System, Method and Device for Enhancing Winning Opportunities in Gaming

Abstract

The present invention allows lotteries and players to engage in personalized, specialized, customized and/or localized jackpots separate from, or in addition to, standard gaming offerings. In one embodiment of the present invention, a gaming player identifier such as a lottery player card, for example, can be used to identify a player and associate a localized jackpot with the player's wager or gaming play. The jackpots can be funded in a variety of ways, including by taking a percentage of the player's wager for an ordinary lottery game, and attributing it to the localized jackpot. Localized jackpot wins can be instant wins payable immediately or delayed wins payable, for example, if the player were to win some other prize. The system of the present invention can generate random numbers used to determine whether a player will instantly win any jackpot for which he or she is eligible.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/122,179, filed Dec. 12, 2008, entitled “System, Device and Method for Paperless Wagering and Payment of Winnings,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

State lotteries typically allocate a large percentage of lottery game wagers towards education, prize payouts and retailer commissions. Prize payouts are made from a jackpot, and more than one player can win money from the jackpot depending upon the game being played. However, such jackpots are provided for all players generally and do not permit localization to a specific group of potential winners. Further, while players of lottery and other wagering games generally have the ability to acquire a “player card” for, among other things, participating in rewards and benefits programs, such rewards and benefits are typically predetermined and based on purchase amounts and/or frequency of use. The player cards do not enable the player to contribute to a localized jackpot, and the rewards and benefits do not represent winnings from localized jackpots.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention allows lotteries and players to engage in personalized, specialized, customized and/or localized jackpots (any of which may be termed a “localized” jackpot herein for ease of reference) separate from, or in addition to, standard gaming offerings. In one embodiment of the present invention, a gaming player identifier such as a lottery player card, for example, can be used to identify a player and associate a localized jackpot with the player's wager or gaming play. The jackpots can be funded in a variety of ways, including by taking a percentage of the player's wager for an ordinary lottery game, and attributing it to the localized jackpot. Localized jackpot wins can be instant wins payable immediately or delayed wins payable based on another factor such as if the player were to win some other prize. The system of the present invention can generate random numbers used to determine whether a player will instantly win any jackpot for which he or she is eligible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system of the present invention incorporating a lottery system backend and a traditional commercial transaction system backend.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for establishing a localized jackpot with an instant payout in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sample flow diagrams illustrating methods of providing and implementing multiple localized jackpots in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTIVE ASPECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

As used in the present application, the term “gaming player identifier” can include or be associated with, by way of example and without limitation, a debit card, a credit card, a smart card, a gift card, a pre-paid card, a stored value card, a bank card, a lottery player card, a “frequent-player” card, a user name and password combination, an account identifier, indicia such as a bar code or a magnetic stripe, a human biological identifier, a voucher, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or transmitter, an ATM card, a combination card, any other coded indicia, Bluetooth™-enhanced devices, mobile communications devices adapted for use with the above, or combinations of any of the above. The gaming player identifier is or can represent a personal identifier specific to an individual person, a group, a retailer, a chain of stores, or a specific device, as exemplified above. The gaming player identifier can further be associated with a unique identifier such as a credit or debit card number, serial number, account number, IP address, or e-mail address, for example.

If a card is employed as the gaming player identifier, its form factor can be similar to that of a standard credit, debit or stored value card, and can operate similarly thereto. The card can implement contact technology such as magnetic stripes, and/or contact-less technology such as scannable barcodes, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags or Bluetooth™, for example. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile communications device can be employed as the gaming player identifier, based, for example, on the IP address of the device or a barcode or other identifier displayed on, and capable of being read from, the visual display of the device. In a further aspect of the present invention, the gaming player identifier can be the player himself or herself, or a part of the player, wherein the player's personal biological information (e.g., fingerprint, retina scan, voice or other human biologically unique information) can be recorded and stored with his or her account as part of his or her player information, and then compared with the biometric information measured when the user desires to initiate a ticket play or transaction using the system of the present invention.

In one aspect of the present invention, the gaming player identifier can be used to determine an amount held in an account associated with the identifier, as well as to debit or credit amounts in the account, transfer funds from another account, and/or transfer gaming winnings into the account. The account associated with the gaming player identifier can be, for example, a debit or credit card account, a bank account, a savings account, a lottery account, a checking account, and/or another financial account. The account can be a financial institution account (e.g., Bank of America™ checking, savings or brokerage account) or a financial account maintained independently of a financial institution.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the gaming player identifier takes the form of a multi-purpose transaction card as referenced above. An example such card is shown at 15 in FIG. 2, with a machine readable barcode 16 on one side of the card and a machine readable magnetic stripe 17 on the other side. It will be appreciated that these and other indicia may appear on the same side of the card in an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-purpose transaction card includes indicia in the form of a visible computer chip on one face of the card, which is employed when the multi-purpose transaction card operates as a “smart card” capable of being read and written to by a reader or terminal in accordance with the present invention. The smart card implementation can employ either a local card memory or a complete local central processing unit (CPU) for added data storage and processing capability.

