representative of any number from said range of numbers,

said controller being programmed to determine whether any of said numbers in said first subset match numbers in said second subset,

wherein said non-numeric wild symbol matches at least one number from said first subset,

said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game.

2. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a display unit that is capable of generating video images, wherein said controller is operatively coupled to said display unit, and wherein said controller is programmed to cause a video image representing said game to be generated on said display unit, said video image comprising said second subset.

3. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said video image comprises a plurality of lottery numbers.

4. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said video image displays said non-numeric wild symbol in said second subset.

5. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly select said second subset of numbers from said plurality of numbers.

6. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to make an automated selection of said first subset of numbers from among said range of numbers in response to an action by said person.

7. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to receive wager data representing a plurality of wagers, each of said wagers comprising a first subset of numbers selected by a person, wherein said controller is programmed to select a wager from said plurality of wagers.

8. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 7, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

9. A gaming system as defined in claim 8, wherein said controller is programmed to receive wager data representing at least one wager from each of said gaming apparatuses, each of said wagers comprising a first subset of numbers selected by a person, wherein said controller is programmed to select one or more of said plurality of gaming apparatuses, and wherein said controller is programmed to replace one or more numbers in said second subset of said one or more selected gaming apparatuses with said non-numeric symbol.

10. A gaming system as defined in claim 8,

wherein said controller comprises a central lottery controller,

wherein each of said gaming apparatuses comprise a lottery terminal unit operatively coupled to said central controller, each lottery terminal comprising:

a ticket printer capable of generating ticket vouchers, and

a terminal controller operatively coupled to said ticket printer, said terminal controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,

wherein said terminal controller is programmed to allow said person to make a wager,

wherein said terminal controller is programmed to allow said person to select said first subset of numbers from said range of numbers,

wherein said terminal controller is programmed to communicate said wager data to said central controller,

wherein said terminal controller is programmed to cause said ticket printer to issue a ticket voucher comprising said first subset of numbers, wherein said numbers represent lottery numbers of a government-sponsored lottery game.

11. A gaming system as defined in claim 8, wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.

12. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly associate a multiplier factor with said wager, and wherein said controller is programmed to multiply said value payout by said multiplier factor.

13. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly assign a value to said multiplier factor, and wherein said controller is programmed to multiply said value payout by said randomly assigned value.

14. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly associate said multiplier factor with said non-numeric symbol.

15. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to issue a ticket voucher comprising said first subset of numbers.

16. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said controller is programmed to receive wager data in response to wagers made by a plurality of persons, each of said wagers comprising a first subset of numbers selected by a person from said range of numbers,

said controller is programmed to select a person from said plurality of persons, and

said controller is programmed to replace one or more numbers in said second subset of said selected person with said non-numeric symbol.