Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 9,082,263 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• 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: Kane, Steven N., Hardy, Dow, Herrmann, Mark E., LaRocca, Paul, Sabet, Bijan, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US13/868,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20130252696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 an outcome of the wagering game of chance after the ticket is issued on an outcome generating computer server separate from the host computer;

providing for the player to play an online computer-based game of skill comprising a sequence of game instances by entering the printed code in an interface of the online computer-based game of skill to gain access to the game of skill;

determining one or more winnings and losses from the outcome of the wagering game of chance and allocating the winnings and losses across the sequence of game instances;

obtaining a result of the online computer-based game of skill by communicating the printed code over the communication network to an outcome storage computer server on which the results of the wagering game of chance are stored; and

providing for the player to redeem the ticket at the point of sale location to receive one or more prizes associated with the result.

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

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

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

providing for the player to play an online computer-based bingo game on different medium than the issued ticket;

providing, after ticket generation, for at least one draw of a ball in the bingo game to be determined by a random number generator for the issued ticket;

determining the outcome, after ticket generation, of the wagering game of chance based on the at least one draw of the ball in the bingo game determined by the random number generator, wherein the game of chance is free of player skill; and

presenting the after-determined outcome of the wagering game of chance in response to the play of the online computer-based bingo game across a sequence of bingo game instances.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising an act of generating a sequence of reveals, wherein the sequence of reveals display the determined outcome to the player.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the outcome of the wagering game of chance determines the outcome of another game.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sequence of reveals are determined dynamically.

4. A method of playing a wagering game comprising the acts of:

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

providing for the player to play an online computer-based bingo game on a different medium than the issued ticket wherein the online computer-based bingo game is free of player skill;

determining on an outcome generating computer server, after ticket generation, a wagering game outcome based on a drawing;

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

revealing the wagering game outcome to the player in response to play of the bingo game across a sequence of bingo games instances.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an act of requiring the after generation drawing to be complete before the player may play the bingo game.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an act of requiring the player to return a point of sale to redeem the ticket.