System and Method for Instant Ticket-Based Entertainment Game

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for playing an instant ticket-based entertainment game combining elements of chance and player skill. In an embodiment of the present invention, a game player receives an electronic scratch-off instant ticket from a central server over a communications network (e.g., a mobile phone network). The instant ticket may provide an instant prize and may also provide entry into an inter-active multiplayer bonus game (e.g., a car racing game) by awarding the game player with at least one game attribute (e.g., car type, time in which to complete race) to be used during play of the bonus game. Scores are reported to the game server upon completion of the game and winners are determined by the game server based on game player rankings at various checkpoints throughout the bonus game. Another embodiment of the present invention may include a mystery promotion prize feature.

1 . A gaming system for an instant ticket game combining elements of chance and user skill comprising: 
 a game server;    at least one instant ticket edition file, generated by the game server, with a preselected total payout, comprising a set of bonus games with game attributes and a set of instant tickets wherein at least one instant ticket selected from the set of instant tickets comprises 
 a base game corresponding to an instant-win play area, and  
 at least one game attribute for use during play of a bonus game, the bonus game selected from the set of bonus games;  
   a user device;    a communications medium for enabling communication between the game server and the user device; and    a game client wherein the game client is downloaded from the game server to the user device over the communications medium, the game client loads the at least one game attribute for bonus game play and the outcome of the bonus game is at least dependent upon a combination of the at least one game attribute and the gaming skill of a participating user.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the communications medium comprises the Internet.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the communications medium comprises a mobile network.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 3  wherein the user device comprises a mobile phone.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the game client authenticates a user prior to game play.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the game client requests the at least one instant ticket from the game server via the communications medium.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 6  wherein the game client receives the requested at least one instant ticket from the game server and displays the requested at least one instant ticket on the user device.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the game client reports a game score to the game server via the communications medium upon completion of the bonus game.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the instant-win play area corresponds to an instant-win prize awarded upon completion of the base game.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 1  further comprising a storage device for storing user information and for maintaining user accounts.  
   
   
       11 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein at least one bonus game of the set of bonus games comprises a car racing game.  
   
   
       12 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the at least one game attribute is a car type.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the at least one game attribute is a time in which to complete the race.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming system of  claim 11  wherein the at least one game attribute is a time in which to pass a checkpoint.  
   
   
       15 . The gaming system of  claim 14  wherein the car racing game comprises at least four checkpoints.  
   
   
       16 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one instant ticket comprises a state selected from the group consisting of new, last-not-played and played.  
   
   
       17 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the pre-selected total payout comprises: 
 a fixed total prize amount equal to the sum total value of instant-win prizes awarded in the set of instant tickets of the at least one instant ticket edition file; and    a fixed total amount of potential prize winnings based on successful completion of a game checkpoint by a user under pre-selected circumstances during bonus game play, the fixed total amount of potential prize winnings equal to the sum value of all possible prize winnings for all game checkpoints.    
   
   
       18 . A gaming system for an entertainment game combining elements of chance and player skill comprising at least one instant ticket edition file with a pre-selected total pay-out, the at least one instant ticket edition file comprising a set of interactive bonus games with associated game attributes and a set of instant tickets for awarding instant prizes and at least one game attribute for use in at least one interactive bonus game, the gaming system further comprising a pre-selected set of winning categories, wherein: 
 at least one first winning category of the set of winning categories comprises an instant prize awarded with an instant ticket, and    at least one second winning category of the set of winning categories comprises a checkpoint winning based on the performance of a player using the awarded at least one game attribute during play of the at least one interactive bonus game, the performance measured, at least in part, by the player's ranking position at a game checkpoint associated with the checkpoint winning.    
   
