Mobile Lottery

Abstract

A system and a method for a mobile lottery for providing the service of participation in a lottery draw at the push of a single button, by sending a SMS message from a mobile phone.

1 . A mobile-lottery system comprising:
 (a) an SMS center for receiving lottery entries from entrants via SMS messages;   (b) a lottery-registration server for registering said entrants in a lottery,   (c) a lottery-draw server for drawing at least one winner from said lottery; and   (d) a lottery-notification system for notifying said entrants of a lottery status.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , the system further comprising:
 (e) a customer-service center for providing assistance to said entrants; and   (f) a billing server for processing entry fees for said entrants.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said SMS center, said lottery-registration server, said lottery-draw server, said customer-service center, and said billing server are parts of a lottery-operation center. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said SMS center is configured to uniquely identify each mobile device of each said entrant via a unique mobile-device identifier in said SMS messages. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said unique mobile-device identifier is a mobile-device phone number. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said lottery entries are configured to be entered by a single activation step from said each mobile device. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said lottery-notification system includes at least one notification system selected from the group consisting of: a mobile-lottery website, a television broadcast, and a network broadcast. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said lottery-notification system is operative to indicate said lottery status in real time. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said lottery-notification system is operative to indicate said at least one winner in real time. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said lottery-notification system is operative to indicate a number of said lottery entries in real time. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one winner is randomly selected from said lottery entries. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said lottery-registration server is configured to register said entrants via an Internet. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said lottery-registration server is further configured for:
 (i) obtaining a birth date from said entrants; and   (ii) verifying whether said entrants are above a restricted-age limit.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said lottery-registration server is further configured for:
 (iii) blocking mobile-device phone numbers of under-aged entrants.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said lottery-registration server is further configured to generate a unique draw ticket number associated with a specific draw of said lottery for each said lottery entry. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said step of registering includes registering said entrants for said specific draws. 
   
   
       17 . A method for enabling a mobile-device user to enter a lottery draw, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving lottery entries from entrants via SMS messages;   (b) registering said entrants in a lottery;   (c) drawing at least one winner from said lottery; and   (d) notifying said entrants of a lottery status.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising the steps of:
 (e) providing assistance to said entrants; and   (f) processing entry fees for said entrants.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said step of registering includes uniquely identifying each mobile device of each said entrant via a unique mobile-device identifier in said SMS messages. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said unique mobile-device identifier is a mobile-device phone number. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , the method further comprising the step of:
 (e) entering said lottery entries by a single activation step from said each mobile device.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said step of registering is initiated by software installed in said each mobile device. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said step of notifying is performed using at least one notification system selected from the group consisting of: a mobile-lottery website, a television broadcast, and a network broadcast. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of notifying includes indicating said lottery status in real time. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of notifying includes indicating said at least one winner in real time. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of notifying includes indicating a number of said lottery entries in real time. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said at least one winner is randomly selected from said lottery entries. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said step of registering is performed via an Internet. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising the steps of:
 (e) obtaining a birth date from said entrants; and   (f) verifying whether said entrants are above a restricted-age limit.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , the method further comprising the step of:
 (g) blocking mobile-device phone numbers of under-aged entrants.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 17 , the method further comprising the step of:
 (e) generating a unique draw ticket number associated with a specific draw of said lottery for each said lottery entry.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said step of registering includes registering said entrants for said specific draws. 
   
   
       33 . A business method for operating a lottery, the business method comprising the steps of:
 (a) offering for sale registration in the lottery;   (b) receiving lottery entries from entrants via SMS messages;   (c) registering said entrants in the lottery;   (d) drawing at least one winner from the lottery; and   (e) notifying said entrants of a lottery status.