Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 8,696,432 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/286,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/18, 463/22, 463/28, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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

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 game in which elements are selected, and in response to the selection, a prize is revealed (or not) to the player. In another example, the player is permitted to predict the outcome of a characteristic of the online game, a game-playing computer determines an outcome to be displayed to the player that reflects a result of the game of chance. In one example game format, the player is permitted to predict the most frequently-occurring element in a group of drawn game elements.

Claims

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

issuing, by a computer system, a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket; and

providing, by the computer system, for the player to play a game on different medium than the issued ticket, the game comprising a plurality of game elements, the plurality of game elements each comprising an identifiable characteristic, wherein at least two of the plurality of game elements share an identical identifiable characteristic, wherein the code is used to gain access to obtain at least one result of the game of chance,

wherein the act of providing includes acts of;

requiring the player to predict a most frequently occurring identical identifiable characteristic amongst the plurality of game elements; and

displaying to the player, in response to the prediction, the at least one result of the game of chance, by a user interface, such that if the player predicts the identical identifiable characteristic that occurs the most amongst all identifiable characteristics present in the result of the game of chance, the player wins.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of determining a game outcome that corresponds to the at least one result of the game of chance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of permitting includes an act of permitting the player to predict a result of a drawing of a plurality of game elements.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the act of permitting the player to predict a result of a drawing of a plurality of game elements includes an act of permitting the player to predict a most frequently drawn identifiable characteristic of the plurality of drawn game elements.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of drawn game elements includes a plurality of drawn balls, and the method further comprises an act of permitting the player to predict the most frequently drawn identifiable characteristic based on indicia associated with the balls.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising an act of determining the drawing of the plurality of game elements that corresponds to the at least one result.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable characteristic includes at least one of color, size, shape, or form.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of permitting the player to predict a result of at least one game element includes an act of permitting the player to predict a result of a drawing of the at least one game element.

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

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a prize total associated with the ticket is determined after the ticket is issued to the player.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a prize total associated with the ticket is determined prior to issuing the ticket to the player.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes issuing at least one of a lottery ticket, a printed ticket, a scratch ticket, or a pull-tab ticket.

15. 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 game to reveal the at least one result of the game of chance.

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

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the result of the at least one reveal element selection in the game reveals a prize won by the player.

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

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising an act of providing a pay table, the pay table having a plurality of entries distributed among one or more reveal elements.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of entries of the pay table are distributed among a plurality of instances of the game.

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

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein a sequence of results revealed to the player is predetermined.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein a sequence of results revealed to the player is randomly determined by the client.

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