System and method for playing a lottery-type game

1. A system for playing a lottery-type game, comprising:

a play generator operable to generate a playfile without input from any player of the game, the playfile having a plurality of records, each record comprising a numeric value;

a win generator operable to generate a winning number based on:

a plurality of seeds from public, verifiable random sources; and

a winning number algorithm received in the playfile from the play generator, the winning number algorithm specifying a numeric calculation using the seeds to generate the winning number; and

an evaluator operable to receive the playfile and the winning number, the evaluator operable to retrieve a record from the playfile in response to input from a player, to compare a numeric value in the retrieved record to the winning number, and to communicate a win/loss result to the player; and

wherein the play generator further comprises a verify module operable to receive the seeds and execute the winning number algorithm to verify the win/loss result.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaluator receives the playfile in an electronic format at an interface coupled to a network that provides an electronic communication path between the evaluator and the play generator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaluator receives the playfile prior to the win generator generating the winning number.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is further operable to:

store the playfile prior to playing the lottery-type game, the playfile representing a number of plays at a win probability; and

communicate a win/loss result to the player in a sufficiently small amount of time to convey a real-time play experience to a user of the player.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the play generator generates a plurality of numeric values for the playfile based on a number of plays and a win probability.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the random sources comprise a lottery result, weather data, or environmental noise.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the evaluator operable to decrypt, in response to input from the player, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, wherein the evaluator is further operable to:

decrypt a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key; and

decrypt, in response to input from the player, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, each record of the playfile comprises a verification string, a numeric value, and a key, the evaluator is further operable to:

decrypt a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key;

decrypt, in response to input from the player, only a current record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key;

retrieve a verification string from the decrypted current record;

compare the verification string to an authorized string;

retrieve a numeric value from the decrypted current record if the verification string matches the authorized string; and

retrieve a next key from the decrypted current record for use in decrypting a next record.

10. A method for playing a lottery-type game, comprising:

storing a playfile received from a remote location, the playfile having a plurality of records, each record comprising a numeric value;

receiving a plurality of seeds from public, verifiable random sources;

receiving a winning number algorithm that specifies a numeric calculation using the seeds to generate a winning number;

generating the winning number using the seeds and the winning number algorithm;

receiving input from a player;

retrieving a record from the playfile in response to the input;

comparing a numeric value in the retrieved record to the winning number to determine a win/loss result;

at the remote location, executing the winning number algorithm using the seeds to verify the win/loss result; and

communicating the win/loss result to the player.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the playfile is stored prior to determining a winning number.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the playfile is stored prior to playing the lottery-type game, the playfile representing a number of plays at a win probability; and

the step of communicating a win/loss result to the player is performed in a sufficiently small amount of time to convey a real-time play experience to a user of the player.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the steps of retrieving, comparing, and communicating are performed locally at a single evaluator site without external communication.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving a playfile comprises receiving a playfile in an electronic format from a remote location.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the retrieving step further comprising decrypting, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the retrieving step further comprising:

receiving a key; and

decrypting, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

normalizing a numeric value in the decrypted record to adjust locally the win probability.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving a key comprises decrypting a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving a key comprises receiving the key from a remote location.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, each record of the playfile comprises a verification string, a numeric value, and a key, the retrieving step further comprises:

decrypting a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key;

decrypting, in response to the input, only a current record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key;

retrieving a verification string from the decrypted current record;

comparing the verification string to an authorized string;

retrieving a numeric value from the decrypted current record if the verification string matches the authorized string; and

retrieving a next key from the decrypted current record for use in decrypting a next record.

21. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of storing the playfile occurs before the step of determining the winning number.

22. A method for playing a lottery-type game, comprising:

storing a playfile received in an electronic format from a remote location, the playfile representing a number of plays and a win probability and including an encrypted playfile having a plurality of records and an extractor, each record of the playfile comprising a verification string, a numeric value, and a key;

after storing the playfile, receiving a winning number computed using a plurality of published, independent lottery results;

receiving a key;

decrypting, in response to input from a player, only a current record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key;

retrieving a verification string from the decrypted current record;

comparing the verification string to an authorized string;

retrieving a numeric value from the decrypted current record if the verification string matches the authorized string;

normalizing a numeric value in the decrypted record to adjust locally the win probability;

comparing the numeric value to the winning number;

communicating a win/loss result to the player; and

retrieving a next key from the decrypted current record for use in decrypting a next record.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein receiving a key comprises decrypting a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein receiving a key comprises receiving a key communicated from a remote location.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the step of communicating a win/loss result to the player is performed in a sufficiently small amount of time to convey a real-time play experience to a user of the player.

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the steps of retrieving a numeric value, comparing, and communicating are performed locally at a single evaluator site without external communication.

27. An apparatus for playing a lottery-type game, comprising:

a memory operable to store a playfile received from a remote location, the playfile having a plurality of records, each record comprising a numeric value, the memory further operable to store a winning number;

wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the processor further operable to:

receive a key;

decrypt, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key; and

normalize a numeric value in the decrypted record to adjust locally the win probability;

an interface operable to receive input from a player; and

a processor operable to retrieve a record from the playfile in response to the input, to compare a numeric value in the retrieved record to the winning number, and to communicate a win/loss result to the player.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the memory stores the playfile prior to storing the winning number.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the processor further operable to decrypt, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor.

30. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, each record of the playfile comprises a verification string, a numeric value, and a key, wherein the processor is further operable to:

decrypt a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key;

decrypt, in response to the input, only a current record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key;

retrieve a verification string from the decrypted current record;

compare the verification string to an authorized string;

retrieve a numeric value from the decrypted current record if the verification string matches the authorized string; and

retrieve a next key from the decrypted current record for use in decrypting a next record.

31. Logic encoded in a computer-readable medium for playing a lottery-type game, the logic operable, when executed by a computer, to perform the following steps:

storing a playfile received from a remote location, the playfile having a plurality of records, each record comprising a numeric value;

determining a winning number based on:

a plurality of seeds from public, verifiable random sources; and

a winning number algorithm received in the playfile from the play generator, the winning number algorithm specifying a numeric calculation using the seeds to generate the winning number;

receiving input from a player;

retrieving a record from the playfile in response to the input;

comparing a numeric value in the retrieved record to the winning number to determine a win/loss result;

at the remote location, executing the winning number algorithm using the seeds to verify the win/loss result; and

communicating a the win/loss result to the player.

32. The logic of claim 31 , wherein:

the playfile is stored prior to playing the lottery-type game, the playfile representing a number of plays at a win probability; and

the step of communicating a win/loss result to the player is performed in a sufficiently small amount of time to convey a real-time play experience to a user of the player.

33. The logic of claim 31 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the retrieving step further comprising decrypting, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor.

34. The logic of claim 31 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, the retrieving step further comprising:

receiving a key;

decrypting, in response to the input, only a next record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key; and

normalizing a numeric value in the decrypted record to adjust locally the win probability.

35. The logic of claim 31 , wherein the playfile comprises an encrypted playfile and an extractor, each record of the playfile comprises a verification string, a numeric value, and a key, the retrieving step further comprises:

decrypting a previous record in the playfile, the decrypted previous record comprising a key;

decrypting, in response to the input, only a current record in the encrypted playfile using the extractor and the key;

retrieving a verification string from the decrypted current record;

comparing the verification string to an authorized string;

retrieving a numeric value from the decrypted current record if the verification string matches the authorized string; and

retrieving a next key from the decrypted current record for use in decrypting a next record.