Patent ID: 8500537

Claim:
A method, comprising: establishing, by a lottery controller device in communication with at least one retailer device, at least two groups for play of a group lottery game, wherein each group comprises a plurality of players; determining, by the lottery controller device, at least one winning player from each group of a first round of the group lottery game; advancing, by the lottery controller device, each of the winning players to a second round; establishing, by the lottery controller device for the second round, at least one second group comprising winning players of the first round; determining, by the lottery controller device from each second group, at least one winning player of the second round; awarding, by the lottery controller device, a prize to each winning player of the second round; determining, by the lottery controller device for a winning player of the second round, a player who was in a group with the winning player in the first round, wherein the player did not advance to the second round; and awarding, by the lottery controller device, a prize to the player who was in the group with the winning player in the first round.