Advanced Progressive Wager Game

Abstract

A method for operating a lottery style game of chance is disclosed that offers a player the opportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into larger potential prize winnings, comprising the steps of selecting a single number from a group of numbers for a given drawing period, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for the given drawing period, comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the size of the potential prize each time the number the player selected continues to match the randomly generated winning number.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/806,737 filed on Jul. 07, 2006, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The present invention is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/206,369 filed on Aug. 18, 2005, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to games of chance and, more particularly, to a lottery based game of chance that allows a player the option to retain a prize from winning a lottery game or the opportunity to relinquish the prize in exchange for the chance to win a larger prize.

2. Background Art

Games of chance, especially lottery style games of chance, have been in existence for many years. Generally, these lottery games are under the control of a state or a number of states. The revenues generated from lottery style games of chance are typically shared with the public school systems within the state as a means of subsidizing the cost of programs for children attending public schools. Schools often depend heavily on the revenues from state run lotteries to give children every possibly learning advantage. States are continually seeking the next new great lottery game to keep interest high among the players, which, in turn, helps to ensure a steady stream of revenues for the state and the public school system.

During the past few years, state lottery commissions have begun the practice of licensing eating and drinking establishments to sell lottery tickets. Typically, the lottery tickets are sold at bars, restaurants, and other locales where customers will tend to stay for an extended period of time. One lottery style game of chance that has been introduced at these establishments is known as “KENO”. This particular game allows a player to select a combination of numbers from one (1) through eighty (80). The combination of numbers the player may select from ranges from one (1) through ten (10). The player may wager any amount on the game he or she wishes, typically from one dollar to twenty dollars. The payout to the player is dependent on how many of his or her selected numbers exactly match a set of randomly generated winning numbers. Generally, there are twenty randomly generated winning numbers. Depending on the quantity of numbers selected, the player may not have to match all of his or her selected numbers with winning numbers. For example, if the player has selected ten numbers, he or she may still win a cash prize if only six of the selected numbers exactly match any of the twenty randomly generated winning numbers. However, the winning cash payout grows with a greater number of selected numbers matching those winning numbers that have been randomly generated.

KENO has grown in popularity partly because patrons are able to place wagers and view results within the confines of the establishment offering the KENO game. Another aspect of the game that makes it very popular with the patrons is the fact that a new game may be played every five minutes. This allows the player to enjoy playing multiple games with a selected set of numbers or allows the player to change numbers every five minutes.

The benefit for the state lottery commission and ultimately the state's public school system is an income stream that occurs every 5 minutes throughout a day. However, as with any lottery style game of chance, interest in the new game is very high at first, but then begins to wane over time leading to a loss of overall income. The stream of income over five minute intervals may still remain, but the total revenues begin to fall with a loss of interest.

Therefore, a need exists for a lottery style game of chance that increases the interest of consumers by offering players the option to participate in multiple drawings with a single wager that provides a player multiple potential prize combinations even if the all the numbers, letters, or characters selected by the player do not match exactly all the winning numbers, letters, or characters presented by a particular lottery commission. Furthermore, the lottery style game of chance may provide for a set periodic interval between games throughout the day while allowing players to play the game at local drinking, eating, and gambling establishments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention a method for operating a lottery style game of chance is provided that offers a player the opportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into larger potential prize winnings. The method is comprised of the following steps: Selecting a single number from a group of numbers for a given drawing period, randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for the given drawing period, comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period, and increasing the size of the potential prize each time the number the player selected continues to match the randomly generated winning number.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lottery wager slip used to indicate to an entity controlling a lottery style game of chance the intentions of a lottery player according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier 1 wager of a single draw option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of a Tier 2 wager of the single draw option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting the operation of an advance wager option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram further depicting the operation of the advance wager option of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown in detail. Although the drawings represent an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Further, the embodiment set forth herein is not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise to limit or restrict the invention to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of what a typical lottery wager slip 10 may resemble according to an embodiment of the present invention. Included within wager slip 10 are a number of fields that may be marked by the player to indicate his or her lottery gaming intentions to a licensed lottery retailer. In this particular embodiment, the player may participate in the lottery game of chance by employing alternative means of placing a wager. The player indicates his or her intention as to the method of wagering by marking in either single draw field 12 or advance wager field 18 on wager slip 10.

