Management of a gaming session

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session is provided wherein a plurality of players participate at least in part concurrently and wherein a right to participate to the gaming session is managed Also a computing apparatus (110), a computer program and a game system are provided to.

Description

[0001] MANAGEMENT OF A GAMING SESSION

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention concerns in general the technical field of gaming solutions. More particularly, the invention concerns a management of a gaming session.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Various computer games are accessible over a communication network, such as Internet. A player accessing a gaming session connects to a gaming server with her / his terminal device and the game itself is at least in part executed in the gaming server. The gaming session management is executed by the gaming server and the gaming session management comprises at least management of the players in the gaming session.

[0006] The present invention is directed to a management of players in the gaming session so that players success in the game is taken into account in the management of the gaming session.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

[0009] An object of the invention is to present a computer-implemented method, a computing apparatus, a computer program and a game system for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session. The objects of the invention are reached by computer-implemented method, a computing apparatus, a computer program and a game system for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session as defined by the respective independent claims.

[0010] According to a first aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session is provided, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the method comprises: allocating a number of tokens to a player, each token having a predefined value, setting an initial number of rounds for the player to access a game defined by the draw during the gaming session, maintaining a player-specific counter for indicating a remaining number of rounds available for the player, the player-specific counter is initiated with a value corresponding to the initial number of rounds set for the player, the method further comprises: obtaining data descriptive of a value of a result of the draw, comparing values of the number of tokens allocated to the player with the value of the result of the draw, performing, in accordance with a result of the comparison, one of: updating the counter value by reducing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that none of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, updating the counter value by increasing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that one of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, and wherein the method: a control signal is generated to remove the player from the gaming session in response to a detection that the counter value reaches a predefined threshold value.

[0011] For example, the result of the draw may be received from a lottery machine. The draw with the lottery machine may be output as a video stream in the gaming session.

[0012] Still further, the initial number of rounds to access the game during the gaming session may be one of: fixed number of rounds; dependent on the number of allocated tokens for the player.

[0013] The allocation of the tokens to the player may be performed through one of: a selection of the values of tokens by the player; a selection of tokens by a computing apparatus.

[0014] Moreover, the method may further comprise: generating a control signal to a terminal device of the player to inform on the removal from the gaming session.

[0015] For example, the control signal may comprise data defining at least one option to return to the gaming session.

[0016] According to a second aspect, a computing apparatus for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session is provided, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the computing apparatus is configured to: allocate a number of tokens to a player, each token having a predefined value, set an initial number of rounds for the player to access a game defined by the draw during the gaming session, maintain a player-specific counter for indicating a remaining number of rounds available for the player, the player-specific counter is initiated with a value corresponding to the initial number of rounds set for the player, the computing apparatus is further configured to: obtain data descriptive of a value of a result of the draw, compare values of the number of tokens allocated to the player with the value of the result of the draw, perform, in accordance with a result of the comparison, one of: update the counter value by reducing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that none of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, update the counter value by increasing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that one of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, and wherein the computing apparatus is configured to: generate a control signal to remove the player from the gaming session in response to a detection that the counter value reaches a predefined threshold value.

[0017] For example, the computing apparatus may be arranged to receive the result of the draw from a lottery machine. The computing apparatus may be arranged to cause an output of the draw with the lottery machine as a video stream in the gaming session.

[0018] Still further, the computing apparatus may be configured to set the initial number of rounds to access the game during the gaming session based on one of: fixed number of rounds; dependent on the number of allocated tokens for the player.

[0019] The computing apparatus may be configured to perform the allocation of the tokens to the player through one of: a selection of the values of tokens by the player; a selection of tokens by the computing apparatus.

[0020] Moreover, the computing apparatus may further be configured to: generate a control signal to a terminal device of the player to inform on the removal from the gaming session.

[0021] For example, the computing apparatus may be configured to generate the control signal so that the control signal comprises data defining at least one option to return to the gaming session.

[0022] According to a third aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing apparatus, cause the computing apparatus to carry out the method according to the first aspect as defined above.

[0023] According to fourth aspect, a game system for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session is provided, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the game system comprises: a plurality of terminal devices of the plurality of players for accessing the gaming session, and a computing apparatus according to the second aspect as defined above. Moreover, the game system may further comprise: a lottery machine for generating information for executing the gaming session.

