Gaming systems with lottery ticket prize component

Abstract

A system and method of increasing player interest in gaming machines is disclosed by the use of lottery entries as prizes. Lottery entries are funded from either coin-in (wagers), coin-out (winnings), or in networked gaming systems from player tracking funding (promotional funding).

1 . A system for providing player entries into a lottery where players play gaming devices on a network, said network including player tracking device, said system comprising:
 a lottery manager in communication with said gaming machines over said network;   a data structure; and   said lottery manager configured to store at least one entry for a lottery drawing in said data structure associated with one or more players based upon players' wagers or winnings at one or more of said gaming devices.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  comprising said lottery manager configured issue one or more entries when one or more players have wagered a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  comprising said lottery manager configured to allocate a percentage of the amounts wagered by players toward the acquisition of entries and to award one or more entries when said allocation matches a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  comprising said lottery manager configured to award one or more entries each time said allocation reaches a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  comprising said lottery manager configured to issue each entitlement as a number for a lottery drawing. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  comprising said lottery manager configured to store data representing a prize pool to be distributed to at least one winner of said lottery drawing. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  comprising said lottery manager configured to store data representing a prize pool funded at least in part from a percentage of wagers of at least some of the gaming devices on the network. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  comprising said lottery manager configured to store data representing a prize pool funded at least in part from promotional funds. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  comprising said lottery manager configured to store data representing a prize pool funded at least in part from a percentage of winnings at one or more of the gaming devices on the network. 
     
     
         10 . A system for providing player entries into a lottery where players play gaming devices on a network, said network including player tracking device, said system comprising:
 a lottery manager in communication with said gaming machines over said network;   a data structure; and   said lottery manager configured to store an entry for a lottery drawing in said data structure for said player when said player has wagered an amount during the play of said gaming devices.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  comprising said lottery manager configured to accept purchases by players for value of entries. 
     
     
         12 . A system for providing player entries into a lottery where players play gaming devices on a network, said network including player tracking device, said system comprising:
 a lottery manager in communication with said gaming machines over said network;   a data structure; and   said lottery manager configured to allocate an entry to a lottery drawing when a player has wagered a selected amount to store an entry for a lottery drawing in said data structure for said player when said player has wagered said amount during the play of said gaming devices.   
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a system to provide players of gaming devices connected to a network entitlements to entries in a lottery comprising:
 providing for configuring lottery entry requirements at a lottery manager connected to the network, said requirements including the player having wagered a predetermined amount;   enabling said lottery manager to monitor the wagering activity of said players at said gaming devices and issue one or more entries to a player when said player has wagered said predetermined amount; and   conducting a lottery by drawing from said entries at least one winning entry.