Single draw field 12 comprises the components of a single drawing wager of the game. Within single draw field 12 are a first number selection block 14 and a wager block 16. Number block 14 is the area of field 12, which the player selects from, or has randomly chosen, a number he or she hopes will match a winning number generated by a state's lottery commission. As depicted in FIG. 1, number block 14 contains a list of numbers ranging from zero (0) through nine (9) that may be selected by a player. Also provided in number block 14 is an opportunity for the player to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers within the range, by selecting “Random Pick”, if the player so desires. It should be understood, however, that the quantity of numbers illustrated in number block 14 has been presented in order to describe a particular embodiment of the present invention. This particular range of numbers is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.

Wager block 16 is used by the player to indicate the amount of money he or she would like to wager on the lottery game. It should be understood that the entity operating the game may decide the size of the wager to be placed on any one game. A range of wager amounts is illustrated to aid in an explanation of an embodiment of the present invention.

Advance wager field 18 comprises the components of an advanced wagering option of the game. Within advance wager field 18 are a second number selection block 20, a consecutive drawings selection block 22, and a bonus wager block 24. Number block 20 is the area of field 18, which the player selects, or has randomly chosen, a number he or she hopes will match the winning numbers generated by a state's lottery commission for each drawing the player chooses to participate in. As illustrated in FIG. 1, number block 20 consists of six columns of numbers, each ranging from zero (0) through nine (9). The player will select a single number from each column based on the number of drawings of the game the player decides to play. Also provided in number block 20 is an opportunity for the player to have a computer randomly select one of the numbers within the range, by selecting “R” at the bottom of each column of numbers, if the player so desires. Once again, it should be understood, however, that the quantity of numbers illustrated in number block 20 has been presented in order to describe a particular embodiment of the present invention. This particular range of numbers is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.

Consecutive drawings selection block 22 is used by the player to indicate to the lottery commission his or her intentions on the number of drawings to play in the game. The player may indicate the number of drawings to play by selecting one of the numbers two (2) through (6) in block 22. It should be understood that the entity operating the lottery game may decide on the number of allowable consecutive drawings for any player to play in the advanced wagering option of the game. This particular range of drawings is employed merely as an example and the size of the range may be increased or decreased at the discretion of the entity operating the lottery game.

Bonus wager block 24 is used by the player to indicate to the lottery commission his or her intention to participate in another aspect of the advanced wager game. The bonus wager offers the player an opportunity to protect or insure his or her first wager in the advance wager game. It should be understood that the amount of the bonus wager may be determined by the entity operating the lottery game. The operation of the advance wager game, when a player decides to employ the bonus wager option, will be described fully below.

FIGS. 2-3 are flow diagrams that illustrate a manner in which the game may be operated and played under the single draw option. Referring now to FIG. 2, the player may begin the lottery game by deciding on the amount he or she wishes to wager as a single draw wager at step 100 by indicating in wager block 16 a wager amount and presenting that amount to a licensed lottery retailer. Next, the player selects a number from number block 14 of single draw field 12 to play at step 105 that he or she thinks will match the winning number that will be generated by the lottery commission or other entity operating the game. After completing wager slip 10, the player presents the wager slip along with the wager to a licensed lottery agent for input into a computer system to record both the wager and selected number for latter verification after a winning number has been generated. Finally the lottery agent returns a lottery receipt at step 110 to the player that contains the selected number and wager amount to be represented to the lottery agent if the selected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.

Generally, the state lottery commission holds a drawing, the frequency of which to be determined by that entity, to generate a winning number that players compare to the number they have selected and are contained on their wager receipt. The generation of a number for use with this particular embodiment would be no different. The state lottery commission will generate a single winning number in any manner it chooses, as depicted at step 115. After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number that has been generated with the number he or she selected and is contained on the wager receipt at step 120. If the number on their wager receipt matches the number generated by the state lottery commission, the player wins a prize, typically some denomination of a cash prize. If, however, the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at step 125.

If the number on the wager receipt has matched the generated winning number, the player is offered a choice on a course of action to take next. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt for the cash prize at step 130. For example, the player may win a cash prize equal to five dollars ($5) for every one dollar ($1) wagered. If the player chooses this course of action, he or she will collect their winnings and the game will end at step 135.

Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win a larger cash prize or ‘parlay’ his or her winnings from the previous game. If the player so decides, he or she forfeits the cash prize, at step 140, that he or she has won for the opportunity to win a larger cash prize. If the player does indeed decide to proceed further with the game, he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prize even if the player loses at a later stage in the game. After deciding to continue with the game at step 140, the player will be directed to continue the game as depicted in FIG. 3.

