Patent Publication Number: US-2006012116-A1

Title: Method of playing multiple games with a lottery ticket

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not Applicable  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not Applicable  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention pertains to lotteries. More particularly, this invention pertains to instant lotteries in which each ticket includes a stub carrying indicia for a secondary lottery whereby the secondary lottery game increases consumer traffic for a ticket vendor.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      The sale of lottery tickets can provide a substantial source of revenue for the outlets selling the tickets. More importantly, the sale of lottery tickets draws buyers into business establishments, such as gas stations and convenience stores, where they frequently purchase additional items, over and above the lottery tickets. These additional sales can also provide substantial sources of revenue for the vendor. Accordingly, it is desirable to create an additional incentive for a purchaser of a lottery ticket to return to the vendor&#39;s place of business after purchasing a lottery ticket. U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,196 issued Dec. 5, 1995 to Kenneth R. Rusnak discloses game pieces in which promotional tickets purchased, or given away, at a first location encourage patrons of the first location to visit a second location in order to play a second game. Various lottery tickets and lottery games are known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,684 issued on May 13, 1997, to Jean-Etienne Bouedec discloses a game ticket for playing a second game in which a winning ticket is utilized to play the second game on a game console which is under the control of a remote computer at a central site. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,511 issued on Jun. 30, 1998, to Walter M. Smeltzer discloses a method for conducting lotteries which combines instant games with online games. U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,395 issued on Sep. 10, 2002, to Mark Stevens discloses a game ticket for use with live-action keno-type games. U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,408 issued on Dec. 24, 2002, to Jay S. Walker, et al discloses a method of playing lottery games in which participants in a primary lottery drawing may elect to participate in a second, derivative, lottery drawing which gives players a chance to win the second game if the player loses, or fails to win above a threshold level, in the primary lottery drawing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,105 issued on Dec. 16, 2003, to Scott L. Sullivan, et al discloses a promotional game or lottery in which the awards are access to one or more predetermined internet-based services or sites and in which rewards and benefits are thereafter available to the player at retail stores and internet sites. And, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,541 issued on Nov. 11, 1997, to John G. Lovell, Sr., the inventor of the present invention, discloses a multiple field game card for playing a lottery game in the style of BINGO.  
      What is missing from the art is a multiple play lottery-type game that provides both an incentive for repeat play and an incentive for winning players to return to selected vendors, thereby increasing the vendor&#39;s consumer traffic.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to one embodiment of the present invention, a multiple game lottery-type game card is provided. The game card of the present invention includes at least two indicia areas. The first indicia area is provided with a plurality of concealed game fields that include symbols, either alphanumeric, iconographic or a combination of each for playing a lottery-type game. A player reveals one or more of the game fields, in accordance with the rules of the lottery-type game, to determine if the game card is a winning card. The second indicia area includes a unique identification symbol that can be a serial number, bar code or other digital identification symbol, or a combination of these. This unique identification symbol is used to play a second lottery-type game. The winning unique identification symbol is revealed after all of the game cards of a given series, or deal, have been sold. In one embodiment, the player having the winning game card for the second lottery type game must present the winning game card in order to win the second lottery type game. By utilizing a two-part card that allows a player the opportunity to qualify for a second lottery-type game, the winner of which is revealed at a later date, consumer traffic is increased for the retail outlet selling the multiple game lottery-type tickets. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of one embodiment for a multiple game lottery ticket in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of a multiple game lottery ticket.  
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are a flow chart depicting the method of playing multiple lottery type games in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      A game card, such as a lottery ticket, for playing multiple games constructed in accordance with the present invention is designated generally as  10  in the Figures. Game card  10  is preferably a planar card member constructed of card stock as is commonly used for lottery type tickets. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other geometric configurations and materials can be utilized.  
      Game card  10  includes a first indicia area  15  and a second indicia area  20 . First indicia area  15  preferably includes a plurality of concealed playing fields  25 , each of which includes a combination of symbols, either alphanumeric, iconographic or a combination of the two, for playing a first game of chance, such as a lottery or other promotional type game. A winning combination of symbols can be predetermined as will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the symbols can be concealed by a pull tab  30  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively with game card  10 ′, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the symbols can be concealed by a covering  32  defined by an opaque coating that is readily removable by scratching. An area of weakness  35  is disposed, preferably, between the first indicia area  15  and the second indicia area  20  in order to allow the separation of the second indicia area  20  from the game card  10  such that the removed portion of the card containing the second indicia area  20  defines a ticket stub. In the absence of an area of weakness, indicia can be provided for identifying the portion of the game card  10  to be cut, or torn, from game card  10 .  
