Abstract:
A method for operating a lottery style game of chance that offers a player the opportunity to parlay their previous cash prize winnings into larger potential cash prize winnings is provided. The method is comprised of the following steps: having a player select a number from a group of numbers, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for a given drawing period, comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period, allowing the player to continue the game if the selected number matches the winning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the amount of the potential cash prize if the number the player selected continues to match the randomly generated winning number during the course of consecutive drawing periods.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     The present invention relates generally to games of chance and, more particularly, to a lottery based game of chance that allows a player the option to retain a cash prize from winning a lottery game or the opportunity to relinquish the cash prize in exchange for the chance to win a larger cash prize.  
         [0006]     2. Background Art  
         [0007]     Games of chance, especially lottery style games of chance, have been in existence for many years. Generally, these lottery games are under the control of a state or a number of states. The revenues generated from lottery style games of chance are typically shared with the public school systems within the state as a means of subsidizing the cost of programs for children attending public schools. Schools often depend heavily on the revenues from state run lotteries to give children every possibly learning advantage. States are continually seeking the next new great lottery game to keep interest high among the players, which, in turn, helps to ensure a steady stream of revenues for the state and the public school system.  
         [0008]     During the past few years, state lottery commissions have begun the practice of licensing eating and drinking establishments to sell lottery tickets. Typically, the lottery tickets are sold at bars, restaurants, and other locales where customers will tend to stay for an extended period of time. One lottery style game of chance that has been introduced at these establishments is known as “KENO”. This particular game allows a player to select a combination of numbers from one (1) through eighty (80). The combination of numbers the player may select from ranges from one (1) through ten (10). The player may wager any amount on the game he or she wishes, typically from one dollar to twenty dollars. The payout to the player is dependent on how many of his or her selected numbers exactly match a set of randomly generated winning numbers. Generally, there are twenty randomly generated winning numbers. Depending on the quantity of numbers selected, the player may not have to match all of his or her selected numbers with winning numbers. For example, if the player has selected ten numbers, he or she may still win a cash prize if only six of the selected numbers exactly match any of the twenty randomly generated winning numbers. However, the winning cash payout grows with a greater number of selected numbers matching those winning numbers that have been randomly generated.  
         [0009]     KENO has grown in popularity partly because patrons are able to place wagers and view results within the confines of the establishment offering the KENO game. Another aspect of the game that makes it very popular with the patrons is the fact that a new game may be played every five minutes. This allows the player to enjoy playing multiple games with a selected set of numbers or allows the player to change numbers every five minutes.  
         [0010]     The benefit for the state lottery commission and ultimately the state&#39;s public school system is an income stream that occurs every 5 minutes throughout a day. However, as with any lottery style game of chance, interest in the new game is very high at first, but then begins to wane over time leading to a loss of overall income. The stream of income over five minute intervals may still remain, but the total revenues begin to fall with a loss of interest.  
         [0011]     Therefore, a need exists for a lottery style game of chance that increases the interest of consumers by offering players the option for players to either retain a cash prize obtained from a winning ticket or the opportunity to relinquish the cash prize and a chance to win a larger cash prize by parlaying their present winnings into future drawings. Furthermore, the lottery style game of chance may provide for a set periodic interval between games throughout the day while allowing players to play the game at local drinking, eating, and betting establishments.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     In accordance with the present invention a method for operating a lottery style game of chance is provided that offers a player the opportunity to parlay their previous cash prize winnings into larger potential cash prize winnings. The method is comprised of the following steps: having a player select a number from a group of numbers, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for a given drawing period, comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period, allowing the player to continue the game if the selected number matches the winning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the amount of the potential cash prize if the number the player selected continues to match the randomly generated winning number during the course of consecutive drawing periods. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:  
         [0014]     FOG.  1  is a plan view of a lottery wager slip used to indicate to an entity controlling a lottery style game of chance the intentions of a lottery player according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier  1  wager of a single draw option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier  2  wager of the single draw option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting the operation of an advance wager option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     Referring now to the drawings, a preferred illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown in detail. Although the drawings represent an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Further, the embodiment set forth herein is not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise to limit or restrict the invention to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.  