The game continues as illustrated in FIG. 3 in much the same manner as described above. The player submits the winning wager receipt and an additional wager to the licensed lottery dealer at step 200. The player also selects a new number from number block 14 at step 205 that he or she thinks will match the randomly generated winning number.

After the wager has been submitted and the number selected, the details of which the licensed lottery dealer inputs into a computer system to record both the wager and selected number for latter verification after a winning number has been generated, the player is given a receipt documenting the wager as a Tier 2 wager, at step 210, which is distinguishes this wager from the previous wager receipt received by the player at step 110. The receipt contains the selected number and Tier 2 wager amount that may be represented to the lottery agent if the selected number on the receipt matches the generated winning number.

The state lottery commission generates a single winning number, as described previously, at step 215. After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number that has been generated with the number he or she selected and is contained on the wager receipt at step 220. If the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her Tier 2 wager and the game ends at step 225. The player will also lose any cash prize that he or she had previously won from placing the Tier 1 wager.

If, however, the generated winning number matches the number on the wager receipt, the player is offered yet another choice on a course of action to take next. The player may opt to redeem the wager receipt for a cash prize at step 230. For example, the player may win a cash prize equal to fifty dollars ($50) for every Tier 2 wager if the player chose the parlay option and has correctly selected the winning numbers in the two consecutive drawings of the game the player has played. If the player chooses this course of action, he or she will collect their cash prize and the game will end at step 235.

Alternatively, the player may decide to try and win still a larger cash prize by continuing to parlay his or her winnings from the previous drawings. If the player so decides, he or she forfeits the cash prize, at step 240, that he or she has already won for the opportunity to win a larger cash prize. If the player does indeed decide to proceed further with the game, he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prizes, even if the player loses at a later stage in the game. After deciding to continue with the game at step 240, the player will be directed to continue the game and place a Tier 3 wager on the game.

If the player so chooses to continue with the Tier 3 wager on the game, the player enters a third round of wagering and number selection just as described in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers of the game and illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. If the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends. The player will also lose any cash prize that he or she had previously won from placing the Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers. If, however, the single number selected by the player matches the single number generated by the lottery commission, the player will win the Tier 3 wager and will be once again offered the opportunity to keep the cash prize. For example, if the player has selected the winning numbers in the three consecutive drawings of the game the player has played, the player may win a cash prize equal to five hundred dollars ($500) for every Tier 3 wager. If the player opts to continue with the game he or she will not have the opportunity to claim the previous cash prizes, even if the player loses at a later stage in the game.

The number of tiers employed in the game is left to the discretion of the lottery entity operating the game. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, six tiers are used to illustrate the operation of the game and the possible amounts of cash prizes. Wagering and number selection continue in much the same way as described previously for each of the subsequent tiers remaining to be played in the game. As long as the player continues to select the numbers that match the numbers generated by the lottery commission the player will continue to win each graduated wager tier and larger cash prizes. If the player continues to win, he or she will be offered the option of keeping the cash prize for a particular tier wager or continuing to play until all six wagering tiers have been completed. For example, if the player opts to redeem the wager receipt for a cash prize the player may be entitled to the following cash prizes: If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings from the Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 wagers into a Tier 4 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for every Tier 4 wager if the player decides to end the game after winning the Tier 4 wager. If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings the Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 wagers into a Tier 5 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for every Tier 5 wager if the player decides to end the game after the Tier 5 wager. If the player chooses to parlay his or her previous winnings the Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, and Tier 5 wagers into a Tier 6 wager, the player may win a cash prize equal to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for every Tier 6 wager.

Also, as stated above, if the generated winning number does not match the number on the wager receipt, the player loses the game along with his or her wager and the game ends at that particular tier the player has placed a wager on. The player will also lose the cash prizes that he or she had previously won from previous tier or tiers the player has placed a wager on.

As stated, six wagering tiers of the game have been described above to merely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entity operating the game has the ability to alter the number of wagering tiers in use in any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prize amounts described above have also been employed merely to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that the game may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cash prizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of the game.

As stated previously, it is also to be understood that the numbers available for selection in number block 12, ten (10), have been presented in this manner to aid in fully describing an embodiment of the present invention. Any combination of numbers may be used in the number block as determined by the entity conducting the game.

Alternatively, the player may choose to participate in the game by placing an advance, one-time wager rather than a single wager for each drawing. Advanced wagering allows the player to lay a single wager while providing the opportunity to participate in any number of consecutive drawings from two (2) through six (6). The advance wager option may be played with a single wager on all tiers selected as opposed to having to place a separate, additional, wager on each tier when playing the game by the single draw option. While the advance wager option offers the convenience of having to lay only one wager to participate in multiple consecutive drawings, it also locks the player into the selected number of drawings. The advance wager option does not allow the player the opportunity of the single draw option, namely, to choose between collecting a cash prize or parlaying the cash prize after each winning tier wager.

