Method for carrying out a lottery

The invention relates to methods for conducting lotteries.

In one prior art method for conducting lotteries, for example, an electronic layout of a lottery ticket is developed for printing; an electronic database of registered and game numbers of lottery tickets is built; electronic databases of cash prize for each draw and the lottery as a whole are compiled; sets of random electrical signals matching a preset multitude of random numbers that is smaller than the multitude of numbers in the game set are generated; the registered number of a winning ticket is determined in accordance with the sequence of coincidence specified by the lottery conducting rules between these signals and signals matching the game data of the electronic database. According to the prior art method, an electronic database of an "instant win lottery" is compiled further on the principle of random distribution of the cash prize between the registered numbers of the lottery tickets; the registered and game data of a lottery ticket are used to identify the individual code; the respective signals are converted to an image on the lottery ticket and are protected against recognition by humans and machines; a random number of draws is chosen; the registered numbers of the tickets are registered according to the individual codes for participation in all the draws of a second game, except for the last draw; a database of all the registered numbers of tickets participating in the draw is compiled on an obligatory basis in the last draw of the second game, for which purpose signals corresponding to the registered numbers in the database of tickets sold are compared with the signals corresponding to the registered numbers in the database of the tickets that participated in the preceding draws, and if they coincide they are canceled; and a third (final) game is held for all the tickets sold to establish coincidence of the registered number of a lottery ticket with the sequence of numbers from zero to nine that are generated by a random law at a uniform distribution and length equal to the number of digits in the registered number of the ticket, and the procedure is repeated if no coincidence occurs (see: Specification of Russian Patent No. <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="JP2234133A"><text>2,234,133</text></patcit>, G 07 C 15/00, October 3, 2004).

In another prior art method for conducting a lottery, a symbol or a combination of symbols chosen by a player is formed; a symbol or a combination of symbols formed by the gambling machine is displayed; the symbols or combinations of symbols formed are compared; and the player's prize is determined on the basis of the comparison results. The player checks that the symbol or combination of symbols formed by the gambling machine remains unchanged by watching the condition of the symbol or combination of symbols formed by the gambling machine after the symbol or combination of symbols it formed has been fixed (see: Specification of Russian Patent No. <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="WO2056080A"><text>2,056,080</text></patcit>, G 07 F 17/34, October 3, 1996).

Also known in the art is a method for conducting lotteries that uses a lottery playing machine provided with a data input-output device, a computer, and a printer (see: Specification of Russian Patent No. <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="WO2137196A"><text>2,137,196</text></patcit>, G 07 C 15/00, October 9, 1999).

According to the prior art method, a gambling machine selects a symbol or a combination of symbols; and the player chooses a symbol or a combination of symbols and is then shown the symbol or combination of symbols selected by the gambling machine. In this case, the player is enabled to see that the symbols selected by the gambling machine are not altered until they are displayed. For this prior art method to be performed, the gambling machine is to comprise a unit for a symbol or a combination of symbols to be selected by the gambling machine, a unit for a symbol or a combination of symbols to be chosen by the player, and a comparison unit. These inventions enable the player to watch that the game is played at random and that the results are not manipulated. The technical result achieved consists in improved reliability and authenticity of monitoring.

A still further prior art method for conducting lotteries (see: Eurasian Patent No. <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="EP010440A"><text>010440</text></patcit> published in Bulletin No. 4, 2008, August 29, 2008) (immediate prior art) uses a lottery playing machine provided with a data input-output device, a calculating device, and a device to receive payment for participation in the lottery, in which data are inputted through the data input-output device. A lottery participant is informed through the input-output device about the terms on which the lottery is held, whereupon the lottery participant selects the lottery terms and inputs data identifying himself/herself, or another person, or a group of persons to whom the prize will be paid, following which the screen of the data input-output device displays data fields to be filled in by the lottery participant, the input data are transferred to, and processed in, the calculating device, and the lottery participant is informed about the procedure to be followed to learn about the lottery results and, in the event of a win, to receive the prize. The prize is paid by cashless payment for the services selected by the lottery participant in favor of the person(s) whose identification data are inputted by the lottery participant, the prize being paid, at the lottery participant's option, in a lump sum or in installments that can be accumulated, and the lottery participant being enabled at any stage of the lottery to input the data identifying the person(s) in whose favor the prize is paid. The lottery participant selects services from the following list: payment for cellular network services, Internet services, cable television, housing and utility services, and payment of fees, fares, dues, fines, and penalties. A touch-sensitive screen is used as the data input-output device. An IBM-compatible personal computer is used as the calculating device. Data are transferred to the calculating device from external communications devices such as modems and antennas that enable the device for cashless payment of services to operate in the GLONASS, GPRS, GSM, and other data transfer standards. Data fields are displayed on the screen of the data input-output device in the form of tables. The lottery participant fills in the data fields by inserting numerical and/or graphic data. This lottery conducting method helps heighten lottery participants' gambling interest significantly.