[0024] The expression "a number of’ refers herein to any positive integer starting from one, e.g. to one, two, or three.

[0025] The expression "a plurality of’ refers herein to any positive integer starting from two, e.g. to two, three, or four.

[0026] Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0028] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0029] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates schematically a game system according to an example.

[0031] Figure 2 illustrates schematically an apparatus implementing an operation of a gaming server according to an example.

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates schematically aspects relating to an implementation of a game according to an example. Figure 4 illustrates schematically aspects relating to a gaming session according to an example.

[0033] Figure 5 illustrates schematically a first portion of a method according to an example.

[0034] Figure 6 illustrates schematically a second portion of a method according to an example.

[0035] DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0037] Figure 1 illustrates schematically an example embodiment of a game system 100. In accordance with the example embodiment the system 100 comprises a gaming server 110 configured to execute operations enabling an execution of a computer game in the gaming server 110. The execution of the computer game in the gaming server 110 at least refers to a hosting of a number of terminal devices 120 to access to a gaming session so that the users, i.e. players, of the terminal devices 120 may participate to the computer game in question. An access to participate to the computer game hosted by the gaming server 110 may be established to the terminal devices 120 over a communication network 130, such as Internet, intranet, virtual private network or any similar. The communication connections between communicating entities may be established by applying wireless or wired communication technologies, or any combination of these.

[0038] In addition to the above described operations the gaming server 110 may be configured to perform further operations with respect to the execution of the computer game in the server 110, such as managing the participation of the player(s) in the gaming session in accordance with one or more predefined rules. This may include, but is not limited to, a utilization of user data stored e.g. in a data storage 140 e.g. implemented as a database. The data storage may store user data including, but not limited to, user profile data comprising e.g. personal data (name, address, phone number, email address, and so on), credit data relating to the computer game in question wherein the credit data may be defined as a value of money or tokens or any similar which are at least in part required to access to the gaming session and / or to play the computer game in question.

[0039] The gaming system 100 may also comprise a lottery machine 150 that is configured to generate a predefined type of information for executing the gaming session. The information generated by the lottery machine 150 may be random data being descriptive either directly or indirectly and at least in part, on a result of the computer game or a portion of the result of the computer game. The lottery machine 150 may, in some implementations, be configured to generate game results in continuous manner, such as to generate random values representing results of sub-portions of the computer game. The lottery machine 150 may be implemented as a manual implementation (cf. e.g. a lottery ball machine) or as a digital implementation or as any combination of these two.

[0040] The terminal devices 120 may include any suitable computing device for accessing the gaming session and for executing the computer game as an online game through the communication connection to the gaming server 110. For example, the terminal device 120 comprises a display device configured to display information in relation to the game and I / O device(s), such as keyboard and / or mouse, which enables a user to interact during the game session and sending and / or receiving information from the server device 120. The terminal device 120 may include a processing unit that includes a number of processors that is coupled to a memory unit. The processing unit is configured to execute a number of computer programs enabling a control of terminal device 120 according to user instructions received via I / O device(s) and / or from the server device 110. The terminal device 120 may be, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop or a tablet computer, a smartphone, a handheld mobile device including a cellular telephone, a game console, an electronic gaming machine (EGM) and the like.

[0041] An example of a computing apparatus suitable to implement a functionality of the gaming server 110 is schematically illustrated in Figure 2. The computing apparatus implanting the functionality of the gaming server 110 may be a computer device, for example. In other words, the apparatus of Figure 2 may be configured to perform operations as is described in the forthcoming description. For sake of clarity, it is worthwhile to mention that the block diagram of Figure 2 depicts some components of an entity that may be employed to implement a functionality of the apparatus.

[0042] The apparatus of Figure 2 comprises a processing unit 210 consisting of a number of processors and a memory 220. The memory 220 may store data, but also computer program code 225, causing an operation in a manner as is described in the forthcoming description. The apparatus may further comprise a communication interface 230, such as a wireless communication interface or a communication interface for wired communication, or both to communicate with other entities. The communication interface 230 may thus comprise one or more modems, antennas, and any other hardware and software for enabling an execution of the communication e.g. under control of the processing unit 210. Furthermore, I / O (input / output) components may be arranged, together with the processing unit 210 and a portion of the computer program code 225, to provide a user interface for receiving input from an operator and / or providing output to the operator of the apparatus when necessary. In particular, the I / O components may include user input means, such as one or more keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touchscreen, or a touchpad, etc. The I / O components may also include output means, such as a loudspeaker, a display, or a touchscreen. The components of the apparatus may be communicatively connected to each other via data bus that enables transfer of data and control information between the components.

