Abstract:
A LOTTERY ticket game providing the player multiple sequential predetermined outcomes in which the player may choose to continue or terminate game play at a plurality of continuation points whereas the redemption value of the ticket at each continuation point is determined at the time in which the ticket is printed or activated. The Lottery game represented by the lottery ticket includes a game-ending termination point in which a) the redemption value of the ticket is zero, b) the redemption value of the ticket exceeds a predefined jackpot amount, or c) the number of continuation points exceeds a value predetermined for the game.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to lottery games in which a lottery ticket is used and more particularly to a lottery ticket game in which the outcome of the game is determined when the ticket is printed or activated. 
         [0002]    Governmental lotteries typically include ticket based games in which the outcome of the game is determined when the ticket is printed. These tickets may include a covering that is scratched or removed to inform the player whether or not they won a prize playing the game. The lottery ticket may also provide the player with access to an electronic game that informs the player if they are a winner using an entertaining graphical display. Most governmental lotteries typically provide a large number of predetermined ticket based games. 
         [0003]    Competition for players with other forms of gaming such as casinos and horse racing is tight and lotteries are often looking for ways to attract and keep players. One method is to provide lottery tickets which are make it more convenient for the player to continue playing when their lottery ticket provides a winning outcome. The creation of a more convenient lottery ticket is beneficial to governmental lotteries because it improves efficiency and increases lottery revenue. 
         [0004]    Prior to the present invention, there is no mechanism for providing lottery players with a way to continue playing a predetermined, ticket based, lottery game if the outcome of the game contains a winning outcome. For example, when a consumer purchases a winning lottery ticket at a lottery retail store, the player must return to the store, redeem the ticket, and purchase another lottery ticket to continue playing the game.
       Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an invention allowing lotteries to offer a lottery ticket game that provides the player with the opportunity to continue playing a winning ticket while also providing the governmental lottery with a lottery ticket game in which all of the potential outcomes from continued play are determined at the time ticket is printed.       
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial representation of a scratch-off lottery ticket in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial representation of a lottery ticket containing no scratch-off covering in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart depicting the overall game play using a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which a player chooses not to reveal subsequent redemption values of the lottery ticket. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting the overall game play using a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the player chooses to reveal one or more subsequent redemption values of the lottery ticket. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting the calculation of potential redemption values of a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart depicting the overall process of redeeming a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Starting now with  FIG. 1 , a pictorial representation of a scratch-off lottery ticket in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A substrate  101  having sufficient density to support the printed text and images along with a material covering a portion of the ticket  102  used to manufacture and print the ticket. In the area shown as  102 , the player reveals the outcome of each stage of the game. The area  102  contains two layers in which the top layer contains text and images providing game instructions and instructing the player where to remove the coating, and a lower layer which contains the outcome of each portion of the game. The machine readable barcode  103  contains a unique identifier that is used to identify the ticket to the computer systems of the lottery or to an electronic machine used as a lottery ticket verification machine. The optional internet identification number  104  is a unique identifier used to identify the ticket using computer systems connected to the Internet. The internet identification number  104  may be covered by a coating that is removed by the player after the ticket is purchased such as the area covered by  102 . Printed on the layer below the removable covering  102  is the prizes and redemption values available to the player at each stage of the game  105 . The prize and redemption values  105  may be presented to the player in a wide variety of formats. The initial game identifier  106  instructs the player where the first area of scratch-off covering is to be removed to start the game. The initial game identifier  106  may be printed in large lettering or bright colors to ensure that the player begins the game by removing the correct scratch off covering. The ticket prize and ticket value  105  displayed when the scratch-off covering represented by  106  informs the player of the value of the ticket if the player were to stop playing the game after the initial redemption value is revealed. The subsequent areas of the ticket to be revealed are presented to the player by additional printed graphics  107  that identify each subsequent game. The prize and redemption value of each subsequent game is displayed when the player removes the covering of the game. The lottery ticket redemption codes  108  are numeric sequences printed on the ticket and covered by the scratch of covering  102 . The lottery ticket redemption codes are used be the lottery office or redemption location to electronically verify the redemption value of the ticket when it is redeemed. The lottery redemption center scans the machine readable bar code  103  and enters the lottery ticket redemption code  108  for the last redemption line uncovered by the player. 
