Method and apparatus for conducting a game of chance

Abstract

A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game includes a blackjack game. In another example, the blackjack game is coupled with a second level game in which the result is revealed. In a specific example, the second level game is a slot machine game.

1 . A method for playing a game of chance comprising acts of: 
 issuing a ticket to a player, the ticket including a code printed on a surface of the ticket; and    providing for the player to play a blackjack game on different medium than the issued ticket, wherein the code is used to gain security access to obtain results of the game of chance.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of issuing a ticket includes an act of issuing at least one of a lottery ticket, a scratch ticket, and a pull-tab ticket.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of providing further comprises an act of providing a computer-based game which the player plays to reveal the results of the game of chance.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the act of providing a computer-based game further comprises an act of permitting access to the results of the game of chance by using the code as a decryption key to obtain the results.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of storing, on a server, the results of the game of chance.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising an act of storing, in a database of a computer system, a portion of a decryption key, the portion being used along with the code by the computer system to obtain the results.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the act of providing includes an act of permitting access to a website to play the blackjack game.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising an act of obtaining, from the database of the computer system, the portion of the decryption key based on an identifier printed on the ticket.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the identifier is a serial number associated with the ticket.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of presenting, to the player, an interface in which the player is permitted to enter the code to obtain security access to the results.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the blackjack game includes a slot machine game.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the blackjack game is a computer-based game involving a plurality of hands of the blackjack game, and wherein the player plays the plurality of hands of blackjack within an interface of the computer-based game.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ticket discloses the number of game instances of the blackjack game awarded to the player.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the player is permitted to play, with each one of the game instances, a plurality of hands of blackjack.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the prize total for the ticket is predetermined.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the sequence of reveals is predetermined.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the reveals are randomly determined by the client.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the sequence of reveals is stored in a database of a server.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising an act of revealing, to the player, an item associated with a second level game.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the item is used to play a second level game.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the item is used by the player to reveal a prize won by the player.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the item associated with the second level game is a spin provided in the first level game, and wherein the method further comprises acts of: 
 permitting the player, in the second level game, to spin a slot machine game, the slot machine game having an associated pay table;    determining and displaying an outcome of the slot machine game; and    awarding a prize to the player if the slot machine outcome matches at least one entry of the associated pay table.    
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising an act of associating a spin achieved in a first level game with an outcome revealed in the second level game.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising an act of displaying, if the slot machine outcome matches the at least one entry of the associated pay table, the prize awarded to the player.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the outcome is determined prior to play of the blackjack game.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the outcome is independent of play of the blackjack game.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the prize won by the player is at least one of cash, merchandise, and credit.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein an indication of the prize won by the player is stored in a database of a server, and is downloaded to a computer presenting the computer-based game to the player.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of associating, with the ticket, additional opportunities to win.  
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the additional opportunities to win include one or more additional reveals of results associated with the game of chance.  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the one or more additional reveals of results are presented during play of an online game.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of providing, by a first server associated with a first game, a result associated with the game of chance.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of a computer system, the result associated with the game of chance.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , further comprising an act of associating the result with an indication of the ticket.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the indication of the ticket is unique among indicators of a plurality of tickets.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the first server further comprises a random number generator, and the random number generator performs an act of determining a set numbers associated with the issued ticket.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 32 , further comprising an act of determining a set of winning numbers associated with the game of chance.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising an act of determining the result of the game of chance based on a comparison of the set of numbers associated with the issued ticket and the set of winning numbers.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the game of chance includes at least one of a Keno game and a bingo game, and the act of determining a set of numbers associated with the issued ticket comprises an act of selecting a predetermined number of numbers from a predetermined set of numbers.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of permitting the player to redeem the issued ticket without playing the game on the different medium.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the sequence of reveals is determined by a predetermined game script.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the sequence of reveals is determined dynamically by a game playing computer system.  
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising an act of determining a predetermined game script where a magnitude of prizes awarded for reveals associated with later win opportunities are progressively greater than the magnitude of prizes associated with reveals associated with earlier win opportunities.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 41 , further comprising an act of determining, for an issued ticket indicated as a losing ticket, a game script comprising an indication that the player was substantially close to winning.  
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the player must wait a predetermined time period before redeeming the ticket.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before redeeming the ticket.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the player is permitted to redeem the ticket online.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the player is permitted to redeem the ticket to play one or more additional online games.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising an act of receiving an access code for playing the one or more additional online games.  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the access code is transmitted electronically to the player.  
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the player must wait until a specific event has been completed before gaining access to obtain results associated with the ticket.  
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the issued ticket discloses a number of game instances awarded to the player.  
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the prize total for the ticket is determined after the ticket is issued to the player.  
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 53 , further comprising an act of determining an outcome associated with the ticket based on a drawing.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , further comprising an act of permitting the player to play the another game in response to the act of determining the outcome.  
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the prize total for the ticket is determined prior to issuing the ticket to the player.  
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of downloading a game program, the game program, when executed, renders an interface of the blackjack game in an interface of a game-playing computer system.  
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the game program does not require an installation of one or more components on the game-playing computer system.  
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the game program executes within a browser program window in an interface of the game-playing computer system.  
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the game program is programmed using Macromedia Flash programming.