Flexible online instant lottery game

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating the play of instant lottery games is disclosed. Example embodiments of the claims system and method may receive a set of presentations for an instant lottery. The set of presentations may be associated with a prize pool. Each presentation in the set of presentations may be associated with a respective outcome in the prize pool. A presentation from the set of presentations may transmitted to a terminal. The presentation may be used to print a ticket or display an electronic ticket to a game player.

1 . A method of facilitating the play of instant lottery games, comprising: 
 receiving a set of presentations for an instant lottery game;    associating the set of presentations with a prize pool;    associating each entry in the prize pool with a single respective outcome;    associating each presentation in the set of presentations with a respective outcome by associating the presentation with a respective entry in the prize pool associated with the respective outcome;    receiving a second set of presentations for a second instant lottery game;    associating the second set of presentations with a second prize pool;    associating each entry in the second prize pool with a single respective outcome;    associating each presentation in the second set of presentations with a respective outcome by associating the presentation with a respective entry in the second prize pool associated with the respective outcome;    receiving at a terminal a request to play the instant lottery game, the instant lottery game being chosen from among a plurality of available instant lottery games;    determining an outcome for the instant lottery game by randomly selecting a first entry in the prize pool, the first entry associated with a first presentation from the set of presentations;    transmitting information from the first presentation from the set of presentations to the terminal;    using information from the first presentation to issue a game ticket for the instant lottery game;    awarding a prize based on the outcome associated with the first entry in the prize pool;    receiving at the terminal a request to play the second instant lottery game, the second instant lottery game being chosen from among the plurality of available instant lottery games; randomly    determining a second outcome for the second instant lottery game by randomly selecting a second entry in the second prize pool, the second entry associated with a second presentation from the second set of presentations;    transmitting information from the second presentation from the second set of presentations to the terminal;    using information from the second presentation to issue a second game ticket for the second instant lottery game; and    awarding a second prize based on the second outcome associated with the second entry in the second prize pool.    
   
   
       2 . A method of facilitating the play of instant lottery games, comprising: 
 receiving a set of presentations for an instant lottery game;    associating the set of presentations with a prize pool;    associating each presentation in the set of presentations with a respective outcome; and    transmitting a first presentation from the set of presentations to a terminal.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 associating each entry in the prize pool with a single respective outcome; and    wherein each presentation in the set of presentations for the instant lottery game is associated with the respective outcome by associating the presentation with a respective entry in the prize pool associated with the respective outcome.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 using information from the first presentation to issue a game ticket for the instant lottery game; and    awarding a prize based on the outcome associated with the prize pool entry associated with the first presentation.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 receiving at a terminal a request to play the instant lottery game, the instant lottery game being chosen from among a plurality of available instant lottery games;    randomly determining an outcome for the instant lottery game;    choosing a presentation associated with the outcome from the set of presentations for the instant lottery game;    communicating information from the presentation to the terminal;    displaying information from the presentation at the terminal.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein 
 the outcome for the instant lottery game is determined by randomly selecting an entry from the prize pool.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein 
 the entry is selected without replacement.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein 
 the prize pool is structured to provide a predetermined guaranteed minimum payout over a predetermined interval.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein 
 the entry is selected with replacement.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein 
 the information from the presentation is communicated to the terminal in response to the request to play the lottery game.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information from the presentation is communicated to the terminal prior to the request to play the lottery game.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the presentation comprises a partial lottery ticket image.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the presentation comprises a lottery ticket image.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the presentation comprises a set of encoded symbols.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 
 the presentation further comprises location information for each encoded symbol in the set of encoded symbols.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein 
 the symbols are encoded in a unicode format.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 
 displaying information from the presentation at the terminal further comprises printing an instant win lottery ticket.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein 
 displaying information from the presentation at the terminal further comprises electronically displaying the information on the terminal.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 outputting every presentation of the set of presentation information and the outcome associated with each presentation.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising 
 certifying, by an entity other than the operator of the lottery, that every presentation is associated with the correct outcome.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 associating a plurality of price points with the instant lottery game;    for each price point, associating a different prize pool with the instant lottery game.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 receiving a second set of presentations for a second instant lottery game;    associating the second set of presentations with a second prize pool;    associating each presentation in the second set of presentations with a respective outcome from the second prize pool;    transmitting a second presentation from the second set of presentations to the terminal.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising; 
 receiving at a terminal a request to play the instant lottery game, the instant lottery game being chosen from among a plurality of available instant lottery games;    randomly determining an outcome for the instant lottery game;    choosing a presentation associated with the outcome from the set of presentations for the instant lottery game;    communicating information from the presentation to the terminal;    displaying information from the presentation at the terminal;    receiving at the terminal a second request to play the second instant lottery game;    randomly determining a second outcome for the second instant lottery game;    choosing a second presentation associated with the second outcome from the second set of presentations for the second instant lottery game;    communicating information from the second presentation to the terminal; and    displaying information from the second presentation at the terminal.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 transmitting from the terminal ticket request information for the instant lottery game.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein 
 the ticket request information includes at least one of a game identifier, a price point, a number of tickets to be purchased, and customer-selected information to be used in determining an outcome of for the instant lottery game.    
   
