Lottery games on an electronic gaming machine

• US 9,489,799 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Leap Forward Gaming, Inc. (International Game Technology), MGM Resorts Manufacturing Corp. (MGM Resorts International)
• Inventors: Saffari, Ali, Mikulich, Thomas, Gumiela, Chris, Kover, Kirk, Wells, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US14/949,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20160078724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Method and apparatus are described which are used to provide enhanced functionality on gaming devices associated with the play of wager-based games. A secondary processor, separate from a game controller on the gaming device, can be used to provide the enhanced functionality. In one embodiment, the secondary processor can be used to control a display interface on a video display, such as a video display used to play a wager-based game on the gaming device. The display interface can be used to purchase items, such as a lottery ticket, under control of the secondary processor. After purchase, the lottery ticket can be dispensed from the gaming device using a printer. After the lottery ticket is dispensed, it can be reinserted into the gaming device and validated. If any winnings are associated with the lottery ticket, it can be credited to the electronic gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming device for a wager-based electronic gaming machine (EGM), the gaming device comprising:

a housing;

one or more security sensors, disposed within the housing, configured to measure data which indicates a breach of the housing;

a mounting mechanism coupled to the housing which is used to secure the gaming device within an interior of an EGM (Electronic Gaming Machine) cabinet of a wager-based EGM;

a gaming device controller including a processor and a memory disposed within the housing wherein the gaming device controller is configured to, a) monitor the one or more security sensors and determine whether a breach of the housing has occurred, b) via a first data connector disposed within the housing, receive commands to initially configure the gaming device to operate with a particular model of the wager-based EGM;

c) via a second data connector disposed within the housing, receive data associated with a play of the wager-based game from an EGM controller disposed within the EGM cabinet of the EGM including credits available on the EGM;

d) via a third data connector disposed within the housing, communicate with a value input device disposed within the EGM cabinet and communicatively coupled to the EGM controller;

e) via a fourth data connector disposed within the housing, communicate with a printer disposed within the EGM cabinet; and

e) via a network connector disposed within the housing, communicate with one or more remote devices via the network connector including a state lottery server;

f) via a fifth data connector, disposed within the housing, and coupled to a communication pathway between a cashout button on the EGM and the EGM controller, receive a cashout signal from the cashout button and block the cashout signal from reaching the EGM controller, g) in response to receiving the cashout signal and the credits available on the EGM, generate first video data including an offer of a lottery ticket, h) via a sixth data connector, disposed with the housing, output the first video data to a touch screen display the first video data and information associated with the credits available on the EGM;

i) via a seventh data connector, disposed within the housing, receive touch screen data from the touch screen display;

j) based upon the touch screen data, determine the offer of the lottery ticket is accepted;

k) based upon the touch screen data received from the seventh data connector, send modified credit data to the EGM controller via the third data connector and l) via the fourth data connector, control output of the lottery ticket on the printer;

a power connector disposed within the housing, configured to receive power from a power source within the EGM cabinet wherein the processor receives the power via the power connector.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the value input device is a bill validator/ticket acceptor disposed within the EGM cabinet and communicatively coupled to the EGM controller.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the EGM controller is configured to generate second video data associated with the play of the wager-based game and output the second video data to the touch screen display.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein the gaming device controller is configured to receive the second video data from the EGM controller via an eight data connector and include a portion of the second video data in the first video data.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising one or more mechanical reels wherein the EGM controller is configured to control the one or more mechanical reels.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising at least three mechanical reels wherein the EGM controller is configured to control the at least three mechanical reels to generate the play of the wager-based game.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to determine the offer is not accepted and in response, send the cashout signal to the EGM controller.

8. The gaming device of claim 7, wherein the EGM controller in response to receiving the cashout signal is configured to control the printer to generate a cashout ticket for the credits available on the EGM.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to only generate the first video data including the offer of the lottery ticket when the credits available on the EGM is greater than a threshold amount.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to receive via the touch screen display, a request to purchase one or more lottery tickets with a value greater than the credits available on the EGM, generate and output fourth video data to the touch screen display including a message indicating an additional amount of credits which is needed to complete a purchase of the lottery tickets and receive via the second data connector or the third data connector, information indicating additional credits have been deposited on the EGM to make the purchase.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to generate and output, via the sixth data connector, fourth video data including a lottery interface configured to receive a selection of numbers used to generate the lottery ticket and receive via the seventh data connector, additional touch screen data which indicates the selection of the numbers.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to generate and output, via the sixth data connector, fourth video data including a lottery interface configured to receive a selection of a number of lottery tickets to purchase and receive via the seventh data connector, additional touch screen data which indicates a selection of the number of lottery tickets to purchase.

13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured, via the fourth data connector, to control output of a second ticket associated with the lottery ticket, printed sequentially after the lottery ticket, wherein the second ticket includes rules of a lottery game associated with the lottery ticket.

14. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured via the fourth data connector, to control output of a second ticket associated with the lottery ticket, printed sequentially after the lottery ticket, wherein a first side of the second ticket includes rules of a lottery game associated with the lottery ticket and a second side of the second ticket includes 1) a description of a drawing, 2) a time of the drawing is to occur, 3) one or more prizes associated with the drawing, 4) rules of associated with the drawing and 5) an indication second ticket is an entry in the drawing.

15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to send information associated with the second ticket to a remote device via the network connector.

16. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to receive via the third data connector an indicator that the second ticket has been inserted into a bill validator/ticket acceptor and information read from the second ticket.

17. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to generate and output fourth video data, via the sixth data connector, a message indicating the drawing associated with the second ticket has not yet taken place.

18. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to send a message to the state lottery server via the network connector indicating the lottery ticket is redeemed.

19. The gaming device of claim 16, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to send to a remote device, via the network connector, the information read from the second ticket, receive an indication of whether or not a prize is associated with the second ticket and generate and output fourth video data, via the sixth data connector, a message indicating whether or not a prize is associated with the second ticket.

20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the gaming device controller, when the prize is associated with the second ticket, is further configured to send commands to the printer via the fourth data connector, to control printing of a third ticket wherein the third ticket is used to redeem the prize.

21. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the value input device is a bill validator/ticket acceptor and wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to receive via the third data connector an indicator that the lottery ticket has been inserted into a bill validator/ticket acceptor and information read from the lottery ticket.

22. The gaming device of claim 21, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to send to the state lottery server, via the network connector, the information read from the lottery ticket, receive an indication of whether or not a prize is associated with the lottery ticket and generate and output fourth video data, via the sixth data connector, a message indicating whether or not a prize is associated with the lottery ticket.

23. The gaming device of claim 22, wherein the gaming device controller, when the prize is associated with the lottery ticket, is further configured to determine a prize amount is below a first threshold amount associated with the lottery and below a second threshold amount associated with the EGM and send commands to the EGM controller via the second data connector to add credits associated with the prize to the EGM.

24. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to communicate with the state lottery server via the network connector to request one or more lottery tickets.

25. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device controller is further configured to receive via an eighth data connector information read from the lottery ticket from an optical data scanner, separate from the bill validator/ticket acceptor.