WO2001003784A1

WO2001003784A1 - Lottery game

Info

Publication number: WO2001003784A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/015319
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew P. Gray
Original assignee: Interactive Games International Limited
Priority date: 1999-07-08
Filing date: 1999-07-08
Publication date: 2001-01-18
Also published as: AU5208899A

Abstract

A lottery game is provided that includes a game ticket and a play grid. The player places the game ticket on the play grid to determine whether the ticket is a winner. According to one embodiment, a lottery game is provided that includes a first area having play indicia thereon, and a second area having concealed play indicia thereon. The lottery game also includes a play grid having play indicia thereon.

Description

LOTTERY GAME

Background of the Invention

Instant ticket lottery games are typically played by uncovering play data beneath an opaque material by rubbing off the material with a coin, for example. A basic instant ticket game involves uncovering matching numbers or monetary amounts in order to win. Various other types of games are also played on instant tickets, for example, casino games such as blackjack or poker, or sports games.

With the many instant ticket games available for sale, there is a consistent need for new variations on the instant ticket concept that offer more play value for the customer. Offering multiple ways to play and win, and a wider variety of prizes, are ways to increase play value to players.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new instant-ticket- type lottery game.

Summary of the Invention A lottery game is provided that includes a game ticket and a play grid. The player places the game ticket on the play grid to determine whether the ticket is a winner.

According to one embodiment, a lottery game is provided that includes a first area having play indicia thereon and a second area having concealed play indicia thereon. The lottery game also includes a play grid having play indicia thereon.

According to another embodiment, a lottery game ticket is provided that includes a first area having play indicia thereon, the first area including perforations to remove particular areas from the first area to create apertures in the first area. The game ticket further includes a second area having concealed play indicia thereon. The particular areas to be removed from the first area are determined by the concealed play indicia.

According to another embodiment, a method of lottery game play is provided. The lottery game includes a game ticket and a play grid. The method comprises the steps of comparing play indicia on a first area on the game ticket to play indicia on a second area on the game ticket, and based on the comparison, removing particular areas from the first area to create apertures in the game ticket. The method further includes placing the game ticket on top of the play grid, and determining whether the game ticket is a winner based on play indica on the play grid revealed through the apertures in the game ticket.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, and the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a game ticket according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows the game ticket of Fig. 1 after numbers 35 have been removed from area 30 and corresponding numbers in area 20 have been pushed out; and Fig. 3 shows a play grid according on one embodiment of the invention for use with the game ticket of Figs. 1 and 2.

Detailed Description

Figs. 1 and 2 show a game ticket 10 for use in one embodiment of the lottery game according to the present invention. The ticket 10 includes a first area 20 having play indicia 22 indicia thereon. In the foregoing embodiment, play indicia is a series of numbers from 1 to 30, although other types of indicia can be used. Surrounding each number is a perforation 25.

The ticket also includes a second play area 30 that includes an opaque material conventionally used in instant ticket games. The opaque material can be rubbed off with a coin for example. The opaque material covers additional play indicia 35 (Fig. 2.), which in the foregoing embodiment also is a series of numbers. Bar code 40 is provided for ticket validation and to track use of tickets.

To play the game, the player purchases ticket 10 at a traditional outlet which sells instant ticket games. First, the user rubs off the opaque layer that covers play area 30 to reveal play indicia 35, which in the foregoing example is a series of 6 numbers. The player then matches numbers from play area 30 to numbers in play area 20 and pushes out numbers from play area 20 using perforation 25, as shown in Figure 2. Pushing out the numbers creates apertures 32 in the ticket.

Although in the foregoing preferred embodiment play areas 10 and 30 are shown as being contained in one discrete ticket, the two need not be distributed together. For example, play area 30 can be distributed by itself as a separate ticket. Using the "pushed out" ticket shown in Fig. 2, it is determined whether the ticket is winner using by using the play grid 50 shown in Fig. 3. The play grid includes a play area 55 having a plurality of play indicia 60 printed thereon. In the foregoing example, the play indicia is a series of monetary prizes, although other indicia can be used. To determine if the ticket 10 is a winning ticket, the player places the ticket 10 over the play grid 50 matching pushed out apertures 32 with play indicia boxes 60. If the six apertures reveal a matching set of six play indicia monetary amounts 60, the player wins the matched.

The use of the play grid 50 offers multiple play and win opportunities for the player. The player slides the ticket 10 from box to box on the play grid 50 starting by matching the upper left hand corner of the grid ($ 1,000) with the upper left hand corner of the ticket (number "1 "). The player then slides the ticket down to the next row to determine if six matches occur with the ticket oriented in that position.

