Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

• US 7,976,374 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• 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, LaRocca, Paul, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Application Number:
  US11/003,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/10, 463/16, 463/4, 463/18, 463/25, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

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 is a reveal element game.

Claims

1. A method for administering a game of chance comprising acts of:

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

assigning a result of the game of chance to the code after the issuance of the ticket, the result of the game of chance driven by an outcome of a first game, wherein the outcome of the first game is determined by a drawing;

providing for the player to play a second game, the second game including a reveal element game played on a different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the code is used to gain access to the reveal element game, and wherein the reveal element game is a computer-based game including a reveal element comprising a graphical item displayed on a computer interface; and

providing to the player on the computer interface an indication of the result of the game of chance in response to a selection of the reveal element by the player in the computer interface.

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 of claim 1, wherein upon completion of play of the reveal element game, setting status information, by a game play server that is checked by a point of sale server when the player attempts to redeem the ticket, wherein the point of sale server is separate from the game play server.

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 results of the game of chance by using the code as a decryption key to obtain the results.

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

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing for the player to play a reveal element game includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the reveal element 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 results.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reveal element game is a game of chance.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a result of the selection of at least one reveal element in the reveal element game is determined by a random number generator.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is assigned to the ticket prior to issuing the ticket to the player.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of providing a pay table, the pay table having a plurality of entries distributed among one or more reveal elements.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is determined prior to providing for the player to play the reveal element game, and the method further comprises an act of presenting the prize total as a sequence of reveals.

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 14, wherein the plurality of entries of the pay table are distributed among a plurality of instances of the reveal element game.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising an act of increasing a value of available prizes distributed to later instances of the reveal element game.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the result of the selection of at least one reveal element selection in the reveal element game is an identification of a prize won by the player.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, and credit.

23. The method according to claim 21, 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.

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

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of the computer-based game.

27. 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 game of chance.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first server further comprises a random number generator, and the random number generator performs an act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket.

32. The method according to claim 27, further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising an act of determining the result of the game of chance based on a comparison of a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.

34. The method according to claim 31, 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.

35. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an act of permitting the player to redeem the issued ticket without playing the game on the different medium.

36. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined by a predetermined game script.

37. The method according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of reveals is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system during play of the reveal element game by the player.

38. The method according to claim 36, further comprising an act of determining a predetermined game script where a magnitude of prizes awarded for reveals associated with later win opportunities are progressively greater than the magnitude of prizes associated with reveals associated with earlier win opportunities.

39. The method according to claim 36, further comprising an act of determining, for an issued ticket indicated as a losing ticket, a game script comprising an indication that the player was substantially close to winning.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.

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

43. The method according to claim 1, wherein the issued ticket discloses the number of reveal element game instances awarded the player.

44. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prize total for the ticket is assigned to the ticket after the ticket is issued to the player.

45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the reveal element game in response to the act of determining the outcome.

47. The method according to claim 19, further comprising an act of increasing a value of available prizes distributed to later selections of reveal elements within an instance of the reveal element game.

48. The method according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating the ticket by sending the code from a host computer on which the reveal element game is played to a ticket validating computer server through a communications network, the ticket validating computer server separate from the host computer.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising restricting play of the reveal element game until the ticket is authenticated.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein authenticating the ticket further comprises an communicating the result of the game of chance by an outcome server to the host computer in response to the ticket validating computer server receiving a valid code from the host computer.

51. The method according to claim 1, wherein an outcome server determines the result of the game of chance by conducting at least one of a Keno game and a bingo game, and the method further comprises associating with the ticket the results of the at least one of the Keno game and the bingo game.

52. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an enhanced gaming experience to the player in response to the indication of the result of the game of chance indicating that the player did not win a prize.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein the enhanced gaming experience is a second level game.