As further shown in FIG. 1, a typical implementation of the system 10 of the present invention involves a user identifying him or herself with a gaming player identifier, such as card 15, to a terminal 22. Terminal 22 can be one of multiple terminals within a retail establishment 20; however, it will be appreciated that a home computer or mobile communications device can be employed as the terminal. Each terminal can be provided with one or more methods of identifying individual players, such as, but not limited to, a browser interface, a touch-screen interface, a biometric identifier such as a fingerprint scanner, a magnetic stripe reader, or a barcode reader (exemplified at 24). The magnetic stripe reader and barcode reader implementations may further be provided with the ability to write information to a card in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, such as where the player card is a stored value card and the player elects to have any winnings added to the card for future use. Readers that can be employed in connection with the present invention can be part of an attended POS terminal in a retail store or other commercial location, a self-contained kiosk in a retail store or other commercial location, or the mobile equivalent of the self-contained kiosk (e.g., a home personal computer or user mobile communication device). The reader can be interfaced with the terminal by any of a variety of known computer interfaces, including USB port, PCMCIA slot, parallel port, floppy disk slot, infrared IRDA port, RS232 serial port or keyboard, for example.

It will be appreciated that the terminal can “read” a gaming player identifier in the sense that it can receive information from the gaming player identifier, which can occur in a variety of ways. For example, the terminal can have a barcode scanner for reading a barcode, a magnetic stripe reader for reading a magnetic stripe, a fingerprint reader for reading a fingerprint, and/or a computer user interface for reading touch-screen signals, keyed input signals, spoken input signals or other input signals provided via a user interface. Upon reading the gaming player identifier, the terminal can employ a communications component to communicate with the lottery data processing system 42 described in more detail below, wherein the system can identify a localized jackpot game available for play by a user associated with the gaming player identifier. The terminal can further include a printing element for printing a ticket associated with a jackpot game, whether the jackpot is a general public or localized jackpot. The terminal can further include an interface for receiving deposits and/or wagers associated with the localized jackpot. Such interface can be a scanner or barcode reader for reading a payment card (e.g., credit or debit card), as well as a visual interface for receiving payment card information (e.g., a web browser). As terminals can range from traditional retail point-of-sale terminals to personal computing devices (e.g., home computers, mobile communications devices), the present invention accommodates the preferences and capabilities of its users, who can provide one or more signals by available means on the terminals to indicate a desire to make deposits and/or wagers for the localized jackpot(s). Further, the terminal can communicate directly with the lottery data processing system, or indirectly through another system, such as a retail chain store headquarters information system, for example.

Terminals can further be provided with an interface, such as a graphical user interface, that permits a display to a user of various forms of information, including the one or more localized jackpots that the user is eligible to participate in, the size of the jackpot(s), and any winnings associated with the user or the gaming player identifier used by the user. In one embodiment of the present invention where the localized jackpots permit instant winning, the terminal interface can display whether the wager for the localized jackpot is a winner substantially in real-time upon receiving the wager. In a separate embodiment of the present invention where instant wager results are not presented to the user making the wager for the localized jackpot, the terminal interface can indicate that the wager is a winner after a certain period of time has passed, such as, for example, when the results of a separate game have been determined.

With regard to biometrics, a fingerprint scanner (or other biometric information reader) can be attached as a peripheral to a terminal for the purpose of capturing a player's fingerprint (or other biometric information) at a retailer location. Also as an option, an alpha/numeric keypad can be incorporated as either an additional peripheral or as part of the fingerprint scanner. It will be appreciated that a fingerprint scanner need not be the sole operative biometric device used in accordance with this aspect of the present invention. Other biometric equipment and techniques employed by the present invention can include, for example, iris recognition, retinal recognition, hand prints, voice recognition, facial recognition, signature stroke recognition or any combination thereof. The stored biometric imprint can allow for quickly matching the player to the eligible localized jackpots, as well as allowing for automated entry of wager data and subsequent validation of the winning data.

As further shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 22 is in communication with a lottery system provider network 40 via network 26, which can be a public network such as the Internet or a private network, for example. The lottery system provider network 40 connects to a lottery data processing system 42, which can incorporate lottery host 44, and can further coordinate and/or run various lottery service provider functions such as player and account management component 46, gaming and transaction processing component 48, database 50, customer relationship management (CRM) component 52, loyalty rewards component 54 and localized jackpot management component 56. Lottery host 44 can include, for example, programming for validating winning tickets, generating ticket data, randomizing winners, benefits and prizes, managing games and jackpots as well as communications for traditional lottery games available to the general public. Localized jackpot management component 56 includes programming for establishing and managing customized, personalized, specialized and/or localized jackpots, all of which will be referred to as localized jackpots herein for ease of reference. A localized jackpot is not available for play by the general public, and can be established through the system of the present invention by a sponsor such as, for example, a retailer, store chain, employer, charitable group, local restaurant or other establishment, family, friends, other groups and even individuals. The localized jackpot management component 56 can manage the localized jackpots by determining winners according to rules established by the sponsor, for example.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the lottery data processing system 42 manages deposits, withdrawals and gaming wagers and payouts via player/account management component 46. In another embodiment of the present invention, the lottery data processing system 42 can communicate with a financial system network 65 to manage electronic funds transfers for similar purposes. For instance, the lottery data processing system 42 can communicate the winnings from a gaming event to the financial system network in order to add funds to a financial institution account associated with a player, retailer or other entity, as described in more detail hereinafter.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the financial system network 65 is an association network (such as MasterCard™/VISA™ network), which manages non-lottery/gaming transactions in the customary way through communications between a card issuing bank 70, a transaction acquiring bank 72 and an association 74 (e.g., MasterCard™/VISA™). The card issuing bank can include a bank or financial institution data processing system 76 for managing account transactions. The financial institution data processing system includes programming for, among other things, initiating the opening of a financial institution account. In one embodiment of the present invention, an account can be opened and funded with a balance in the amount of winnings from a gaming event or transaction.