There are two variations of the advance wager game a player may choose to participate in. The first variation is of the “all-or-nothing” type where the player is locked into a number of consecutive drawings (from two (2) through six (6)) of his or her choosing. If the player chooses to participate in this game, all selected numbers must match all the winning numbers as drawn in consecutive order for the number of drawings the player chose to play. If just one number is incorrect, whether an incorrect number selection or numbers selected out of order, the player loses the wager amount and the game ends. The second variation allows the player to place an additional or bonus wager, an amount to be determined by the lottery entity, which provides insurance for the initial wager. The bonus wager provides the player the potential for a prize even if all of the player's selected numbers do not match the chosen winning numbers. There are, however, two distinctions from the first variation of the advance wager game. First, the player selects a number of consecutive drawings from three (3) to six (6). Second, the amount of the jackpot may be smaller for the second variation than the first variation. Of course, this will be determined by the entity operating the game.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow diagrams that illustrate the operation of the advance wager option and the two variations of the game according to an embodiment of the present invention. The player indicates his or her intentions in advance wager field 18 of wager slip 10 by selecting and marking in consecutive drawings selection block 22 and number block 20. The player may begin the lottery game by deciding on the amount he or she wishes to wager at step 300. In this particular embodiment, the wager amount may be a set amount as determined by the entity operating the game, for example, one dollar ($1) may be the wager amount. Alternatively, the lottery commission, or other entity, may allow players to select different wager amounts (similar to wager block 16 of the single wager option of the game). Also, the player may indicated his or her intention to participate in the second variation of the advance wager game by marking in bonus wager block 24 or wager slip 10. For example, a second one dollar ($1) wager may be collected by the lottery entity in addition to the initial wager for the first variation of the game if the player is opting to participate in the second variation of the advance wager game.

Next, the player would select how many drawings to play in from consecutive drawings selection block 22 at step 305. By selecting any number of drawings to play, in the first variation of the advance wager game, any number of drawings from two (2) through six (6) or in the second variation of the game, any number of drawings from three (3) through six (6), the player is locking himself or herself into that particular number of consecutive lottery drawings. If the player decides to play only a single drawing, the player will be directed to participate in the single draw option of the game rather than the advance wager option. Unlike the single draw option, the player choosing to participate in the advance wager option does not have the choice to redeem a winning lottery receipt after a particular drawing if all the consecutive drawings the player has chosen to participate in have not been completed. For example, if the player wishes to play in all six drawings, the player cannot decide after having won each of the previous four drawings to end the game and collect the cash prize. The following describes the operation of both variations of the advance wager game.

After the selection of the number of drawings the player desires to play in, the player will select a number from each of the various columns of numbers in number block 20 at step 310. The player will select one single number, or, alternatively, opt for the computer to randomly select a single number (by selecting “R” rather than a number), from each column that corresponds to the number of drawings the player has selected at step 305 in block 22. For example, if the player has selected to play in five consecutive drawings, the player would select a single number (or “R” for random selection) from each of five columns of numbers in number block 20. The numbers selected by the player may all be the same, they may be different, or some or all numbers may be chosen randomly.

After completing field 18 of wager slip 10, the player presents the wager slip along with the initial wager to a licensed lottery agent to participate in the first variation of the advance wager game. If the player opts to participate in the bonus wager or second variation of the advance wager game, the player would present an additional wager along with the wager slip and initial wager to a licensed lottery agent. The licensed lottery agent will input into a computer system the wager, the selected numbers from the wager slip and the bonus wager, if any, for recordation and verification purposes after the winning numbers have been generated. Finally, the lottery agent returns a lottery receipt at step 315 to the player that contains the selected number of consecutive drawings, numbers, and wager amount(s). The receipt may be represented to the lottery agent for validation of a winning receipt if the selected numbers on the receipt match the generated winning numbers for each of the drawings within the selected consecutive drawing period.

The state lottery commission generates a single winning number for each drawing, as described previously, at step 320. After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number for first drawing that has been generated with the number he or she selected for the first drawing and is contained on the wager receipt at step 325. If the generated winning number for the first drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for the first drawing, the wager receipt may be valid if the player placed a bonus wager along with the initial wager. If the player did not place a bonus wager as determined at step 400, the game will end and the player will lose his or her initial wager. However, if the player opted to place a bonus wager as determined at step 400, the game will continue and another winning number will be generated at step 320.

