Method and system for subscription lottery play

Abstract

A system and method can provide subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery includes. The method includes: receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated; receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order; storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers; and collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order. The collected funds can be in an amount less than the amount required to purchase all of the lottery tickets for the plurality of subscription drawings.

1 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator using a computer system, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    using the stored subscription information to submit to the state lottery computer system information to purchase one or more lottery tickets for less than the plurality of the subscription drawings included in the subscription order.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the submission to the state lottery online system includes only that information required by the state lottery operator to sell tickets to the player for the next subscription drawing included in the subscription order.  
   
   
       3 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers; and    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order;    wherein the subscription application includes a paper transmittal form and wherein the lottery player submits the paper transmittal form with one or more game play slips identifying one or more lottery tickets to be purchased by the lottery player.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the transmittal form is submitted by mail service.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the transmittal from is submitted to a retailer of lottery tickets.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the transmittal form is scanned into a lottery terminal located at a lottery ticket retail location.  
   
   
       7 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    charging the lottery player one or more fees for services associated with the subscription application.    
   
   
       8 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers; and    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order wherein the collected funds are in an amount less than the amount required to purchase all of the lottery tickets for the plurality of subscription drawings.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein step of collecting funds includes collecting periodic partial payments so that sufficient funds are available to pay the amount required by the state lottery operator as the tickets are sold to the lottery player.  
   
   
       10 . A method for providing subscription services over a computer network for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers; and    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order;    wherein the subscription order information includes one or more selected jackpot levels for one or more games and the purchase of additional tickets under the subscription order for a given game of the one or more games is conditioned upon reaching the selected game jackpot levels for the given game.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising defining in the subscription computer system one or more pools of lottery players for the selected game and placing the lottery player into one or more of the pools for the selected game.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  further including the step of maintaining a reserve account for collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the conditional subscription order.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished when the reserve account falls to or below a predefined minimum level.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by a predefined amount.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished to a predefined level.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by an automated payment method.  
   
   
       17 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator using a computer network, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order for purchasing at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings;    receiving instructions for number selections for the subscription order;    storing on a computer system the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for number selections; and    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order, including: 
 maintaining funds in a reserve account for the lottery player; and  
 charging the reserve account to pay for the one or more tickets.  
   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished when the reserve account falls to or below a predefined minimum level.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by a defined amount.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished to a defined level.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by an automated payment method.  
   
   
       22 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    defining in the subscription computer system one or more pools of lottery players and placing the lottery player into one or more of the defined pools.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the subscription order information includes one or more selected jackpot levels for one or more games and the purchase of additional pooling tickets under the subscription order for a given game of the one or more games is conditioned upon reaching the selected game jackpot level for the given game.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein defining the one or more pools of lottery players includes setting a pool size for the one or more pools by providing a set number of players permitted to participate in each of the one or more pools  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein defining the one or more pools of lottery players includes setting a pool size range for the one or more pools by providing a range of the number of players permitted to participate in each of the one or more pools.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22  further including the step of maintaining a reserve account for collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the conditional subscription order.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished when the reserve account falls to or below a predefined minimum level.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by a predefined amount.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished to a predefined level.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the reserve account is automatically replenished by an automated payment method.  
   
   
       31 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    requiring the lottery player to agree to procedures to be used in the event that the lottery operator makes changes to the lottery game before all of the plurality of subscription drawings are completed.    
   
   
       32 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    posting the lottery ticket numbers and highlighting each of the lottery ticket numbers that match the numbers drawn by the state lottery operator whether or not the lottery ticket numbers are included in winning number combinations.    
   
   
       33 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    paying winnings to the lottery player when the lottery player's unpaid winnings are at or above a predefined level.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein paying winnings to the lottery player includes crediting the lottery player's reserve account.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein paying winning to the lottery player includes paying the lottery player when total unpaid winnings are at or above predefined level.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein paying winnings to the lottery player includes paying the lottery player when a prize for a winning lottery ticket is at or above a predefined level.  
   
   
       37 . A method for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator, the method comprising: 
 receiving a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;    receiving instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;    storing on a subscription computer system subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;    collecting funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and    collecting funds for paying for the one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order includes collecting funds using an automated payment method.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the automated payment method includes making one or more charges to the lottery player's one or more credit card accounts and the total amount collected by charges to the lottery player's one or more card accounts is restricted to a limit set by the state lottery operator.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subscription application is for an open-ended subscription.  
   
   
       40 . A system for providing subscription services for a lottery operated by a state lottery operator using a computer system, the system comprising: 
 a computer system programmed to: 
 receive a subscription application from a lottery player, wherein the subscription application includes player information and information for a subscription order to purchase at least one lottery ticket for at least one game selection over a plurality of subscription drawings, unless sooner terminated;  
 receive instructions for lottery ticket numbers for the subscription order;  
 store subscription information including the information from the subscription application, the information for the subscription order and the instructions for lottery ticket numbers;  
 collect funds for paying for one or more tickets to be purchased from the state lottery operator based on the subscription order; and  
 use the stored subscription information to submit to the state lottery computer system information to purchase one or more lottery tickets for less than the plurality of the subscription drawings included in the subscription order.