Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 8,337,288 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Kane, Steven N., Hardy, Dow, Herrmann, Mark E., LaRocca, Paul, Sabet, Bijan, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/180,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 463/19, 463/20, 463/22, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 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 reveal element game.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game of chance comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket;

assigning a result of the game of chance to the code after issuance of the ticket, the result of the game of chance driven by an outcome of a first game;

providing for the player to play a reveal element game on different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the code is used to gain access to obtain results of the game of chance; and

allowing the player to select the reveal game used to reveal the outcome of the first game from a plurality of reveal games.

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, or a pull-tab ticket.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing further comprises an act of providing a computer-based game which the player plays the reveal element game to reveal the results of the game of chance.

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

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising storing, in a database of a computer system, a portion of an decryption key, the portion being used along with the code by the computer system to obtain the results.

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 3, wherein the act of providing includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the reveal element game.

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

10. 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.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reveal element game is a game of chance.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a selection of at least one reveal element in the reveal element game is determined by a random number generator.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the result of the at least one reveal element selection in the reveal element game reveals a prize won by the player.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, or credit.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein an indication of the prize won by the player is stored in a database of a server, and is downloaded to a computer presenting the computer-based game to the player.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reveal element game is a computer-based game including a reveal element that, when selected by the player, provides one or more prizes to the player.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of providing a pay table, the pay table having a plurality of entries distributed among one or more reveal elements.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of entries of the pay table are distributed among a plurality of instances of the reveal element game.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising an act of increasing a value of available prizes distributed to later instances of the reveal element game.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising an act of increasing a value of available prizes distributed to later selections of reveal elements within an instance of the reveal element game.

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

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the sequence of reveals is predetermined.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the sequence of reveals is stored in a database of a server.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the reveals are randomly determined by a client.

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

26. The method according to claim 25, 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.

27. The method according to claim 25, 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.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system.

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

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

32. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing, by a first server associated with a first game, a result associated with the game of chance.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

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

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the 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.

38. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising an act of determining the result of the game of chance based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

40. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to redeem the issued ticket without playing the game on the different medium.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.

43. 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.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issued ticket discloses the number of reveal element game instances awarded the player.

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

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

47. The method according to claim 46, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the reveal element game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

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