System and method for applying lottery multipliers

Abstract

A system, method, and ticket for a lottery player to increase a payout received for winning a lottery game is disclosed. A request to purchase a set of play indicia (e.g. lottery numbers) and to associate the play indicia with a multiplier is received from a player. Data relating to the set of play indicia and data identifying the multiplier are stored in a memory where they are logically associated with each other. A purchase price is determined for the multiplier based upon various factors including the expected value of the multiplier as applied to a lottery ticket. The set of play indicia may be for a drawing-type lottery game and/or an instant-type lottery game and may be defined by characters and/or other representations. An embodiment of the present invention also includes a computer system having a memory for storing data related to the lottery game and having a processor in communication with the memory. The processor is operative to store data in the memory identifying a first set of play indicia, a second set of play indicia, and a multiplier. Further, the processor is operative to associate the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia with the multiplier and calculate a purchase price for the multiplier. Further, the processor is operative to apply the multiplier to redemption values of one or more sets of play indicia associated with the multiplier according to various different algorithms to compute a payout amount to award a lottery player.

1 - 31 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       32 . A method of processing lottery ticket sales comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to purchase at least one set of lottery play indicia; and    issuing at least one set of multiplier play indicia associated with the sets of lottery play indicia,    wherein if at least one of the sets of multiplier play indicia is a winning set, a multiplier is issued that can be applied to at least one value of the winning sets of lottery play indicia if at least one of the associated sets of lottery play indicia is a winning set.    
   
   
       33 . A method of processing lottery ticket sales comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to purchase at least one set of lottery play indicia; and    receiving a request to purchase at least one set of multiplier play indicia associated with the sets of lottery play indicia,    wherein if at least one of the sets of multiplier play indicia is a winning set, a multiplier is issued that can be applied to at least one value of the winning sets of lottery play indicia if at least one of the associated sets of lottery play indicia is a winning set.    
   
   
       34 . A method for processing lottery ticket redemptions comprising the steps of: 
 receiving at least one set of play indicia, wherein the at least one set of play indicia is associated with a multiplier and wherein the multiplier includes a magnitude selected by a player;    comparing the at least one set of play indicia with a winning set of play indicia to determine at least one redemption value for the at least one set of play indicia; and    applying the multiplier.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the step of applying includes multiplying the redemption value of at least one set of play indicia by the magnitude of the multiplier.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34  further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving at least one additional set of play indicia associated with the multiplier; and    comparing the at least one additional set of play indicia with a winning set of play indicia to determine redemption values for the at least one additional set of play indicia.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of applying includes multiplying the magnitude of the multiplier by a greatest redemption value of the redemption values of the at least one set of play indicia and the at least one additional set of play indicia.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of applying includes multiplying the magnitude of the multiplier by at least one lottery provider selected redemption value of the redemption values of the at least one set of play indicia and the at least one additional set of play indicia.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of applying includes multiplying the magnitude of the multiplier by at least one player-selected redemption value of the redemption values of the at least one set of play indicia and the at least one additional set of play indicia.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of applying includes multiplying the magnitude of the multiplier by a number of redemption values of the redemption values of the at least one set of play indicia and the at least one additional set of play indicia.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first set of play indicia and the second set of play indicia are for a drawing-type lottery game.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia are recorded on a lottery ticket in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first set of play indicia and the second set of play indicia are for an instant-type lottery game.  
   
   
       44 . A method for operating a lottery, comprising: 
 receiving a first set of play indicia for winning a payout;    storing data relating to the first set of play indicia;    receiving a second set of play indicia for winning a multiplier;    storing data relating to the second set of play indicia;    comparing the data relating to the first set of play indicia with data identifying winning sets of play indicia to determine a value for the first set of play indicia;    comparing the data relating to the second set of play indicia with the data identifying winning sets of play indicia to determine a magnitude of the multiplier for the second set of play indicia; and    multiplying the value for the first set of play indicia by the magnitude of the multiplier for the second set of play indicia.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a third set of play indicia, wherein the third set of play indicia is associated with the second set of play indicia;    storing data relating to the third set of play indicia;    comparing the data relating to the third set of play indicia with the data identifying winning sets of play indicia to determine a value for the third set of play indicia.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the first set of play indicia, the second set of play indicia, and the third set of play indicia are for a drawing-type lottery game.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 45 , further including the steps of: 
 multiplying the value for the third set of play indicia by the magnitude of the multiplier for the second set of play indicia; and    providing a payout equal to the greater of the value for the first set of play indicia multiplied by the magnitude of the multiplier and the value for the third set of play indicia multiplied by the magnitude of the multiplier.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia are recorded on a lottery ticket in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia are recorded on two or more different lottery tickets.  
   
