Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 7,819,747 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gamelogic Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Sabet, Bijan, Hardy, Dow
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/636,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game includes a dice game in which the result is revealed. In another example, the dice game is coupled with a second level game in which at least a portion of the result is revealed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for playing a wagering game of chance comprising acts of:

issuing a ticket to a player for the wagering game of chance, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket;

providing access to a primary game, comprising a computer-based game of chance, including an act of validating at least the code sent from a host computer to an authentication server through a communications network, the authentication server being separate from the host computer;

accessing a stored result of the wagering game of chance using the code, wherein the stored result is determined by play of a secondary game different than the primary game on an outcome generating server separate from the host computer;

providing for the player to play the computer-based game of chance on different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the player accesses a game interface of the computer-based game of chance, and wherein the computer-based game is configured to reveal the stored result of the wagering game of chance in response to play of the computer-based game of chance on the different medium;

requiring, during play of the computer-based game, that the player provide a prediction of an outcome of game play in the game interface of the computer-based game; and

displaying an outcome of the computer-based game, wherein the outcome of the computer based game is adjusted to reflect at least the prediction of the game play and the stored result of the wagering game.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes issuing at least one of a lottery ticket, a scratch ticket, and a pull-tab ticket.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stored result of the wagering game of chance include an overall prize value,

wherein the computer-based game of chance is further configured to reveal the stored result of the wagering game of chance in response to play of a plurality of game instances of the computer-based game of chance, and

wherein at least one prize awarded in response to play of the plurality of game instances of the computer-based game accumulates to form the overall prize value.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing a computer-based game further comprises an act of permitting access to the stored result of the wagering game of chance by using the code as a decryption key to obtain the result.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of storing, on a server, result of the game of chance.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing, in a database of a computer system, a portion of a decryption key, the portion being used along with the code by the computer system to obtain the result.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the computer-based game.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising an act of obtaining, from the database of the computer system, the portion of the decryption key based on an identifier printed on the ticket.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the identifier is a serial number associated with the ticket.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of presenting, to the player, an interface in which the player is permitted to enter the code to obtain security access to the result.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer-based game of chance includes a dice game, and the act of requiring includes an act of requiring a prediction by the player of one or more die outcomes.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer-based game includes an associated second level game.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer-based game is a computer-based dice game involving a plurality of rolls of one or more dice, and wherein the player plays the plurality of rolls of one or more dice within an interface of the computer-based game.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ticket discloses the number of game instances of the dice game awarded to the player.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is predetermined.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is predetermined.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the reveals are randomly determined by the client.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sequence of reveals is stored in a database of a server.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of revealing, to the player, an item associated with a second level game.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the item is used to play a second level game.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the item is used by the player to reveal a prize won by the player during play of the second level game.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein an act of playing the dice game reveals an outcome.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acts of determining whether the result of the game of chance includes a winning outcome, and if so, presenting to the player one or more of the predicted outcomes as a winning outcome.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising an act of displaying, if the result of the game of chance includes a winning outcome, a prize awarded to the player.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the result of the game of chance are determined prior to play of the computer-based game.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the outcome is determined independent of play of the computer-based game.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, and credit.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein an indication of the prize won by the player is stored in a database of a server, and is downloaded to a computer presenting the computer-based game to the player.

29. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of associating, with the ticket, additional opportunities to win.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the wagering game of chance.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.

32. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing, by a first server associated with a first game, a result associated with the wagering game of chance.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein the first server further comprises a random number generator, and the random number generator performs an act of determining a set numbers associated with the issued ticket.

37. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising an act of determining the result of the game of chance based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the game of chance includes at least one of a Keno game and a bingo game, and the act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket comprises an act of selecting a predetermined number of numbers from a predetermined set of numbers.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before gaining access to obtain the result associated with the ticket.

41. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issued ticket discloses a number of game instances awarded to the player.

42. The method according to claim 1, wherein the result of the wagering game of chance for the ticket is determined after the ticket is issued to the player.

43. The method according to claim 42, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.