The above-described methods are disadvantageous because they are not attractive enough for lottery participants since the lottery has a straight algorithm.

The claimed invention is intended to correct the above deficiencies.

The technical result achieved by performing the claimed invention is that gambling interest in the lottery is maintained in the lottery participants for a considerable time period, and their interest in the lottery is heightened while the lottery runs.

The objective of the invention is attained as follows:

In a method for conducting a lottery in which a lottery participant is informed, through a data input-output device of the lottery playing machine, about the terms on which the lottery is held, the lottery participant selects the terms of the lottery and makes payment for his/her participation in the lottery, whereupon the data input-output device of the lottery playing machine displays the data fields of a lottery ticket, the lottery participant fills in the data fields of the lottery ticket with numerical and/or graphic symbols, the data values that the lottery participant has inserted in the data fields of the lottery ticket are then transmitted to, and processed in, a calculating device for a lottery draw to take place, whereupon the lottery participant is notified of the results of the lottery draw played and the prize is paid to the lottery player if his/her participation in the lottery has been successful, in accordance with the claimed invention, the lottery participant fills in the data fields of the lottery ticket with the values received while participating in the preliminary lottery, participation in the preliminary lottery enabling the lottery participants to increase or decrease the face value of the lottery ticket on which the amount of a possible prize received from participation in the main lottery depends.

Payment terminals, gambling machines, photo kiosks, automatic car parking meters, and other similar devices are suitable for use as lottery playing machines.

A touch-sensitive screen can be used as a data input-output device.

An IBM PC compatible personal computer can be used as a calculating device.

The data values that a lottery participant inserts in the data fields of a lottery ticket are transmitted to the calculating device from external communications devices such as modems and antennas enabling a lottery to be held through the GLONAS, GPRS, and GSM systems.

Obviously, this invention offers a new technical solution intended to maintain the lottery participants' interest in the lottery for a considerable stretch of time and to stimulate the lottery participants' gambling interest in the lottery while they are playing.

The gambling interest in the lottery will be increased essentially by giving the lottery participant an opportunity to participate in the lottery after he/she has prepaid, for example, a minimum possible amount, or a minimum face value of one lottery ticket on which the minimum range of possible wins depends, but as he/she starts filling in the lottery ticket (filling in the data fields thereof) he/she can take part, by virtue of this fact, in a preliminary lottery and try to increase the face value of the lottery ticket to a higher level that gives him/her a chance to win prizes of a higher order than the prizes that could be won by participating in the main (basic) lottery on a ticket the face value of which has been paid by the lottery participant at the start.

The invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings that do not in the least limit the range of possible embodiments thereof. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a diagrammatic view of the lottery playing machine.</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref> is a diagrammatic view of messages displayed on the screen of the data input-output device.</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3 and FIG. 4</figref> are views of data fields in tabulated format.</li></ul>

In <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1, 1</figref> is the body of the lottery playing machine, 2 is a data input-output device, 3 is a shutter, and 4 is an antenna.

Following below is a description of an embodiment of the invention that does not in the least rule out all possible embodiments thereof.

A would-be lottery participant comes up to the lottery playing machine such as possibly a terminal to make instant payments for any services. At the moment, the data input-output device of the machine displays, for example, several lottery options (see: <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 2</figref>), and also the terms of payment for a service, for example, the Internet telephone, mobile communications, housing and utility services, and so on.

After informing himself/herself of the display data, the would-be lottery participant chooses to play the lottery by paying a minimum possible amount of, for example, 10 rubles, which is the minimum face value of a lottery ticket.

A lottery ticket of 10 rubles face value gives its purchaser, according to the lottery terms, a chance of winning 100 to 1,000 rubles.

Further, the lottery participant decides to take part in a preliminary lottery and tries to raise the face value of his/her lottery ticket, which gives him/her a chance to win a larger prize.