         [0013]    With reference now to  FIG. 2 , a pictorial representation of a lottery ticket containing no scratch-off covering in which the present invention may be implemented is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A substrate  201  which may be printed using a computer printer or thermal receipt printer is used to print a lottery ticket identified in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. An optional printed area  202  may be used by the lottery to provide game instructions to the player or identify other important information about the game. A unique machine readable barcode  203  is printed on the substrate to identify the ticket to the lottery and any machine used to verify or validate the ticket. An optional internet access number  204  is printed on the ticket to allow a player to validate the ticket using a computer connected to the Internet. 
         [0014]    With reference now to  FIG. 3 , a flowchart depicting the overall game play using a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which a player chooses not to reveal subsequent redemption values of the lottery ticket. In the first Step  301 , the player purchases the lottery ticket from a lottery retailer. The ticket may be a pre-printed scratch ticket as shown in  FIG. 1 , or a ticket printed from a point of sale device as shown in  FIG. 2 . The player reveals the first prize using the method required for the type of ticket purchased. The process may be completed by removing the substrate covering on a scratch ticket or by revealing the prize on an electronic machine as required by a non-scratch ticket. The ticket is then checked by the player to determine if the ticket has a redemption value greater than zero  303 . If the ticket has no redemption value it is discarded  305  and the process is ended. If the ticket has a redemption value greater than zero it is redeemed by the player  304  at a lottery redemption center or authorized retailer and the process ends 
         [0015]    With reference now to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart depicting the overall game play using a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the player chooses to reveal one or more subsequent redemption values of the lottery ticket. In the first step  401 , the player purchases the lottery ticket from a lottery retailer. The ticket may be a pre-printed scratch ticket as shown in  FIG. 1 , or a ticket printed from a point of sale device as shown in  FIG. 2 . The player reveals the first prize using the method required for the type of ticket purchased. The process may be completed by removing the substrate covering on a scratch ticket or by revealing the prize on an electronic machine as required by a non-scratch ticket. The ticket is then checked by the player to determine if the ticket has a redemption value greater than zero  403 . If the ticket does not have a redemption value greater than zero it is discarded  404  and the process is ended. If the redemption value of the ticket is greater than zero, the player has the option of continuing game play  405 . If the player chooses to continue game play, the player reveals the next prize  406  giving the ticket a new redemption value. The ticket is then checked by the player again to determine if the ticket has a redemption value greater than zero  403 . The process  403  to  405  to  406  may be repeated as long has the ticket has a redemption value and there are more prizes to reveal. At any point the player may choose to redeem the ticket  407  at a lottery redemption center or retailer and the process ends. 
         [0016]    With reference now to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart depicting the calculation of potential redemption values of a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The process of calculating the potential redemption value of a lottery ticket begins with setting the redemption value of the ticket to zero  501 . Next, the prizes won from the initial game are added to the redemption value  502  to create the initial redemption value of the ticket. The initial redemption value of the ticket is the redemption value of the ticket if the player chooses to reveal only the first set of prizes and the initial redemption value, or the player chooses not to play the game at all. The ticket is checked  503  to determine if the value of the ticket is greater than zero. If the value of the ticket is zero, the calculation process ends  504  with the redemption value of the ticket being zero. The ticket is checked to determine if the player continued to the next subsequent prize  505 . If the player does not continue game play, the calculation process ends  504  with the redemption value of the ticket being the amount calculated so far. The ticketed is checked  506  to determine if the current redemption value of the ticket is greater or equal to the initial price of the lottery ticket. If the ticket is not greater or equal to the price of the ticket, the current redemption value of the ticket is set to zero  507 . If the ticket is greater or equal to the initial price of the lottery ticket, the initial price of the lottery ticket is subtracted from the current redemption value  508 . The new prizes won from the current stage of the ticket are added to the redemption value of the ticket  509 . The odds of winning prizes and the maximum prize won is adjusted for tickets having a previous redemption value checked in  506  of less that the full price of the lottery ticket. The process returns to  503  to check if the new redemption value after the new prizes were added in  509  is greater than zero. The process is repeated until it is terminated in step  504  by Step  503  or Step  505 . 