Localized jackpots can be established by accessing lottery data processing system 42 and localized jackpot management component 56, which can provide intuitive user interfaces for outside parties (i.e., localized jackpot sponsors) to use in setting up and administering a localized jackpot. In a separate embodiment of the present invention, the lottery system provider can manage localized jackpot setup and administration via telephone or other method, whereby a lottery system provider representative assists the sponsor in customizing the localized jackpot. The present invention can gather information such as, but not limited to, the name of the entity establishing the localized jackpot, the eligible players for the localized jackpot, how the eligible players will be identified by the system of the present invention, whether there are specific conditions for eligibility (e.g., only if a purchase is made in the sponsor's establishment), the method by which the localized jackpot will be funded, whether matching funds will be provided (including how and from whom), whether winnings will be paid instantly or on a delayed basis, whether any percentage of funds for the localized jackpot will be set aside for other purposes, whether any winnings will be set aside for other purposes, and so forth.

Upon establishing the criteria for eligible players, the player/account management component can register players for the newly created localized jackpot using gaming player identifiers. This can occur in many ways. For example, retailers, chain stores, restaurants and other commercial establishments acting as sponsors can provide branded player cards for their patrons to use as gaming player identifiers. Thus, any time a player interacts with the commercial establishment, whether physically present or purchasing something online, for example, the player can employ his or her player card to participate in the localized jackpot. In this embodiment, the player cards can be physically delivered to the commercial establishment by the lottery service provider, and the commercial establishment can then pass out the cards to its interested customers in person or through mailings, for example. The user can then employ the card with some type of terminal that is in communication with the lottery data processing system so that the system recognizes the user as a participant in the localized jackpot, and attributes wagers and winnings accordingly.

As another example, potential players can be identified at a point-of-sale terminal during a traditional transaction and can be offered the opportunity to join the localized jackpot. Upon agreeing, the potential player can then participate in the localized jackpot using his or her credit or debit card, for example, which number is then stored as the player's identifier within the player/account management component 46. The player may then fund the localized jackpot using the same card at the same time that the player is participating in the localized jackpot. This embodiment works equally well whether the player is registering for the first time using a debit or credit card, or whether the player has already registered and is seeking to participate in the localized jackpot using the debit or credit card as the gaming player identifier.

As another example, potential players can register to participate in a localized jackpot online. In such an embodiment, the sponsor can work with the localized jackpot management component to establish user interfaces that players may use to establish their account with the player/account management component in connection with the particular localized jackpot involved. In such an embodiment, players may use a network such as the Internet for such purposes, and may select one of many available gaming player identifiers capable of being used for the localized jackpot. The available gaming player identifiers can be established by the sponsor according to their own internal systems. Thus, for example, one retailer may have biometric reader capabilities and therefore may allow a biometric identifier to be used as a gaming player identifier, while another sponsor may only permit a credit or debit card to be used as a gaming player identifier.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the player may register for multiple localized jackpots using player/account management component. For example, if a potential player is aware that his favorite chain store restaurant and charity are involved in respective localized jackpots, he or she may register to participate in all of them according to their respective terms. If, as an example, each sponsor permits online registration, the player may proceed to select a gaming player identifier for use with each localized jackpot. It will be appreciated that a previously existing debit or credit card may be a convenient method through which to participate in one or more localized jackpots, as such cards may already be in use for traditional transactions and further swipes or card reading activities may be avoided once the card is read for the first time in connection with the traditional transaction. Further, the card has the inherent capability to make payments for funding the localized jackpot(s). Thus, it is conceivable that a player registered to participate in one or more localized jackpots can conduct a lottery or non-lottery transaction and apply funds to the one or more localized jackpots at the same time. The mechanisms through which such transactions are processed can vary as well. For example, the user can be prompted through a terminal interface and make selections by key entry, touch screen or voice. Alternatively, the user can be prompted by a human terminal operator for selections of localized jackpots and amounts.

Participation in localized jackpots can be tied to lottery transactions, non-lottery transactions or no transactions at all. In the lottery transaction context, when a player is purchasing a lottery ticket, the player may elect to devote a portion of the lottery ticket purchase to a localized jackpot. The player may communicate this through an operator or through the terminal at which they are making the ticket purchase. The specific amounts and percentages of funds that can be diverted from a traditional lottery wager will depend on the jurisdictional and sponsor rules, regulations and agreements with distributors, for example. In one embodiment of the present invention, no diversion of traditional prize pool percentages is made, but the player is offered the opportunity to separately fund the localized jackpot. In addition to making localized jackpots available when a player makes a lottery ticket purchase, the player may be redeeming a winning ticket and may elect to devote a portion of the winnings to the localized jackpot. The lottery host 44, player/account management component 46 and transaction processing component 48 can operate to manage the funds transfer and account administration.