         [0019]     Illustrated in  FIG. 1  is an example of what a typical lottery wager slip  10  may resemble according to an embodiment of the present invention. Included within wager slip  10  are a number of fields that may be marked by the player to indicate his or her lottery gaming intentions to a licensed lottery retailer. In this particular embodiment, the player may participate in the lottery game of chance by employing alternative means of placing a wager. The player indicates his or her intention as to the method of wagering by marking in either single draw field  12  or advance wager field  18  on wager slip  10 .  
         [0020]     Single draw field  12  comprises the components of a single drawing wager of the game. Within single draw field  12  are a first number selection block  14  and a wager block  16 . Number block  14  is the area of field  12 , which the player selects from, or has randomly chosen, a number he or she hopes will match a winning number generated by a state&#39;s lottery commission. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , number block  14  contains a list of numbers ranging from zero (0) through nine (9) that may be selected by a player. Also provided in number block  14  is an opportunity for the player to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers within the range, by selecting “Random Pick”, if the player so desires. It should be understood, however, that the quantity of numbers illustrated in number block  14  has been presented in order to describe a particular embodiment of the present invention. This particular range of numbers is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.  
         [0021]     Wager block  16  is used by the player to indicate the amount of money he or she would like to wager on the lottery game. It should be understood that the entity operating the game may decide the size of the wager to be placed on any one game. A range of wager amounts is illustrated to aid in an explanation of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]     Advance wager field  18  that comprises the components of an advanced wagering option of the game. Within advance wager field  18  are a second number selection block  20  and a consecutive drawings selection block  22 . Number block  20  is the area of field  18 , which the player selects from, or has randomly chosen, a number he or she hopes will match the winning numbers generated by a state&#39;s lottery commission for each drawing the player chooses to participate in. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , number block  20  consists of six columns of numbers, each ranging from zero (0) through nine (9). The player will select a single number from each column based on the number of drawings of the game the player decides to play. Also provided in number block  20  is an opportunity for the player to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers within the range, by selecting “R” at the bottom of each column of numbers, if the player so desires. Once again, it should be understood, however, that the quantity of numbers illustrated in number block  20  has been presented in order to describe a particular embodiment of the present invention. This particular range of numbers is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.  
         [0023]     Consecutive drawings selection block  22  is used by the player to indicate to the lottery commission his or her intentions on the number of drawings to play in the game. The player may indicate the number of drawings to play by selecting one of the numbers two (2) through (6) in block  22 . It should be understood that the entity operating the lottery game may decide on the number of allowable consecutive drawings for any player to play in the advanced wagering option of the game. This particular range of drawings is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 2-3  are flow diagrams that illustrate a manner in which the game may be operated and played under the single draw option. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the player may begin the lottery game by deciding on the amount he or she wishes to wager as a single draw wager at step  100  by indicating in wager block  16  a wager amount and presenting that amount to a licensed lottery retailer. Next, the player selects a number from number block  14  of single draw field  12  to play at step  105  that he or she thinks will match the winning number that will be generated by the lottery commission or other entity operating the game. After completing wager slip  10 , the player presents the wager slip along with the wager to a licensed lottery agent for input into a computer system to record both the wager and selected number for latter verification after a winning number has been generated. Finally the lottery agent returns a lottery receipt at step  110  to the player that contains the selected number and wager amount to be represented to the lottery agent if the selected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.  
         [0025]     Generally, the state lottery commission holds a drawing, the frequency of which to be determined by that entity, to generate a winning number that players compare to the number they have selected and are contained on their wager receipt. The generation of a number for use with this particular embodiment would be no different. The state lottery commission will generate a single winning number in any manner it chooses, as depicted at step  115 . After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number that has been generated with the number he or she selected and is contained on the wager receipt at step  120 . If the number on their wager receipt matches the number generated by the state lottery commission, the player wins a prize, typically some denomination of a cash prize. If, however, the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at step  125 .  
