WO2001003785A1

WO2001003785A1 - Lottery ticket

Info

Publication number: WO2001003785A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/015320
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan Taylor
Original assignee: Interactive Games International Limited
Priority date: 1999-07-08
Filing date: 1999-07-08
Publication date: 2001-01-18
Also published as: AU4864499A

Abstract

A lottery ticket (10) is provided that includes concealed play symbols that are removed according to a lottery drawing to determine whether the ticket (10) is a winning ticket. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing a lottery game is provided that includes a plurality of tickets each having a plurality of concealed play areas (20) that covers a play symbol. The method includes the steps of selecting some but not all of a same number of concealed play areas (20) from each ticket (10), revealing only the play symbols covered by the concealed play areas (20) selected, and determining whether the play symbols revealed indicate a winning ticket.

Description

LOTTERY TICKET

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 games 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.

Standard lottery drawing games involve the sale of a plurality of lottery tickets for a particular drawing. Each ticket includes a series of numbers. A drawing is held in which a series of numbers is randomly selected. A ticket is a winner if the numbers on the ticket match the numbers randomly selected.

With the many instant tickets and standard lottery games available, there is a need for new variations on the instant ticket and standard lottery concepts 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.

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

Summary of the Invention

A lottery ticket is provided that includes concealed play symbols that are removed according to a lottery drawing to determine whether the ticket is a winning ticket.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing a lottery game is provided that includes a plurality of tickets each having a plurality of concealed play areas that covers a play symbol. The method includes the steps of selecting some but not all of a same number of concealed play areas from each ticket, revealing only the play symbols covered by the concealed play areas selected, and determining whether the play symbols revealed indicate a winning ticket.

According to another preferred embodiment, a lottery game including a plurality of lottery tickets in which each lottery ticket includes, a plurality of concealed play areas, each play area having indicia associated therewith to identify a particular concealed play area, and a plurality of play symbols, each play symbol being covered by a respective concealed play area, wherein each lottery ticket includes the same play symbols, and a winning ticket is determined by uncovering some but not all of the concealed play areas.

According to another preferred embodiment, a lottery ticket includes a plurality of concealed play areas, each play area having indicia associated therewith to identify a particular concealed play area, and a plurality of play symbols, each play symbol being covered by a respective concealed play area, there being a plurality of types of play symbols among said plurality of play symbols in which there is an equal number of each type of play symbol.

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; and Fig. 2 shows the game ticket of Fig. 1 with concealed areas 20 uncovered.

Detailed Description

Figures 1 and 2 disclose one embodiment of the lottery game according to the present invention. Lottery game ticket 10 includes concealed areas 20 having indicia 22 thereon. In the foregoing embodiment the indicia 22 is a series of numbers 1-24. The indicia 22 is printed on concealed areas 20 is an opaque material that can be removed with a coin. In the foregoing preferred embodiment the game ticket is a physical ticket, however, game tickets according to the present invention can also be distributed and played electronically, for example, on-line over the Internet. Accordingly, the phrase "ticket" used herein refers to both physical and electronic ticket versions.

Each concealed area 20 covers a play indica 40. Figure 2 shows the ticket 10 with all covered areas 20 removed, to reveal the play indica symbols 40 lying thereunder. As shown in Fig. 2, two different types of symbols 42 (a crown) and 43 (a key) are under concealed areas 20. There are twelve of each symbol under areas 20. Of course, other types of play symbols can be used, and different numbers of play symbols can be used.

To play the game, a player first purchases ticket 10, for example, at an outlet where such instant tickets are typically for sale (or on-line if the ticket is an electronic version). The holder of the ticket then waits for a lottery -type drawing to take place. For example, in the foregoing embodiment, the ticket itself indicates that the drawing is to occur on television at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The drawing is a random or controlled drawing of a series of numbers from 1 to 24, corresponding to numbers 22 printed in areas 20. In the foregoing embodiment, twelve numbers are drawn because there are twelve of each type of symbol 40. After each number is drawn the player rubs off the corresponding number in area 20. Once all 12 numbers are drawn it is determined if the ticket is a winning ticket by inspecting which types of symbols

40 have been revealed.

Revealing a particular number of matching symbols indicates whether the ticket is a winning ticket. For example, in the foregoing embodiment, as indicated on the ticket, 10 like symbols out of 12 (for example, 10 "crowns") is a winner with increasing prizes for 1 1 of 12 and 12 of 12 being the jackpot.

In the foregoing embodiment, especially if the drawing is random, any ticket could be a winner depending on the combination of numbers drawn. Thus, individual tickets do not have to be tied to a particular drawing. The fact that tickets need not be dated or tied to a particular draw also avoids wastage of unused tickets, and enables greater quantities of tickets to be delivered to agents.

If the number of tickets distributed is less than the possible permutations of play symbols 40, each ticket can be printed to have a unique order of play symbols. Thus, the game can be controlled to have only one "jackpot" winner, and, if the concealed areas 20 are randomly removed, the winning ticket is not determined until the drawing.

