Instant lottery game ticket and method of playing same

• US 8,333,380 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HGK Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Markman Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Berkowitz, Norman G.
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/983,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138
• US Class Current: 273/139
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0665 having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer for educational purposes G09B
• 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

An instant lottery ticket game wherein a scratch-off material is removed from a first playing area of the ticket, and if three or more like kind outcome indicia are revealed, the ticket is a winner; however, if three or more like kind outcome indicia are not revealed in the first playing area, a scratch-off covering material is removed from a second playing area to reveal a “Bonus” prize award, so that every ticket is a winning ticket.

Claims

1. A method of playing an instant lottery ticket game comprising:

(a) obtaining by payment of a single fee one or more instant lottery game tickets each including a first playing area having a series of scratch-off locations under which a plurality of related indicia are visible upon removing an opaque covering, and a second playing area having at least one scratch-off location also with an opaque covering applied, in which either said first playing area or said second playing area contains an indication of a prize or payment due to an authorized holder of the ticket such that a prize or payment is awarded in every ticket;

(b) removing the opaque covering from the first playing area of the ticket;

(c) examining the related indicia revealed in the first playing area and determining whether any winning combinations of said related indicia are present;

(d) in the event a winning combination of related indicia is present in the first playing area, turning in the ticket to collect the prize or payment associated with the winning combination, and ending the game without removing the opaque covering from the scratch-off location in the second playing area;

(e) only in the event no winning combination of related indicia is present in the first playing area, removing the opaque covering from the scratch-off location in the second playing area to reveal a prize or payment awarded to the authorized ticket holder; and

(f) collecting the prize or payment indicated in the second playing section.

2. A method of playing an instant lottery game in accordance with claim 1 in which if a designated number of like kind outcome indicia are revealed in said first playing area, the ticket is a winning ticket and the payout to be awarded is determined by comparing the combination of outcome indicia to a payout table.

3. A method of playing an instant lottery game in accordance with claim 1 in which said game is simulative of a dice game and includes depictions of a plurality of die faces in the first playing area, and if three or more like kind die faces are revealed in the first playing area, the ticket is a winning ticket in the first playing area.

4. A method of playing an instant lottery game in accordance with claim 3 in which the player matches indicia in the form of die faces found under the scratch-off coating after scratching off such coating to determine if a winning combination of die faces is present as indicated by the list of winning die combinations.

5. A method of playing an instant lottery game in accordance with claim 2 in which the value of a prize or payment awarded in accordance with the second playing area is on average greater than the value of the usual prize or payment awarded in the first playing area over any substantial number of tickets.

6. A method of playing an instant lottery game in accordance with claim 5 in which monetary prizes or payment awarded in said second playing area are accumulated in an individual account for the player until a sum certain is accumulated, and then paid out.

7. A method of practicing an instant lottery ticket game, comprising the steps of:

(a) issuing an instant lottery game ticket to a player, said ticket having at least a first play area having a series of scratch off locations under which a plurality of related indicia are visible upon removing an opaque covering, and a second play area having at least one scratch off location also with an opaque covering applied, in which a game in the second play area is only played if the results of play of a game in the first play area does not result in the player winning in said game;

(b) the player removing the opaque covering from the first playing area of the ticket and playing the game in the first play area, and if the player wins in the game in the first play area, the player turning in the instant lottery game ticket to receive the indicated winnings, and ending the game without playing the game in the second play area;

(c) in the event the player does not win in the game in the first play area, the player removing the opaque covering from the second playing area of the ticket and playing the game in the second play area, which game is guaranteed to be a winner, and the player turning in the instant lottery game ticket to receive the indicated winnings.

8. A method of practicing an instant lottery ticket game in accordance with claim 7 in which the game in the second play area is a continuation of the game in the first play area.

9. A method of practicing an instant lottery ticket game in accordance with claim 7 in which the game in the second play area is a separate game from the game in the first playing area.

10. A method of practicing an instant lottery ticket game in accordance with claim 7 in which the player may elect to have monetary awards electronically deposited into an account.

11. A method of practicing an instant lottery ticket game, comprising the steps of:

(a) issuing an instant lottery game ticket to a player, said ticket having a game play area containing a game of chance having a series of scratch off locations under which a plurality of related indicia are visible upon removing an opaque covering, and an instant award area having at least one scratch off location also with an opaque covering applied, in which the instant award area is only utilized if the result of play of the game of chance in the game play area does not result in the ticket holder winning in said game of chance;

(b) the ticket holder removing the opaque covering from the game play area of the ticket and playing the game of chance in the game play area, and if the ticket holder is a winner in the game of chance, the ticket holder turning in the instant lottery game ticket to the agency administering the instant lottery game and collecting the indicated winnings, and ending the game without utilizing the instant award area;

(c) but in the event the ticket holder is not a winner in the game of chance in the game play area, the player removing the opaque covering from the instant award area of the ticket and receiving an instant award indicated in the instant award area, and turning in the instant lottery game ticket to the agency administering the instant lottery game and collecting the indicated instant award.