System and method for play of a lottery second chance game wherein game players visit a communication-enabled location to satisfy a requirement for entry into the second chance game

• US 9,911,284 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:
  US14/948,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• 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 17/3267 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 play of a lottery second-chance game wherein players visit one or more physical locations to satisfy requirements for entry into the second chance game. The players are provided with the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations, and such locations are configured with a transmitter device that broadcasts an ID signal that is unique to the respective communication-enabled location. In one embodiment, the players are provided an application for download to a mobile smart device, the application enabling recognition and receipt by the device of the unique ID signals emitted by the transmitter devices. A game server is in secure communication with one or both of the player'"'"'s mobile smart device or a functional component within the communication-enabled location, the game server identifying the player and the particular communication-enabled location upon receipt of a transmission that includes at least part of the unique ID signal. Receipt of the transmission by the server functions to verify that the player is within the communication-enabled location, and the server automatically credits to the player satisfaction of a requirement for entry into the second chance game.

Claims

1. A method for play of a lottery second-chance game wherein players visit one or more physical locations to satisfy requirements for entry into the second chance game, the method comprising:

establishing game rules for a second-chance game that provides an opportunity for non-winning players in a primary lottery game to win an award in the second-chance game;

the game rules requiring the players to visit one or more communication-enabled locations and to perform an action at the communication-enabled locations before the players are entered into the second chance game;

providing the identity and location of the communication-enabled locations to the players, wherein the communication-enabled locations are configured with a transmitter device that broadcasts an ID signal that is unique to the communication-enabled location;

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

providing a game server in secure communication with one or both of the player'"'"'s mobile smart device or a functional component within the communication-enabled location, the game server identifying the player and the particular communication-enabled location upon receipt of a transmission that includes at least part of the unique ID signal and an ID signal unique to a particular player;

wherein receipt of the transmission by the server functions to verify that the player is within the communication-enabled location, and the game server automatically credits to the player satisfaction of a requirement for entry into the second chance game;

wherein for entry into the second-chance game, the players are required to collect a set of different tokens from the communication-enabled locations, wherein a unique token of the set is assigned to each of the communication-enabled locations; and

wherein the tokens are pre-assigned to the communications-enabled locations and location and at least a partial identity of the unique tokens is published to the players so that the players can select particular communications-enabled locations to visit in order to satisfy the requirement.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein based on the ID signal unique to the player and without further action by the player to interface with the game server other than entering the communication-enabled location, the game server generates and transmits a personalized message to the player at the communication enabled location that informs the player that they have satisfied the requirement by visiting the communication-enabled location or informs the player of any additional action that must be performed at the communication-enabled location to satisfy the requirement.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the personalized message is transmitted to the functional component within the communication-enabled location or to the player'"'"'s mobile smart device.

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 the functional component in the BTLE-enabled location, the game server communicating a personalized message to the player via the functional component that informs the player that they have satisfied the requirement by visiting the BTLE-enabled location or informs the player of any additional action that must be performed at the communication-enabled location to satisfy the requirement.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the personalized message is transmitted to a display of the functional component.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the functional component is a game console wherein the player can interactively engage with the game server for purchase of game tickets in the primary game or other game-related functions.

8. 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.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the players are assigned a game card with a pattern that must be satisfied by the set of tokens collected from different ones of the communication-enabled locations.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein the game card is a Bingo card, and the tokens are Bingo numbers that are used by the players to satisfy a required Bingo pattern on the Bingo card.