GB2163662A

GB2163662A - Lottery game

Info

Publication number: GB2163662A
Application number: GB08421791A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ralph O Glendinning
Original assignee: GLENDINNING Cos Inc
Current assignee: GLENDINNING Cos Inc
Priority date: 1984-08-29
Filing date: 1984-08-29
Publication date: 1986-03-05
Also published as: GB8421791D0

Abstract

A lottery card game involves the random distribution of a plurality of cards each having an identically arranged matrix of markings thereon, a portion of which markings are to be selectively unobscured by a player to determine whether a prize has been won, at least one of the cards having sets of markings (Fig. 2 type) within the matrix each containing a first winning indication when selectively unobscured, while the others have a set of markings (Fig. 3 type) within the matrix which, if properly unobscured by a player in a predetermined manner, contains a second winning indication. Thus any player can win, firstly, by receiving a card with a first winning indication in the random distribution or, secondly, by properly unobscuring the markings on any card received in the distribution. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lottery game BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to games of chance, and particularly to a lottery card game offering the opportunity for a player to win by the chance of the draw and also by properly operating upon any card drawn.

Games of chance involving the distribution of cards or other playing pieces among a number of players are an ancient and diverse art and take many forms requiring either luck or skill or both. In recent years many contests, sales promotion campaigns and staterun lotteries have employed the random distribution of cards or tickets having prearranged markings thereon that are obscured by an overprinting which is removed by a player to determine if a prize winning ticket has been drawn. In general, games of this type have been such that the issuer of the cards or tickets has controlled the prize winning potential of the players by printing up a limited number of winning tickets among the total of the tickets printed, so that winners are determined merely by the luck of the draw.

Some attempts have been made to introduce "probability" into this type of game by arranging the markings on the tickets such that winning is determined by the player through properly selecting the marking or markings to be unobscured among a set of markings. However, while such probability type games have appealed to the players, issuers have been somewhat reluctant to provide them due to the lessened control over the prize winning liability. As a result, to control this liability one approach has been to have winners share in a predetermined prize pool, but such a pool arrangement does not permit a player to know instantly the amount of his prize. The lack of the instant knowledge feature decreases the appeal of the game to the players.

To keep the instant prize feature while also including probability, one approach has been to put the two types of games on a single card by disposing the markings in two groups, one for determining whether a prize of a first class was won by the chance of the draw and another by which a second class of prize could be won by properly selecting a marking on a probability basis. Liability is controlled by limiting the value of the second class of prize as compared to the value of the first class of prize. However, games of this type immediately confront the player with the fact that the probability prize is essentially a consolation prize after his operation on the first group of markings has failed to win him a first class of prize.

The present invention provides a lottery card game of this latter type but which appeals to the players by offering an opportunity to instantly win by the chance of the draw as well as through probability on any card drawn by a single operation on the markings, while providing an issuer a substantial degree of control over the prize liability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a number of cards or pieces are prepared with a set of markings identically arranged in a selected pattern and overprinted. The markings on one or more of the cards are preselected to instantly indicate that a player who has obtained such a card from a random distribution is the winner of a first class of prize. The remaining cards have markings arranged in a combination within the set such that if a player unobscures one or more of the markings in a proper manner, a second class of prize is won instantly.

In the preferred embodiment the markings are arranged in a matrix of columns and rows, and the players must choose one column or one row, for example, which row of markings, to unobscure. On a ticket which will win a prize of the first class the markings in every row are predetermined to contain a winning combination. On the other tickets the markings in only one of the rows will contain a winning combination, so that a player will only win a prize of the second class if he selects the proper row to unobscure. Thus a player in obtaining a ticket in the random distribution stands a chance of winning a prize of the first class by the luck of the draw, but in the event that his selected ticket is not such a winner, he will still have an opportunity to win a prize of the second class by properly selecting the row among the matrix containing the winning combination of markings.To the player the distinction between the tickets or cards is not immediately manifest since he performs the same single operation on both types of cards.

Consequently, the present invention provides a game which offers the players the opportunity, upon performing a single operation, to win, firstly, by the luck of the draw through the random distribution of the cards or tickets and, secondly, by properly unobscuring the markings on any card received in the distribution, so that any card is a potential winner.

On the other hand, the issuer may control the prize liability by providing a first class of prizes subject to the luck of the draw and another class of prizes subject to probability.

The prizes in each class may be the same or different, but in any event may be of a specific type or amount, so that an instant indication can be provided on each card. In addition the prize indication may be included in the row selected and different prizes indicated in different rows.