         [0026]     If the number on the wager receipt has matched the generated winning number, the player if offered a choice on a course of action to take next. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt for the cash prize at step  130 . For example, the player may win a cash prize equal to five dollars ($5) for every one dollar ($1) wagered. If the player chooses this course of action, he or she will collect their winnings and the game will end at step  135 .  
         [0027]     Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win a larger cash prize or ‘parlay’ his or her winnings from the previous game. If the player so decides, he or she forfeits the cash prize, at step  140 , that he or she has won for the opportunity to win a larger cash prize. If the player does indeed decide to proceed further with the game, he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prize even if the player loses at a later stage in the game. After deciding to continue with the game at step  140 , the player will be directed to continue the game as depicted in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0028]     The game continues as illustrated in  FIG. 3  in much the same manner as described above. The player submits the winning wager receipt and an additional wager to the licensed lottery dealer at step  200 . The player also selects a new number from number block  14  at step  205  that he or she thinks will match the randomly generated winning number.  
         [0029]     After the wager has been submitted and the number selected, the details of which the licensed lottery dealer inputs into a computer system to record both the wager and selected number for latter verification after a winning number has been generated, the player is given a receipt documenting the wager as a Tier  2  wager, at step  210 , which is distinguishes this wager from the previous wager receipt received by the player at step  110 . The receipt contains the selected number and Tier  2  wager amount that may be represented to the lottery agent if the selected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.  
         [0030]     The state lottery commission generates a single winning number, as described previously, at step  215 . After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number that has been generated with the number he or she selected and is contained on the wager receipt at step  220 . If the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her Tier  2  wager and the game ends at step  225 . The player will also lose any cash prize that he or she had previously won from placing the Tier  1  wager.  
         [0031]     If, however, the generated winning number matches the number on the wager receipt, the player is offered yet another choice on a course of action to take next. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt for a cash prize at step  230 . For example, the player may win a cash prize equal to fifty dollars ($50) for every Tier  2  wager if the player chose the parlay option and has correctly selected the winning numbers in the two consecutive drawings of the game the player has played. If the player chooses this course of action, he or she will collect their cash prize and the game will end at step  235 .  
         [0032]     Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win still a larger cash prize by continuing to parlay his or her winnings from the previous drawings. If the player so decides, he or she forfeits the cash prize, at step  240 , that he or she has already won for the opportunity to win a larger cash prize. If the player does indeed decide to proceed further with the game, he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prizes, even if the player loses at a later stage in the game. After deciding to continue with the game at step  240 , the player will be directed to continue the game and place a Tier  3  wager on the game.  
         [0033]     If the player so chooses to continue with the Tier  3  wager on the game, the player enters a third round of wagering and number selection just as described in the Tier  1  and Tier  2  wagers of the game and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . If the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends. The player will also lose any cash prize that he or she had previously won from placing the Tier  1  and Tier  2  wagers. If, however, the single number selected by the player matches the single number generated by the lottery commission, the player will win the Tier  3  wager and will be once again offered the opportunity to keep the cash prize. For example, if the player has selected the winning numbers in the three consecutive drawings of the game the player has played, the player may win a cash prize equal to five hundred dollars ($500) for every Tier  3  wager. If the player opts to continue with the game he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prizes, even if the player loses at a later stage in the game.  
         [0034]     The number of tiers employed in the game is left to the discretion of the lottery entity operating the game. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, six tiers are used to illustrate the operation of the game and the possible amounts of cash prizes. Wagering and number selection continue in much the same way as described previously for each of the subsequent tiers remaining to be played in the game. As long as the player continues to select the numbers that match the numbers generated by the lottery commission the player will continue to win each graduated wager tier and larger cash prizes. If the player continues to win, he or she will be offered the option of keeping the cash prize for a particular tier wager or continuing to play until all six wagering tiers have been completed. For example, if the player opts to redeem the wager receipt for a cash prize the player may be entitled to the following cash prizes: If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings from the Tier  1 , Tier  2 , and Tier  3  wagers into a Tier  4  wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for every Tier  4  wager if the player decides to end the game after winning the Tier  4  wager. If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings the Tier  1 , Tier  2 , Tier  3 , and Tier  4  wagers into a Tier  5  wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for every Tier  5  wager if the player decides to end the game after the Tier  5  wager. If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings the Tier  1 , Tier  2 , Tier  3 , Tier  4 , and Tier  5  wagers into a Tier  6  wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for every Tier  6  wager.  
