Multiplier for lottery game

An improved multiplier for a lottery game is provided. In connection with a base lottery game, each player receives or selects a multiplier indicia (or other bonus indicia) from a pool of multiplier indicia. In addition to drawings for the base game, a drawing of multiplier indicia and a determination of associated multiplier values is also conducted. For those players winning the base game who also received a multiplier indicia matching the drawn multiplier indicia, the base game prize is multiplied by the associated multiplier value.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lottery games have become a method of raising revenue for state and federal governments the world over. Traditional scratch-off and on-line games have evolved over decades, supplying increasing revenue year after year. To increase interest and participation, some lottery games provide players a bonus in the form of a multiplier that can be applied to prizes won in the base lottery game. An additional game or drawing determines the multiplier, if any, to be applied to prizes won in the base lottery game. If the multiplier was awarded, all players participating in the multiplier portion of the game who also won the base game would have the same multiplier applied to their base game prizes, i.e., players, although winning different amounts in the base game, share the same multiplier value as a group. The present invention provides for different multiplier values to be assigned to various players of a base game and allows for weighting of such multiplier values as desired.

THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. The present invention provides an improved multiplier for a lottery game. In one exemplary form of the present invention, a method of conducting a lottery game is provided. From a defined set of indicia, players are allowed to select a predetermined number of player indicia. Players are also provided with player multiplier indicia selected from a defined pool of multiplier indicia. Two or more game indicia are drawn from the defined set of indicia. A game multiplier indicia is also drawn from the defined pool of multiplier indicia. A prize is awarded to each player matching two or more of the player indicia with the game indicia. For each player having player multiplier indicia identical to the game multiplier indicia drawn, any prize amount won by matching player indicia with the game indicia from the base game drawing is multiplied by a value associated with the game multiplier indicia.

Several variations exist for this exemplary form of the present invention. Player multiplier indicia may be randomly assigned by the game administrator, e.g. a lottery provider, according to a defined probability distribution on the pool of multiplier indicia, or players may be allowed to select player multiplier indicia from the pool of multiplier indicia. The pool of multiplier indicia may consist of multiplier values, e.g. the integers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 or, alternatively, may consist of various alphanumeric characters or symbols. The set of indicia from which players select player indicia may include various alphanumeric characters such as the integers in the range of 1 to 35. However, numerous other symbols and ranges may be used for the set of indicia. In one form of the invention, players are allowed to select up to six player indicia, but other numbers of indicia may be used. Game prizes may increase as the number of selected player indicia matching the drawn game indicia increases.

In another exemplary form of the present invention, a lottery game method is included. In this exemplary method, players are provided with a predetermined number of player indicia where each such player indicia was selected by the player from a set of indicia. Each player is also assigned a player bonus indicia, selected from a pool of bonus indicia, that corresponds to the predetermined number of player indicia selected by the player. A predetermined number of game indicia are drawn from the set of indicia. A game bonus indicia is drawn from the pool of bonus indicia. A prize is awarded to the player if the selected player indicia match two or more of the game indicia drawn. If such a prize is awarded, a bonus prize is also awarded to the player if the player bonus indicia matches the game bonus indicia. Variations similar to that previously described may also be applied.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a lottery game ticket is provided. The ticket includes a substrate, a player indicia area, a player multiplier indicia area, a plurality of indicia selected by a player and printed upon the substrate in the player indicia area, and a player multiplier indicia randomly selected by a lottery provider from a pool of multiplier indicia and printed upon the substrate in the multiplier indicia area. The player multiplier indicia may be randomly selected according to a probability distribution on the pool of multiplier indicia, so that some multiplier indicia may be selected as the player multiplier indicia more frequently than other multiplier indicia. Variations similar to the previously described may also be applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. Repeat use of reference characters throughout the present specification and appended drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

The present invention includes an improved multiplier for a lottery game.FIG. 1provides an exemplary embodiment of a lottery ticket100according to the present invention. Ticket100includes a substrate110onto which a plurality of player indicia120have been printed. Each indicia120has been selected by the player and printed onto ticket100at the time of purchase. Alternatively, ticket100might be a virtual ticket bearing the same indicia as described herein for substrate110. For this embodiment, the player has been allowed to select a predetermined number of six player indicia120from the set of indicia that includes integers 1 through 35. Ticket100also bears a player multiplier indicia (or bonus indicia)125with value 10×. The player multiplier indicia125was randomly assigned to lottery ticket100by the lottery provider at the time of purchase.

Subsequent to the purchase of lottery ticket100, the lottery provider conducts a drawing of game indicia out of the same set of indicia the player used for selecting player indicia120. This set of indicia for ticket100includes the integers 1 through 35. In this exemplary embodiment, the lottery provider conducts a drawing of up to six game indicia. If the player indicia120selected by the player includes two or more indicia120that match with the game indicia drawn by the lottery provider, the player wins a prize. The amount of the prize increases based on the number of indicia120that the player is able to match with the game indicia drawn by lottery provider. By way of example, for a purchase price130of $5, prizes might be structured as follows: $5 for two matches, $15 for three matches, $50 for four matches, $1,000 for 5 matches, and $50,000 if all six player indicia120match the game indicia drawn by the lottery provider.