   
       19 . An instant ticket edition file for use in an instant ticket entertainment game combining elements of luck and user skill comprising: 
 a set of bonus games with associated bonus game attributes,    a set of instant tickets wherein at least one instant ticket of the set of instant tickets includes an instant-win play area and a bonus game play area,    a pre-selected payout amount, and    a pre-selected set of winning categories,    wherein the instant-win play area comprises a concealed instant-win prize and the bonus game play area comprises a concealed bonus game attribute for use in at least one bonus game selected from the set of bonus games, and    wherein the outcome of the bonus game is at least dependent upon a combination of the bonus game attribute of the at least one instant ticket and the gaming skill of a game player.    
   
   
       20 . A method for playing an entertainment game combining elements of luck and skill comprising the steps of: 
 requesting a game ticket from a system server through a client device in communication with the system server over a network, wherein the game ticket comprises 
 an instant-win play area corresponding to an instant-win prize, and  
 an interactive play area corresponding to a game attribute for use in an interactive bonus game wherein the outcome of the interactive bonus game depends, at least in part, on a combination of the game attribute and game user skill;  
   receiving the requested game ticket at the client device; and    displaying the game ticket on the client device.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the step of downloading a client game application to the client device prior to the step of requesting a game ticket.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the seep of sending a confirmation receipt from the client device to the system server upon receipt of the game ticket.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the game ticket comprises a new game ticket.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the game ticket comprises a last-not-played ticket.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the steps of: 
 reserving an amount to be deducted from a user account upon request of the new game ticket, and    deducting from the user account the reserved amount upon receipt of the confirmation receipt by the system server.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising the steps of: 
 revealing the instant-win prize awarded in the instant-win play area, and    depositing the value of the instant-win prize in an account associated with the user.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising the steps of: 
 revealing the game attribute awarded in the interactive game area,    loading the awarded game attribute into the client device with the client game application,    running the interactive bonus game associated with the loaded game attribute, and    reporting a game score to the server upon completion of the interactive bonus game.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the interactive bonus game is a multiplayer game.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the instant ticket with the revealed game attribute is stored by the server as a last-not-played ticket and the steps of loading the game attribute, running the interactive bonus game and reporting a game score are delayed until the client device requests the last-not-played ticket upon a subsequent game ticket request.  
   
   
       30 . A method for playing a game combining elements of chance and player skill comprising the steps of: 
 generating, at a central server, an edition file based, in part, on a pre-selected total payout amount wherein the edition file comprises a series of instant-win vouchers, the instant-win vouchers providing an instant-win prize and at least one game attribute for use in an associated interactive bonus game at least partially utilizing player skill, and    transmitting an instant-win voucher from the central server to a client device via a communication network.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the pre-selected total payout amount comprises a pre-selected total mystery prize amount and wherein the series of instant-win vouchers comprises at least one mystery prize winning voucher inserted at a pre-determined location within the series of instant-win vouchers, the at least one mystery prize winning voucher awarding at least a pre-selected portion of the pre-selected total mystery prize amount, the method further comprising the steps of: 
 increasing a counter value associated with the edition file by a uniform pre-selected amount, such that when the at least one mystery prize winning voucher is transmitted, the counter value will correspond to the pre-selected portion of the pre-selected total mystery prize amount awarded with the mystery prize winning voucher, and    displaying the counter value.    
   
   
       32 . A method for playing a game whose outcome depends on both random parameters and player skill comprising the steps of: 
 downloading a client application from a system server to a client device via a communications network;    authenticating a player and authorizing game play by receiving unique identifying information relating to the player at the client device and transmitting the unique identifying information to the system server for authentication and authorization;    transmitting an instant ticket to the client device upon successful authentication and authorization by the system server, wherein the instant ticket comprises an instant prize and a game attribute for use in a corresponding interactive bonus game;    loading the game attribute into the client device;    running the interactive bonus game on the client device with the loaded game attribute; and    reporting a game score to the system server upon successful completion of the interactive bonus game,    wherein the outcome of the interactive bonus game depends, at least in part, on a combination of player skill and the game attribute provided by the instant ticket.    
   