         [0035]     Also, as stated above, if the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at that particular tier the player has placed a wager on. The player will also lose the cash prizes that he or she had previously won from previous tier or tiers the player has placed a wager on.  
         [0036]     As stated, six wagering tiers of the game have been described above to merely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entity operating the game has the ability to alter the number of wagering tiers in use in any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prize amounts described above have also been employed merely to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that the game may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cash prizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of the game.  
         [0037]     As stated previously, it is also to be understood that the numbers available for selection in number block  12 , ten (10), have been presented in this manner to aid in fully describing an embodiment of the present invention. Any combination of numbers may be used in the number block as determined by the entity conducting the game.  
         [0038]     Alternatively, the player may choose to participate in the game by placing advance wagers rather than a single wager for each drawing. Advanced wagering allows the player to lay a single wager while providing the opportunity to participate in any number of consecutive drawings from two (2) through six (6). The advance wager option may be played with a single wager on all tiers selected as opposed to having to place a separate, additional wager on each tier when playing the game by the single draw option. While the advance wager option offers the convenience of having to lay only one wager to participate in multiple consecutive drawings, it also locks the player into the selected number of drawings. The advance wager option does not allow the player the opportunity of the single draw option, namely, to choose between collecting a cash prize or parlaying the cash prize after each winning tier wager.  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram that illustrates the operation of the advance wager option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention. The player indicates his or her intentions in advance wager field  18  of wager slip  10  by selecting and marking in consecutive drawings selection block  22  and number block  20 . The player may begin the lottery game by deciding on the amount he or she wishes to wager at step  300 . In this particular embodiment, the wager amount may be a set amount as determined by the entity operating the game, for example, one dollar ($1) may be the wager amount. Alternatively, the lottery commission, or other entity, may allow players to select different wager amounts (similar to wager block  16  of the single wager option of the game).  
         [0040]     Next, the player would select how many drawings to play in from consecutive drawings selection block  22  at step  305 . By selecting any number of drawings to play, in this particular embodiment any number of drawings from two (2) through six (6), the player is locking himself or herself into that particular number of consecutive lottery drawings. If the player decides to play only a single drawing, the player will be directed to participate in the single draw option of the game rather than the advance wager option. Unlike the single draw option, the player does not have the choice to redeem a winning lottery receipt after a particular drawing if all the consecutive drawings the player has chosen to participate in have not been completed. For example, if the player wishes to play in all six drawings, the player cannot decide after having won each of the previous four drawings to end the game and collect the cash prize. In this particular example, the player was locked in for six drawings at the time of the initial wager.  
         [0041]     After the selection of the number of drawings the player desires to play in, the player will select a number from each of the various columns of numbers in number block  20  at step  310 . The player will select one single number, or, alternatively, opt for the computer to randomly select a single number (by selecting “R” rather than a number), from each column that corresponds to the number of drawings the player has selected at step  305  in block  22 . For example, if the player has selected to play in five consecutive drawings, the player would select a single number (or “R” for random selection) from each of five columns of numbers in number block  20 . The numbers selected by the player may all be the same, they may be different, or some or all numbers may be chosen randomly.  
         [0042]     After completing field  18  of wager slip  10 , the player presents the wager slip along with the wager to a licensed lottery agent for input into a computer system to record both the wager and selected numbers for latter verification after the winning numbers have been generated. Finally, the lottery agent returns a lottery receipt at step  315  to the player that contains the selected number of consecutive drawings, numbers, and wager amount. The receipt may be represented to the lottery agent for validation of a winning receipt if the selected numbers on the receipt match the generated winning numbers for each of the drawings within the selected consecutive drawing period.  
