System and method wherein game players visit one or more communication-enabled locations to increase a likelihood of success or enhanced winnings in the game

• US 9,911,279 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Mound, Andrew Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Application Number:
  US14/948,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method are provided for play of a game of chance wherein players visit one or more physical locations to increase a likelihood of success or enhanced winnings in the game. A plurality of physical locations are designated as authorized communication-enabled locations and are configured with a transmitter device that broadcasts a unique ID signal or a receiver that receives the unique ID signal. The identity and address of the locations are published to the players. The players are provided with any one or more of: one of the unique transmitter devices; an application for download to a mobile smart device that enables receipt and recognition by the device of the unique ID signals; or a downloaded application to cause the mobile smart device to transmit a respective unique ID signal for receipt by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations. A game server is in secure communication with one or all of: the player'"'"'s mobile smart device, the transmitter device at the communication-enabled location, or the receiver at the communication-enabled location. The server identifies the player and the particular location upon receipt of a transmission of the unique ID signal, and generates a personalized message to the player with instructions as to how the player can increase their likelihood of success in the game of chance by taking certain actions at the location.

Claims

1. A method for play of a game of chance wherein players visit one or more physical locations to increase a likelihood of success or enhanced winnings in the previously mentioned game of chance, the method comprising:

designating a plurality of physical locations as authorized communication-enabled locations, wherein each communication-enabled location is configured with a transmitter device that is unique to the aforementioned location, that broadcasts an ID signal unique to the communication-enabled location or a receiver that receives an ID signal unique to a particular player;

providing the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations to the players;

providing the players with capability to receive the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the communication-enabled locations on a mobile smart device, or to broadcast the ID signal unique to the player for receipt by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations;

providing a game server that is common to the communication-enabled locations, wherein for each of the players in one of the communication-enabled locations, the game server receives a transmission that includes at least part of the ID signal unique to the respective communication-enabled location or the ID signal unique to the player, the game server thereby identifying the players and their respective communication-enabled location; and

providing a personalized message to the player with instructions as to how the player can increase their likelihood of success in the game of chance, or obtain an increased prize value, at the respective communication-enabled location as compared to players competing in the same game of chance who do not visit one of the communication-enabled locations.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the players are provided one or more of:

(1) an application for download to a mobile smart device, the application enabling receipt and recognition by the mobile smart device of the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the communication-enabled locations;

(2) an application for download to a mobile smart device that causes the mobile smart device to transmit the ID signal unique to the player for receipt by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations;

or (3) a personal broadcast device that broadcasts the ID signal unique to the player.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the game server is in secure communication with one or all of:

the player'"'"'s mobile smart device;

the receiver at the communication-enabled location;

or a functional component at the communication-enabled location that communicates with the player.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the transmitter device is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) beacon that emits a unique BTLE ID signal, the communication-enabled locations are BTLE-enabled locations, and the application downloaded to the player'"'"'s mobile smart device receives the BTLE ID signal and transmits all or a portion of the BTLE ID signal to the game server.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the BTLE beacon is incorporated with a functional component display in the BTLE-enabled location, the game server communicating the personalized message to the player via the display.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the display is an interactive display via which the player communicates with the game server.

7. The method as in claim 4, wherein the game server communicates the personalized message to the player via the player'"'"'s mobile smart device.

8. The method as in claim 4, wherein the BTLE beacon is incorporated with a functional component within the communication-enabled location that performs other game-related functions.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the functional component is one of a ticket checker device that scans game tickets presented by the player and communicates with the game server to verify or authenticate the game tickets, or a game console wherein the player can interactively engage with the game server for purchase of game tickets or other game-related functions.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the Identity and location of the communication-enabled locations are published to the players via an electronic map provided on a website.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the game of chance is a lottery game within a defined lottery jurisdiction, and the communication-enabled locations are retail locations within the lottery jurisdiction authorized for sale of lottery tickets.

18. The method as in claim 11, wherein the lottery game is a draw game, and players in the draw game are awarded a location-specific multiplier in the draw game for visiting one or more of the communication-enabled locations that increases an award generated in the draw game.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the location-specific multiplier is randomly drawn at the communication-enabled location at the time of the player'"'"'s visit.

12. A method for play of a game of chance wherein players visit one or more physical locations to increase a likelihood of success or enhanced winnings in the previously mentioned game of chance, the method comprising:

designating a plurality of physical locations as authorized communication-enabled locations, wherein each communication-enabled location is configured with a transmitter device that is unique to the aforementioned location, that broadcasts an ID signal unique to the communication-enabled location or a receiver that receives an ID signal unique to a particular player;

providing the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations to the players;

providing the players with capability to receive the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices within the communication-enabled locations on a mobile smart device, or to broadcast the ID signal unique to the player for receipt by the receiver in the communication-enabled locations;

providing a game server that is common to the communication-enabled locations, wherein for each of the players in one of the communication-enabled locations, the game server receives a transmission that includes at least part of the ID signal unique to the respective communication-enabled location or the ID signal unique to the player, the game server thereby identifying the players and their respective communication-enabled location;

providing a personalized message to the player with instructions as to how the player can increase their likelihood of success in the game of chance, or obtain an increased prize value, at the respective communication-enabled location as compared to players competing in the same game of chance who do not visit one of the communication-enabled locations;

wherein the game of chance is a lottery game within a defined lottery jurisdiction, and the communication-enabled locations are retail locations within the lottery jurisdiction authorized for sale of lottery tickets; and

wherein the lottery game is a draw game wherein an initial defined number of play indicia selected by the player, or randomly generated for the player, from a set of indicia are compared with final game indicia randomly drawn from the set of indicia to determine winning plays of the lottery game, wherein players that visit one or more of the communication-enabled locations are awarded one or more additional play indicia from the set of indicia to increase a likelihood of success in the draw game, and whereas players in the draw game that do not visit one or more of the communication-enabled locations are limited to play of the initial defined number of play indicia in the draw game.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the additional play indicia are randomly generated by the server and revealed to the player at the communication-enabled location.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the additional play indicia are randomly generated prior to a drawing event wherein the final game Indicia are randomly generated from the set of indicia.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein the additional play indicia are randomly generated after a drawing event wherein the final game indicia are randomly generated.

16. The method as in claim 12, wherein the lottery game is draw Bingo game and the additional play indicia are additional Bingo numbers that may be used by the player to complete a pattern on a Bingo card.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein each communication-enabled location within the lottery jurisdiction is assigned a randomly generated Bingo number that may be used by the player to complete the pattern on their respective Bingo card, the identity and location of the additional Bingo numbers being made known to the player either before or after a drawing event wherein final Bingo numbers are randomly drawn for use by all players in the draw Bingo game.