Method for lottery corporations to run online gaming

Abstract

A method that allows lottery corporations the ability to easily allow players to participate in online games played over the Internet, TV, or mobile phone by allowing players the ability to purchase entry into online games, such as a Texas Holdem poker tournament, from any Point Of Sale (POS), or Lottery Terminal, say found in a convenience store likely in the form of a printed or pre-printed ticket with some activation coding identifying each ticket as unique. Participants would access locations where games are held, say the Internet, enter a game of their choice using the unique activation code on their ticket, participate in said game and possibly win money or prizes through participation. Players may then take their tickets back to a retailer, any POS or Lottery Terminal and have their ticket Validated and could then collect winnings in the form of cash or other prizes, depending on the game offered.

1 . A method for allowing a lottery player to buy entry and participate in online gaming on the
 Internet, comprising the steps of:   providing the lottery player with a lottery ticket purchased from a lottery retailer;   providing the lottery ticket with a unique activation coding information number thereon;   providing an Internet web site where on-line gaming is conducted;   allowing the lottery player to play at the Internet web site, the play being activated through entry of the unique activation coding information on the lottery ticket; and   awarding prizes to the lottery player if they win at the on-line gaming.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lottery player can access the Internet web site remotely
 and enter their assigned activation coding information number to participate in the on-line gaming   in a virtual gaming environment.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when the lottery player activates the lottery ticket through entry of the unique activation coding information number at the Internet web site, the Internet web site opens a corresponding unique playing account solely associated with the lottery ticket for the lottery player to access. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of, when any winnings are accumulated by the lottery player at the on-line gaming, crediting the unique playing account for the lottery player with the amount of those winnings. 
   
   
       5 . A system for enabling lottery purchasing transactions for a purchaser to engage in a lottery comprising:
 a lottery data processing system;   a controller including a storage device, the controller adapted to receive lottery information from the lottery data processing system, the lottery information including at least one lottery ticket having a unique activation coding information number thereon for activation of on-line gaming at a remote site through entry of the unique activation coding information number at the remote site;   at least one POS (point of sale) terminal connected to the controller, for performing the lottery purchasing transactions in accordance with the received lottery information; and   said POS terminal including a printer for printing on a lottery ticket the lottery information for the purchaser.   
   
   
       6 . A system for performing a lottery transaction to generate a lottery ticket for a customer, comprising the steps of:
 initiating the lottery transaction at a POS (point of sale) terminal adapted to perform the lottery transaction;   inputting a request for the lottery ticket for the customer to the POS terminal;   inputting a request for at least one unique activation coding information number for the lottery ticket to the POS terminal;   communicating from the POS terminal to a POS controller operatively connected to the POS terminal, that the lottery transaction has been initiated;   establishing communication between the POS controller and a lottery data processing system adapted to communicate with the POS controller;   sending the request for the lottery ticket and the request for the unique activation coding information number to the lottery data processing system;   requesting the lottery ticket and the at least one unique activation coding information number be transmitted from the lottery data processing system to the POS controller;   generating the lottery ticket and the at least one unique activation coding information number in the lottery data processing system;   transmitting the lottery ticket and the at least one unique activation coding information number from the lottery data processing system to the POS terminal by the POS controller;   outputting the lottery ticket and the at least one unique activation coding information number on the lottery ticket issued by the POS terminal;   providing a remote site where on-line gaming is conducted;   allowing the lottery player to play at the remote site, the play being activated through entry of the unique activation coding information on the lottery ticket; and   awarding prizes to the lottery player if they win at the on-line gaming.   
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remote site is an Internet web site. 
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the storage device stores the lottery information received from the lottery data processing system that includes randomly selected lottery ticket numbers. 
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller communicates in substantially real-time with the lottery data processing system. 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is a network server. 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is a data network. 
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the data network is a public switched telephone network, an integrated service digital network (ISDN), a packet switched network, a private data communication network, or a wireless network 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the lottery player can access the Internet web site remotely and enter their assigned activation coding information number to participate in the on-line gaming in a virtual gaming environment. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the on-line gaming is accessed by means of a Mobile phone, palm held type device, television or other remote device, a Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) or a slot machine. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the on-line gaming further comprises games of chance, card games, casino games, slot machines, lotteries, horse racing, poker, betting on sporting events, bingo games, pull tabs, scratch tickets, casino games, card games and board games or gambling. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein, when the lottery player activates the lottery ticket through entry of the unique activation coding information number at the Internet web site, the Internet web site opens a corresponding unique playing account associated with the lottery ticket for the lottery player to access. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of, when any winnings are accumulated by the lottery player at the on-line gaming, crediting the unique playing account for the lottery player with the amount of those accumulated winnings. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the lottery player can redeem at least a portion of the accumulated winnings from the unique playing account at the POS (point of sale) terminal. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the lottery player can redeem all of the accumulated winnings from the unique playing account at the POS (point of sale) terminal. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the lottery ticket purchased by the lottery player is for a variable numerical amount, the variable numerical amount constituting a currency amount available for the lottery player to conduct on-line gaming.