         [0043]     The state lottery commission generates a single winning number for each drawing, as described previously, at step  320 . After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number for first drawing that has been generated with the number he or she selected for the first drawing and is contained on the wager receipt at step  325 . If the generated winning number for the first drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for the first drawing, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at step  330 .  
         [0044]     If, however, the generated winning number for first drawing matches the number on the wager receipt for first drawing, the wager receipt is still valid. The player does not have the option of either collecting a cash prize or continuing with the game (as is offered in the single draw option of the game) at this point of the advance wager option of the game. If the player attempts to redeem his or her receipt at this point in the game, the lottery commission will identify whether the player has completed all the consecutive drawings he or she originally selected at step  335 . If all the drawings have not been completed, the game will continue and another number will be generated, as described above, at step  320 . This new, winning, second drawing number will now be matched to the number selected by the player in the second drawing. If the generated winning number for second drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for second drawing, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at step  330 .  
         [0045]     If, however, the generated winning number for second drawing matches the number on the wager receipt for second drawing, the player&#39;s wager receipt is still valid. If the player attempts to redeem his or her receipt at this point in the game, the lottery commission will identify whether the player has completed all the consecutive drawings he or she originally selected at step  335 . If, for example, the player decides to participate in only two drawings of the game, the player may redeem his or her wager receipt with the lottery commission in exchange for a cash prize and the game will end at step  340 . If all the drawings have not been completed, the game will continue as described above and another number will be generated at step  320 .  
         [0046]     The advance wager option of the game will continue in this manner until the player is either unsuccessful in matching a winning number with his or her selected number at any particular drawing or all selected numbers in the selected drawings have been successfully matched to the generated winning numbers by the lottery commission, at which point the player may redeem his or her wager receipt for a cash prize.  
         [0047]     Examples of a wager and cash prize may include the following. For a single wager of one dollar ($1) on the advance wager option of the game, a player may win a cash prize of fifty dollars ($50) for successfully matching all numbers through the second drawing. If all numbers are successfully matched with the generated winning numbers through third drawing, the player may win a cash prize in the amount of, for example, five hundred dollars ($500), through the fourth drawing, five thousand dollars ($5,000), though fifth drawing, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), and, finally, through the sixth drawing, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).  
         [0048]     A difference between single draw option and the advance wager option of the game is that multiple drawings of the advance wager option may be played with a single one time wager as opposed to the single draw option where multiple wagers are placed to continue to play in each drawing. Another difference between the single draw option and the advance wager option of the game is that the player engaging in the single draw option will have the choice to continue playing in a subsequent drawing or taking the cash prize associated with winning the previous drawing. The player engaging in the advance wager option of the game is not given the choice to collect the cash prize; he or she is locked into playing all the consecutive drawings he or she opted to play in when submitting the wager slip to a licensed lottery retailer.  
         [0049]     Although there are differences that exist between the single draw option and the advance wager option of the game, they are still based upon the same principles of a progressive lottery style game of chance. The player that will participate in this style of game is hoping to parlay a small wager into a much larger cash prize and this particular embodiment of the present invention offers the player two alternatives to do so.  
         [0050]     As stated, six tiers of wagering of the game have been described above to merely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entity operating the game has the ability to alter the number of tiers in use in any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prize amounts described above have also been employed merely to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that the game may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cash prizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of the game.  
         [0051]     It is also to be understood that the numbers available for selection in number block  20 , ten (10) have been presented in this manner to aid in fully describing an embodiment of the present invention. Any combination of numbers may be used in the number block as determined by the entity conducting the game.  
         [0052]     The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiment, which is merely illustrative of the best modes presently known for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiment of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method within the scope of these claims and their equivalents by covered thereby. This description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combination of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiment is illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.