Systems and Methods for Lottery-Style Games

Abstract

Systems and methods for lottery-style games are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method may comprise: establishing a map-based game associated with a gameboard comprising a map of a geographical area, the map being divided into a plurality of units wherein each unit represents a geographic location in the mapped geographical area; providing at least a portion of the gameboard for display to a player via a personal computing device, thereby accepting enrollment of a plurality of players in the map-based game; receiving from each player a selection of at least one geographic location of interest corresponding to at least one unit on the map; and for each lottery drawing, making a substantially random selection from some or all of the units on the gameboard to select at least one first unit to win a first prize.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12 / 180,163 and 12 / 180,201, both entitled “Systems and Methods for Lottery-Style Games,” both filed on Jul. 25, 2008, which are incorporated herein in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to games of chance. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for lottery-style games.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Lottery is a popular game of chance in which a number of players contribute to form a jackpot that is later awarded, wholly or partially, to one or more winners. The participating players pay money or contribute other things of value in exchange for lottery tickets. Typically, each lottery ticket bears a combination of numbers or other symbols, and a winning ticket has to at least partially match a randomly generated set of numbers or symbols. In a properly operated lott...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]One technical effect of the systems and methods of the present invention is that they facilitate more efficient and more entertaining implementation of lottery-style games on modern computers and communications systems. Another technical effect of the systems and methods of the present invention lies in the specialized computer devices and / or gaming kiosks that may be configured and deployed to carry out the lottery-style games disclosed herein.

Problems solved by technology

However, the entire mechanism of generating, drawing, and matching tickets could impose significant overhead costs on the operation of lottery games.

Second, participation in traditional lottery games depends heavily on player impulse or enthusiasm, which causes ticket revenue to fluctuate.

A loss in one game might cause an ordinary player to stop playing for a while.

Therefore, when the total jackpot snowballs into an unusually large amount, the public often become increasingly interested in the game.

For all these reasons, ticket revenues from traditional lottery games tend to swing with time and seldom generate a steady cash flow.

Third, players in a traditional lottery game have no direct or perceivable incentive for bringing more players into the game.

However, that potential benefit may not be tangible enough to encourage referrals of additional players.

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