System and Method for Securing Charitable Game of Chance Cards and Tickets

Abstract

A method relates to conducting a card based game of chance for a charity wherein a game is played at a plurality of remote play locations and the charity benefits from increased player participation. The method includes distributing game cards to purchasing players at a plurality of remote locations, the game cards containing game data related to the game of chance. At the remote locations and prior to initiation of the game, the game data of each individual game card is exchanged and validated with a central server location. Information is exchanged between the remote location and the central server location. The game of chance is conducted at the remote location and, for any purported winning cards, exchanging game data of such cards with the central server location and performing a post-game validation at the central server location of the purported winning cards.

1 . A method for conducting a card based game of chance for a charity wherein a game is played at a plurality of remote play locations and the charity benefits from increased player participation, said method comprising: 
 distributing game cards to purchasing players at a plurality of remote locations, the game cards containing game data related to the game of chance;    at the remote locations and prior to initiation of the game, exchanging the game data of each individual game card with a central server location;    performing a pre-game validation of the game cards at the central server location and returning a valid or invalid card indication to the respective remote locations for each game card;    conducting the game of chance for the validated game cards at the plurality of remote locations; and    at the remote locations, for any purported winning cards, exchanging game data of such cards with the central server location and performing a post-game validation at the central server location of the purported winning cards.    
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the game cards are scanned at the remote locations and the card data is transmitted to the central server location, the pre-game validation step being based on the scanned and transmitted game card data.  
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the pre-game validation step compares the transmitted game card data to know game card data for the respective game cards.  
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein game cards deemed to be valid in the pre-game validation are activated in the central server for subsequent play.  
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the pre-game validation further comprises applying an information mark to valid cards, the information mark containing information related to the individual game card.  
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 5 , wherein the information mark comprises a serial number printed on the valid cards at the remote locations.  
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the pre-game validation further comprises recording the location of validated cards at the central server location.  
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the purported winning cards are scanned at the remote locations and the card data is transmitted to the central server location, the post-game validation comprising comparing the received game card data to known game card data for the respective cards.  
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 8 , wherein the known game card data corresponds to the game card data received from the pre-game validation.  
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein the pre-game validation further comprises recording the location of validated cards at the central server location, and the post-game validation comprises comparing the location of the purported winning game cards to the location recorded from the pre-game validation.  
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an invalid winning game card to the respective remote locations for any purported winning game card deemed to be invalid in the post-game validation.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus system for simultaneously conducting a card based game of chance at a plurality of remote play locations for a charity wherein the charity benefits from increased player participation, said system comprising: 
 a plurality of game cards distributed to remote purchasing players at the plurality of remote locations;    a remote location terminal at each of the remote locations in communication with a central game server;    a pre-game validation system wherein said remotely distributed game cards are validated and activated by said central game server via said remote location terminals for subsequent play; and    a post-game validation system wherein any purported winning cards identified to said central game server by said remote location terminals are validated by said central game server as a winning card.    
     
     
         13 . The system as in  claim 12 , wherein said pre-game validation system comprises a scanner at each of said remote location terminals whereby said remotely distributed game cards are scanned and game card data is transmitted to said central game server and compared to known game card data for said respective scanned game cards to validate said scanned game cards.  
     
     
         14 . The system as in  claim 13 , wherein said remote location terminals further comprise a printer configured to apply an information mark to said validated game cards.  
     
     
         15 . The system as in  claim 14 , wherein said information mark comprises a unique serial number that identifies said respective validated game card and remote location terminal where said game card was scanned.  
     
     
         16 . The system as in  claim 12 , wherein said post-game validation system comprises a scanner at each of said remote location terminals whereby purported winning game cards are scanned and game card data is transmitted to said central game server and compared to known game card data for said respective scanned cards to validate said remotely scanned game card as a winning card.  
     
     
         17 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein said central game server compares said scanned game data from the purported winning game cards to scanned data from said pre-game validation system to validate the purported winning game cards.  
     
     
         18 . The system as in  claim 17 , wherein said central game server compares the location of said remote location terminal of the purported winning game card to the location of said remote location terminal identified in said scanned data from said pre-game validation system.  
     
     
         19 . The system as in  claim 16 , wherein said central game server compares said scanned game data from the purported winning game cards to stored data known from manufacture of said game cards.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus system for simultaneously conducting a card based game of chance at a plurality of remote play locations for a charity wherein the charity benefits from increased player participation, said system comprising: 
 a plurality of game cards distributed to remote purchasing players at the plurality of remote locations;    a remote location terminal at each of the remote locations in communication with a central game server;    means for conducting a pre-game validation wherein said remotely distributed game cards are validated and activated by said central game server via said remote location terminals for subsequent play; and    means for conducting a post-game validation wherein purported winning cards identified to said central game server by said remote location terminals are validated by said central game server as a winning card.    
     
     
         21 . The system as in  claim 20 , wherein said pre-game validation means compares game card data transmitted from said remote location terminals to known game card data for said respective game cards to validate said game cards at said remote play locations.  
     
     
         22 . The system as in  claim 20 , wherein said post-game validation means compares game card data for purported winning game cards transmitted from said remote location terminals to known game card data for said respective game cards to validate winning game cards.  
     
     
         23 . The system as in  claim 20 , wherein said pre-game validation means compares game card data transmitted from said remote location terminals to known game card data for said respective game cards to validate said game cards at said remote play locations, and said post-game validation means compares game card data for purported winning game cards transmitted from said remote location terminals to game card data transmitted from said remote location terminals for said pre-game validation means to validate winning game cards.