SPORTS-BASED REWARDS SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS

1 . A server for implementing a sports-based reward program, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving future sporting event information and real-time sporting event information, the future sporting event information related to one or more sporting events that will occur in the future, and the real-time sporting event information relating to events that occur during one or more sporting events as the sporting events are being played;

a network interface for communicating with a plurality of network-enabled devices;

a database for storing an account related to one or more users of the network-enabled devices;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; and

a processor for executing the processor-executable instructions that cause the server to:

receive the future sporting event information via the network interface;

provide the future sporting event information to users of the plurality of network-enabled devices via the network interface;

receive a selected sporting event from one of the network-enabled devices, the selected sporting event chosen by the user from one of the one or more sporting events that will occur in the future;

in response to receiving the selected sporting event, provide a pre-game question to the network-enabled device via the network interface prior to commencement of the selected sporting event, the pre-game question related to an outcome of the selected sporting event;

receive a pre-game prediction to the pre-game question from the mobile device via the network interface, the pre-game prediction indicative of a prediction, by the user, of the outcome related to the pre-game question;

store the pre-game prediction in association with the user in the database;

receive the real-time sporting event information via the network interface as the one or more sporting events occur, including the selected sporting event;

determine whether the outcome of the selected sporting event matches the pre-game prediction from the user; and

provide a credit to an account associated with the user when the outcome of the selected sporting event marches the pre-game prediction, the credit for redemption by the user at a venue.

2 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine, from the real-time sporting event information, that the selected sporting event has commenced; and

provide an in-game question to the network-enabled device via the network interface after determining that the selected sporting event has commenced, the in-game question relating to an event that may occur during a first portion of the selected sporting event.

3 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the first portion of the selected sporting event comprises a half of an inning of a baseball game.

4 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the selected sporting event comprises a possession of a football by one of two teams playing a game of football.

5 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine, from the real-time sporting event information, that the first portion of the selected sporting event has concluded; and

provide a second in-game question to the network-enabled device via the network interface after determining that the first portion of the selected sporting event has concluded, the second in-game question relating to a second event that may occur during a second portion of the selected sporting event.

6 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine at least two pre-game prediction choices for association with the pre-game question;

wherein the pre-game prediction comprises a selection of one of the at least two pre-game prediction choices.

7 . The server of claim 6 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

assign a point value to each of the at least two pre-game prediction choices;

wherein the credit is based on the point value.

8 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

provide at least two in-game prediction choices to the network-enabled device along with the in-game question;

assign a point value to each of the at least two in-game prediction choices;

receive an in-game prediction to the in-game question, the in-game prediction comprising one of the at least two in-game prediction choices; and

determine a number of times that the event identified by the in-game prediction has occurred during the first portion;

wherein the credit is based on the point value and the number of times that the event has occurred during the first portion.

9 . The server of claim 6 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

assign an initial point value to each of the at least two pre-game prediction choices;

determine in-game statistics from the real-time sporting event information; and

alter the initial point value of at least one of the at least two pre-game prediction choices based on the in-game statistics to generate an altered point value;

wherein the credit is based on the altered point value.

10 . The server of claim 5 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

provide two or more in-game prediction choices associated with the second in-game question to the network-enabled device, each of the two or more in-game prediction choices assigned an initial point value;

evaluate the real-time sports-related information to determine in-game statistics related to the selected sporting event; and

alter the initial point value of at least one of the two or more in-game prediction choices based on the in-game statistics to generate an altered point value;

wherein the credit is based on the altered point value.

11 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

store a set of pre-game questions in the memory, each pre-game question having a number of pre-game prediction choices assigned thereto, each of the potential responses assigned with an initial point value;

evaluate the real-time sports-related information to determine pre-game statistics related to the future sporting events; and

alter the initial point value assigned to at least one of the pre-game prediction choices based on the pre-game statistics.

12 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine a location of the user; and

award the credit to the user only when the user is located at the venue.

13 . The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

receive information relating to use of at least a portion of the credit by the user to purchase one or more items from the venue;

adjust the account to reflect the use of the at least a portion of the credit.

14 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine at least two in-game prediction choices for association with the in-game question;

wherein the in-game prediction comprises a selection of one of the at least two in-game prediction choices.

15 . The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the server to:

determine the point value based on one or more events that occur during the selected sporting event.

16 . The server of claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that cause the server to:

select the in-game question based on one or more events that occur during the game.