[0043] The memory 220 and at least a portion of the computer program code 225 stored therein may further be arranged, with the processing unit 210, to cause the apparatus to perform at least a portion of a method as is described in the forthcoming description. The processor 210 may be configured to read from and write to the memory 220. Although the processing unit 210 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate processing components. Similarly, although the memory 220 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate components, some, or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0044] The computer program code 225 may comprise computer-executable instructions that implement functions that correspond to steps implemented in the method when loaded into the processing unit 210 of the respective gamin g server 110. As an example, the computer program code 225 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions which may relate to an execution of the computer game but also other operations, such as to a management of players in the gaming session in a manner as is described in the forthcoming description. The processing unit 210 is able to load and execute the computer program by reading the one or more sequences of one or more instructions included therein from the memory 220. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to, when executed by the processing unit 210, cause the apparatus to perform a method as described herein. Hence, the apparatus may comprise at least one processing unit 210 and at least one memory 220 including the computer program code 225 for one or more programs, the at least one memory 220 and the computer program code 225 configured to, with the at least one processor 210, cause the apparatus implementing the gaming server 110 to perform at least the method.

[0045] The computer program code 225 may be provided e.g. a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having the computer program code 225 stored thereon, which computer program code 225, when executed by the processor 110, causes the apparatus to perform the method. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may comprise a memory device or a record medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, or another article of manufacture that tangibly embodies the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transfer the computer program.

[0046] Still further, the computer program code 225 may comprise a proprietary application, such as computer program code for causing an execution of the method in the manner as described in the description herein.

[0047] Any of the programmed functions mentioned may also be performed in firmware or hardware adapted to or programmed to perform the necessary tasks.

[0048] The operation of the apparatus implementing the gaming server 110 may be implemented with a plurality of apparatuses, such as with the one schematically illustrated in Figure 3, as a distributed computing environment. The distributed computing environment may be implemented as a cloud computing system wherein a number of apparatuses are harnessed to execute operations to generate an implementation of a method as is described herein. In the distributed computing environment the plurality of apparatuses are each configured to perform a dedicated task or dedicated tasks and the cooperation of the apparatuses cause the operation of the gaming server to occur in the manner as is described herein.

[0049] For describing further aspects of the invention Figure 3 is referred to. Figure 3 illustrates schematically two entities implemented in the gaming server 110 with a hardware and software. More specifically, the gaming server 110 may execute two computer programs 225 stored in memory 220 and executed by the processing unit 210 of the gaming server 110 wherein the first computer program may cause an execution of a gaming engine portion 310 and the second computer program may case an execution of a player management portion 320. The gaming engine portion 310 and the player management portion 320 are arranged to share information between each other by applying known mechanisms, such as utilizing application program interfaces (API) for the tasks. In accordance with the example embodiment the gaming engine portion 310 may be configured to execute the computer game in question and related operations therein for the players whereas the player management portion 320 may be configured to perform player related management operations, such as evaluating a right to access to the gaming session executed by the gaming engine portion 310 as well as monitoring the player’s right to stay in the gaming session and to perform necessary operations to manage the participation in the gaming session. For sake of clarity it is worthwhile to mention that the definitions of the gaming engine portion 310 and the player management portion 320 are made for describing at least some aspects of the present invention and they are not necessarily implemented as separate entities but may be integrated into one entity for execution by the gaming server 110.

[0050] In accordance with an example embodiment of the invention the computer game executed by the gaming engine portion 310 of the gaming server may be a gambling game into which players may access at any time. The game may be implemented so that players are provided with one or more tokens each having a value expressed in any manner, such as with numbers, letters, colors or with any other characteristics alone or in combination with others. Now, the gaming engine portion is configured during the gaming session to perform a draw in a continuous manner so that the draw is common to all players participating to the gaming session and the draw generates a value that is comparable to the values of the tokens allocated to the players. The draw may be conducted continuously at consecutive instants of time, such as at every minute. The player may be allowed to select the tokens, i.e. the values of the tokens, or they may be assigned to the player by the gaming server e.g. upon an access to the game. The number of the tokens may be limited and / or made dependent on a credit of the player in an account for the game in question. Generally speaking, the participation to the gaming session may be arranged so that the player may buy a number of tokens against a certain amount of money and the number of tokens bought may define the number of rounds drawn against the player’s tokens and this defines the maximum rounds of participation of the gaming session for the player. Alternatively, the number of rounds of participation is fixed, i.e. predefined number of rounds, and may e.g. be the same for all players.

