IP Library Granted Patent US 7,407,437
Granted Patent B2
US 7,407,437 · App. 10/662,736 · Granted Aug 5, 2008

Word based lottery game

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,407,437
App. No.
10/662,736
Granted
Aug 5, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lottery terminal apparatus and method of playing a word based lottery includes a value input device, a display unit and a lottery input unit for receiving alphabetical game play information wherein the display unit is adapted to visually display the received alphabetical game play information. The lottery terminal unit further includes a controller having a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the display unit and is programmed to receive wager data in response to a wager made by a person. The controller and method may assign a prize value to the alphabetical game play information received from the lottery input unit and randomly select an alphabetic sample based on a distribution of choices. The controller may further determine a correlation between the alphabetic sample and the alphanumeric game play information to determine a payout value based on a comparison of the alphabetic sample and the alphanumeric game play information to determine the prize value.

Claims (28)

1. A method for playing a word based lottery game, comprising the steps of:

receiving a word based play phrase from a user that comprises a plurality of words designated at the sole discretion of the user;

receiving a wager from the user;

assigning a prize value to each of the plurality of words chosen by the user that is based on the commonality of letters that form each selected word in the play phrase;

generating a random string of letters;

determining if the letters within the randomly generated string of letters forms any of the plurality of words; and

determining a payout value that is a function of the total number of the play phrase words formed by the string of letters and the prize value of the words.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the word based play phrase further comprises the step of reading the word based play phrase from a word based lottery play slip.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the word based play phrase further comprises the step of receiving digits keyed in manually by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the word based play phrase further comprises the steps of:

presenting a menu of phrases to the user; and

receiving a phrase selection from the user from the menu of phrases.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of printing a word based lottery ticket, the word based lottery ticket comprising:

a section listing the word based play phrase; and

a covered section that includes the random string of letters.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of modifying the prize value associated with each of the plurality of words.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prize value is further dependent upon the wager.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prize associated with each of the plurality of words may be changed by the user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is awarded the prize associated with a word in the play phrase if all of the letters in the randomly generated string of letters are present in the word even if the word contains additional letters not in the string of letters.

10. A method for producing a word based lottery game, comprising the steps of:

the lottery game player generating a random word based play phrase that comprises a plurality of words;

assigning a prize value to each of the plurality of words that is based on the commonality of letters that form each selected word in the play phrase;

generating a random string of letters;

printing the player selected word based play phrase, the prize value, and the random string of letters on a lottery ticket, with the random string of letters being covered with a removable coating; and

providing the lottery ticket to the player, wherein the player removes the coating to determine if the random letters form one or more of the plurality of words, whereby the prize value associated with the formed words is won by the player.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the prize value is further dependent upon the wager placed by the lottery game player.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the prize associated with each of the plurality of words may be changed by the player.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the player is awarded the prize associated with a word in the play phrase if all of the letters in the randomly generated string of letters are present in the word even if the word contains additional letters not in the string of letters.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; DON BEST SPORTS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059756/0397 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (RELEASES REEL/FRAME 034530/0318) Recorded Nov 5, 2018
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; BALLY GAMING, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
Reel/Frame 047924/0701 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 4, 2014
From: BALLY GAMING, INC; SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC; WMS GAMING INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 034530/0318 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 18, 2013
From: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; WMS GAMING INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031847/0110 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2013
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; SCIENTIFIC GAMES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031694/0043 →