Scratch-off Lottery Ticket Segmentation for Extended Game Lifespan
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scratch-off lottery ticket games often end prematurely when top prizes are awarded, leading to increased payout percentages and lost revenue for jurisdictions, as remaining tickets are typically destroyed rather than encouraging continued play.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that divides scratch-off lottery tickets into subsets with predetermined winning outcomes at lower tier prize levels, where qualifying tickets are eligible for an additional game with a prize equal to the top tier, and are distinguished by a visible mark, allowing continued play and redemption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the game is terminated after top prizes are awarded, then the complexity of managing remaining tickets is reduced, but revenue loss occurs due to destruction of unsold tickets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ticket pool into two distinct categories: standard tickets and qualifier tickets. Qualifier tickets contain an additional hidden element that, when scratched, determines eligibility for a second game. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple game management for the primary game while creating a separate qualification mechanism that preserves revenue potential from remaining tickets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-designating certain tickets as qualifiers before the game begins. These qualifier tickets are distributed throughout the ticket run in advance, and their special status is determined by a hidden element that players discover during gameplay. This preliminary designation ensures that qualifying opportunities exist throughout the entire ticket run, eliminating the need to destroy remaining tickets after top prizes are awarded.
2Device complexity
If remaining tickets are destroyed after top prizes are awarded, then payout percentage control is simplified, but additional revenue opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the prize structure into two segments: prizes from the primary game and prizes from the secondary game. Only tickets that qualify through the hidden element are eligible for the secondary game prizes. This segmentation allows the lottery to control the overall payout percentage by adjusting the ratio of qualifier tickets in the pool, while still preserving revenue opportunities from tickets that remain after top prizes are awarded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of ticket eligibility by introducing a conditional state. Tickets transition from a single-game eligibility state to a dual-game eligibility state based on the revelation of a hidden element. This parameter change enables the system to maintain predictable payout percentages for the primary game while creating additional revenue streams through the secondary game for qualifying tickets.
3Duration of action of moving object
If a second game is added for qualifying tickets, then continued play is encouraged, but game structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the secondary game mechanism from the primary game structure. The qualification element is embedded within the primary game tickets, but the secondary game operates as a separate, distinct game with its own prize structure and rules. This extraction allows the system to extend game lifespan through the secondary game while maintaining relatively simple game structures that can be independently managed and understood by players.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system encourage continued play of scratch-off lottery tickets remaining in a game after award of the seeded top prizes in the game. A total set of scratch-off lottery tickets for the game are subject to a single multi-tier prize structure that includes a top tier prize and a plurality of lower tier prize levels. Subsets of the total set of tickets each have a predetermined winning outcome at one of the lower tier prize levels. A first one of the subsets is divided into qualifying tickets and non-qualifying tickets, the qualifying tickets eligible for play in an additional game having a game prize at least equal to the top tier prize. The qualifying and/or non-qualifying tickets are provided with a printed mark that distinguishes the qualifying tickets from the non-qualifying tickets within the first subset. At redemption, the qualifying tickets are identified and entered into the additional game.