Gaming machine including a lottery ticket dispenser

Abstract

A gaming machine may include a printer or a lottery ticket dispenser adapted to provide lottery tickets to a player. At various times during operation of the gaming machine, the gaming machine via screen prompts may ask the player if he or she wishes to purchase lottery tickets, which, if desired, the machine will then dispense to the player. The lottery tickets may be tickets for an intracasino lottery, an intercasino lottery, a state lottery or a multistate lottery. The payment for the lottery tickets may be deducted from the value that the player has within the gaming machine.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A gaming apparatus, comprising: 
 a display unit that is capable of generating video images;    a value input device;    a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,    said controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,    said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, and    said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and    a lottery ticket dispenser operatively linked to said controller and adapted to dispense lottery tickets bearing lottery indicia in response to a signal received from said controller.    
     
     
         2 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is programmed to receive said lottery ticket indicia from one of a user and a lottery system.  
     
     
         3 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is programmed to randomly select said lottery ticket indicia.  
     
     
         4 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said lottery tickets are printed by one of a lottery ticket dispenser and a lottery ticket reader/printer.  
     
     
         5 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said lottery ticket dispenser and said controller are adapted to read and validate lottery tickets.  
     
     
         6 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in  claim 1 , said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.  
     
     
         7 . A gaming system as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.  
     
     
         8 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is communicatively linked to a lottery system.  
     
     
         9 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is programmed to deduct from a user's winnings a cost associated with dispensed lottery tickets.  
     
     
         10 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is programmed to access a lottery system and report to the user prior winning lottery indicia.  
     
     
         11 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said lottery ticket is associated with one of a casino-based lottery, a state-based lottery, and a multistate lottery.  
     
     
         12 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said controller is programmed to dispense scratch-off type lottery tickets.  
     
     
         13 . A gaming apparatus, comprising: 
 a display unit that is capable of generating video images;    a value input device;    a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,    said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager; said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game,    said controller being programmed to determine, after said video image has been displayed, a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image; and    a lottery ticket dispenser being programmed to dispense lottery tickets bearing generated lottery indicia in response to a signal received from said controller.    
     
     
         14 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is programmed to receive said lottery ticket indicia from one of a user and a lottery system.  
     
     
         15 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is programmed to randomly select said lottery ticket indicia.  
     
     
         16 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said lottery tickets are printed by one of a lottery ticket dispenser and a lottery ticket reader/printer.  
     
     
         17 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in  claim 13 , said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.  
     
     
         18 . A gaming system as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.  
     
     
         19 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is communicatively linked to a lottery system.  
     
     
         20 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is programmed to deduct from a user's winnings the cost associated with the lottery ticket.  
     
     
         21 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is programmed to access a lottery system and report to the user prior winning lottery indicia.  
     
     
         22 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said lottery ticket is associated with one of a casino-based lottery, a state-based lottery, and a multistate lottery.  
     
     
         23 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said controller is programmed to dispense scratch-off type lottery tickets.  
     
     
         24 . A gaming apparatus, comprising: 
 a display unit that is capable of generating video images;    a value input device;    a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,    said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,    said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a payline selection,    said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols,    said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols; and    a lottery ticket dispenser operatively linked to said controller and adapted to dispense lottery tickets bearing generated lottery indicia in response to a signal received from said controller.    
     
     
         25 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said controller is programmed to allow a user to select a indicia of paylines.  
     
     
         26 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said lottery tickets are printed by one of a lottery ticket dispenser and a lottery ticket reader/printer.  
     
     
         27 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in  claim 24 , said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.  
     
     
         28 . A gaming system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.  
     
     
         29 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said controller is communicatively linked to a lottery system.  
     
     
         30 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said controller is programmed to deduct from a user's winnings the cost associated with the lottery ticket.  
     
     
         31 . A gaming method comprising: 
 causing a video image representing a game to be generated, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo,    said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,    said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno indicia if said game comprises video keno, and    said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;    determining an outcome of said game represented by said video game image;    determining a value payout associated with said outcome of said game; and    dispensing a lottery ticket bearing lottery indicia.    
     
     
         32 . A gaming method as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising determining if a user desires a lottery ticket to be dispensed.  
     
     
         33 . A gaming method as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising requesting a user to provide a plurality of lottery indicia.  
     
     
         34 . A gaming method as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising communicatively linking the lottery ticket dispenser to a lottery system.  
     
     
         35 . A gaming apparatus, comprising: 
 a controller programmed to play a first game and to allow a user to wager on the outcome of said first game, wherein said controller is further programmed to receive requests to dispense lottery tickets; and    a lottery ticket dispenser operatively linked to said controller and adapted to dispense a lottery ticket bearing lottery indicia, for entry into second game, in response to a signal received from said controller.    
     
     
         36 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in  claim 35 , said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.  
     
     
         37 . A gaming system as defined in  claim 36 , wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.  
     
     
         38 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 35 , wherein said controller is communicatively linked to a lottery system.  
     
     
         39 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 35 , wherein said controller is programmed to dispense scratch-off type lottery tickets.  
     
     
         40 . A gaining apparatus as defined in  claim 35 , wherein said lottery ticket dispenser and said controller are adapted to read and validate lottery tickets.  
     
     
         41 . A method of determining the win status of a lottery ticket comprising: 
 providing a gaming apparatus adapted to play one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo, the gaming apparatus having a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, and a lottery ticket reader/printer operatively linked to said controller;    inserting a lottery ticket into the lottery ticket reader/printer;    assessing whether the lottery ticket is a winner; and    relaying whether the lottery ticket is a winner to a player.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising validating the lottery ticket.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising redeeming value for the lottery ticket.  
     
     
         44 . A gaming apparatus, comprising: 
 a controller programmed to play a first game and to allow a user to wager on the outcome of said first game, wherein said controller is further programmed to receive requests to dispense lottery tickets; and    a lottery ticket reader operatively linked to said controller and adapted to read a lottery ticket bearing lottery ticket identifiable information.    
     
     
         45 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in  claim 44 , said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.  
     
     
         46 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 44 , wherein said controller is communicatively linked to a lottery system.  
     
     
         47 . A gaming apparatus as defined in  claim 44 , wherein said lottery ticket reader and said controller are adapted to validate lottery tickets.