Method and apparatus of conducting a game of chance including bingo

• US 8,425,300 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Holdings Ltd (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kane, Steven N., Hardy, Dow, Herrmann, Mark E., LaRocca, Paul, Sabet, Bijan, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/002,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,066 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 22, 463/25, 463/30, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/19
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/06 Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games small boxes with balls used for generating random numbers A63F7/048; lottery apparatus G07C15/00; lottery gaming stations, online lottery or bingo G07F17/329; printing processes for lottery tickets B41M3/005
• 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 17/3286 Type of games
• 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 bingo game.

Claims

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

permitting a player to purchase an entry into the wagering game of chance at a point of sale location;

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

authenticating the ticket by sending the code from a host computer to a ticket validating computer server through a communications network, the ticket validating computer server separate from the host computer;

determining results of the wagering game of chance on a outcome generating computer server separate from the host computer, the determination of the game results by the outcome generating computer server performed after the ticket is issued and prior to game play wherein the game of chance is free of player skill;

providing for the player to play an online computer-based bingo game on a different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the printed code is entered by the player in an interface of the online computer-based bingo game to gain access to the bingo game to play the bingo game, wherein the bingo game includes one or more bingo cards, each having a plurality of indicia that, when matched in any one of a plurality of combinations, provides one or more prizes to the player, wherein the one or more prizes provided to the player are determined from the results of the wagering game of chance, and wherein a series of game states of the online computer-based bingo game is independent of the results of the wagering game of chance;

obtaining a result of the online computer-based bingo game by communicating the code over a communication network from the different medium to an outcome storage computer server on which the results of the wagering game of chance is stored, the outcome storage computer server on which the game results are stored being separate from the different medium;

displaying, to the player in the interface, the results of the wagering game of chance responsive to play of the online bingo game; and

providing for the player to redeem the ticket at the point of sale location.

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 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.

4. The method according to claim 1, 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.

5. The method according to claim 4, 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.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifier is a serial number associated with the ticket.

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

8. 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.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one draw of a ball in the bingo game is determined by a random number generator.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing a pay table that determines, based on a particular one of the plurality of combinations, the one or more prizes provided to the player.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises an act of presenting the prize total as a sequence of reveals.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sequence of reveals is predetermined.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sequence of reveals is stored in a database of a server.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the reveals are randomly determined by the client.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined by a predetermined game script.

16. The method according to claim 15, 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.

17. The method according to claim 15, 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.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of selecting a bonus number from at least one of the indicia on the one or more bingo cards.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising an act of increasing a winning amount won by the player if a winning combination includes the bonus number.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the result of any one of at least one of the one or more bingo cards and instances of the bingo game reveals a prize won by the player.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, or credit.

23. The method according to claim 21, 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.

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

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

27. 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.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the results associated with the game of chance.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of associating the results with an indication of the ticket.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first 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.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the game of chance includes at least one of a Keno game or 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.

33. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising an act of determining the results of the game of chalice based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

35. 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.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.

37. The method according to claim 35, 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 the number of bingo game instances awarded the player.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 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 bingo game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of generating a game script for controlling the play of the online computer-based bingo game using the determined outcome.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of revealing occurs, according to a game script.