Prepaid account lottery system and method

Abstract

A plurality of lottery cards are distributed to at least one lottery agent. Each of the lottery cards has a unique identification code disposed thereon and is associated with a predefined monetary amount. A communication identifying the unique identification code of a first selected card is received, and a user account associated with the identification code is established having a balance equivalent to the predefined monetary amount of the first selected card. A first chosen play for a lottery game is received and associated with the user account. A cost of the first chosen play is deducted from the balance of the user account, and a remaining balance is available for making at least one subsequent play. If the first chosen play is a winner, a winning monetary amount is credited to the user account. The winning monetary amount may be redeemed upon presentation of the first selected card.

1 . A method of administering a lottery for a jurisdiction, said lottery being conducted by a centralized lottery administration with lottery tickets being distributed by distributed lottery agents remote from said centralized lottery administration, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a plurality of prepaid lottery account cards to said distributed lottery agents;    (b) receiving from a wagerer a communication identifying a unique identifier associated with a first prepaid lottery account card from said plurality of prepaid lottery account cards, said unique identifier associated with a monetary amount, said first prepaid lottery account card being issued by a lottery agent from said distributed lottery agents;    (c) after step (b), funding at a lottery administration system of said centralized lottery administration a user account associated with the unique identifier for said first prepaid lottery account card with the monetary amount;    (d) receiving from the wagerer without the assistance of a lottery agent or lottery agent terminal a communication identifying a first chosen play for a lottery game, said first chosen play being associated with said user account;    (e) deducting a cost of the first chosen play from the balance of said user account, a remaining balance in said user account after said deduction being available for making at least one subsequent play; and    (f) if it is verified that said first chosen play is a winner, crediting a winning monetary amount for said first chosen play to a lottery account,    wherein said winning monetary amount may be redeemed from said user account upon presentation of said first prepaid lottery account card to a lottery agent.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of comparing the unique identifier received in step (b) against a list of unique identifiers associated with prepaid lottery account cards that were properly obtained by users from said plurality of prepaid lottery account cards to verify that said first prepaid lottery account card has been properly obtained by said wagerer.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the following steps: 
 receiving from a lottery agent a communication indicating that the first prepaid lottery account card has been properly distributed to a wagerer; and    indicating in said list that said first prepaid lottery account card has been properly distributed.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3:   wherein said unique identifier of said first prepaid lottery account card is retrieved from a machine readable code disposed on said first prepaid lottery account card, and    wherein the step of receiving the communication from said lottery agent includes the step of receiving said unique identifier with a lottery administration processor from a lottery agent processor over a communication path.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of steps (b) and (d) includes the step of receiving said communication through an interactive voice response (IVR) system.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of steps (b) and (d) includes the step of receiving said communication through the Internet.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said remaining balance of step (e) is not redeemable along with said winning monetary amount of step (f).  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (g) receiving a communication identifying a subsequent chosen play for a lottery game at a time after said winning monetary amount is credited to said user account, said subsequent chosen play being associated with said user account; and    (h) deducting a cost of the subsequent chosen play from the balance of said user account, at least a part of the deducted cost coming from said winning monetary amount for said first chosen play.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (g) receiving from said wagerer a communication identifying a unique identifier for at least a second prepaid lottery account card; and    (h) crediting a monetary amount associated with said second prepaid lottery account card to said user account associated with the unique identifier for the first prepaid lottery account card,    wherein the wagerer can play a lottery game using said user account and redeem any winning amount credited to said user account using said first prepaid lottery account card.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (g) receiving from said wagerer a plurality of separate communications collectively identifying unique identifiers for a plurality of individual prepaid lottery account cards; and    (h) crediting a monetary amount associated with each respective individual prepaid lottery account card to said user account associated with the unique identifier for the first prepaid lottery account card,    wherein the wagerer can play a lottery game using said user account and redeem any winning amount credited to said user account using said first prepaid lottery account card.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of receiving a balance inquiry for said user account from said wagerer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said communication identifying said first chosen play includes an identification of a plurality of lottery numbers selected by said wagerer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of receiving a unique identifier associated with a first lottery voucher issued by a lottery agent terminal, and crediting a monetary amount associated with said first lottery voucher to said user account.  
     
     
         14 . A lottery administration system for administering a lottery, said lottery being conducted by a centralized lottery administration with lottery tickets being distributed by distributed lottery agents remote from said centralized administration, comprising: 
 (a) means for receiving from a wagerer a communication identifying a unique identifier associated with a first prepaid lottery account card and associated with a monetary amount, said first prepaid lottery account card being issued by a lottery agent from said distributed lottery agents, said first prepaid lottery account card being selected from a plurality of prepaid lottery account cards provided to said distributed lottery agents;    (b) means for funding at a lottery administration system of said centralized lottery administration after receiving said communication identifying said unique identifier a user account associated with the unique identifier for said first prepaid lottery account card with the monetary amount;    (c) means for receiving from the wagerer without the assistance of a lottery agent or lottery agent terminal a communication identifying a first chosen play for a lottery game, said first chosen play being associated with said user account;    (d) means for deducting a cost of the first chosen play from the balance of said user account, a remaining balance in said user account after said deduction being available for making at least one subsequent play; and    (e) means for crediting a winning monetary amount for said first chosen play to said user account if it is verified that said first chosen play is a winner,    wherein said winning monetary amount may be redeemed from said account upon presentation of said first prepaid lottery account card to a lottery agent.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising means for comparing the unique identifier received from the wagerer against a list of unique identifiers associated with prepaid lottery account cards that were properly obtained by users from said plurality of prepaid lottery account cards to verify that said first prepaid lottery account card has been properly obtained by said wagerer.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 means for receiving from a lottery agent a communication indicating that the first prepaid lottery account card has been properly distributed to a wagerer; and    means for indicating in said list that said first prepaid lottery account card has been properly distributed.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16:   wherein said unique identifier of said first prepaid lottery account card is retrieved from a machine readable code disposed on said first prepaid lottery account card, and    wherein the means for receiving the communication from said lottery agent includes a lottery administration processor for receiving said unique identifier from a lottery agent processor over a communication path.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 (f) means for receiving a communication identifying a subsequent chosen play for a lottery game at a time after said winning monetary amount is credited to said user account, said subsequent chosen play being associated with said user account; and    (g) means for deducting a cost of the subsequent chosen play from the balance of said user account, at least a part of the deducted cost coming from said winning monetary amount for said first chosen play.    
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 (f) means for receiving from said wagerer a communication identifying a unique identifier for at least a second prepaid lottery account card; and    (g) means for crediting a monetary amount associated with said second prepaid lottery account card to said user account associated with the unique identifier for the first prepaid lottery account card,    wherein the wagerer can play a lottery game using said user account and redeem any winning amount credited to said user account using said first prepaid lottery account card.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 means for providing a balance for said user account to said wagerer in response to a balance inquiry.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 means for receiving a unique identifier associated with a first lottery voucher;    means for authorizing creation of said first lottery voucher by a lottery agent terminal; and    means for crediting a monetary amount associated with said first lottery voucher to said user account.