System and method for generating tickets on demand

Abstract

According to one aspect, provided are systems and methods for generating unrestricted games (e.g. promotional games) that preserve predetermination and/or do not introduce chance elements into the games while at the same time reduce the overhead associated with generating and maintaining entries (i.e. tickets) into the games. As part of systems and methods for creating ticketed entries, values can be assigned to any of one or more of players, game machines, or games. These values can used as unique identifiers. Additionally, information already associated with any one or more of the players, game machines, or games can also be used to generate these values. The values can have static components and can be combined with dynamic components, that can be used individually, separately, or in combination. In one example a predetermined numeric value is used, stored as part of a record. In another, static information can be used to generate the numeric value, or a component of the value. Once the value, in some examples a seed, is obtained the value is used with a deterministic function to provide deterministically an output. The output permits retrieval of an outcome from for example a prize matrix of predetermined game outcomes. According to another aspect, the systems and methods provided permit deterministic ticket generation without having to generate and/or maintain the entries for any game.

1 . A computer implemented method for generating ticketed entries into a game, the method comprising the acts of:
 providing for compensation rules governing the game having the ticketed entry;   accepting, by a communication interface, a ticket request, the ticket request including ticket generation information;   generating deterministically, by a ticket server, an input value based, at least in part, on the ticket generation information;   calculating, by the ticket server, an output value, wherein the act of calculating the output value includes an act of inputting the input value into a deterministic function;   obtaining, by the ticket server, a game outcome according to the compensation rules using the output value; and   providing for creation of a ticket for the game outcome.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of accepting additional information associated with the ticket generation request. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the act of obtaining the game outcome according to the compensation rules using the output value includes an act of selecting, by the ticket server, a set of compensation rules using the additional information. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the additional information comprises at least one of a value estimate for a player, at least a portion of information underlying the value estimate, a player status, a player membership level, at a portion of information associated with a player record, a referral network status, a referral network value, a global player value estimate, a global player membership level, an affiliated location membership status, an online gaming membership status, a social network membership status, an affiliated location membership level, an online gaming membership level, and a social network membership level. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of storing the ticket generation information. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the act of storing the ticket generation information includes an act of storing the information as at least a part of one of a player record, a ticket record, a game record, and a game machine record. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the compensation rules define at least one prize matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ticket generation information is pre-printed on another ticket. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of communicating a ticket over a communication interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of creating a ticket generation value. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the act of creating the ticket generation value includes an act of creating a unique seed value. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the act of generating, by a processor, the input value based, at least in part, on the ticket generation information, includes an act of combining the ticket generation information and at least a portion of the additional information. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising an act of generating a numerical representation of the additional information. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of calculating, by a processor, the output value, further includes an act of inputting the input value into a pseudo random number generator, wherein the output value comprises a predictable randomized value, wherein the same randomized value is output upon the input of the same input value. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the act of obtaining, by a processor, a game outcome from the compensation rules using the output value, includes an act of employing the randomized output value as at least one of a look up value into a compensation table, an index into a compensation table, an index into a prize matrix, a look up into a prize matrix, a value for retrieving a database record, a value for retrieving a row of a table, and an input into a mapping function. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of providing for creation of the ticket for the game outcome includes an act of associating, indirectly, the game outcome with ticket creation information. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the act of associating, indirectly, the game outcome with ticket creation information includes act of:
 creating an access code;   permitting access to the game outcome by accepting an input of the access code.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the act of providing for creation of the ticket for the game outcome includes an act of associating, directly, the game outcome with ticket creation information. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the act of associating, directly, the game outcome with ticket creation information includes an act of encoding the outcome in the ticket creation information. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the act of encoding the outcome does not include encoding game play information in the ticket creation information. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of creating a ticket for entry into the game. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the deterministic function comprises a pseudo random number generator. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the act of accepting, by a communication interface, a ticket request, includes an act of accepting the ticket request from a game machine with the ticket generation information associated with the game machine. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the game machine includes at least one of a video lottery terminal, a pull-tab game machine, and a Class II gaming machine having predetermined outcomes. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ticket generation information comprises the input value. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising an act of deriving the input value from the ticket generation information. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ticket generation information comprises a static portion and a dynamic portion. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the input value is based on at least a portion of the static portion and at least a portion of the dynamic portion. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the dynamic portion is deterministically dynamic. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the compensation rules define predetermined outcomes for the game. 
     
     
         31 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, as a result of being executed by a processor, instruct the computer to perform a method for generating on demand ticketed entries into a game, the method comprising acts of:
 providing for compensation rules governing the game having the ticketed entry;   accepting a ticket request, the ticket request including a ticket generation value;   generating an input value based, at least in part, on the ticket generation value;   calculating an output value, wherein the act of calculating the output value includes an act of inputting the input value into a deterministic function;   obtaining a game outcome from the compensation rules using the output value; and   providing for creation of a ticket for the game outcome.   
     
     
         32 . A system for printing ticketed entries into a predetermined outcome game, the system comprising:
 a ticket creation component configured to generate a ticket from ticket creation information where the ticket comprises an entry into the game, and the entry is associated with a predetermined outcome in response to a ticket generation request; and   a communication component configured to receive ticket creation information generated by an outcome retrieval component, wherein the outcome retrieval component is configured to:
 receive a ticket generation request and associated ticket generation information, 
 process the ticket generation information to obtain a deterministic value from the ticket generation information, 
 retrieve a predetermined outcome for the game using the deterministic value, wherein the predetermined outcome is defined prior to the ticket generation request from compensation rules for the game, and 
 transmit ticket creation information associated with the predetermined outcome. 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the ticket creation component is configured to print a physical ticket. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the ticket creation component is further configured to
 process the received ticket creation information, and   generate a ticket representation.