The player continues to play the game by moving the ticket 10 through successive rows of prize indicia 60, until the bottom row of the ticket reaches the bottom row of the play grid. For the ticket 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the player wins the "jackpot" amount at the bottom row of the play grid 50.

Accordingly, in the foregoing example, a 5 X 6 card and a 5 X 1 1 row grid creates six different orientations of card 10 on grid 50 in which to find six matching prize amounts. Of course, different size tickets and play grids can be used to create more or less play opportunities. Further, in the foregoing example, six matching prize indicia are needed for a win. However, fewer matches can be used to determine a winning ticket, or other indicia besides matching prize amounts can be used to determine a winning ticket. To offer further game play options, the numbers under play area 30 can also be used to determine a winner of a separate numbers lottery drawing. As stated above, the ticket 10 can be purchased at typical outlets which sell instant tickets. The play grid can be distributed at the point of sale, in newspapers, as a leaflet, in magazines, etc. Further, a plurality of play grids can be issued for a specified period, thereby enabling the player to play a single card 10 continually for a period of time. For example, a different play grid could be published in, or accompany, a daily newspaper for 7 days so that one card would have 7 different chances to win.

Having thus described certain embodiments of the present invention, various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and not intended to be limiting. What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A lottery game comprising: a first area having play indicia thereon; a second area having concealed play indicia thereon; and a play grid having play indicia thereon.

2. The lottery game of claim 1 , the play indicia on the play grid being a series of prizes.

3. The lottery game of claim 1, the first area including perforations to remove particular areas from the first area to create apertures in the first area.

4. The lottery game of claim 3, wherein the particular areas to be removed from the first area are determined by the concealed play indicia.

5. The lottery game of claim 4, wherein the particular areas to be removed from the first area have play indicia thereon that matches the concealed play indicia.

6. The lottery game of claim 5, the play indicia on the play grid being a series of prizes.

7. The lottery game of claim 6, wherein a winning game is determined by placing the first area on top of the play grid to reveal prizes on the play grid through the apertures in the first area.

8. The lottery game of claim 7, wherein the game is a winner when the apertures reveal a predetermined number of same prizes on the play grid.

9. The lottery game of claim 7, wherein the first area is to be placed in a plurality of different positions on the play grid, each position revealing prizes on the play grid through the apertures in the first area that determine whether the game is a winner.

10. The lottery game of claim 5, wherein a winning game is determined by placing the first area on top of the play grid to reveal play indicia on the play grid through the apertures in the first area.

11. The lottery game of claim 10, wherein the first area can be placed in a plurality of different positions on the play grid, each position revealing play indicia on the play grid through the apertures in the first area that determines whether the game is a winner.

12. The lottery game of claim 1, the first and second areas being distributed on a same game ticket.

13. The lottery game of claim 1, the first and second areas being distributed separately.

14. The lottery game of claim 13, the second area being distributed as a separate game ticket.

15. A lottery game ticket comprising: a first area having play indicia thereon, the first area including perforations to remove particular areas from the first area to create apertures in the first area; and a second area having concealed play indicia thereon, wherein the particular areas to be removed from the first area are determined by the concealed play indicia.

16. The lottery game ticket of claim 15, wherein the particular areas to be removed from the first area have play indicia thereon that matches the concealed play indicia.

17. The lottery game ticket of claim 16, wherein the play indicia on the first area is a series of numbers and the play indicia on the second area is a series of numbers.

18. The lottery game ticket of claim 17. wherein each of the series of numbers on the first area are surrounded by perforation so that each number can be removed from the game ticket when it matches a number on the second area.

19. A method of lottery game play, the lottery game including a game ticket and a play grid, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) comparing play indicia on a first area on the game ticket to play indicia on a second area on the game ticket;

(B) based on the comparison in step (A), removing particular areas from the first area to create apertures in the game ticket;

(C) placing the game ticket on top of the play grid; and

(D) determining whether the game ticket is a winner based on play indica on the play grid revealed through the apertures in the game ticket.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the play indicia on the second area is concealed by removable opaque material, and the method further comprises removing the opaque material prior to step (A).

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein step (B) includes removing particular areas that include play indicia that matches play indicia in the second area.

22. The method according to claim 19, step (D) includes determining whether the apertures each reveal a predetermined number of prizes on the play grid.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising placing the game ticket in a plurality of different positions on the play grid, and for each position determining whether the game ticket is a winner based on play indica on the play grid revealed through the apertures in the game ticket.