Grid-based lottery game and associated system

• US 8,056,900 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Bozeman, Alan Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, DOLORES R
• Application Number:
  US12/762,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138.1
• US Class Current: 273/138.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A method and associated system for hosting a lottery game includes designating a plurality of game player positions on a predetermined grid presented to the player on a play slip, the game player positions defining a pathway on the grid. The pathway includes the player positions is continuous from a start grid position to a finish grid position. A lottery ticket is issued to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway on the grid. The lottery authority randomly selects at least one position on the grid. A winning outcome is determined based on a value of the player positions in the pathway from the start grid position to the finish grid position prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

Claims

1. A system for hosting a lottery game, comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of gaming machines;

a server, said server in communication with said gaming machines via said communication network;

said gaming machines configured to issue a lottery ticket to a player that indicates a pathway of selected game player positions on a predetermined grid, the pathway including all of the player'"'"'s selected positions and being linear and continuous from a start grid position to a finish grid position;

said server configured to randomly select at least one lottery position on said grid and to determine a winning outcome of the game based on a cumulative characteristic of the player positions in the pathway from the start grid position to the finish grid position prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid wherein the cumulative characteristic is the number of player positions, revealed by the player in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the player positions in the pathway have an equal value and said server is configured to determine the winning outcome based on the cumulative characteristic.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said server is configured to determine a maximum prize for a winning outcome when the pathway is not intersected by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to randomly select a plurality of lottery positions on the grid from a plurality of separate subsets of positions defined on said grid, wherein the number of subsets is equal to the number of randomly selected lottery positions, and only one position is selected from each of the subsets.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to randomly assign player indicia to the player positions in the pathway, said gaming machines configured to display the player indicia on the lottery ticket issued to the player, the player indicia having varying values between different indicia.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said server is configured to determine a prize award for the winning game outcome based on a total value of the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the player indicia in the pathway prior to intersection of the pathway by the randomly selected lottery position on the grid constitute the player'"'"'s entry to a draw game, said server configured to randomly generate a set of lottery indicia and compare the player'"'"'s entry to the randomly generated set of lottery indicia to determine the winning outcome in the lottery game.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to randomly select the at least one lottery grid position at the time of game entry, said game machines configured to indicate the lottery grid position on the lottery ticket issued to the player that also indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to randomly select the same at least one lottery grid position for multiple players subsequent to the players'"'"' entry in the game, wherein the lottery grid position is not indicated on the lottery ticket issued to the player that indicates the player'"'"'s pathway of player positions.