In the non-lottery transaction environment, the player can participate in localized jackpots proactively or reactively. For instance, the player may be conducting a purchase transaction for non-lottery products or services and may elect to apply a rebate or discount, or direct additional funds, towards a localized jackpot. Applying or directing funds can be for a wager or for a deposit to build the jackpot higher. For example, a grandparent may wish to establish a localized jackpot for grandchildren and may wish to fund the jackpot with change from a variety of cash transactions. As long as the terminal at which the user is conducting the transaction can communicate with the lottery data processing system 42, this type of proactive participation can occur. Further, the player may receive an offer to participate in a localized jackpot after consummating the non-lottery transaction. This can occur based on the system of the present invention recognizing the player as a localized jackpot participant at the time of the transaction, or as an initial offer to a person who had not yet registered for a localized jackpot.

Further, the present invention can allow players to participate in a localized jackpot even when no other transaction is occurring. For example, the player may initiate funding a deposit or wager for localized jackpot play by simply accessing a terminal in communication with the lottery data processing system 42 and proceeding to add deposit funds or make a wager in the localized jackpot. Whether a lottery transaction or non-lottery transaction is involved or not, the present invention involves some type of transaction involving a transaction amount conducted commensurate with the reading of the gaming player identifier. By “commensurate”, the present invention is meant to accommodate transaction communications and reading of a gaming player identifier regardless of which one occurs before the other or if they both occur simultaneously. As described elsewhere herein, a portion of the transaction amount can be applied to the localized jackpot game. In one embodiment of the present invention, the user of the gaming player identifier is prompted to contribute to (i.e., deposit or wager on) a localized jackpot game once the terminal has “read” the gaming player identifier. The contribution can be made at the time of interaction with the terminal or can be made later, such as if the user of the gaming player identifier receives rebates, cash back, gaming winnings or other contributable amounts after the interaction with the terminal.

Wagers for the localized jackpot can be accounted for using player/account management component. Thus, once a sponsor has established a localized jackpot and the rules therefore, any wagers made can be tabulated in a specific account dedicated to the localized jackpot. Funds representing the wagers can be maintained by the lottery system provider or by a financial institution in an account held in the name of the sponsor, player or lottery system provider as the case dictates.

In one embodiment of the present invention, once the terminal identifies the one or more localized jackpot games for which the user associated with the gaming player identifier is eligible, the terminal receives an initial wager associated with the gaming player identifier and prompts the user for a commitment to attribute at least a portion of any winnings from the initial wager with a wager for the localized jackpot game. Such an instance may arise, for example, where the user is playing a traditional lottery game available to the general public, and wishes to direct some or all of the winning proceeds from the traditional lottery game to a wager in the localized jackpot. Such an instance may also arise, for example, when the user is playing a localized jackpot game and wishes to apply some or all of the winnings from that game towards the same game. For example, if the localized jackpot has a total amount of $10,000, and the user makes an initial wager that wins $50, the user may direct all or some of the $50 towards another wager for the remaining $9950 jackpot.

In the embodiment where the user elects to play a jackpot game available to the general public, the user may receive a printed or virtual ticket from the terminal, as well as a prompt to participate in a localized jackpot game for which the user associated with the gaming player identifier is eligible. Further, the localized jackpot can be one where the results are tied to a separate game such as the game represented by the ticket issued by the terminal. Depending upon how the localized jackpot has been established, the user may be a winner in the localized jackpot game as a result of having a winning ticket in the jackpot available to the general public. In this way, the user gets the additional excitement and anticipation of multiple games tied to a single ticket. Further, that user's experience will be different from other users because other users would not necessarily be eligible to participate in the same localized jackpots.

Payouts can be made according to terms established by the sponsor. In one embodiment of the present invention, instant payouts are made available and occur as shown in FIG. 2. As shown therein, the sponsor first establishes a prize structure and a rule that payouts can be made as instant winners at 80. Optionally, funds may be deposited by the sponsor at step 81 to accommodate winners. At step 82, a book or virtual book of tickets is established according to the prize structure. Thus, by way of illustration only, if there are one hundred tickets in the book, there may be twenty “low-tier”winners (i.e., $75 or less), three “mid-tier” winners (i.e., $75 to $599) and one “high-tier” winner (i.e., $600 or more). It will be appreciated that the number and definition of tiers of winners for any given prize structure may vary, as will the number of winners within each tier, and the number of books and tickets within each book. After players are registered in any of the ways described above, a terminal receives a wager from an eligible player as at 83. At step 84, a signal is sent to the lottery host to generate a random index into the prize pool file, which then determines if the player is a winner at step 86. The random index can be generated by the lottery host employing a random number generator and using the number generated with an algorithm to determine, at random, whether the wager made by the player results in a winner. If the player is a winner, then an interface on the terminal can so reveal, as at step 88.

Sponsors can also elect to have payouts made on a delayed basis according to outside circumstances. For example, a player may not know whether he or she is a winner until after a lotto drawing that takes place after the player makes the wager. The present invention can use other outside events as determinants for the localized jackpot wager, such as sporting events and traditional instant ticket outcomes, for example. In one embodiment of the present invention, the localized jackpot wager is only a winner if a traditional lottery ticket is a separate winner of some other prize.

It will be appreciated that the odds of winning each jackpot can vary depending upon the amount in the jackpot or on the particular rules established by the originator, sponsor or group. Further, the odds of winning the jackpot can vary depending upon the amount contributed.