In a further aspect of the invention, the lottery provider also conducts a drawing for a game multiplier indicia. For example, from a multiplier pool that includes multipliers of 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, and 10×, the lottery provider conducts a random drawing of one multiplier. If the player multiplier indicia125on ticket100matches the game multiplier indicia drawn by the lottery provider, the player's prize for matching two or more player indicia120with the game indicia drawn by the lottery provider is increased by the amount of the multiplier125. If, for example, the player of ticket100had matched four of the player indicia120with four game indicia, then the prize of $50 would be multiplied by the value of the player multiplier indicia125. In the case of ticket100, this would result in a ten-fold increase to $500. Regardless, while each multiplier indicia is not necessarily drawn as part of the game, each ticket100includes a multiplier indicia, and as such, each player participates in the drawing for a game multiplier. However, players with different multiplier indicia have chances of winning different multiplier values and do not necessarily win or lose as a single group.

FIG. 2illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a ticket200that may be used with the present invention. Ticket200is played in a manner similar to that which is described with regard to ticket100. However, with ticket200, five times (rows A through E) the player has picked six player indicia220, which are printed on ticket200in the player indicia areas235. Each of the five rows of player indicia220has also been randomly assigned a player multiplier indicia225(printed in the multiplier indicia area240of each row A through E) that applies to the six player indicia along a respective row. Accordingly, as compared to the one opportunity along row A of ticket100, ticket200provides the player with five opportunities in rows A through E to win by matching two or more player indicia with the game indicia drawn by the lottery provider. In addition, the player has a chance to also multiply any such win along one or more of rows A through E by the value of the corresponding player multiplier indicia225if such matches with the game multiplier indicia drawn by the lottery provider.

Ticket300shown inFIG. 3is played in a manner previously described with reference to ticket100. However, based on price330, ticket300may be played in three different lottery drawings conducted by the lottery provider. More specifically, the lottery provider may conduct a drawing of six or more game indicia on three separate occasions. A player uses ticket300in an attempt to match two or more player indicia320with the game indicia drawn on each such occasion. Any win in any of the three lottery drawings is multiplied by the value of the multiplier325as previously described.

For the exemplary embodiments ofFIGS. 1 through 3, player indicia120,220, and320were selected from the set of indicia including integers 1 through 35. However, numerous other indicia and ranges may be used including different numbers, letters, and/or symbols other than alphanumeric characters. In addition, a different number of player indicia may be used. For example, tickets100,200, and300each use six play indicia120,220, and320per row of player indicia area. Different numbers of indicia such as one or seven may be used, it being understood that the odds of such games can change with the number of player indicia used. In addition, the lottery provider may conduct a drawing of up to the same number of player indicia120,220, or320provided per ticket (six for these exemplary embodiments) or may choose to draw a different number of indicia to change the winning odds for the players.

As previously described, tickets100,200, and300were each randomly assigned a player multiplier indicia125,225, or325at, for example, the time of purchase of the lottery ticket. In another variation of the invention, however, a player may be allowed to purchase a multiplier of choice. For example, a player might select a single preferred multiplier value from the pool of available multiplier values or might select all such multipliers. Where only a single multiplier is drawn by the lottery provider, by purchasing all multipliers that player ensures that any win receives the benefit of at least one of the multipliers. In another variation of the invention, the lottery provider might choose to draw more than one multiplier. While the previous exemplary embodiments have been described using multipliers selected from the group that includes 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, and 10×, it should be understood that numerous other multiplier values may be used.

In embodiments in which player multiplier indicia are randomly assigned to base game tickets, each multiplier value may have the same probability of being assigned to a particular base game play (ticket). Alternatively, the frequencies of appearance of the different multiplier values may be weighted such that some values have higher probabilities of being assigned than others. For example, the pool of multiplier values might be weighted so that forty percent of the multiplier values assigned at the point of sale of the ticket are 3×, thirty percent are 4×, twenty percent are 5×, and ten percent are 10×. Once the pool of multiplier values has been weighted, then the weighted multiplier values from within that pool are randomly assigned to each ticket as such are purchased, for example. In an alternative embodiment, the multiplier values could be assigned on a weighted “nth” ticket basis or in a prescribed sequential (i.e. metered) fashion. For example, a repeating sequence of 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, and 10× (or some other pattern) could be followed as tickets are purchased. A distribution system could be used to randomize the appearance of any such sequence from the standpoint of the consumers. Still further methods and systems may be used for distributing the multipliers as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,292, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The drawing for the game multiplier indicia will correspond to a base game drawing. This multiplier drawing may be conducted either before or after the base game drawing. The drawing may be conducted using real or virtual spinning wheels, mechanical drawing machines, or by other methods known in the art. Each multiplier in the pool of multipliers could have an equal probability of being selected during the drawing. Alternatively, the game multiplier itself could be drawn randomly according to a probability distribution on the pool of multipliers. For example, a spinning wheel where some multipliers appear more times than others might be used.

In another variation of the present invention, the opportunity to participate in the drawing of a game multiplier indicia may be embedded or optional. For example, a player multiplier indicia may be automatically added to ticket100,200, or300. Alternatively, the player may be allowed to option out of the drawing for a game multiplier indicia to purchase a less expensive ticket.

Finally, the present invention has been described with regard to a lottery type base game in which a player selects six numbers and compares the same to a subsequent lottery draw. A winning multiplier is then applied to any win created by the underlying base game. It should be understood, using the teachings disclosed herein, that the drawing of a multiplier as described herein could be applied to a variety of other base games. As such, using base games with various winning odds in combination with a drawing for a game multiplier indicia with weightings as previously described, the present invention allows a lottery provider to control overall payout to assure profitability while also providing the ability determine the odds of winning, increase the number of prize tiers for any base game, and set ticket prices based on the same.