Methods and apparatus for providing tickets from gaming devices and/or lottery terminals which are not dependent on a player's success on the underlying game

• US 7,686,687 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Maroney, Mike, Adams, William R., Cannon, Lee E., Guinn, Robert, Roemer, Mick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US10/353,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/146 by issuing a winning ticket
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0665 having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer for educational purposes G09B
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

Gaming devices dispense tickets which are unrelated to a player'"'"'s success on a particular game played on a gaming device or to the player'"'"'s credits on a credit meter or other “cash out” indicator. The gaming devices provide gaming awards and also provide tickets. Other methods provide tickets during the play of wagering games. Still other embodiments comprise lottery terminals which dispense tickets other than those purchased by a lottery patron or won on a purchased lottery ticket.

Claims

1. A gaming device comprising:

means for receiving a wager;

means for playing a wagering game after receiving a wager wherein a player'"'"'s outcome at said wagering game is, at least partially, randomly determined;

means for providing a gaming award in response to said player having a winning outcome in said wagering game; and

means for dispensing at least one ticket which is not a gaming award, and is not dependent on said player'"'"'s existing credits, and wherein the at least one ticket is dispensed in response to an event other than the receipt of a wager at the gaming device and said dispensing means dispenses a ticket randomly regardless of whether said gaming device is being played.