The player/account management component 46 can provide an interface for al players to view which jackpots they are registered for, and the size of each jackpot. This can allow players to determine which jackpot they wish to try to win.

As illustrations, all of the following types of jackpots can be available in accordance with the present invention:

(1) An employer can sponsor a separate jackpot (e.g., $100-$10,000) for its employees. Per illustrative rules provided by the employer, whenever an employee buys a lottery ticket using a gaming player identifier (e.g., a simple player card or some other way of identifying him or herself as an employee), he or she could be eligible for the employer jackpot. The player's wager or fee to participate in the company jackpot can be funded by a portion of the ticket purchase, a separate fee paid by the player, the player's winnings of the traditional jackpot, or simply by the player using the card.

(2) A store chain (e.g., Krogers™ or 7-11™ Stores) can sponsor a jackpot only for people who buy lottery tickets in one of their stores (perhaps even funded in whole or in part using the retailer's commissions). The player's wager or fee to participate in the retailer jackpot can be funded by a portion of the ticket purchase, a separate fee paid by the player, the player's winnings of the traditional jackpot, or simply by the player using the gaming player identifier.

(3) a charitable group can sponsor a jackpot which is funded by players whenever they use their gaming player identifier to make a wager. Per the sponsor's rules, the jackpot can be split between any winner and the charitable group for charitable purposes.

(4) a local restaurant or bar can fund a jackpot for keno players who play in their establishment.

(5) a family or group of friends can participate in a jackpot where, for example, each time a family member places a wager, some part of their wager (or winnings) gets put into a jackpot for that family. As shown in FIG. 3 (and described below), the player can be prompted by the system of the present invention to divert a portion of his or her ticket wager or winnings to the localized jackpot. In such an embodiment, rules can be established such that, for example, only family members are eligible to win.

(6) an individual may ask that a certain percentage of all of his or her wagers (or winnings) be put into their own personal jackpot.

In the above examples, the player can register or associate his or her gaming player identifier with one or more of various groups in order to take advantage of the additional jackpots. For example, if the player wins a lottery with a prize of $100,000, and the player is issued a gaming player identifier as described above, the player can associate the gaming player identifier with his or her employer, church group, favorite or most frequent store chain or dining establishment, and/or separate personal group (e.g., family and friends), for example. The player may associate more than one group or jackpot with the gaming player identifier. Later, at the time of making purchases (lottery or non-lottery) and depending upon the rules associated with contributing to each group's jackpot, the gaming player identifier holder can be prompted by the system of the present invention to contribute to a personalized Jackpot. In one embodiment, where the user gaming player identifier is identified through scanning at a retailer terminal, the terminal can prompt the user for jackpot affiliation associated with the current transaction. In a self-service example, similar to a cash withdrawal from an ATM machine where pre-determined withdrawal amounts are presented on the user interface for selection, the present invention can provide selection options for localized jackpots for the user to participate in.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show flow charts of example implementations of this aspect of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a wager is made, such as the purchase of a lottery ticket, and the player's gaming player identifier is presented as at step 110. At step 112, the system of the present invention identifies the player by his or her gaming player identifier. The player can be identified as a member of a group, such as a family member, corporate employee, charitable organization contributor, retail establishment patron, fantasy football group member, virtual world team member, individual within a group of friends, or other. At step 113, the player is prompted for an answer as to whether the player wants to assign a portion of the player's wager to the localized jackpot, or assign winnings (or a portion thereof) to the localized jackpot. Such a prompt can be incorporated into the present invention by sending appropriate instructions from the lottery data processing system to the terminal where the user has presented his or her gaming player identifier. If the terminal is manned by retail personnel, the retail personnel at the terminal can read the prompt and ask the user for an answer. If the terminal is self-service, which can include a kiosk, or the user's own personal computer or mobile communications device, the terminal can present the selection to the user for response by touch-screen, oral response, keyboard entry or other known data entry signal or data entry means. Software coding is provided centrally and/or locally to facilitate these processes.

It will be appreciated that, if the user opts to designate a portion of the player's wager to the localized jackpot, the portion can be paid out of the retailer's fee receipts for handling lottery transactions. Upon receiving the user's selection, the system then associates the localized jackpot information with the ticket and/or user gaming player identifier, as at 114. It will further be appreciated that the finding of any localized jackpot can occur in several ways and by any of several entities (including, for example, by the user, retailer, charity, gaming establishment, employer, etc.) as described in more detail above. Depending upon the user's selection and the timing of the primary game, the user may have now established some interest in the localized jackpot (either through the designation of a portion of the lottery ticket purchase to the auxiliary jackpot or designation of winnings (or a portion thereof)). Upon the processing of the wager and the localized jackpot game as at 116, a determination is made as at 118 to see if the user is a winner of the localized jackpot game, and if so, a prize is awarded as at 120. Cash prizes can be associated with the holder's gaming player identifier, and automatically added to whatever balance is associated therewith.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, when a player designates that a portion of their winnings are to be put into a jackpot, the lottery may match a certain percentage of it.