[0051] An example of the gaming session is schematically illustrated in Figure 4 wherein the values of the drawn tokens are shown at the top of the Figure 4 and the values of the tokens of one player are shown at bottom. As said, the drawing is performed one at a time, i.e. the values shown in Figure 4 are generated from left to right one by one. Thus, when the player accesses the gaming session at an instant of time (e.g. after the draw generating the token value 7 in Figure 4), she / he is in the game and participates the further rounds. The player in question may be allocated with four tokens having values 5, 18, 45 and 57. As the draw continues it turns out that the player’s tokens have a match with the token value 57 in the round 3 after accessing the gaming session but no more. After 8 rounds of drawing in the gaming session the player is removed from the gaming session for the reason that there was not enough matches between the values of the player’s tokens and the values of the drawn tokens as is discussed in more detail in the forthcoming description. As derivable from Figure 4 the continuous draw game may be implemented so that the same value of the token may come out from the draw consecutively (e.g. value 19 as shown in Figure 4).

[0052] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the continuous draw game may be implemented so that draw of the tokens is performed with a physical draw machine, such as with a lottery machine 150 comprising balls. The balls in the lottery machine 150 are provided with values and the lottery machine 150 outputs one of the balls at a time in response to an execution of the lottery procedure and that forms the value of the draw in that round. The ball is returned to the lottery machine 150 and a re-draw is executed. The arrangement may comprise a detection device that is arranged to obtain necessary information from the output ball, such as a camera arranged to obtain an image of the value of the ball, and the information is analyzed to generate a detection result on the value of the ball received from the draw. The value is input to the row of the results e.g. output in the game shown to the player by delivering the obtained value from the detection system to the gaming engine portion for output. For example the row of results may be output on a web page arranged to provide the user interface to the game. Moreover, the lottery procedure implemented with the lottery machine may be output as a video stream to players inside the game by arranging e.g. video recording arrangement to capture image from the operation of the lottery machine that is conveyed to the gaming server 110 for outputting to the players. The advantage of having the lottery machine as the physical device is that it may make the lottery procedure more interesting for the players.

[0053] Still further, the implementation of the game may be performed so that there is arranged special situations in terms of awarding the player. An example of such is that the same value of a token is drawn a predefined number of times in a row, such as four times in a row. For example, the player may be awarded with a monetary prize or with extra rounds of participation in the gaming session.

[0054] Next, further aspects in relation to the invention are described by referring to Figure 5 which describes at least some aspects of a computer-implemented method performed by the gaming server 110. Figure 5 schematically illustrates aspects in relation to participation to the gaming session by a player wherein the gaming engine portion 310 is executed by the gaming server 110. In other words, the player in question takes necessary measures to access the gaming session of the computer game with a terminal device 120. The accessing may occur over a web browser or a dedicated application. The request of accessing to the gaming session may initiate an interaction between the gaming server 110 and the terminal device 120 so that the player indicates over the communication channel that she / he is willing to play the computer game in question and is willing to acquire a number of tokens. The acquisition of the tokens may comprise a step in which the player management portion 320 is involved to so that it confirms that the player is able to access the computer game and is able to acquire the number of tokens. This may e.g. be dependent on a credit in the player’s user account managed by the player management portion 320. The player management portion 320 may also be involved in the accessing of the gaming session in further ways, such as requesting user credentials from the player, as well as testing features of the communication connection and / or the terminal device 120 in order to select optimal settings for the gaming session for the player in question. However, in response to a completion of the preparations to access the gaming session the player management portion 320 may indicate to the gaming engine portion 310 that the player is allowed to play the computer game in question, i.e. allowed to access the gaming session. The player management portion 320 may also indicate a number of tokens allocatable to the player.