If, however, the generated winning number for first drawing matches the number on the wager receipt for first drawing, the wager receipt is still valid. The player does not have the option of either collecting a cash prize or continuing with the game (as is offered in the single draw option of the game) at this point of the advance wager option of the game. If the player attempts to redeem his or her receipt at this point in the game, the lottery commission will identify whether the player has completed all the consecutive drawings he or she originally selected at step 335. If all the drawings have not been completed, the game will continue and another number will be generated, as described above, at step 320. This new, winning, second drawing number will now be matched to the number selected by the player in the second drawing. If the generated winning number for second drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for second drawing, the wager receipt, as stated above, may be valid if the player placed a bonus wager along with the initial wager. If the player did not place a bonus wager as determined at step 400, the game will end and the player will lose his or her initial wager. However, if the player opted to place a bonus wager as determined at step 400, the game will continue and another winning number will be generated at step 320.

If, however, the generated winning number for second drawing matches the number on the wager receipt for second drawing, the player's wager receipt is still valid. If the player attempts to redeem his or her receipt at this point in the game, the lottery commission will identify whether the player has completed all the consecutive drawings he or she originally selected at step 335. If, for example, the player decides to participate in only three drawings of the game, the player may redeem his or her wager receipt with the lottery commission in exchange for a cash prize and the game will end at step 340. If all the drawings have not been completed, the game will continue as described above and another number will be generated at step 320.

The first variation of the advance wager option of the game will continue in this manner until the player is either unsuccessful in matching a winning number with his or her selected number at any particular drawing or all selected numbers in the selected drawings have been successfully matched to the generated winning numbers by the lottery commission, at which point the player may redeem his or her wager receipt for a cash prize.

Examples of a wager and cash prize for the first variation of the advance wager game may include the following. For a single wager of one dollar ($1) on the advance wager option of the game, a player may win a cash prize of fifty dollars ($50) for successfully matching all numbers through the second drawing. If all numbers are successfully matched with the generated winning numbers through third drawing, the player may win a cash prize in the amount of, for example, five hundred dollars ($500), through the fourth drawing, five thousand dollars ($5,000), though fifth drawing, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), and, finally, through the sixth drawing, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

If, however, the player fails to match the selected number with a generated winning number for any particular drawing period, the player may continue to participate in the second variation of the advance wager game for an opportunity to win other cash prizes if a bonus wager was placed. As stated above, if the generated winning number for any drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for that particular drawing, the lottery entity will determine at step 400 whether a bonus wager was placed. If no bonus wager was placed, the game will end the first time the player selected number does not match the generated winning number. The player may continue, however, to participate in the game if the bonus wager was selected and placed at the onset of the game and a new winning number will be generated at step 320.

The state lottery commission continues to generate a single winning number for each drawing, as described previously, at step 320. After the winning number has been generated, the player compares the winning number generated for this particular drawing with the number he or she selected for the same drawing and is reflected on the wager receipt at step 405. If the generated winning number for this drawing does not match the number on the wager receipt for the same drawing, the lottery commission determines if the consecutive drawing period has been completed at step 410. If the drawing period has been completed, the lottery commission determines at step 420 whether the player has successfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers contained on the wager receipt with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the given consecutive drawing period. If the player has successfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers with at least two (2) winning number for the given consecutive drawing period, the player may win a cash prize.

If, however, the drawing period that the player has participated in is complete and the player has not matched at least two (2) selected numbers with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the given consecutive drawing period, the player will lose any wager and any chance for a prize during the particular drawing period and the game will end at step 430.

If the generated winning number for this drawing does match the number on the wager receipt for the same drawing period at step 405, the lottery commission determines if the drawing period has been completed at step 415. If the consecutive drawing period has been completed, the lottery commission determines at step 420 whether the player has successfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers contained on the wager receipt with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the given consecutive drawing period. If it is determined that the player has successfully matched at least two (2) selected numbers with at least two (2) winning number for the given consecutive drawing period, the player may win a cash prize.

If, however, the drawing period that the player has participated in is complete and the player has not matched at least two (2) selected numbers with at least two (2) generated winning numbers for the given consecutive drawing period, the player will lose any wager and any chance for a prize during the particular consecutive drawing period and the game will end at step 430.

