Lotto bingo game

Abstract

A method and apparatus of playing a game of chance. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of hoppers where each hopper of the plurality of hoppers contains a plurality of randomly selected equally weighted symbolic elements, providing a two-dimensional matrix having a plurality of spaces that corresponds to the plurality of hoppers and where each space of the plurality of spaces of the matrix is associated with a respective hopper of the plurality of hoppers, receiving a bet from a player that defines a physical relationship of predefined winning combinations with symbolic elements within the matrix, randomly selecting a symbolic element from each of the plurality of hoppers and displaying the randomly selected symbolic element in the associated space of the matrix and paying the player for each occurrence where the defined relationship of the bet matches the displayed elements in the two-dimensional matrix.

1 . A game of chance comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of hoppers where each hopper of the plurality of hoppers contains a plurality of equally weighted randomly selected symbolic elements;    providing a two-dimensional matrix having a plurality of spaces that corresponds to the plurality of hoppers and where each space of the plurality of spaces of the matrix is associated with a respective hopper of the plurality of hoppers;    receiving a bet from a player that defines a physical relationship of symbolic elements within the matrix;    randomly selecting a symbolic element from each of the plurality of hoppers and displaying the randomly selected symbolic element in the associated space of the matrix; and    paying the player for each occurrence where the defined relationship of the bet matches the displayed elements in the two-dimensional matrix.    
   
   
       2 . The game of chance of  claim 1  further comprising defining the symbolic elements as spherical balls.  
   
   
       3 . The game of chance of  claim 2  wherein the step of randomly selecting the symbolic elements further comprises rotating each of the plurality of hoppers to randomize the plurality of balls within each hopper.  
   
   
       4 . The game of chance of  claim 1  further comprising a programmed computer video game.  
   
   
       5 . The game of chance of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of hoppers further comprises a corresponding plurality of random number generators that randomly generate identifiers of the plurality of symbolic elements.  
   
   
       6 . The game of chance of  claim 5  further comprising defining the plurality of symbolic elements as numbers from 0 to 9.  
   
   
       7 . The game of chance of  claim 6  wherein the symbolic elements further comprise a wildcard.  
   
   
       8 . The game of chance of  claim 5  wherein the step of randomly selecting a symbolic element further comprises activating a random number generator of the plurality of random number generators.  
   
   
       9 . The game of chance of  claim 1  further comprising defining a plurality of betting lines within the two-dimensional matrix where each betting line further comprises a linear array of spaces of the matrix.  
   
   
       10 . The game of chance of  claim 9  wherein the step of paying the player further comprises comparing the defined physical relationship of pre-defined winning combinations with the randomly selected symbolic elements within at least some betting lines of the plurality of betting lines.  
   
   
       11 . The game of chance of  claim 10  wherein the defined physical relationship further comprises a predefined sequence of symbolic elements within a betting line of the plurality of betting lines.  
   
   
       12 . The game of chance of  claim 11  wherein the predefined sequence further comprises at least one of the group consisting of a straight bet, a pair bet, a boxed pair and a box bet or any combination of wins displayed in a predetermined winning chart.  
   
   
       13 . A game of chance comprising: 
 a plurality of hoppers where each hopper of the plurality of hoppers contains a plurality of randomly selected equally weighted symbolic elements;    a two-dimensional matrix having a plurality of spaces that corresponds to the plurality of hoppers and where each space of the plurality of spaces of the matrix is associated with a respective hopper of the plurality of hoppers;    an input device adapted to receive a bet from a player that defines a physical relationship of symbolic elements within the matrix;    means for randomly selecting a symbolic element from each of the plurality of hoppers and displaying the randomly selected symbolic element in the associated space of the matrix; and    means for paying the player for each occurrence where the defined relationship of the bet matches the displayed elements in the two-dimensional matrix.    
   
   
       14 . The game of chance of  claim 13  further comprising defining the symbolic elements as spherical balls.  
   
   
       15 . The game of chance of  claim 15  wherein the means for randomly selecting the symbolic elements further comprises means for rotating each of the plurality of hoppers to randomize the plurality of balls within each hopper.  
   
   
       16 . The game of chance of  claim 13  further comprising a programmed computer video game.  
   
   
       17 . The game of chance of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of hoppers further comprises a corresponding plurality of random number generators that randomly generate identifiers of the plurality of symbolic elements.  
   
   
       18 . The game of chance of  claim 17  further comprising defining the plurality of symbolic elements as numbers from 0 to 9.  
   
   
       19 . The game of chance of  claim 18  wherein the symbolic elements further comprise a wildcard.  
   
   
       20 . The game of chance of  claim 17  wherein the means for randomly selecting a symbolic element further comprises means for activating a random number generator of the plurality of random number generators.  
   
   
       21 . The game of chance of  claim 13  further comprising defining a plurality of betting lines within the two-dimensional matrix where each betting line further comprises a linear array of spaces of the matrix.  
   
   
       22 . The game of chance of  claim 21  wherein the means for paying the player further comprises means for comparing the defined physical relationship of pre-defined winning combinations with the randomly selected symbolic element within at least some betting lines of the plurality of betting lines.  
   
   
       23 . The game of chance of  claim 22  wherein the defined physical relationship further comprises a predefined sequence of symbolic elements within a betting line of the plurality of betting lines.  
   
   
       24 . The game of chance of  claim 23  wherein the predefined sequence further comprises at least one of the group consisting of a straight bet, a pair bet, a boxed pair and a box bet or any combination of wins displayed in a predetermined winning chart.  
   
   
       25 . A programmed computer game of chance, such method implemented by the programmed computer to effect the following steps: 
 the programmed computer providing a betting matrix having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, where each space in the matrix has a plurality of symbols associated with the space and where the plurality of symbols of each space are all different;    the programmed computer receiving a bet from a player based upon a particular combination of symbols appearing among the spaces within the matrix;    the programmed computer randomly selecting and displaying a symbol of the plurality of symbols associated with each space of the matrix for each space of the matrix;    the programmed computer searching the matrix along a plurality of axes for the presence of the combination of symbols of the received bet; and    the programmed computer paying the player when the plurality of symbols displayed within the matrix along a searched axis match the bet placed by the player with any combination of wins displayed in a predetermined winning chart.    
   
   
       26 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  wherein the matrix further comprises three rows and three columns of spaces.  
   
   
       27 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  wherein the matrix further comprises five rows and five columns of spaces.  
   
   
       28 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 27  wherein the five rows and columns of spaces of the matrix further comprises a free space symbol at a center of the matrix.  
   
   
       29 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  wherein the plurality of symbols further comprises numbers zero to nine.  
   
   
       30 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  wherein the plurality of symbols further comprise a wildcard symbol.  
   
   
       31 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  wherein the plurality of axes further comprise vertical, horizontal and diagonal axes.  
   
   
       32 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 25  further comprising receiving a plurality of bets from the player.  
   
   
       33 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 32  wherein the plurality of bets further comprises a bet selected from the group consisting of a straight bet, a box bet, a pair bet or any combination of wins displayed in a predetermined winning chart.  
   
   
       34 . The programmed computer game of chance as in  claim 32  further comprising paying the player for each matched combination of the plurality of bets.