[0055] In response to entering to the gaming session the player may be requested to select the number of tokens for the gaming session. The selection may comprise the selection of values for the number of tokens. The selection procedure may comprise that the gaming server 110 outputs a menu for selection so that the player receives the menu with her / his terminal device 120, e.g. over a display of the terminal device 120, and interacts with the terminal device 120 with the I / O devices so that the selection may be communicated back to the gaming server 110. In some other embodiments the gaming server 110 may select, and thus to allocate, the tokens to the players without interaction with the player. As a result of any of the described approaches the player is allocated with the number of tokens wherein each token is provided with a value as referred with a reference 510 in Figure 5. Further, an initial number of rounds is set 520 for the player wherein the initial number of rounds defines the number of draws the player is entitled to participate in the beginning. As referred in the foregoing description the setting 520 of the number of rounds may be dependent on the number of allocated tokens and, therefore, the step 520 may be performed in response to the allocation 510 of tokens as shown in Figure 5. However, it is also possible that the initial number of rounds is fixed, i.e. predefined number of rounds, and in such an approach the setting 520 of the initial number of rounds may refer to an operation that a default, i.e. the fixed, value is set 520 as the initial number of rounds. In such an approach the step 520 may be performed concurrently with the step 510 for the player. In response to that the initial number of rounds is defined in any of the described manners, the gaming server 110 initiates a counter for maintaining 530 a player-specific counter for indicating a remaining number of rounds available for the player in question. The player-specific counter is initiated with a value corresponding to the initial number of rounds set, i.e. defined, for the player as described. The step 530 is consecutive to the step 520 as also depicted in Figure 5.

[0056] The above described steps 510, 520, 530 are performed before the player access the game itself. Thus, in response to the completion of the above-described steps the player is taken to the game in the gaming session. If the game corresponds to the continuous draw game as described in the context of the description of the Figure 4, the player is taken into account immediate the completion of the steps 510, 520 and 530 so that the player is in the following draw. Hence, the computer-implemented method continues as schematically illustrated in Figure 6. In a step referred with 540 the gaming engine portion 310 performs the draw and obtains the information on the result of the draw. This may e.g. correspond to that a memory location used for storing the result of the draw is read and, thus, the data is obtained. Prior to this the draw may be triggered e.g. in accordance with a predefined schedule.

[0057] In response to the obtainment 540 of the data from the draw a comparison 550 is performed to detect if any of the number of tokens allocated to the player matches with the result of the draw. In other words, the value of the tokens are compared to the result of the draw.

[0058] In accordance with the invention the comparison 550 may either generate a detection that there is not match between the compared 550 entities and in such a case the gaming server 110 is configured to perform an update to the counter value by reducing 560 the remaining number of rounds available for the player defined by the counter. In other words, in response to a detection that none of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw the counter is updated as described. Alternatively, if the comparison 550 indicates a detection that one of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, the gaming server 110 is configured to perform an update to the counter value by increasing the remaining number of rounds available for the player. In other words, the player is provided with extra round(s) to participate to the gaming session.

[0059] In response to an operation that the counter value is reduced 560 due to that there is no match between any of the values of the tokens allocated to the player and the result of the draw the gaming server 110 may be configured to detect 570 within the gaming engine portion 310 if the counter value has reached a predefined threshold value. The threshold value may e.g. define a value that the player does not have access to any further rounds. Thus, the threshold value may be zero if the counter counts downwards in case there is not match with the result of the draw and any of the number of tokens allocated to the player. If the detection 570 generates a result indicative that the counter value does not correspond to the counter value the player is kept in the gaming session and the gaming server 110 obtains 540 the next result of the draw and iteratively repeats the method as described. On the other hand, if the detection 570 indicates that the counter value has reached the threshold value, the gaming engine portion 310 of the gaming server 110 may be configured to generate a control signal to remove 580 the player from the gaming session. The generation of the control signal to remove 580 the player may cause a cancelling, or a deletion, of a data record representing the player from a memory maintaining data with respect to the gaming session in question. As a result, the player cannot participate to the game anymore. Moreover, in response to the removal of the player from the gaming session the gaming server 110 may be configured to generate a control signal to the terminal device 120 of the player in question to inform on the situation and e.g. to provide options to return to the same gaming session or to another gaming session of the same game. The contact address to deliver the message to the terminal device 120 may be obtained from the data storage arranged to store personal data of the player. The options in the generated message may e.g. comprise one or more links to lead the player to such a network address wherein the player may take actions to return the gaming session in question or to another gaming session. Such actions may e.g. refer to an activation of a computer-implemented mechanism to increase credit for accessing the gaming session and / or requesting acceptance e.g. to utilize credit stored in the player’s account.

