Perpetual lottery system

Abstract

A perpetual lottery system and method for use by a plurality of players is provided wherein each play participates in the game indefinitely. The perpetual lottery provides a lotto-type lottery wherein a play registered on the payment of a single price is eligible for an indefinite number of subsequent draws or for as long as the game lasts. Furthermore, a lottery system and method is provided having a plurality of plays in a draw period followed by a draw in which each play's chance of winning is dependent upon a wager corresponding to the play.

1 . In a lottery having a plurality of plays, a series of draw periods and a series of draws, each draw following a corresponding draw period, each draw having a prize, each play being registered in a specific draw period in the series of draw periods, each play having variable game indicia and a wager contributing to the prize, a method of determining winning plays in each draw, the method comprising: 
 determining a winning draw period for the draw, the winning draw period being any draw period in the series of draw periods preceding the draw;    determining winning game indicia for the draw; and    comparing the winning game indicia to the variable game indicia of each play registered in the winning draw period;    wherein plays registered in the winning draw period and having variable game indicia matching the winning game indicia are winning plays in the draw; and whereby every play registered prior to the draw is eligible to be a winning play.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining the winning draw period for the draw comprises randomly selecting a draw period preceding the draw to be the winning draw period;  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 apportioning, to each draw period preceding the draw, a weighted chance of the being the winning draw period;    wherein determining the winning draw period for the draw comprises randomly selecting a draw period preceding the draw to be the winning draw period according to the draw periods' weighted chances.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein each draw period's weighted chance is apportioned on the basis of the wagers by the plays registered in the draw period.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein each draw period's weighted chance is apportioned proportionally to a sum of the wagers of the plays registered in the draw period.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the weighted chances of the draw periods in the series of draw periods prior to the draw are apportioned according to a predetermined function.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined function is a decreasing exponential function whereby each successively earlier draw period has an exponentially lower weighted chance.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein determining the winning draw period for the draw comprises recursively determining whether each draw period successively preceding the draw is the winning draw period based upon the draw period's weighted chance until the winning draw period is determined.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the winning draw period for the draw is determined on the basis of the weighted chances of all of the draw periods preceding the draw.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining the winning game indicia comprises randomly selecting game indicia to be the winning game indicia;  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the winning draw period of the draw is determined before the winning game indicia for the draw are determined.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein determining the winning game indicia comprises randomly selecting the variable game indicia of a play registered in the winning draw period to be the winning game indicia;  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 11  further comprising: 
 apportioning to each play registered in the winning draw period a weighted chance of winning the draw;    wherein determining the winning game indicia for the draw comprises randomly selecting the variable game indicia of a play registered in the winning draw period to be the winning game indicia according to the plays' weighted chances.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the each play's weighted chance is apportioned on the basis of the play's wager.  
   
   
       15 . In a lottery having a plurality of plays, a prize and a draw, each play having variable game indicia and a wager contributing to the prize, a method of determining winning plays in the draw, the method comprising: 
 apportioning, to each play, a weighted chance of winning the draw based upon the play's wager;    determining winning game indicia for the draw based upon the weighted chances of the plays; and    comparing the winning game indicia to the variable game indicia of each play;    wherein plays having variable game indicia matching the winning game indicia are winning plays in the draw.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the weighted chance of winning the draw apportioned to each play is proportional to the play's wager;  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the winning game indicia for the draw are determined after a sum of the plays' wagers is at least a predetermined target amount.  
   
   
       18 . In a lottery having a plurality of plays, a series of draw periods and a series of draws, each draw following a corresponding draw period, each draw having a prize, each play being registered in a specific draw period in the series of draw periods, each play having a wager, a method of determining the prize for each draw, the method comprising: 
 calculating a revenue of the draw period by summing the wagers of the plays registered in the draw period;    apportioning a part of the revenue of the draw period to a prize money allocation of the draw period;    calculating a current prize money for the draw by summing the prize money allocation for the draw period and a portion carried forward from the previous draw; and    apportioning the current prize money for the draw between the prize for the draw and a portion carried forward to the next draw;    wherein the prize for the draw comprises portions of the wagers of all of the plays registered prior to the draw.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the portion carried forward to the next draw is a fixed fraction of the current prize money for the draw.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18  further comprising: 
 apportioning the prize for the draw amongst the prizes of a plurality of prize levels according to a predetermined rule.