Marking arrangements other than strict columns and rows may also be used, but in any event an identical pattern or matrix of markings will be disposed on all of the cards in a game so that a single operation is performed by the player in determining whether any prize has been won.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS Fig. 1 illustrates the face of a playing piece in the form of a lottery ticket or card in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a particular set of markings to be used on one kind of ticket of the type shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates the markings to be used on another kind of ticket of the type shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A game playing piece in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention isshown in Fig. 1 in the form of a lottery ticket or card of the type having removably obscured markings thereon. The card 1 may conveniently be divided into two portions, one of which, A, may contain an identification of the game and the potential prizes to be won, as well as instructions regarding the manner that operations are to be performed on the other portion B. Portion B contains a matrix of markings on which a player is to operate to attempt to win. The markings are arranged in columns and rows,for example, in four columns and four rows as shown, with the markings in three of the columns being obscured by overprinting.The unobscured column may contain the names of cities or teams in a particular sport such as football, baseball, or basketball, while the three obscured columns may contain respective score and prize information. More particularly, as shown, the column immediately adjacent the name of the team may contain a number indicating the team score, while the next adjacent column contains a number indicating the opponent's score. The outermost obscured column will then contain an indication of a prize to be won if the score in the first obscured column is greater than that in the second obscured column.

A player upon obtaining a card or ticket of this type is directed by the instructions to unobscure only one row across by rubbing off the overprinting. To win, the player must unobscure a row wherein the score of the team he selects is greater than the opponent's score. The prize won is indicated at the end of the row.

With a card or ticket having a matrix of markings in this manner, prize winning preferably may be determined by the issuer in either of two ways. Firstly, the issuer when preparing or printing up the tickets provides appropriate markings on one or more selected tickets which will entitle a player to a prize of a first class by virtue of his obtaining such tickets in the luck of the draw upon their random distribution. The appropriate markings will be such that the indications in each of the rows on a selected ticket will be a winning indication. Thus, in the context of the illustrated embodiment the indication in the score row of the team selected by the player will always be greater than that in the opponent's score row.

A set of such appropriate markings is shown in Fig. 2.

The issuer predetermines the number of such winning tickets out of the total number of tickets prepared and predetermines the amount of the prizes of the first class or kind.

With this arrangement the control of the issuer is such that there is no uncertainty or probability as to how many of the players of the number among whom the tickets are randomly distributed, can be winners and the maximum amount they can win.

The element of probability may be introduced into the system by the issuer preparing one or more tickets of a second type but having the same arrangement or set of obscured markings. This is accomplished by preparing other tickets, for example, the. remaining tickets, with only one of the rows having a winning indication, which row is provided with a prize indication of a second class or kind. A set of this type of markings is shown in Fig. 3. In this instance the player wins or loses depending upon the markings he chooses to unobscure. The probability of winning in this manner can be determined by the issuer in terms of the number of rows among which the player is to choose. In the example shown, since the selection is among four rows, the probability of winning is one in four.

The issuer by printing tickets of the two forms described with all having markings in an identical obscured arrangement provides a player with the opportunity of winning a prize with each card obtained, firstly, by the luck of the draw if the card is one which has all winning rows, and, secondly, if a proper row is selected on a card which contains only one winning row. Thus, to the players no card is a losing or dead card at the time it is drawn, and it is the player himself and not the issuer who determines whether or not a prize will be won. In each case the prize may be instantly indicated.

The advantage of this system to the issuer is that two classes of prizes may be prearranged, one having a predetermined level of liability, and the other depending upon the laws of probability. This arrangement is quite suitable for legal lotteries, such as state-run lotteries, where minimum percentages or amounts are set by law as to the number of prizes to be distributed out of the proceeds collected. Under these circumstances the prizes of the first class or kind may be predetermined to amount to the minimum prize payout limit, and the prizes of the second class may be determined in accordance with an acceptable range of probabilities.

The appeal of this system to the player is that he is not immediately made aware upon studying the card that there are two classes of prizes. Even after performing the single unobscuring operation he need not be aware of this fact, since if he unobscures one row in a ticket of the first class, he would not normally unobscure any of the other rows to discover that all of the rows are winners. Also as each row may contain a different prize indication, the losing rows on tickets of the second class may be marked with large prizes to add excitement to the game when the prize marking is the first one unobscured in the row selected.

As noted, the B portion of a card of the type providing a prize of the first class or kind is shown in Fig. 2, while a card of the probability type having a prize of the second class or kind is shown in Fig. 3. In cards of the type such as shown in Fig. 3 the probability can be varied by, for example, adding more rows or by making more than one of the rows in a prize winning manner. It will be appreciated, of course, that the cards may be prepared so that the columns are to be unobscured instead of the rows.

It will also be seen that the issuer in preparing or printing up cards or tickets in accordance with the present invention may vary the form of the matrix and may utilize random printings for the markings in accordance with current practices in the art. While the invention has been particularly disclosed and described with reference to lottery tickets having an overprinting for obscuring the markings, it will be appreciated that the invention may be practiced in other types of games with other means for obscuring the markings as will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the present disclosure. Also, the pattern for unobscuring the markings can range from unobscuring one marking to unobscuring all but one of the markings.