As shown in FIG. 4, this aspect of the present invention can also occur when the user conducts a non-lottery transaction. It will be appreciated that conducting a transaction can include one or more steps of initiating, processing and consummating a transaction, wherein the transaction can relate to purchase, sale, exchange, discount, barter and other types of transactions. At step 130, for example, the user purchases non-lottery items with the gaming player identifier. At step 132, the system of the present invention identifies the player by his or her gaming player identifier as a member of a group such as detailed above. At step 133, the user is prompted to assign all or a portion of any cash back proceeds from the non-lottery transaction to the localized jackpot. At step 134, the localized jackpot information is tagged to the gaming player identifier. Upon the processing of the wager and the localized jackpot game as at 136, a determination is made as at 138 to see if the user is a winner of the localized jackpot game, and if so, a prize is awarded as at 140.

In the embodiment of the present invention where localized jackpot wagering is made available upon the purchase of a ticket, for any ticket purchase, a player might be eligible for multiple jackpot wins (e.g., an employee buying a ticket in a retail store can be eligible for his or her employer's jackpot as well as the retail store's jackpot). Further, the jackpot drawings or win determinations can take place at different times, such that the player can create the chance to win several jackpots at the same time, while waiting to receive a determination as to whether the player won any of the Jackpots at different times as the individual jackpot winner determinations are made.

In an alternative embodiment of the process shown in FIG. 4, a portion of each purchase using the gaming player identifier can be placed into a jackpot for the individual or family by the retailer (or by specific product manufacturers or service providers), rather than the player assigning cash back benefits into the jackpot. In another embodiment, the non-player provided funding can be combined with player-provided funding. Further, the player-provided funding can be a combination of funding such as cash back amounts, rebate amounts, coupon amounts, amounts in the form of change from cash transactions, additionally designated amounts at the time of purchase (e.g., the transaction amount is $100, but the individual elects to pay $105 and designate the extra $5 for the localized jackpot).

For group play, each member of the group can have an individual gaming player identifier tied to the same player account in the player/account management component, with the gaming player identifiers being linked together by the system of the present invention to form the group.

In a further embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, a game is set up to match the game that the player has selected for “real-world” play. For example, if the player is making a selection of five numbers for a drawing in the real-world, a virtual drawing can be established for the group to which the user belongs. When the player makes his or her number selections, the same selections can be attributed to the localized jackpot. The localized jackpot drawing may be operated in a virtual sense, as will be appreciated.

In one embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, if the gaming player identifiers are universally unique, then the personal/group jackpot processing can be separate from the jurisdiction. This is especially useful for groups that are geographically separated, or for players who travel or are on state line boundaries. The player and group can view the current jackpots for which they are eligible by logging in to a designated website or other known means.

It is conceivable and within the scope of the present invention that the jackpot and gaming player identifier information are stored on a computer network separate and apart from the lottery system provider network, such as a computer network associated with the sponsor or originator of the localized jackpot. In such an instance, the registered players would not necessarily access the lottery system provider network in order to make wagers and participate in the localized jackpot, but can instead access the sponsor's network, such as a website hosted by the sponsor to permit play of the online instant lottery tickets within the virtual book that had been assigned to the sponsor. The sponsor network can thereby include a non-lottery jackpot data processing system similar to system 42 of FIG. 1, with its own gaming processor that communicates and is associated with a gaming host similar in form and function to the lottery host 44 of FIG. 1. Such a system has its own localized jackpot management component capable of managing multiple localized jackpot games not available for play by the general public, similar to component 56 of FIG. 1. Such a system further has its own gaming/transaction processing component for processing localized jackpot funding transactions and localized jackpot winning payment transactions.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a single gaming player identifier (and even a single element on the gaming player identifier, such as a barcode or magnetic stripe) can be used to conduct lottery, non-lottery and localized jackpot transactions (with appropriate split routing to the appropriate network) and the gaming player identifier would therefore require no other element or indicia.

As described above, the localized jackpot management component can manage multiple special-interest games (i.e., localized jackpots), which are not available for play by the general public. In one embodiment of the present invention, the localized jackpot can be associated with a sports wager or other “skill-based” or perceived skill-based game to the extent permitted and available for a given transaction. Thus, for example, if a player enters a restaurant where sporting events are displayed on televisions for patrons to view and where skill-based wagering is permitted, the player can use his or her card to purchase a meal or other items, and designate funds or points (depending upon the implementation) for a wager on one of the sporting events being displayed. If others in the restaurant are also participating, then a combined jackpot is provided and available for one of the participating patrons to win. The invention can apply to other skill-based games beyond sporting event wagering, such as, for example, card games, knowledge-based games, video games, virtual world games and the like. The invention can further apply to games that are considered “entered” based on a player paying an entry fee into an establishment, as opposed to a direct wager on a specific game. In one embodiment, the invention limits skill-based wagering to events that are determinative while the user is physically present in an establishment. In another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, distinctions are made between games that the user is participating in (e.g., billiards or pool), and games that the user is not participating in (e.g., professional sporting event wager).

In addition to associating a gaming player identifier and/or simple player card with one or more of various groups in order to take advantage of additional jackpots, a holder of a gaming player identifier can associate the gaming player identifier with one or more other gaming player identifiers to form or join a wagering syndicate. The wagering syndicate may be formed, for example, to take advantage of the increase in odds of winning that occurs when more wagers are placed. Thus, for example, if five individuals were to play $25 worth of tickets, their chances of winning would be less than if $125 were wagered in gross. Thus, the five players might pool their funds and agree to split any winnings according to their individual contributions.

