System and method for playing a role-playing game

• US 7,357,715 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Kane, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/910,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20060027965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 273/292, 273/269, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/143.R, 273/274, 463/18, 463/17, 463/19, 463/20, 463/42, 463/13, 463/12
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 method and apparatus for playing a variation of keno in which the game player pays to play through any number of methods, reveals whether the player has a winning number of matches by playing a solitaire game, and then receives the appropriate winnings if any. The solitaire game may be played, for example, over the Internet or other network using a computer system. The computer system may be, for instance, a cell phone, a personal computer, a set-top box, kiosk, or other computing system.

Claims

1. A method for playing a keno game having an associated game session on a game computer, the method comprising acts of:

a) selecting a plurality of numbers associated with a player;

b) automatically selecting a plurality of winning numbers associated with the keno game;

c) determining one or more matches between the plurality of numbers associated with the player and the plurality of winning numbers, the one or more matches indicating keno winnings of the player the one or more matches indicating keno winnings of the player being intially unrevealed to the player; and

after steps a) through c), conducting a solitaire game, wherein play of the solitaire game by the player reveals the previously unrevealed one or more matches between the plurality of numbers associated with the player and the plurality of winning numbers.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of paying, by the player, to play the keno game, the player paying with money or loyalty points.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of paying, by the player, to play the keno game, the player paying by cash, debit or credit card, account credit or loyalty program credit.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of subscribing, by the player, to play multiple game sessions.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an act of automatically renewing the subscription.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of paying, by the player, to play the keno game, wherein the player pays to play the keno game at a casino.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising an act of issuing a ticket to the player upon receiving payment for playing the game.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the keno game is conducted by the gaming computer, further comprising an act of permitting the player to enter ticket information into the gaming computer to play the keno game.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of conducting the solitaire game includes permitting the player to play against the game operator.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player is permitted to play the keno game without playing the solitaire game.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player does not need to play the solitaire game to win the keno game.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of conducting the solitaire game comprises an act of revealing, during play of the solitaire game, the one or more matches by revealing at least one identifier of a card used in the solitaire game, the at least one card associated with one of the plurality of winning numbers.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the player is permitted to play by at least one of a group comprising an interactive television, a personal computer, a kiosk, a handheld device, and a telephone having a display.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of representing a plurality of specified cards in the solitaire game, each of the plurality of specified cards associated with one of the plurality of numbers associated with the player.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of specified cards revealed during play of the solitaire game also reveals whether a number represented by the at least one of the plurality of specified cards matches one of the plurality of winning numbers.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein all of the plurality of specified cards are revealed at least by a completion of play of the solitaire game.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of revealing how many of the plurality of numbers associated with the player match the plurality of winning numbers.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play at a location that is off-site from a legal gambling jurisdiction.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the legal gambling jurisdiction includes a casino.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein a payout for winning the keno game depends upon the number of matching numbers between the player'"'"'s numbers and the winning numbers.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the payout for winning increases as the number of matching numbers increases.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein a payout for winning the keno game is increased with an increase in payment by the player to play.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of maintaining one or more progressive jackpots.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of conducting the game includes an act of maintaining a payout table, wherein the payout table is not directly determined by the odds of winning with or without a fee to the gaming operator.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein a payout for winning the keno game includes at least one of money, credit, merchandise and loyalty points.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of determining a payout for winning the keno game, wherein the payout for winning the keno game includes at least one of cash, check, debit card, and account credit.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of awarding loyalty points to the player, wherein the payout includes at least one of a loyalty program credit and an account credit.

28. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of awarding winnings to the player, and wherein the player is permitted to receive the winnings only at a legal gambling jurisdiction.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the legal gambling jurisdiction includes a casino.

30. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of conducting a plurality of game sessions of the keno game in a continual manner.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player plays the keno game on a computer system, and wherein the computer system randomly picks the plurality of numbers associated with the player from a predetermined set of numbers.

32. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, picking, in a random manner, the plurality of winning numbers from a predetermined set of numbers.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the plurality of winning numbers and the plurality of numbers associated with the player are drawn, performing acts of:

determining how many numbers match between the numbers associated with the player and the plurality of winning numbers; and

determining a payout based upon a predetermined payout table.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the payout is determined independently of play of the game of solitaire by the player.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the payout table is based solely on number of matches between the plurality of winning numbers and the plurality of numbers associated with the player.

36. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of displaying an indication of a winning player to a plurality of players.

37. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of automatically notifying the player of a game result.

38. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of automatically notifying the player of winnings.

39. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to enter the game session through an alternative method of entry (AMOE).

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player is permitted to pay for playing the game through a lottery agent.

41. The method according to claim 40, further comprising an act of issuing the player a ticket upon paying.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the player is permitted to enter information relating to the issued ticket into the gaming computer upon which the player plays the game of solitaire.

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player plays the game over a communication network.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication network includes the Internet.