Multiplier for lottery game
View Patent ↗An improved multiplier for a lottery game is provided. In connection with a base lottery game, each player receives or selects a multiplier indicia (or other bonus indicia) from a pool of multiplier indicia. In addition to drawings for the base game, a drawing of multiplier indicia and a determination of associated multiplier values is also conducted. For those players winning the base game who also received a multiplier indicia matching the drawn multiplier indicia, the base game prize is multiplied by the associated multiplier value.
1. A method for conducting a lottery game via a lottery ticket and associated lottery drawing, comprising the steps of:
defining a set of indicia comprising alphanumeric characters or symbols for display on a lottery ticket;
defining a pool of multiplier indicia comprising alphanumeric characters or symbols, with each character or symbol having a known multiplier value assigned thereto;
allowing players to select a predetermined number of player indicia from said set of indicia;
displaying the player indicia on a printed lottery ticket or virtual lottery ticket;
providing players with at least one player multiplier indicia randomly selected by a lottery provider for the player from said pool of multiplier indicia at a time of purchase of the lottery ticket, wherein the frequency of random selection of the player multiplier indicia is weighted so that certain player multiplier indicia have higher probabilities of random selection than others wherein the player selects how many player multiplier indicia are provided and pays a fee for each multiplier indicia such that the player can purchase up to all available player multiplier indicia;
wherein the at least one player selected multiplier indicia is assigned to the player selected indicia such that when more than one multiplier is purchased, all purchased multipliers are assigned to the player indicia as a group and purchasing all available player multiplier indicia guarantees matching a randomly selected game multiplier with one of the purchased multipliers;
displaying the selected at least one player multiplier indicia on the printed lottery ticket or virtual lottery ticket;
conducting a drawing where two or more game indicia from said set of indicia are randomly selected and made known to the players;
as part of the drawing, randomly selecting a game multiplier indicia from said pool of multiplier indicia and making the selection known to the players;
as a result of the drawing, awarding a prize to each player matching two or more of said player indicia displayed on the printed lottery ticket or virtual lottery ticket with said game indicia; and
multiplying said prize by said game multiplier value for each player having player multiplier indicia displayed on the printed lottery ticket or virtual lottery ticket matching said game multiplier indicia wherein the amount of the prize is increased as a result of matching the game multiplier indicia selected during the drawing.
2. A method for conducting a lottery game as in claim 1 , wherein said game multiplier indicia is drawn from said pool of multiplier indicia randomly according to a defined probability distribution on said pool of multiplier indicia such that certain game multiplier indicia have higher probabilities of random selection than others.
3. A method for conducting a lottery game as in claim 1 , wherein said pool of multiplier indicia comprises the integers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10.
4. A method for conducting a lottery game is in claim 1 , wherein said prize increases in amount as the number of said player indicia matching said game indicia increases for each said player.
5. The method for conducting a lottery game as described in claim 1 , wherein more than one multiplier indicia is selected for the player in order to enhance the player's chance of possessing a winning player multiplier indicia.
6. The method for conducting a lottery game as described in claim 1 , wherein at least one player multiplier indicia is automatically added to the ticket.
7. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 6 , wherein the player may opt out of the at least one player multiplier indicia being automatically added to the ticket.
8. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 7 , wherein opting out of the at least one player multiplier indicia being automatically added to the ticket reduces the price of the ticket.
9. A lottery game method conducted via a printed or virtual lottery ticket and a lottery drawing, comprising the steps of:
providing a player with a predetermined number of player indicia comprising alphanumeric characters or symbols, wherein each said player indicia was selected by the player or randomly generated for the player from a set of indicia;
displaying the player indicia on a printed lottery ticket or virtual ticket;
assigning a player bonus indicia to said predetermined number of player indicia, wherein said player bonus indicia was selected by the player or selected for the player from a pool of bonus indicia wherein the player selects how many player bonus indicia are assigned and pays a fee for each bonus indicia such that the player can purchase up to all available player bonus indicia wherein when more than one bonus indicia is purchased, all purchased player bonus indicia are assigned to the player indicia as a group and purchasing all available player bonus indicia guarantees matching a randomly selected game bonus indicia with one of the purchased player bonus indicia;
displaying the selected player bonus indicia on the printed lottery ticket or virtual ticket;
conducting a drawing wherein a predetermined number of game indicia are selected from said set of indicia;
during the drawing, randomly selecting a game bonus indicia from said pool of bonus indicia according to a defined probability distribution on said pool of bonus indicia such that certain game bonus indicia have higher probabilities of random selection than others;
awarding a prize during the drawing to said player if said player indicia match two or more of said game indicia; and
awarding a bonus to said player as a result of the drawing if said player bonus indicia displayed on the printed lottery ticket or virtual lottery ticket matches said game bonus indicia and if said player indicia matched two or more of said game indicia wherein the amount of the prize is only increased as a result of matching the player bonus indicia selected during the drawing.
10. A lottery game method as in claim 9 , wherein players select the player bonus indicia from said pool of bonus indicia.
11. A lottery game method as in claim 9 , wherein the player bonus indicia is randomly selected for the player from said pool of bonus indicia having a plurality of weighted multipliers such that certain of the multipliers have higher probabilities of random selection than others.
12. A lottery game method as in claim 9 , wherein said prize increases as the number of player indicia matching said game indicia increases.
13. A lottery game method as in claim 9 , wherein said set of indicia comprises alphanumeric characters.
14. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 9 , wherein more than one bonus indicia is selected by the player or for the player in order to enhance the player's chance of possessing a winning player bonus indicia.
15. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 9 , wherein at least one player bonus indicia is automatically added to the ticket.
16. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 15 , wherein the player may opt out of the at least one player bonus indicia being automatically added to the ticket.
17. The method of conducting a lottery game as described in claim 16 , wherein the player opting out of the at least one player bonus indicia being automatically added to the ticket reduces the price of the ticket.
18. A lottery game ticket, comprising:
a substrate;
a player indicia area;
a player multiplier indicia area;
a plurality of indicia selected by a player and printed upon said substrate in said player indicia area;
a player multiplier indicia randomly selected by a lottery provider from a weighted pool of multiplier indicia and printed upon said substrate in said multiplier indicia area wherein the frequency of the appearance of the player multiplier indicia is influenced so that some player multiplier indicia have higher probabilities of selection than others wherein the player selects how many player multiplier indicia are provided and pays a fee for each player multiplier indicia such that the player can purchase up to all available player multiplier indicia wherein the player multiplier indicia is assigned to the plurality of indicia selected by the player such that when more than one multiplier is purchased, all purchased multipliers are assigned to the plurality of indicia selected by the player as a group and purchasing all available player multiplier indicia guarantees matching a randomly selected game multiplier with one of the player multiplier indicia; and
wherein the amount of the prize is only increased as a result of matching the game multiplier indicia selected during the drawing.