Gaming system server

Abstract

An example gaming system server is arranged to receive terminal data from a player operable terminal and determine whether the terminal data includes at least one of game play data and lottery data. The server includes a game module which operates in response to a determination that the terminal data includes game play data to generate server game data based on the game play data for transmission to the player operable terminal; a lottery module which operates in response to a determination that the terminal data includes lottery data to generate a lottery entry; and a communication module arranged to communicate the lottery entry to an independent lottery system in a form compatible with the lottery system, receive a receipt from the lottery system for the lottery entry, and associate the receipt with the terminal.

1 . A gaming system server, the server arranged to receive terminal data from a player operable terminal and determine whether the terminal data includes at least one of game play data and lottery data, the server comprising:
 a game module which operates in response to a determination that the terminal data includes game play data to generate server game data based on the game play data for transmission to the player operable terminal;   a lottery module which operates in response to a determination that the terminal data includes lottery data to generate a lottery entry; and   a communication module arranged to communicate the lottery entry to an independent lottery system in a form compatible with the lottery system, receive a receipt from the lottery system for the lottery entry, and associate the receipt with the terminal.   
     
     
         2 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the server associates the receipt with a terminal by associating the receipt with a player of the terminal. 
     
     
         3 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a determination module for conducting the determination. 
     
     
         4 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 2 , comprising a determination module for conducting the determination. 
     
     
         5 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the determination module selectively activates the lottery module or the game module in dependence on whether game play data or lottery data is included in the terminal data. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 1 , arranged to communicate with a plurality of player operable terminals and process terminal data from each player terminal to determine whether the terminal data includes game play data or lottery data. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a plurality of computers and the communication module is implemented by a computer which is separate to the computer or computers which implement the game play module and the lottery module. 
     
     
         8 . A gaming system server as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a processor and a tangible memory accessible by the processor to enable the processor to execute computer program instructions stored therein for the game play module, the lottery module and the communications module. 
     
     
         9 . A method in a gaming system, comprising:
 receiving terminal data from a player operable terminal at a gaming server and determining whether the terminal data includes at least one of game play data and lottery data, the server comprising:   operating a game module of the game server in response to a determination that the terminal data includes game play data to generate server game data based on the game play data for transmission to the player operable terminal;   operating a lottery module of the game server in response to a determination that the terminal data includes lottery data to generate a lottery entry;   communicating the lottery entry from the game server to an independent lottery system in a form compatible with the lottery system;   receiving a receipt at the game server from the lottery system for the lottery entry; and   associating the receipt with the terminal.   
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9 , comprising associating the receipt with a terminal by associating the receipt with a player of the terminal. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 9 , comprising
 selectively activating the lottery module or the game module in dependence on whether game play data or lottery data is included in the terminal data.   
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 10 , comprising
 selectively activating the lottery module or the game module in dependence on whether game play data or lottery data is included in the terminal data.   
     
     
         13 . A tangible computer readable medium comprising the computer program code which, when executed, implements a method in a gaming system, the method comprising:
 receiving terminal data from a player operable terminal at a gaming server and determining whether the terminal data includes at least one of game play data and lottery data, the server comprising:   operating a game module of the game server in response to a determination that the terminal data includes game play data to generate server game data based on the game play data for transmission to the player operable terminal;   operating a lottery module of the game server in response to a determination that the terminal data includes lottery data to generate a lottery entry;   communicating the lottery entry from the game server to an independent lottery system in a form compatible with the lottery system;   receiving a receipt at the game server from the lottery system for the lottery entry; and   associating the receipt with the terminal.