         [0017]    With reference now to  FIG. 6 , a flowchart depicting the overall process of redeeming a lottery ticket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The process starts  601  with the lottery retailer or redemption center employee scanning the machine readable barcode of the lottery ticket. The machine readable barcode is shown in  FIG. 1  as  103  and is shown in  FIG. 2  as  203 . The ticket is then checked  602  to determine if it is a scratch ticket. If the lottery ticket is a scratch ticket as shown in  FIG. 1 , the lottery retailer uses a computer or electronic machine to enter the redemption code  604  relating to the last game the player scratched. The redemption code is shown on  FIG. 1  as  108 . The lottery computer system uses the redemption code entered to determine the number of times the player continued to play the ticket  605 . If the ticket was not a scratch off ticket, the lottery computer system is storing the number of times the player redeemed a new redemption value. That number is read from the lottery database  605 . Based on the unique identifier scanned from the machine readable barcode in Step  601  and the number of prizes revealed by the player determined by Step  603  or Step  605 , the redemption value of the ticket is calculated in Step  606 . The process for calculating the redemption value of the ticket is shown in  FIG. 5 . Once the redemption value is calculated  606  the ticket is market as redeemed  607  in the lottery database  606  and the player is paid their winnings  608  and the process is ended  609 . 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0018]    In view of the deficiencies described above, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a novel lottery ticket game where the player may participate in the game until, 1) the value of the lottery ticket is zero, or 2) the value of the lottery ticket reaches a value above a predetermined amount, or 3) the number of times the player is allowed to continue play reaches a predetermined value. 
         [0019]    Each lottery ticket game has a purchase price which defines the amount the player must pay in order to play the game. The initial outcome of the game is the redemption value of the ticket after the initial game is played. This value may be less than the purchase price of the ticket, the same as the purchase price of the ticket, or higher than the purchase price of the ticket. Once the player is informed of the initial outcome, they have the opportunity to continue play as long as the initial outcome of the ticket is greater than zero and less than the game ending jackpot amount. If the value of the initial outcome of the ticket is less than the purchase price of the ticket, the total prize amount available to the player is reduced to the percentage of the purchase price left on the ticket. For example, if the initial purchase price of the ticket is twenty dollars and the initial outcome of the ticket is ten dollars, the player has the opportunity to win 50% of the total prize amount available when play is continued. If the value of the initial outcome is the same or greater than the purchase price of the ticket, the redemption value of the ticket may be reduced by an amount up to the purchase price of the ticket if the player continues to play. The amount over the purchase price of the ticket remains in reserve to be either redeemed later or used to continue game play at a later time. 
         [0020]    If the player is eligible and chooses to continue play after the initial outcome of the game is revealed, the redemption value of the ticket is changed to represent the new redemption value of the ticket. The new redemption value and each subsequent redemption value is determined when the ticket was printed or activated. If the value of the initial outcome was the same or less than the purchase price of the ticket, the outcome revealed to the player becomes the redemption value of the lottery ticket otherwise the new redemption value of the ticket is the outcome revealed to the player plus the amount held in reserve from the initial outcome. 
         [0021]    Once the outcome of the continued game play and new redemption value of the ticket is revealed to the player, the player again has the option to continue play as long as the ticket is eligible to continue play. This process may be repeated as long as the ticket is eligible for continued play or until the player chooses to terminate play. 
         [0022]    Once the player either chooses to no longer play the game or the ticket is no longer eligible to be continued, the ticket may be redeemed by the player as long as the value of the ticket is greater than zero.