User-controlled sweepstakes entries

• US 8,435,119 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Lichtenberger, Francis J, Herrmann, Mark E, Ross, Matthew S, Weller, Scott N, Lightman, Michael C, Hardy, Dow K, Taylor, John E Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US12/836,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20110092267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for conducting sweepstakes, which can include a user controlled gaming award, wherein the user controlled gaming award includes entries in another game is provided. Entries into a sweepstakes game are associating with a unique identifier, which can be used to enter a plurality of sweepstakes games. A graphical user interface is configured to permit a player to assign awarded sweepstakes entries to at least one sweepstakes game, and further can be configured to permit the player to accumulate entries. The awarded entries can be configured as a form of currency redeemable for entry into at least one sweepstakes game. The methods and systems can permit the player to exchange any entry into a sweepstakes game. According to another embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises an act of permitting the player to exchange the custom currency. According to another embodiment, the method and systems are further configured to provide an exchange interface for trading of the custom currency.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user controlled gaming award,

wherein the user controlled gaming award includes entries in another game, the method comprising the acts of:

providing, by a computer system, an entry into a sweepstakes game to a player based on a game play;

associating, by the computer system, the entry into the sweepstakes game with a unique identifier;

providing a plurality of sweepstakes games;

providing a graphical user interface displayed in a host computer configured to permit to the player to assign sweepstakes entries to at least one sweepstakes game; and

permitting, by the computer system, the player to accumulate entries; and

further comprising an act of, via the computer system, permitting the player to establish a sweepstakes entry rule that automatically enters the player into at least one sweepstakes game based upon player specified criteria.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry into a sweepstakes game to the player includes an act of providing a custom currency redeemable for entry into at least one sweepstakes game.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to exchange the entry into the sweepstakes game.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to exchange the custom currency.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of providing an exchange interface for trading of the custom currency.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the exchange interface is configured to display information associated with the sweepstakes entry.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the information associated with the sweepstakes entry includes at least one of an expiration for the sweepstakes entry, a value of any outcome of a sweepstakes game associated with the entry, a sweepstake game level associated with the entry, a total number of sweepstakes entries submitted for the sweepstakes game associated with the sweepstakes entry, an outcome of the sweepstakes game associated with the sweepstakes entry, a time for redemption of the sweepstakes entry, a cash value of a prize associated with the entry, and a cash equivalent value of a prize associated with the entry.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

associating an account with the player; and

permitting the player to bank any sweepstakes entry in the account.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising an act of reducing any sweepstakes entry balance on a predetermined interval.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry into a sweepstakes game occurs in response to an act of permitting the player to play a game.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry into a sweepstakes game occurs in response to an act of requiring the player to perform an action, play a game.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game includes at least one of a reveal based game, a second chance game, an online game, an offline game, and a game comprising an online and offline portion.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of providing a custom currency redeemable for entry into at least one sweepstakes game, includes an act of permitting the player to purchase entries into the sweepstakes game using the custom currency.

14. The method according to claim 1, including an act of displaying game related information for at least one of the plurality of sweepstakes games.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the game related information includes at least one of a start time, an end time, an enrolment time, a closing time, a minimum number of entries, a maximum number of entry, a sweepstake game status, a current number of entries, a remaining number of entries, a tiering level for the sweepstakes game.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing a plurality of sweepstakes games includes an act of varying a value of outcome of the plurality of sweepstakes game.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry into a sweepstakes game to a player includes an act of assigning a value to the sweepstakes entry.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing an entry into the sweepstakes game to a player includes an act of establishing any restrictions on redemption of the entry.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein any restrictions on redemption of the entry includes at least one of an expiration for the sweepstakes entry, a value of any outcome of a sweepstakes game associated with the entry, a sweepstake game tier associated with the entry, a total number of sweepstakes entries permitted for the sweepstakes game associated with the sweepstakes entry, an outcome of the sweepstakes game associated with the sweepstakes entry, a time for redemption of the sweepstakes entry, a cash value of a prize associated with the entry, a cash equivalent value of a prize associated with the entry, a maximum cash value of a prize associated with the entry, a minimum cash value of a prize associated with the entry, a maximum cash-equivalent value of a prize associated with the entry, a minimum cash-equivalent value of a prize associated with the entry, any restriction on exchanging the entry.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of displaying a leader board in a graphical user interface.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sweepstakes games includes at least one automatically generated sweepstakes game.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of displaying criteria for the at least one automatically generated sweepstakes game, wherein the criteria includes at least one of start time for accepting entries into the at least one automatically generated sweepstakes game, sweepstakes game prize, maximum number of entries, minimum number of entries, and required entry tier.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of opening an entry period into a sweepstakes game in response to meeting predefined criteria.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the predefined criteria includes at least one of a conclusion of an entry period for another sweepstakes game and a maximum number of entries accepted into a sweepstakes game.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of adjusting a number of redeemed sweepstakes entries based on a selected sweepstakes game being entered.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the act of adjusting the number of redeemed sweepstakes entries based on the selected sweepstakes game being entered includes an act of reducing the number of redeemed entries by a valuation factor, wherein the provided entry is associated with an outcome of a particular value, and the entered sweepstakes includes an outcome of greater value.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acts of:

determining a valuation factor based at least in part on a relative value of an outcome of the provided entry into the sweepstakes game and a value of an outcome of an entered sweepstakes game;

adjusting a number of entered sweepstakes based at least in part on the valuation factor.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the act of determining the valuation factor includes an act of adjusting the valuation factor based on player status.

29. A non-transient computer readable medium including instructions for performing a method of providing a user controlled gaming award, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an entry into a sweepstakes game to a player based on a game play;

associating the entry into the sweepstakes game with a unique identifier;

providing a plurality of sweepstakes games;

providing a graphical user interface configured to permit the player to assign sweepstakes entries to at least one sweepstakes game;

permitting the player to accumulate entries; and

further comprising an act of, via the computer system, permitting the player to establish a sweepstakes entry rule that automatically enters the player into at least one sweepstakes game based upon player specified criteria.

30. A system for providing a user controlled gaming award, the system comprising:

an awarding component configured to provide an entry into a sweepstakes game to a player based on a game play;

an associated component configured to associate the entry into the sweepstakes game with a unique identifier;

a sweepstakes interface configured to display a plurality of sweepstakes games, and further configured to permit the player to assign sweepstakes entries to at least one sweepstakes game;

a management component configured to permit the player to accumulate sweepstakes entries; and

further comprising an act of, via the computer system, permitting the player to establish a sweepstakes entry rule that automatically enters the player into at least one sweepstakes game based upon player specified criteria.