For example, in the preferred embodiment, if the "jackpot" winner is for twelve out of twelve matching symbols, and all the tickets have unique orders of symbols, there can only be one winning ticket (because only one ticket will have all matching symbols in any twelve areas 20 selected). If the number of tickets distributed is greater than the possible permutations of symbols 40, there will be duplicate tickets and potentially more than one winner. In such a case, to limit the possible number of "jackpot" winners, the prizes could be paid parimutuel.

To provide additional game play value, additional symbols 50 ("stars" in this embodiment) are provided under concealed areas 20. If the ticket is not a winner after the drawing of the twelve numbers, the play has an additional chance to win a prize by removing the remaining twelve concealed areas to determine how many symbols 50 lie under areas 20.

In the foregoing embodiment, if three symbols 50 are uncovered the player wins a consolation prize. In addition to providing additional game play value, scratching off all of the remaining areas invalidates the ticket against future use to prevent fraudulent transactions.

The ticket also includes a second game play area 60 that provides yet another game for the player to provide additional play enjoyment. In the foregoing embodiment, the additional play area is a blackjack-type game in which rubbing off concealed area 60 reveals three playing cards which, if totaling 21, indicates a winning ticket. Of course, games other than blackjack can be provided in area 60. This game area also could be perforated so that it could be played and claimed before or after the drawing.

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.

For example, different types of indica 22 and 40 other than those set forth above can be used, also, more or fewer than 24 concealed areas 20 can be used as well as different combinations of symbols, numbers etc. Furthermore, various schemes can be used to determine whether a ticket is a winner including using more than two different types of symbols (42 and 43), uncovering more or less than half of the concealed areas during the drawing, having different combinations of symbols 40 determine a winning ticket, etc.

Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and not intended to be limiting.

What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A method of playing a lottery game including a plurality of tickets each having a plurality of concealed play areas that covers a play symbol, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) selecting some but not all of a same number of concealed play areas from each ticket;

(B) revealing only the play symbols covered by the concealed play areas selected in step (A); and (C) determining whether the play symbols revealed in step (B) indicate a winning ticket.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each concealed play area has indicia thereon.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (A) includes selecting concealed play areas having a same indicia thereon from each ticket.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each ticket includes a same series of indicia on said concealed areas.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the series of indicia is a series of numbers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the series of indicia is a series of ordered numbers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (A) and (B) include selecting and removing the same corresponding concealed areas from each ticket.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tickets can be a winning ticket depending on the concealed areas selected in step (A).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (A) includes randomly selecting the concealed areas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of tickets can be a winning ticket depending on the concealed areas selected in step (A).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a winning ticket in step (C) is determined by how many of the same play symbols are revealed in step (B).

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein there are at least two types of symbols.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the symbols are randomly located beneath the concealed areas.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein there are only two types of symbols.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein there is an even number of symbols on each ticket, half of the symbols are a first type and half of the symbols are a second type.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein half of the number of concealed areas on each ticket are selected in step (A).

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the ticket is not determined to be a winning ticket in step (C), the method further comprises revealing the remaining covered play symbols to determine whether the ticket wins a consolation prize.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein a winning ticket in step (C) is determined by how many of the same play symbols are revealed in step (B).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step (A) includes randomly selecting the concealed areas.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein each ticket includes the same play symbols.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the play symbols on each ticket are uniquely ordered on most if not all of the tickets.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the play symbols are uniquely ordered on all of the tickets if the number of tickets is less then the possible permutations of order of the play symbols.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein each ticket includes the same play symbols.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the play symbols on each ticket are uniquely ordered on most if not all of the tickets.

25. A lottery game including a plurality of lottery tickets in which each lottery ticket includes: a plurality of concealed play areas, each play area having indicia associated therewith to identify a particular concealed play area; and a plurality of play symbols, each play symbol being covered by a respective concealed play area, wherein each lottery ticket includes the same play symbols, and a winning ticket is determined by uncovering some but not all of the concealed play areas.

26. The lottery game of claim 25, wherein the play symbols are uniquely ordered on most if not all of the tickets.

27. The lottery game of claim 25, wherein the same indicia is associated with the same corresponding concealed area on each ticket.

28. The lottery game of claim 27, wherein the play symbols are uniquely ordered on most if not all of the tickets.

29. The lottery game of claim 25, wherein each ticket further comprises an additional game area.

30. A lottery ticket comprising: a plurality of concealed play areas, each play area having indicia associated therewith to identify a particular concealed play area; and a plurality of play symbols, each play symbol being covered by a respective concealed play area, there being a plurality of types of play symbols among said plurality of play symbols in which there is an equal number of each type of play symbol.

31. The lottery ticket of claim 30, wherein there are only two types of play symbols.

32. The lottery ticket of claim 31, wherein said indicia is a series of numbers.

33. The lottery ticket of claim 30, wherein said indicia is a series of numbers.

34. The lottery ticket of claim 30, further comprising an additional game area.

35. The lottery ticket of claim 30, wherein the ticket is played by revealing some but not all of the play symbols covered by the concealed areas.

36. The lottery ticket of claim 35, wherein the ticket is a winning ticket if a particular number of revealed play symbols match one another.