Abstract: A game of chance and a method for playing the game involve a plurality of distinct game participants. A plurality of drawing elements correspond to each one of the game participants, the plurality of drawing elements being the same in number for each one of the game participants. A selection device randomly selects drawing elements from among all of the plurality of drawing elements corresponding to all of the plurality of game participants one at a time during the game, each drawing element capable of being selected only once during the game. There is a termination point toward which a game participant progresses when one of the plurality of drawing elements corresponding to the game participant is selected by the selection device. The game participant reaches the termination point when a sufficient quantity of the plurality of drawing elements corresponding to the game participant has been selected.

Abstract: A wagering system such as a lottery with a central computer communicating with agent terminals at which tickets are issued, for example in convenience stores and the like, has a player-operated win-checking system coupled to the communications network, preferably as a peripheral to the agent terminal but possibly as a separate network terminal. Player choices and game identifications are bar coded on the tickets. A player scans the ticket automatically to trigger comparison of the bar coded data with winning entry data kept in a past game memory, such that the system need not resort to stored data on individual wager transactions to check for wins. This reduces the burden on the agent and the network because most issued tickets need not be checked by attempting to validate them for a payout. A limited number of past games are stored, e.g., the most recent thirty Keno game cycles of a game run at five minute intervals.

Abstract: A network of individual lottery systems, for example a national network of state lotteries, each of the state lotteries operating independently using data entry and validation stations for accepting player data and having independent structure for selecting individual winners based upon coincidence of player-selected data and random data. The individual lotteries feed through to a network-level lottery having a data processor for accepting player entry data for plays in differentiated win pools at the network level. The network pools are differentiated, for example, into a red pool, white pool, and blue pool, each one being selectable by the player and each being separately accumulated and separately awarded, whereby differentiation of the pools due to probability produces competition and additional interest.

Abstract: An automatic gaming system employing a plurality of gaming cards used by the players including a card dispensing unit having a card reader for reading from a gaming card a coded representation of the gaming indicia format on the card; a storage device; a circuit for verifying a coded representation; and control generator circuitry responsive to a verified coded representation for assigning a control identification to that card and storing the coded representation and control identification in the storage device and a printer for printing the assigned control identification on the card; and a gaming unit including an input device for entering selected gaming indicia in the storage device; input elements for entering the control identification of an alleged winning card; and a comparator for comparing the entered selected gaming indicia with the gaming indicia format of the alleged winning card to determine if a predetermined pattern of the selected indicia is present on the card format, indicating a winning ca