   
       33 . A gaming system for an instant ticket game combining elements of chance and user skill comprising: 
 an instant ticket file object comprising an instant-win game and an interactive bonus game;    a game device; and    a central server for generating the instant ticket file object and for distributing the instant ticket file object to the game device via a communications network,    wherein the game device receives the instant ticket file object and displays a graphical representation of the instant ticket file object,    wherein the graphical representation of the instant ticket file object comprises 
 an instant-win game play area corresponding to the instant-win game, and  
 an interactive bonus game play area corresponding to the interactive bonus game,  
   wherein the game device receives input entered by a user to advance play of the instant-win game,    wherein the game device receives input entered by the user to advance play of the interactive bonus game, and    wherein the result of the instant-win game is based on a random parameter and the result of the interactive bonus game is based at least partly on a combination of a measure of a user's performance and a game attribute randomly assigned to the interactive bonus game play area of the instant ticket file object.    
   
   
       34 . A system for playing an interactive instant ticket lottery game combining elements of user skill and chance comprising: 
 a game server comprising a processor for generating an instant ticket edition file, the instant ticket edition file comprising a set of bonus games with associated game attributes and a series of instant tickets for randomly awarding an instant prize and a game attribute for use in at least one bonus game, wherein at least one instant ticket of the series of instant tickets corresponds to a mystery promotion winning ticket located at a pre-selected position within the series of instant tickets; and    at least one game terminal wherein the game terminal is configured to 
 receive an instant ticket from the game server over a communications medium,  
 display the instant prize and the game attribute awarded with the received instant ticket, and  
 display a mystery promotion counter value assigned, by the game server, to the received instant ticket,  
 wherein the mystery promotion counter value assigned to the first instant ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponds to a pre-selected minimum value and the value assigned to each subsequent ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponds to a uniformly increasing amount such that the mystery promotion counter value assigned to the mystery promotion winning ticket corresponds to a predetermined mystery prize value.  
   
   
   
       35 . A system for playing an instant ticket-based entertainment game comprising: 
 a processor located in a central server, the processor configured to generate a series of pre-sorted instant tickets 
 wherein at least one instant ticket in the series of pre-sorted instant tickets corresponds to a mystery prize winning ticket inserted into a pre-selected position within the series of pre-sorted instant tickets,  
 wherein a plurality of instant tickets award at least one instant prize and at least one game attribute for use in an interactive bonus game, and  
 wherein the processor assigns a counter value to each instant ticket in the series of instant tickets, the value assigned to the first instant ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponding to a pre-selected minimum value and the value assigned to each subsequent ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponding to a uniformly increasing amount such that the value assigned to the mystery promotion winning ticket will correspond to a pre-determined mystery prize value; and  
   at least one client device, connected to the central server via a communication net-work, the client device configured to 
 request an instant ticket from the central server,  
 receive the requested instant ticket from the central server over the communication network,  
 display the instant prize and the game attribute awarded with the received instant ticket, and  
 display the counter value assigned to the received instant ticket.  
   
   
   
       36 . A method for distributing instant tickets in an instant ticket-based entertainment game comprising a mystery promotion feature, the method comprising the steps of: 
 generating, with a processor located in a server, at least one ticket file object, wherein the at least one ticket file object comprises 
 a set of bonus games with associated game attributes,  
 a series of pre-sorted instant tickets for awarding an instant prize and a game attribute for use in a bonus game selected from the set of bonus games, wherein at least one instant ticket in the series of pre-sorted instant tickets corresponds to a mystery promotion winning ticket inserted at a pre-selected position within the series of pre-sorted instant tickets, and  
 a fixed total payout comprising a fixed pre-selected mystery promotion winning ticket payout amount corresponding to a prize value awarded with the at least one mystery promotion winning ticket;  
   assigning, with the processor, a counter value to each ticket in the series of tickets, the counter value assigned to the first instant ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponding to a pre-selected minimum value and the counter value assigned to each subsequent ticket in the series of instant tickets corresponding to a uniformly increasing amount such that the value assigned to the mystery promotion winning ticket will correspond to a pre-determined mystery prize value;    distributing an instant ticket to a remote client device over a communication net-work; and    displaying the counter value assigned to the distributed instant ticket.