Systems and Methods for Retail Lottery-Style Games

Abstract

Systems and methods for retail lottery-style games are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, a map-based lottery game is established, by at least one processor, that is scheduled to have a lottery drawing, where the map-based lottery game includes a gameboard made up of a plurality of units each selectable to represent an entry in the lottery game. In addition, a plurality of game entries are received each identifying a unit on the gameboard either with an identifier of the unit or with a lottery combination corresponding to the unit and, at least one winning entry from the plurality of game entries is selected by selecting among the plurality of units on the gameboard or among the units identified by the plurality of game entries.

1 . A computer-implemented method for lottery-style games, the method comprising:
 establishing, by at least one processor, a map-based lottery game that is scheduled to have a lottery drawing, said map-based lottery game including a gameboard comprising a plurality of units each selectable to represent an entry in the lottery game;   receiving a plurality of game entries each identifying a unit on the gameboard either with an identifier of the unit or with a lottery combination corresponding to the unit; and   selecting at least one winning entry from the plurality of game entries by selecting among the plurality of units on the gameboard or among the units identified by the plurality of game entries.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said lottery combination comprises a plurality of lottery numbers. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of lottery numbers comprise a first lottery number, a second lottery number and a third lottery number, said first lottery number corresponding to a region, said second lottery number corresponding to a city or town, and said third lottery number corresponding to a street, wherein each of the region, city or town, and street is represented by one or more unit on the gameboard. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one game entry is received from a retail terminal, a mobile application, or a web-accessible computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a reservation entry;   generating a reservation code for display to a player for input at a retail terminal;   receiving said reservation code from a retail terminal; and   storing at least one game entry based on said received reservation code.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said reservation code is received at a retail terminal through scanning of said reservation code. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said at least one game entry stored identifies a unit on the gameboard near a unit identified by the reservation entry or near a unit corresponding to a lottery combination identified by the reservation entry. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing the plurality of game entries at a storage device connected to the at least one processor. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the storing of a game entry of said plurality of game entries is based on the purchase of said game entry. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said purchase is received from a mobile application, a web-accessible computing device, or a retail terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting a second winning entry, wherein said second winning entry identifies a second unit on the gameboard near the unit corresponding to the at least one winning entry. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of making at least a portion of the gameboard available for display on a networked device, thereby to receive at least one game entry from said networked device. 
     
     
         13 . A system for lottery-style games, the system comprising:
 a processor;   at least one storage device coupled to the processor;   a user interface coupled to the processor via one or more networks;   wherein the processor is adapted to communicate with the at least one storage device and the user interface to execute instructions to:
 establish a map-based lottery game that is scheduled to have a lottery drawing, said map-based lottery game including a gameboard comprising a plurality of units each selectable to represent an entry in the lottery game; 
 receive a plurality of game entries each identifying a unit on the gameboard either with an identifier of the unit or with a lottery combination corresponding to the unit; and 
 select at least one winning entry from the plurality of game entries by selecting among the plurality of units on the gameboard or among the units identified by the plurality of game entries. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein said lottery combination comprises a plurality of lottery numbers. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein said plurality of lottery numbers comprise a first lottery number, a second lottery number and a third lottery number, said first lottery number corresponding to a region, said second lottery number corresponding to a city or town, and said third lottery number corresponding to a street, wherein each of the region, city or town, and street is represented by one or more unit on the gameboard. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one game entry is received from a retail terminal, a mobile application, or a web-accessible computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , the processor is further adapted to complete the following tasks:
 receiving a reservation entry;   generating a reservation code for display to a player for input at a retail terminal;   receiving said reservation code from a retail terminal; and   storing at least one game entry based on said received reservation code.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein said reservation code is received at a retail terminal through scanning of said reservation code. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein said at least one game entry stored identifies a unit on the gameboard near a unit identified by the reservation entry or near a unit corresponding to a lottery combination identified by the reservation entry. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further adapted to store the plurality of game entries at the at least one storage device. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein the storing of a game entry of said plurality of game entries is based on the purchase of said game entry. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein said purchase is received from a mobile application, a web-accessible computing device, or a retail terminal. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein processor is further adapted to select a second winning entry, said second winning entry identifies a second unit on the gameboard near the unit corresponding to the at least one winning entry. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein processor is further adapted to make at least a portion of the gameboard available for display on a networked device, thereby to receive at least one game entry from said networked device.