Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 8,968,070 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• 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: Hardy, Dow, Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wei
• Application Number:
  US12/924,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20110177855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

The field of the invention relates generally to lotteries and gaming, and more particularly, to systems for conducting casino-based gaming. After a player subscribes to play multiple games on a video gaming machine, the player may choose to finish playing the games elsewhere. The video gaming machine may then determine the outcomes for the games yet to be played and then may issue a ticket to the player.

Claims

1. A method for playing games of chance comprising acts of:

Permitting a player to pay for multiple games on a first video gaming machine, one or more of the multiple games having a predetermined outcome and one or more of the multiple games having a non-predetermined outcome at the time of payment, and wherein the multiple games that comprise non-predetermined comprise a drawing-based lottery game;

permitting the player to play one or more of the multiple games on the first video gaming machine;

allowing the player to choose to not play remaining games of the multiple games already paid for on the first video gaming machine; and

in response to a determination that the remaining games will have predetermined outcomes and in response to the player having chosen not to play the remaining games, generating, by the first video gaming machine, outcomes of the remaining games and providing a ticket with credit to the player to play the remaining games with predetermined outcomes at a later time,

wherein the ticket with credit comprises the predetermined outcomes of the remaining games, and wherein the non-predetermined outcomes of the remaining games remain unknown and undetermined when the ticket with credit is provided.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises an act of storing, by the first video gaming machine, the generated outcomes for the remaining games.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising an act of storing the generated outcomes on at least one of the provided ticket, a linked or networked central computer or a storage device within the first video gaming machine.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the provided ticket includes a ticket identifier.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the provided ticket further includes an access code.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the ticket identifier or access code is printed on the provided ticket.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the ticket identifier or access code is coded on the provided ticket magnetically.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises acts of:

operating, by the player, a second video gaming machine;

entering, by the player, at least one of the ticket identifier or access code from the provided ticket into the second video gaming machine;

verifying, by the second video gaming machine, at least one of the entered ticket identifier or the access code;

accessing, by the second video gaming machine, the outcomes for the remaining games determined by the first video gaming machine; and

providing, by the second video gaming machine, the remaining games to the player according to the outcomes determined by the first video gaming machine, as well as any games with unknown or undetermined outcomes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the games of chance include one or more games from the group comprising bingo, keno, UK bingo, lotto, lottery games, baccarat and slot machines.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the games of chance include at least one game with a predetermined outcome, and wherein a player obtains the predetermined outcome despite how the player plays the games of chance.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first video gaming machine is located in a casino.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first video gaming machine comprises a slot machine.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second video gaming machine is located in at least one of a casino, in a different casino, in a hotel, at a racetrack, at home, or in a mobile location.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second video gaming machine comprises at least one from a group comprising a slot machine, personal computer, PDA, and cellular telephone.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second video gaming machine is connected to the first video gaming machine or central server by one or more of the group comprising a local area network, a wide area network, and the Internet.