The lottery participant starts playing in the preliminary lottery. The data input-output device displays, for example, on its liquid-crystal touch-sensitive screen the data fields of the lottery ticket to be filled in by the lottery participant.

The lottery participant begins filling in the data fields of the lottery ticket.

According to the present invention, the data fields of the lottery ticket are filled in with values the lottery participant received by participating in the preliminary lottery, allowing him/her to increase or reduce the face value of the lottery ticket that affects the amount of a likely prize to be won by participation in the lottery.

The lottery ticket is filled in by the lottery participant taking part in, for example, a logic game, or a lottery that is displayed on the screen on the lottery playing machine, such as a payment terminal, an automated teller machine, and so on.

The lottery participant is asked to guess a game combination offered by the computer, for example, which of the three barrels displayed on the screen contains honey, hit a randomly selected target from cannon by first selecting a matching shell, etc.

At the moment when the lottery participant presses, for example, a definite area of the touch-sensitive screen, a numerical value and/or graphic image selected by the computer at random or in a specified pattern is inserted in a data field of the lottery ticket. In this way, the data fields of the lottery ticket are filled in.

The lottery participant's interest in gambling may be increased by the following options: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="dash"><li>if the lottery participant guesses the game combination (or a specified number of game combinations) correctly, he/she increases the face value of the lottery ticket and, therefore, increases the possible amount of the prize by participating in the main lottery with such a lottery ticket; or</li><li>if the lottery participant makes a wrong guess about the game combination or, for example, a specified number of game combinations, he/she decreases the face value of the lottery ticket and, therefore, decreases the possible amount of the prize by participating in the main lottery with such a lottery ticket.</li></ul>

Whether the lottery participant is successful or not, he/she may also be offered bonus games, the results of the bonus games also having an effect on the face value (type or status) of the lottery ticket that is taken into consideration in the program.

The lottery participant may be assumed to raise, by taking part in the preliminary lottery, the face value (status) of the lottery ticket to 100 rubles.

Under the terms of the lottery, the higher status gives him/her a chance to win a prize of a higher order, for example, within the range of 10,000 to 100,000 rubles.

An important point to make is that filling in the data fields of the lottery ticket only affects the type (status) of the lottery ticket and the amount of a possible win. The result of the main lottery (main draw) of the lottery tickets is processed by a computer, and then, depending on the lottery algorithm, determines the amounts won by lottery tickets of this type (status) depending on their face value (obtained after the preliminary lottery), provided, however, that the data fields of the ticket of this type (status) coincide.

Following this, the lottery participant joins in the main lottery that is played at the new (changed) face value of the tickets.

The lottery participant inputs, through the data input-output device, into the lottery playing machine any data (numerals or graphic symbols, images, and so on) needed for participation in the main lottery for transfer thereof, for example, to a calculating device (a computer, for example, an IBM PC compatible computer) housed in the body of the lottery playing machine, to be processed by said calculating device.

If the calculating device is not located in the lottery playing machine, modems and antennas operating in the GLONAS, GPRS, and GSM systems can be used.

The lottery participant can add, at any stage of the lottery (preliminary or main) through the data input-output device of the lottery playing machine, data identifying himself/herself, or another person, or a group of persons, in whose favor the prize will be paid. This is a significant advantage of the lottery because the prize received from participation therein can be paid in favor of third parties, for example, a children's house, in case of a charity lottery.

After the data have been processed in the calculating device, or simultaneously with data processing, the participant is informed how the prize can be received. This information may be communicated on the display of the data input-output device or, for example, by a message, such as an SMS message, of an appropriate content sent automatically to the participant's cellular telephone.

In this example, the prize will be paid by making cashless payment for housing and utility services in favor of, for a example, a children's boarding school selected by the lottery participant by touching specified areas of the data input-output device.

There is also obviously an opportunity for instant receipt of the prize, or a part thereof, from participation in the lottery.

The prize, or a part thereof, can also be accumulated for continued participation in the lottery.

The lottery participants, therefore, show interest in the result of the main lottery by guessing game combinations through participation in various simple logic games and/or lotteries before they actually participate in the main lottery because they can increase a possible win by buying a lottery ticket at a minimum face value if they win in a preliminary lottery.

The specific nature of this invention helps significantly to maintain lottery participants' gambling interest for a considerable time period and stimulate lottery participants' gambling interest in the lottery as it is played.