Drawing with participant interaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284168-A1
Application number	US-201615177891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A promotional game is conducted over participants' cell phones. During a play period, a participant advances on a virtual game board using cell phone commands. During the play period, participants' gaming wagering is used to generate drawing tickets. Each player may text COUNT to receive a text message containing his or her current board position and total tickets accumulated. Alternatively, or in addition, he or she may go to the casino, text the word STATUS and have the same information depicted with accompanying animation on a video display. At the end of the play period each player may text PEEK to receive a message indicating whether or not he or she has won any prizes. To learn the number of prizes and their worth, the player may go to the casino, text the word REVEAL and have the prize details depicted with accompanying animation on the video display.

First claim

1 . A method of conducting a drawing from a pool of electronic tickets in which some electronic tickets are associated with prizes and others are associated with a bonus award that is revealed as a predetermined combination of symbols each of which is associated with a different ticket, the method comprising:
receiving value from players for wagering on gaming devices via at least one of a coin acceptor and a bill acceptor associated with the gaming devices; validating via the acceptor at least one of a coin, a bill and a ticket received at the acceptors; applying wagers from value received to a game played on each of the gaming devices responsive to player actuation of a wager actuator at the gaming device; enrolling at least some of the player's in the drawing; tracking the amount wagered by each player enrolled in the drawing in a player tracking system that monitors wagers made at gaming devices played by the enrolled players; allocating the electronic tickets to each enrolled player responsive to the tracked wagers via a processor controlled by programming code stored in a memory; storing the electronic tickets for each player in a memory; determining whether one of the electronic tickets is a bonus award, and if so:
associating each of the predetermined combination of symbols with a different one of the electronic tickets; and
displaying each symbol on a video display in the predetermined combination of symbols until the entire combination is displayed; and
if none of the electronic tickets is a bonus reward displaying less than all of the symbols, if any, in the predetermined combination of symbols with the number of symbols displayed being related to the number of electronic tickets allocated to the enrolled player.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of prizes, if any, associated with the enrolled player's allocated electronic tickets.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the average number of tickets earned by each enrolled player and wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of tickets allocated to an enrolled player relative to the average number of tickets earned by each enrolled player.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of prizes, if any, associated with the enrolled player's allocated electronic tickets.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising revealing each allocated outcome that is associated with a prize, if any, by displaying each allocated outcome that is associated with a prize in sequence.

6 . A method of conducting a drawing from a pool of electronic tickets in which at least one of the electronic tickets is associated with an award that is revealed as a predetermined combination of symbols each of which is associated with a different ticket, the method comprising:
receiving value from players for wagering on gaming devices via at least one of a coin acceptor and a bill acceptor associated with the gaming devices; validating via the acceptor at least one of a coin, a bill and a ticket received at the acceptors; applying wagers from value received to a game played on each of the gaming devices responsive to player actuation of a wager actuator at the gaming device; enrolling at least some of the player's in the drawing; tracking the amount wagered by each enrolled player in a player tracking system that monitors wagers made at gaming devices played by the enrolled players; allocating the electronic tickets to each enrolled player responsive to the tracked wagers via a processor controlled by programming code stored in a memory; storing the electronic tickets for each player in a memory; and determining whether one of the electronic tickets is a bonus award, and if so:
associating each of the predetermined combination of symbols with a different one of the electronic tickets; and
displaying each symbol on a video display in the predetermined combination of symbols until the entire combination is displayed.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein at least some of the electronic tickets are associated with a prize that is awarded if a player is allocated one of the tickets associated with a prize and where in the method further comprises:
determining that an enrolled player did not win the award that is revealed as a predetermined combination of symbols; and
for the determined enrolled player, displaying less than all of the symbols, if any, in the predetermined combination of symbols.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the number of symbols displayed for the determined enrolled player is related to the number of electronic tickets allocated to the enrolled player.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of prizes, if any, associated with the enrolled player's allocated electronic tickets.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising determining the average number of tickets earned by each enrolled player and wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of tickets allocated to an enrolled player relative to the average number of tickets earned by each enrolled player.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the number of symbols displayed in the predetermined combination when none of the electronic tickets is a bonus award is further related to the number of prizes, if any, associated with the enrolled player's allocated electronic tickets.

12 . The method of claim 7 further comprising revealing each allocated outcome that is associated with a prize, if any, by displaying each allocated outcome that is associated with a prize in sequence.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
allocate electronic tickets to at least some of the players of electronic gaming devices in a network of such devices, the number of tickets allocated being related to the amount of play by each player; store the electronic tickets for each player in a memory; and determine whether one of the electronic tickets is associated with an award, and if so:
associate each of the predetermined combination of symbols with a different one of the electronic tickets; and
display each symbol on a video display in the predetermined combination of symbols until the entire combination is displayed.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
determine that a player did not win the award that is revealed as a predetermined combination of symbols; and
for the determined player, displaying less than all of the symbols, if any, in the predetermined combination of symbols.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to generate a number of symbols displayed for the determined player as a function of the

Assignees

• Patent Invest & Licensing Co

Inventors

• Acres John F

Classifications

• G07F17/3269

  Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine · CPC title

• G07F17/3213

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title

• G07F17/3255 Primary

  Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements · CPC title

• G07F17/3218

  wherein at least part of the system is portable · CPC title

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title