Lottery game that alternates between game indicia and raffle prizes

Abstract

A drawing in the inventive lottery game comprises one or two stages. In the first stage, a wheel is spun. If the wheel indicates a slot occupied by game indicia, then a group of players win simultaneously, in which case, the drawing is over. Otherwise, the wheel indicates a prize, in which case, a raffle drawing for a winner of this prize is deferred to a second stage. There are single-wheel and more sophisticated multi-wheel embodiments, a multi-wheel embodiment having at least one advantage in that it requires no minimum level of sales.

1 . A method for implementing and playing a lottery game with a plurality of players comprising: 
 Each player paying an entry fee;    Each player selecting game indicia;    The lottery augmenting the said player-selected game indicia to a unique raffle identifier;    A first stage of a random drawing for which the outcome is either game indicia or one or more raffle prizes;    Prizes being awarded to entries for which the player-selected game indicia part of the raffle identifier matches the said outcome of the first stage of the random drawing, if that outcome is game indicia;    A second stage of the said random drawing comprising a raffle drawing or drawings for the winner or winners of the said one or more raffle prizes, if the said outcome of the first stage of the random drawing is one or more raffle prizes.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the said first stage of the random drawing is the spinning of a wheel comprising slots occupied by game indicia interspersed with raffle prizes.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the said wheel is one of a system of wheels each assigned a probability; the said wheel being spun having been randomly selected subject to the said probability distribution.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the said probabilities assigned to the wheels are based on the number of entries.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein there is no requirement as to the minimum number of entries.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the return to the player is independent of the number of entries.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the said lottery game is an automated monitor game.