   
       50 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions directing a computer to 
 store data relating to a first set of play indicia in a first field of a database that identifies sets of play indicia;    store data identifying a multiplier in a second field of the database that identifies multipliers;    associate the first field with the second field; and    calculate a purchase price of the multiplier.    
   
   
       51 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions directing a computer to 
 store data relating to a first set of play indicia in a memory;    retrieve data identifying a winning set of play indicia;    store the data identifying the winning set of play indicia in the memory;    compare the data relating to the first set of play indicia with the data identifying the winning set of play indicia to determine a value for the first set of play indicia;    determine a multiplier with which the first set of play indicia is associated; and    multiply the value of the first set of play indicia by the multiplier.    
   
   
       52 . The medium of  claim 51 , further comprising processing instructions directing a computer to 
 store data relating to a second set of play indicia, which is associated with the multiplier, in the memory; and    compare the data relating to the second set of play indicia with the data identifying the winning set of play indicia to determine a value for the second set of play indicia.    
   
   
       53 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       54 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       55 . A method of processing lottery ticket sales comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request to purchase a plurality of sets of play indicia and a multiplier, wherein the multiplier includes a number representative of a number of winning sets of play indicia to which the multiplier can be applied;    associating the plurality of sets of play indicia with the multiplier; and    determining a price for the multiplier based upon at least the number of winning sets of play indicia to which the multiplier can be applied.    
   
   
       56 . A lottery system comprising: 
 a memory for storing data related to a lottery; and    a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is operative to 
 store data in the memory identifying 
 a first set of play indicia,  
 a second set of play indicia, and  
 a multiplier;  
 
 associate the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia with the multiplier; and  
 determine a purchase price for the multiplier.  
   
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the first set of play indicia and the second set of play indicia are for a drawing-type lottery game.  
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the first set of play indicia and the second set of play indicia are for an instant-type lottery game.  
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the first set of play indicia and the second set of play indicia are for different types of lottery games.  
   
   
       60 . A method for a lottery player to increase a payout received for winning a lottery game, comprising: 
 requesting a first set of play indicia;    requesting a player chosen multiplier;    requesting for the first set of play indicia to be associated with the multiplier; and    paying a predetermined price for the first set of play indicia and a price for the multiplier based on factors relating to the play indicia and the multiplier.    
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising the steps of requesting a second set of play indicia, requesting that the second set of play indicia be associated with the multiplier, and paying a price for the associated second set of play indicia.  
   
   
       62 . A lottery ticket comprising: 
 at least one set of play indicia;    a multiplier selected by a player and associated with the play indicia; and    a ticket identifier.    
   
   
       63 . The lottery ticket of  claim 62  wherein the multiplier and the at least one set of play indicia are recorded on a single medium and wherein the medium is in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.  
   
   
       64 . The lottery ticket of  claim 62  wherein the multiplier and the sets of play indicia are recorded on at least two separate media and wherein the media are in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.  
   
   
       65 . The lottery ticket of  claim 62  wherein the multiplier and the sets of play indicia are recorded on at least two different media and wherein the media are in the form of at least one of paper, cardboard, plastic, magnetic, optical, and electronic medium.  
   
   
       66 . (Cancelled)  
   
   
       67 . A lottery system comprising: 
 a memory for storing data related to a lottery; and    a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is operative to 
 store data in the memory identifying a set of play indicia and a multiplier chosen by a player,  
 associate the set of play indicia with the multiplier, and  
 determine a purchase price for the multiplier.  
   
   
   
       68 . A system comprising: 
 means for recording data; and    means for executing coupled to the means for recording, wherein the means for executing is operative to 
 store data in the means for recording that identifies a first set of play indicia, a second set of play indicia, and a multiplier;  
 associate the first set of play indicia and second set of play indicia with the multiplier; and  
 determine a purchase price for the multiplier.