In accordance with this aspect of the present invention, two or more holders of gaming player identifiers can register through the lottery service provider network to form a syndicate. Registration can occur at the time of issuance of a gaming player identifier, or afterward. Upon registration, a single member of the syndicate can be identified as the “captain” holding the “captain account” on behalf of himself or herself and the remaining syndicate members. Each member of a syndicate can then be identified such as through scanning at a retailer terminal, for example, and can be prompted at the point of identification for applying a given transaction or wager to the syndicate or keeping it separate from the syndicate. Thus, for example, if a holder or user of a gaming player identifier places a favorite wager for a drawing by having his or her gaming player identifier read at a terminal, the terminal may ask whether the user is placing the wager individually or as part of his or her registered syndicate. If the player chooses to place the wager as part of the syndicate, then it is added to the captain's designated syndicate account.

In one embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, the system operates so as to automatically debit the player's account in the amount of the wager made as part of the syndicate. In another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, the system operates such that, if the syndicate wagers result in winnings for the syndicate, then the winnings are automatically paid out or disbursed to each member according to his or her pro rata share. The system of the present invention can employ default and customized business rules to determine how the wager payments are made and debited, as well as how payouts are disbursed. The rules can be customized at the time of syndicate setup or later while employing various safeguards to ensure that all group members consent to the customized procedures for accepting wagers and distributing winnings. In one embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, each member of a syndicate can gain access to account information for the syndicate and view the number and type of wagers being made on behalf of the syndicate.

In addition to being activated for transaction purposes, the gaming player identifier can be used by the user to establish favorite numbers, favorite wagers, and other personally appealing features using the CRM component associated with the lottery data processing system 42 of the present invention. In one embodiment, the user can access a web site using the gaming player identifier and the user's pin for such purposes, and can establish a lottery system account associated with the gaming player identifier and/or the player's name. The user can also elect for any future winnings from lottery gaming wins or other transactions to be applied to the account. Illustrative options for employing the gaming player identifier in accordance with the present invention are described in applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 12/344,627, entitled “System, Device and Method for Paperless Wagering and Payment of Winnings”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

It will be appreciated that, where appropriate, use of modern data encryption and digital signature techniques such as those used by the public/private key infrastructure (PKI) can be used throughout all the transaction paths to ensure complete end-to-end data integrity and security and protection of privacy. Further, the player's actual identity (such as name, age, or address) can remain completely anonymous to the system for the purposes of these applications. As an option, the player's age can be registered to the system to ensure age eligibility for wagering with online agents and self service gaming machines. Account based wagering, where the player has a financial account on the wagering system can also be tied to this method of play for payment transactions.

As an additional embodiment, the data from at least one player bid biometric sample collected by the terminal can be used as a seed to a random number generator on the wagering terminal or on the host for the purpose of generating a random selection of wagering entry data to the wagering system.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that any computer system that includes suitable programming means for operating in accordance with the disclosed methods also falls well within the scope of the present invention. Suitable programming means include any means for directing a computer system to execute the steps of the system and method of the invention, including for example, systems comprised of processing units and arithmetic-logic circuits coupled to computer memory, which systems have the capability of storing in computer memory, which computer memory includes electronic circuits configured to store data and program instructions, programmed steps of the method of the invention for execution by a processing unit. Aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a computer program product, such as a diskette or other recording medium, for use with any suitable data processing system. The present invention can further run on a variety of platforms, including Microsoft Windows™, Linux™, Sun Solaris™, HP/UX™, IBM AIX™ and Java compliant platforms, for example.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims of the application rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a lottery data processing system having a localized jackpot management component capable of managing multiple localized jackpot games not available for play by the general public; and

at least one terminal in communication with the lottery data processing system, with the at least one terminal adapted for reading a gaming player identifier in order to identify a localized jackpot game available for play by a user associated with the gaming player identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the localized jackpot game is a skill-based or perceived skill-based game.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a transaction involving a transaction amount is conducted commensurate with the reading of the gaming player identifier, and wherein a portion of the transaction amount is applied to the localized jackpot game.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein, upon the terminal reading the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user for a contribution to a localized jackpot game.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein, upon the terminal reading the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user to apply a rebate or cash-back offer towards a gaming wager for a localized jackpot game.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein, upon the terminal identifying a localized jackpot game, the terminal receives an initial wager associated with the gaming player identifier and prompts the user associated with the gaming player identifier for a commitment to attribute at least a portion of any winnings from the initial wager with a wager for the localized jackpot game.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein, upon the terminal identifying a localized jackpot game, the terminal receives an initial wager associated with the gaming player identifier for a jackpot unrelated to the localized jackpot game, and upon the initial wager resulting in a winning wager amount associated with the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user associated with the gaming player identifier for a commitment to attribute at least a portion of the winning wager amount with a wager for the localized jackpot game.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the lottery data processing system includes a player/account management component for receiving a sponsor contribution to a localized jackpot.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one terminal receives a wager from the user for a jackpot game available to the general public, issues a ticket pertaining to the wager, and prompts the user to participate in the identified localized jackpot game.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one terminal prompts the user to participate in the identified localized jackpot game by contributing a portion of the wager for the general public jackpot game to the localized jackpot game.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one terminal prompts the user to participate in the identified localized jackpot game by contributing a portion of any winnings associated with the issued ticket to the localized jackpot game.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the user provides a signal to the at least one terminal indicative of a wager in the localized jackpot game, and upon receiving the signal, the at least one terminal provides an indication to the user regarding whether the user won or lost based on the wager in the localized jackpot game substantially in real-time.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein, upon receiving the signal, the at least one terminal communicates the wager to the lottery data processing system, whereupon the localized jackpot management component generates a random index into a prize pool associated with the localized jackpot game to determine whether the user won or lost based on the wager in the localized jackpot game, and communicates the determination to the at least one terminal.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the user provides a signal to the at least one terminal indicative of a wager in the localized jackpot game, and upon receiving the signal, the at least one terminal communicates the wager to the lottery data processing system, whereupon the localized jackpot management component associates the wager in the localized jackpot game with the issued ticket such that, if the issued ticket is a winner, then the wager in the localized jackpot game is a winner.