   
       26 . A multi-game instant lottery game system, comprising: 
 a plurality of prize pools, each prize pool having a plurality of prize tiers, each prize tier associated with a respective outcome;    a plurality of lottery games, each lottery game associated with a respective one of the prize pools;    a plurality of sets of presentations, each set of presentations being associated with a respective one of the plurality of lottery games, each presentation in a set of presentations associated with a lottery game being associated with a respective one of the prize tiers in the prize pool associated with lottery game.    
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a terminal configured to receive a request to play a selected instant lottery game in a first instant lottery game in the plurality of instant lottery games, the first lottery instant game associated with the first prize pool and the first set of presentations;    a server in communication with the terminal, the server configured to randomly select an entry from the first prize pool, the entry being associated with a first prize tier from the first prize pool, and to communicate to the terminal that presentation information from a first presentation from the first set of presentations and associated with the first prize tier of the first prize pool should be displayed.    
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the terminal is configured to sell future draw lottery tickets.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the terminal is also configured as a cash register for the sale of non-gaming services or merchandise.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the terminal a video lottery game terminal.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the display includes printing a lottery game ticket.  
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the display includes electronically displaying a lottery game ticket.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the terminal is further configured to receive a request to play a selected instant lottery game in a second instant lottery game in the plurality of lottery games, the second lottery game associated with the second prize pool and the second set of presentations; 
 the server is further configured to randomly select an entry from a second prize pool, the entry being associated with a second prize tier from the second prize pool, and to communicate to the lottery game terminal that presentation information from a second presentation from the second set of presentations and associated with the second prize tier of the second prize pool should be displayed.    
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein 
 at least one of the plurality of lottery games has multiple prize points, the at least one lottery being associated with a different one of the plurality of prize pools for each prize point.    
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the information from the first set of presentations is transmitted to the terminal in response to the request to purchase the first lottery ticket.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the information from the first set of presentations is transmitted to the terminal prior to the request to the purchase of the first lottery ticket.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein 
 the server is configured to receive a new set of presentations associated with a new lottery game, to associate the new presentations and the new lottery game with a prize pool from the plurality of prize pools, and to transmit presentation information from the new set of presentations to the lottery game terminal.    
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the presentation information includes a ticket image.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 27 . wherein the presentation information includes a set of symbols.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the presentation information includes positioning information for the set of symbols.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the presentation information includes ordering information for the set of symbols.  
   
   
       42 . The system of claim  391 , wherein the presentation information includes unicodes for the symbols.  
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 an audit report generator configured to display all the presentations in a set of presentations and their associated prize tier.