Claims

In a game of chance of the type comprisrng: a plurality of playing pieces to be distributed at random among a number of players, each piece having an identically arranged obscured set of markings thereon, a number of which markings are to be unobscured by the players in a predetermined manner to attempt to obtain a winning indication, said set of markings being divided into combinations of related markings, each combination having said number of markings arranged in said predetermined manner, the improvement wherein at leaet one of said pieces has a set of markings containing combinations of related markings all of which will proVide a winning indication no matter which combination is selected by the player to be unobscured in said predetermined manner, and at least one other of said pieces has a set of markings which will only provide a winning indication if a particular combination of related markings within the set is properly selected by the player when unobscuring the markings in said predetermined manner.
2. A game as in claim 1 wherein each of the combinations among the set of markings on said one piece provides a first class of winning indication and said particular combination of markings on said other piece provides a second class of winning indications.
3. A game as in claim 1 wherein said markings are arranged in columns and rows and said predetermined manner of unobscuring the markings comprises unobscuring a row.
4. A game as in claim 3 wherein the set of markings on said one piece comprises a combination of markings in each row providing a winning indication.
5. A card game combining the chance of the draw and a probability chance with each card distributed comprising a plurality of cards to be distributed at random among a number of players, each card having an obscured set of markings thereon identically arranged in a regular matrix, which markings are to have a line in said matrix unobscured by a player in an attempt to obtain a winning indication, at least one of said cards having a set of markings in which all of the lines in said matrix provide a winning indication, and at least one other of said cards having a set of markings wherein the markings in at least one line of said matrix do not provide a winning indication and the markings in at least one line do provide a winning indication.
6. A game as in claim 5 further comprising a line of unobscured markings on each card indicating the names of sports teams, with each of said sports team markings disposed adjacent a line in said set of markings and wherein the markings in each line of said set of markings comprise indications of team scores.
7. A game as in claim 6, wherein the markings in each line of said set of markings further comprise a prize indication said indication on said one of said cards being for a first class of prize and said indication on said one other of said cards being for a second class of prize.
8. A set of playing pieces comprising: at least one first playing piece having an obscured set of markings thereon arranged in a regular configuration and less than all of which markings are to be unobscured by a player in a predetermined pattern within said configuration in an attempt to select a winning combination of markings among said set, said set of markings comprising combinations of related markings, each combination being arranged in said predetermined pattern and all of which combinations will provide a winning indication when so unobscured, and at least one second playing piece having an obscured set of markings thereon arranged in an identical configuration to that of said first piece and to be unobscured in the same predetermined pattern and having only one combination of related markings within the set which will provide a winning indication and only if said one combination is properly selected and unobscured by a player in the predetermined pattern.
9. A method of making a game of chance comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of playing pieces to be distributed at random among a number of players, applying an identically arranged obscured set of markings to each of the pieces along with instructions for selecting a predetermined number of markings within the set to be unobscured in a predetermined manner to attempt to reveal a combination of markings comprising a winning indication, and at least one of said pieces being provided with a set of markings always comprising a winning indication no matter which combination of said predetermined number of markings are unobscured in said predetermined manner, and at least one of said pieces having a combination of markings within the set of markings which correspond in number to said predetermined number and which must be properly selected to be unobscured by a player in said predetermined manner, in order to provide a winning indication.
10. Method of preparing a set of playing pieces comprising the steps of: producing at least one first playing piece by: applying an obscured set of markings thereto arranged in a regular configuration, and applying instructions thereto indicating that less than all of said markings are to be unobscured by a player in a prescribed pattern within said configuration in an attempt to select a winning combination of markings within said set, which first piece is provided with combinations of markings within the set, all of which combinations provide a winning indication when unobscured in said prescribed pattern no matter which combination is selected, and producing at least one second playing piece by:: applying an obscured set of markings thereto arranged in a manner identical to that of said first piece, and applying thereto instructions identical to that of said first piece, which second piece is provided with combinations of markings within the set that will only provide a winning indication if a particular combination of markings within the set is selected to be unobscured when the markings are unobscured in the prescribed pattern.
11. A set as in claim 8, wherein said regular configuration comprises three columns of markings arranged in four rows, and said predetermined pattern comprises one row.
12. A set as in claim 11, wherein one of said columns comprises prize-indicating markings and said prize-indicating markings on said first playing piece are for a first class of prize and said prize-indicating markings on said second playing piece are for a second class of prize.
13. A method as in claim 9, wherein said winning indication on said always-winning piece is for a first class of prize and said winning indication on said properly-selected piece is for a second class of prize.
14. A method as in claim 10, wherein said winning indication on said first piece is for a first class of prize and said winning indication on said second piece is for a second class of prize.
15. A game of chance incorporating playing pieces each substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.