      The second indicia area  20  can include indicia such as trademarks or instructions for playing the game, but primarily includes a unique identification symbol  40 , such as a serial number, which can be displayed in either alphanumeric format, barcode or other digital format or a combination of these. The unique identification symbol  40  is utilized for playing a second game of chance. Thus, the purchasing player is provided with the opportunity to play multiple games of chance with the purchase of a single lottery ticket.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , one method of conducting multiple lottery-type games of chance utilizing game card  10  will be discussed. In accordance with the present invention, a series of unique identification symbols are generated and are printed on a selected number of game cards  10 , or tickets, at  50  in  FIG. 5 , such that each of the selected number of game cards  10  includes a unique identification symbol, preferably in the second indicia area  20 . This selected number of game cards  10  is referred to herein as a “deal”. The deal is then distributed to a selected number of distribution sites, such as various retail outlets. As discussed above, each of the game cards  10  include a plurality of concealed playing fields  25 . When a player purchases, or is given, a game card  10 , at  55  in  FIG. 5 , the player reveals one of the concealed playing fields  25  in order to play the first lottery-type game.  
      As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the odds of winning the first lottery type game are determined in advance. In other words, when a deal of game cards is generated, the operator, or purveyor, of the lottery-type game determines both the type of lottery game and the odds of a given game card  10  including a winning combination of symbols. In this regard, at the discretion of the game&#39;s purveyor, winning combinations of symbols can be printed on game cards  10  such that only one in four cards, or one in three cards or other ratios of cards, will include a winning combination of symbols. Upon purchase of a game card  10  a player would reveal each of the concealed playing fields in order to determine whether the game card  10  is a winning card. While the game card  10  could include only one concealed playing field  25 , a plurality of concealed playing fields  25  to be revealed keeps the player engaged in the game and also creates opportunities for various formats of lottery-type games. For instance concealed playing fields in the form of playing cards could be used to play a poker-type lottery game; the concealed playing fields could mimic the appearance of a slot machine. Those skilled in the art will recognize that there are numerous ways to play the first lottery type game. Alternately, every game card  10  could contain at least one winning combination of symbols, and a player possessing such a game card must reveal the winning combination of symbols in order to win the first lottery-type game. In other words, the game card  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , includes five concealed playing fields  25 . Assuming that game card  10  includes a winning combination of symbols, the players odds of winning, i.e. revealing the correct playing field are one in five, it being understood that revealing multiple concealed playing fields will, in one embodiment, void the game card  10 . Of course, in an alternate method of play, the value of a winning game card  10  would be reduced with each successive concealed playing field  25  that must be revealed in order to reveal the winning combination of symbols.  
      At the time that a player reveals a concealed playing field  25 , a determination is made as to whether the game card  10  is a winning card. This determination is, as is common in the art, often made at the point of sale. If the game card is not a winning card, the game is over and the player can choose whether or not to play again. On the other hand, if the game card  10  is a winning game card, the player is qualified for the second lottery-type game, at  60  in  FIG. 5 . In this event, the unique identification symbol  40  is entered into a database from which the winning unique identification symbol  40  will be selected. While the unique identification symbol  40  can be either an alphanumeric character, a barcode or other digital representation, use of a bar code or digital representation, either alone or in combination with the alphanumeric representation of the unique identification symbol  40 , facilitates entry of the unique identification symbol  40  into an electronic database without the need for typing the unique identification symbol  40  into the database The player is then given a ticket stub from the winning game card  10  that includes the second indicia area containing the unique identification symbol  40 .  
      When it has been determined, by any acceptable means of tracking inventory, that all of the tickets/game cards from the deal have been sold or otherwise distributed, at  65  in  FIG. 6 , the winning unique identification symbol is revealed and posted in the selected retail outlets where the deal was originally distributed,  70  in  FIG. 6 . In one embodiment of the multiple lottery-type game, the qualified player possessing the ticket stub with the winning unique identification symbol must return to one of the selected retail outlets and present the winning ticket stub in order to win the second lottery-type game.  
      It will be recognized that this second lottery-type game creates an incentive for qualified players to make multiple return trips to the retail outlet where the lottery-type game was purchased in order to determine if the winning number has been revealed and to present the winning ticket. This increases customer traffic for the retail outlets distributing the multiple game lottery tickets of the present invention.  
      From the foregoing description, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that a multiple game lottery-type ticket, and a method for utilizing the same, which will increase customer traffic for stores distributing the multiple game lottery ticket has been provided. While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.