Abstract: Described herein are various systems and methods for managing carbon credits. For example, in some embodiments a lottery is used as a means for distributing carbon credits to consumers, optionally to feed a retail-level carbon market. It will be appreciated from the discussion herein that such an approach leverages general notions whereby lotteries have been traditionally used as a vehicle for funding public works.

Abstract: Described herein are various systems and methods for providing gaming activities, these particularly relating to gaming activities where a plurality of players provide respective entry fees. Traditional gaming activities necessarily involve the player putting his or her entry fee at risk. The present invention, at least in some of its preferred forms, modifies the traditional approaches of operating such gaming activities so that the player's entry fee is not necessarily placed entirely at risk. Indeed, in some embodiments a player is provided with an option to participate on the basis that his or her entry fee is wholly refundable while retaining the opportunity to win prizes, potentially alongside more risky though still modified participation by other players.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the location of a location tracking device, employs a satellite based location determining infrastructure and a wireless data communications network. A location tracking device which cannot easily obtain valid ephemeris data from the satellite based location, determining infrastructure, requests the necessary data from a data set stored at a tracking device hub via the wireless communications network. The tracking device hub determines and transmits an estimated position of the location tracking device to the location tracking device, along with the appropriate required valid ephemeris data, to allow the location tracking device to determine its location. If the location tracking device is still unable to make a location determination from the satellite based location determining infrastructure, then the estimated location can be provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing gaming activities, these particularly relating to gaming activities implemented in conjunction with a flexible credit arrangement. A consumer is allocated one or more entries in a gaming activity based on a level of transactable flexible credit held by that consumer. For example, the allocation of entries is increased or decreased subject to a corresponding increase or decrease in transactable flexible credit held by the consumer. In some aspects of the present invention, one or more prizes for the gaming activity are funded in whole, or in part, by way of supplementary contributions realized on the basis of consumers' participation in a flexible credit infrastructure.

Abstract: Described herein are various systems and methods for managing carbon credits. For example, in some embodiments a lottery is used as a means for distributing carbon credits to consumers, optionally to feed a retail-level carbon market. It will be appreciated from the discussion herein that such an approach leverages general notions whereby lotteries have been traditionally used as a vehicle for funding public works.

Abstract: Described herein are various systems and methods for providing gaming activities, these particularly relating to gaming activities implemented in conjunction with a flexible credit arrangement. In overview, a consumer is allocated one or more entries in a gaming activity based on a level of transactable flexible credit held by that consumer. For example, the allocation of entries is increased or decreased subject to a corresponding increase or decrease in transactable flexible credit held by the consumer. In some embodiments, one or more prizes for the gaming activity are funded in whole, or in part, by way of supplementary contributions realized on the basis of consumers' participation in a flexible credit infrastructure.