If the drawing period has not been completed as determined at step 415, winning numbers will continue to be generated at step 320 until a particular consecutive drawing period has been completed and the game has either ended at step 430 with a player losing the initial wager or at step 425 with a player winning a cash prize as determined by the lottery commission.

While a player may be participating in a number of drawings in a single consecutive drawing period, for example six drawings, a payout scheme may be adapted by the local lottery commission that will award a specific prize for selecting numbers that match a predetermined number of correct numbers as drawn by the lottery commission within the consecutive drawing period. An example of a payout scheme that may be adopted by a lottery commission is illustrated below in Table 1.

TABLE 1
Example of a payout scheme a lottery commission
may adopt for a Six (6) Draw Wager.
	Consecutive Numbers
	Matched	Prize amount	Probability
	Six (6)	Jackpot	1 in 1,000,000
	Five (5)	$5,000	1 in 55,556
	Four (4)	$350	1 in 3,597
	Three (3)	$25	1 in 284
	Two (2)	$2	1 in 24

In the particular example displayed in Table 1 for a six (6) draw wager, a player may win a cash prize if all six of the selected numbers match the six chosen numbers in consecutive order. However, if the player places a six (6) draw wager but only matches the selected number five (5) times, four (4) times, three (3) times or two (2) times with the chosen winning number during the given consecutive drawing period, the advanced wagering game still allows the player to win a cash prize as shown above in Table 1.

A difference between single draw option and the two variations of the advance wager option of the game is that multiple drawings of the advance wager option may be played with a single one time wager as opposed to the single draw option where multiple wagers are placed to continue to play in each drawing. Another difference between the single draw option and the advance wager option of the game is that the player engaging in the single draw option will have the choice to continue playing in a subsequent drawing or taking the cash prize associated with winning the previous drawing. The player engaging in the advance wager option of the game is not given the choice to collect the cash prize; he or she is locked into playing all the consecutive drawings he or she opted to play in when submitting the wager slip to a licensed lottery retailer.

Although there are differences that exist between the single draw option and the advance wager option of the game, they are still based upon the same principles of a progressive lottery style game of chance. The player that will participate in this style of game is hoping to parlay a small wager into a much larger cash prize and this particular embodiment of the present invention offers the player two alternatives to do so.

As stated, six tiers of wagering of the game have been described above to merely illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The entity operating the game has the ability to alter the number of tiers in use in any manner it sees fit. The examples of wager and cash prize amounts described above have also been employed merely to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that the game may be played with any cash denominations for wagers and cash prizes, as determined by the entity controlling the operation of the game.

It is also to be understood that the numbers available for selection in number block 20, ten (10) have been presented in this manner to aid in fully describing an embodiment of the present invention. Any combination of numbers may be used in the number block as determined by the entity conducting the game.

The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiment, which is merely illustrative of the best modes presently known for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiment of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method within the scope of these claims and their equivalents by covered thereby. This description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combination of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiment is illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.

Claims

1. A method for operating a lottery style game of chance that offers a player the opportunity to parlay previous prize winnings into larger potential prize winnings, comprising the steps of:

selecting a single number from a group of numbers for a given drawing period;

randomly generating a winning number from the group of numbers for the given drawing period;

comparing the selected number with the winning number for the given drawing period; and

increasing the size of the potential prize each time the number the player selected matches the randomly generated winning number.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of continuing the game if the selected number matches the winning number for the given drawing period.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

presenting the prize to the player if the number the player selected matches the randomly generated winning number for the given drawing period;

relinquishing the prize if the player elects to continue the game; and

selecting a new number from the group of numbers for a new drawing period.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of ending the game if the number selected by the player does not match the randomly generated winning number.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of ending the game if the player retains the prize.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the player selects the number from the group of numbers by requesting that the number be randomly generated.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the prizes are cash prizes.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the step of determining the amount of the cash prize based on the amount of a wager placed by a player.

9. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of charging a single wager each time the player selects a number for a new drawing period.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of selecting to participate in a consecutive draw option of the game.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a number of consecutive drawing periods to play; and

selecting a number for a group of numbers for each of the consecutive drawing periods.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the step of continuing the game if the selected number matches the winning number for the given drawing period.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 comprising the step of ending the game if the number selected by the player does not match the randomly generated winning number.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of selecting to participate in a bonus wager option of the game.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of presenting the player a prize if the selected number matches the randomly generated winning number for a minimum number of drawings during a given consecutive drawing period.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 comprising the step of ending the game if the number selected by the player does not match the randomly generated winning number for a minimum number of drawings during a consecutive drawing period.