Abstract:
A lottery game requiring the distribution to players of tickets bearing indicia in the form of a series of numbers. The numbers on the tickets are a subset of a larger series from which some are later selected at random. The random selections process is repeated a number of times corresponding to the number of available monetary jackpots. If the randomly selected numbers correspond with those printed on a ticket, the player to which the ticket was distributed is declared the winner of one of the monetary jackpots.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to games employing chance selection devices.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Modem lotteries typically require the purchase of a ticket bearing a series of numbers-chosen by a player. The numbers on the ticket are part of a larger group from which some are selected at random. If the randomly selected numbers correspond with those printed on a ticket, the player who purchased the ticket is declared the winner of the lottery and is awarded a monetary jackpot. Funds received from ticket sales that are not distributed as jackpots are retained by lottery operators as income and profits.  
           [0003]    The random number selection process is often conducted by drawing uniquely numbered balls from a large bin with great fanfare. The number of balls in the bin at the outset of the selection process normally ranges between forty and sixty with fifty-four being average. Normally, six balls are pulled from the bin with the winner of the lottery being required to match all of the numbers on the withdrawn balls to win a jackpot, although smaller prizes may be awarded if fewer than six numbers match. Of course, increasing the number of balls in the bin or increasing the number of matches required of a player decreases the odds of winning the lottery in ways that can be calculated mathematically.  
           [0004]    The odds of winning most lotteries are small. It has been determined that the odds are one in twenty-five million that a player will correctly choose which six balls will be withdrawn at random from a bin containing fifty-four balls. Because of the high odds, sales of lottery tickets in most areas have dropped over time resulting in decreased income for lottery operators.  
           [0005]    To entice more people to purchase more lottery tickets, some operators have increased the monetary jackpots that they pay out to lottery winners. Other lottery operators have increased the odds of winning their games. Such ticket sales strategies are supported by empirical evidence suggesting that some people will only buy lottery tickets when a jackpot reaches a certain threshold or when the chances of winning the jackpot are relatively great. Still, with lottery players getting smart from their experiences in not winning, the allure of a million-dollar jackpot is not what it used to be. A need, therefore, exists for a new lottery game that will lure more players and increase revenue for lottery operators.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In light of the problems associated with the known lotteries wherein one large jackpot is distributed to a single winner, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a lottery game wherein multiple, large jackpots will be distributed to one or more winners. The new lottery game increases the odds of winning and provides other inducements for people to play. With more players buying more tickets than before, lottery operators can expect higher profits.  
           [0007]    Briefly, the lottery game in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects in several, straightforward steps. First, a monetary wager is accepted from a game player. Then, a player-chosen series of numbers is secured for the game player from a larger, predetermined, game set of numbers. Next, a plurality of operator-chosen series of numbers from the game set of numbers are chosen at random. Later, it is determined whether the game player is a game winner by ascertaining whether the player-chosen series of numbers matches any one of the plurality of operator-chosen series of numbers. Finally, valuable prizes are awarded to the game winners, if any.  
           [0008]    The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The present invention may be more readily described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a play slip for use in a lottery game in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a lottery ticket for use in the lottery game. 
     
    
       [0012]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the accompanying drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    Referring now to the FIGS., the apparatus used in a lottery game in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Play of the game begins with a player obtaining a lottery play slip such as the one shown at  10  in FIG. 1. Play slip  10  includes five wagering areas A-E each containing six columns  12  and nine rows  14  of sequentially numbered boxes  16 . Boxes  16  list all numbers available for selection in the game thus representing a game set of fixed size. Of course, varying the size of the game set by adding or deleting boxes  16 , and hence available numbers, changes the odds of winning the game.  
         [0014]    After obtaining play slip  10 , a player selects a group of, say six, numbers from the game set that he believes will be selected at random later by the lottery operator. This selected group of numbers will hereinafter be referred to as a player-chosen series. Selection of the player-chosen series is indicated by darkening boxes as shown at  18  associated with the numbers in any of the columns  12  and rows  14 . Alternatively, the player-chosen series may be randomly selected for a player by a computer of a type known in the art by darkening only the “quick pick” box  20  in one of wagering areas A-E. Up to five separate wagers can be made with play slip  10 , should any be incorrectly entered, the player may void the entry by darkening a voiding box  22  associated with each wagering area A-E.  
         [0015]    Along with the required wager, say $1.00, play slip  10  with at least six darkened boxes  18  in one wagering area is presented to an agent of the lottery operator. The agent, then, prints the selected numbers of the player-chosen series corresponding with the darkened boxes  18  from play slip  10  as at  24  onto a lottery ticket  26  shown in FIG. 2 utilizing conventional technology. By way of example only, the selected numbers of the player-chosen series on both play slip  10  and ticket  24  are: 1, 12, 30, 34, 46 and 52.  
         [0016]    At a set time after distribution of ticket  26  to a player, the lottery operator conducts in rapid succession (perhaps within a few minutes of one another) a plurality of random drawings to generate a plurality of operator-chosen series of the game set. An operator-chosen series of numbers is chosen from the game set provided on both play slip  10  and ticket  26 . While any method of random selection of the operator-chosen series by the lottery operator is satisfactory, one well-known process of random selection employs a bin within which a plurality of identically weighted balls are mixed by blowing air. Each ball is marked with a different number corresponding with one of the numbers in the game set. Means associated with the bin permit the lottery operator to randomly choose and remove balls therefrom. In the preferred form of the game, six of the fifty-four balls initially positioned within the bin would be removed and noted, thereby generating a first operator-chosen series. The removed balls would, then, be returned to the bin and the process of choosing and removing the balls would be repeated three more times to generate three more operator-chosen series for a total of four operator-chosen series.  
         [0017]    In the alternative, the game could be modified by providing as many bins as needed to generate the requisite number of operator-chosen series, preferably four. Each of the four bins would contain a complete game set and from each bin would be withdrawn a single operator-chosen series represented by the numbers provided on six balls. The use of multiple bins, of course, would speed the process of conducting the random drawing by eliminating the need to readmit the withdrawn balls into one bin after each drawing.  
         [0018]    A monetary jackpot is awarded to the player or players whose player-chosen series of six numbers  24  as reflected on ticket  26  exactly match any one of the four operator-chosen series of six numbers. Prizes of descending value may be awarded to a player who matches five, four or three numbers in any of the four operator-chosen series. Thus, in the preferred form of the lottery game, the purchase of one ticket  26  offers a player sixteen opportunities to win a prize—four times the number of opportunities to win offered in a conventional lottery. Of course, validation of the results of each lottery game would be made by computer in a manner well known in the art.  
         [0019]    The exact manner in which the prize pool is allocated to wining players is subject to the discretion of the lottery operator. This allocation is related to the odds of the lottery game and would vary in accordance with the sizes of both the game set and chosen series. Obviously, the overhead and profit motive of the lottery operator will have a bearing on the size of the prizes awarded to game players.  
         [0020]    It is envisioned that lottery operators that currently entice players to their games with one jackpot of, say, $4 million could readily modify their games as described above to provide players with the possibility of winning one of four separate jackpots of $1 million. Instead of having one chance to win a jackpot in return for a wager, a player would have a plurality of chances. It is believed that potential lottery players confronted with an opportunity to purchase either one ticket offering a single chance to win $4 million or one ticket offering four chances to win $1 million would almost always choose the latter option. These individual choices would lead to a revival of lottery games in many locations.  
         [0021]    While the invention has been described with a high degree of particularity, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.