15. A method for operating localized jackpot games, comprising:

issuing a gaming player identifier to a user, wherein the gaming player identifier stores information identifying a localized jackpot game associated therewith;

managing, by a gaming processor associated with a lottery data processing system, multiple localized jackpot games not available for play by the general public;

associating at least one of the localized jackpot games with the gaming player identifier; and

reading, by a terminal, the gaming player identifier to indicate that a user of the gaming player identifier is capable of participating in one or more localized jackpot games.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein a transaction involving a transaction amount is conducted commensurate with the reading of the gaming player identifier, and wherein a portion of the transaction amount is applied to the localized jackpot game.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the portion of the transaction amount is applied as a deposit to the localized jackpot.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the portion of the transaction amount is applied as a wager in the localized jackpot.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein, upon the terminal reading the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user for a wager in a localized jackpot game.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein, upon the terminal reading the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user of the gaming player identifier to apply a rebate or cash-back offer towards a gaming wager for a localized jackpot game.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein, upon the terminal indicating that the gaining player identifier is capable of participating in one or more localized jackpot games, the terminal receives an initial wager associated with the gaming player identifier and prompts the user of the gaming player identifier for a commitment to attribute at least a portion of any winnings from the initial wager with a gaming wager for a localized jackpot game.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein, upon the terminal indicating that the gaming player identifier is capable of participating in one or more localized jackpot games, the terminal receives an initial wager associated with the gaming player identifier for a jackpot unrelated to the localized jackpot game, and upon the initial wager resulting in a winning wager amount associated with the gaming player identifier, the terminal prompts the user associated with the gaming player identifier for a commitment to attribute at least a portion of the winning wager amount with a wager for the localized jackpot game.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the terminal further receives a wager from the user for a jackpot game available to the general public, issues a ticket pertaining to the wager, and prompts the user to participate in the one or more localized jackpot games.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one terminal prompts the user to participate in the identified localized jackpot game by contributing a portion of the wager for the general public jackpot game to the localized jackpot game.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one terminal prompts the user to participate in the identified localized jackpot game by contributing a portion of any winnings associated with the issued ticket to the localized jackpot game.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the user provides a signal to the terminal indicative of a wager in the localized jackpot game, and upon receiving the signal, the terminal provides an indication to the user regarding whether the user won or lost based on the wager in the localized jackpot game substantially in real-time.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein, upon receiving the signal, the at least one terminal communicates the wager to the lottery data processing system, whereupon a localized jackpot management component generates a random index into a prize pool associated with the localized jackpot game to determine whether the user won or lost based on the wager in the localized jackpot game, and communicates the determination to the at least one terminal.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the user provides a signal to the terminal indicative of a wager in the localized jackpot game, and upon receiving the signal, the terminal communicates the wager to the lottery data processing system, whereupon a localized jackpot management component associates the wager in the localized jackpot game with the issued ticket such that, if the issued ticket is a winner, then the wager in the localized jackpot game is a winner.

29. The method of claim 15 wherein the lottery data processing system includes a player/account management component for receiving a sponsor contribution to a localized jackpot.

30. A terminal, comprising:

an interface capable of reading a gaming player identifier; and

a communications component for communicating with a gaming data management system having a localized jackpot management component, with the localized jackpot management component capable of managing multiple localized jackpot games not available for play by the general public, and further wherein the gaming data management system has a player/account management component for identifying at least one localized jackpot game associated with the gaming player identifier.

31. The terminal of claim 30 further including a printing element for printing a ticket associated with a jackpot game available to the general public and an interface for receiving a wager associated with the at least one localized jackpot, and wherein the localized jackpot management component includes programming for indicating that the received wager is a winner upon determining that the printed ticket is a winner.

32. The terminal of claim 30 further including an interface for receiving a wager associated with the at least one localized jackpot and an interface capable of displaying that the wager is a winner substantially in real-time upon receiving the wager.

33. A system comprising:

a non-lottery jackpot data processing system having a localized jackpot management component capable of managing multiple localized jackpot games not available for play by the general public;

at least one terminal in communication with the jackpot data processing system, with the at least one terminal adapted for reading a gaming player identifier in order to identify a localized jackpot game available for play by a user associated with the gaming player identifier, with the terminal further including an interface for receiving selections from a localized jackpot sponsor as to how the localized jackpot will be funded and how winnings will be paid out; and

a transaction processing component for processing localized jackpot funding transactions and localized jackpot winning payment transactions.