[0060] The present invention provides a way to manage a participation of a player in a gaming session through events occurring inside the game executed in the gaming session. Upon predefined conditions a control signal is generated to remove the player from the gaming session.

[0061] The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and / or the interpretation of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A computer-implemented method for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the method comprises: allocating (510) a number of tokens to a player, each token having a predefined value, setting (520) an initial number of rounds for the player to access a game defined by the draw during the gaming session, maintaining (530) a player-specific counter for indicating a remaining number of rounds available for the player, the player-specific counter is initiated with a value corresponding to the initial number of rounds set for the player, the method further comprises: obtaining (540) data descriptive of a value of a result of the draw, comparing (550) values of the number of tokens allocated to the player with the value of the result of the draw, performing, in accordance with a result of the comparison, one of: updating (560) the counter value by reducing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that none of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, updating (570) the counter value by increasing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that one of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw,and wherein the method: a control signal is generated to remove (580) the player from the gaming session in response to a detection that the counter value reaches a predefined threshold value.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the result of the draw is received from a lottery machine (150).

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the draw with the lottery machine (150) is output as a video stream in the gaming session.

4. The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the initial number of rounds to access the game during the gaming session is one of: fixed number of rounds; dependent on the number of allocated tokens for the player.

5. The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the allocation of the tokens to the player is performed through one of: a selection of the values of tokens by the player; a selection of tokens by a computing apparatus (110).

6. The computer-implemented method according to any of the preceding claims, the method further comprises: generating a control signal to a terminal device (120) of the player to inform on the removal from the gaming session.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the control signal comprises data defining at least one option to return to the gaming session.

8. A computing apparatus (110) for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises aplurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the computing apparatus (110) is configured to: allocate (510) a number of tokens to a player, each token having a predefined value, set (520) an initial number of rounds for the player to access a game defined by the draw during the gaming session, maintain (530) a player-specific counter for indicating a remaining number of rounds available for the player, the player-specific counter is initiated with a value corresponding to the initial number of rounds set for the player, the computing apparatus (110) is further configured to: obtain (540) data descriptive of a value of a result of the draw, compare (550) values of the number of tokens allocated to the player with the value of the result of the draw, perform, in accordance with a result of the comparison, one of: update (560) the counter value by reducing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that none of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, update (570) the counter value by increasing the remaining number of rounds available for the player in response to a detection that one of the values of the number of tokens allocated to the player corresponds to the value of the result of the draw, and wherein the computing apparatus (110) is configured to: generate a control signal to remove (580) the player from the gaming session in response to a detection that the counter value reaches a predefined threshold value.

9. The computing apparatus (110) according to claim 8, wherein the computing apparatus (110) is arranged to receive the result of the draw from a lottery machine (150).

10. The computing apparatus (110) according to claim 9, wherein the computing apparatus (110) is arranged to cause an output of the draw with the lottery machine (150) as a video stream in the gaming session.11 . The computing apparatus (110) according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 10, wherein the computing apparatus (110) is configured to set the initial number of rounds to access the game during the gaming session based on one of: fixed number of rounds; dependent on the number of allocated tokens for the player.

12. The computing apparatus (110) according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 11 , wherein the computing apparatus (110) is configured to perform the allocation of the tokens to the player through one of: a selection of the values of tokens by the player; a selection of tokens by the computing apparatus (110).

13. The computing apparatus (110) according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 12, the computing apparatus (110) is further configured to: generate a control signal to a terminal device (120) of the player to inform on the removal from the gaming session.

14. The computing apparatus (110) according to claim 13, wherein the computing apparatus (110) is configured to generate the control signal so that the control signal comprises data defining at least one option to return to the gaming session.

15. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing apparatus (110), cause the computing apparatus (110) to carry out the method according to any of the claims 1 to 7.

16. A game system (100) for managing a participation of a player in a gaming session, wherein the gaming session is accessible to a plurality of players at least in part concurrently, wherein the gaming session comprises a plurality of consecutive rounds comprising a draw, the game system comprises: a plurality of terminal devices (120) of the plurality of players for accessing the gaming session, and a computing apparatus (110) according to any of the claims 8 to 14.

17. The game system (100) according to claim 16, wherein the game system (100) further comprises: a lottery machine (150) for generating information for executing the gaming session.

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