Lotto gaming apparatus and method

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to electronic lottery type games, and more particularly to a lotto game which provides the player with rapid acknowledgment of the win or loss status of the numbers played.

#2. Description of Related Art

#FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of the lotto gaming apparatus of the invention which depicts interaction of the CPU with integral random number generator, keyboard, video display, and local area network.

#FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of the invention which depicts the interaction of multiple lotto gaming apparatus within a casino with a master casino controller and a master state controller with other casinos and satellite lotto gaming apparatus.

#FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of the invention depicting a worldwide lotto game network where home computers interface, via direct dial-up or through an electronic communications system, with a worldwide lotto system and lotto accounting system.

#The present invention includes a method and apparatus for player initiation of a lottery type game with rapid acknowledgment of the players' win or loss status.

#The present invention can be embodied in several system configurations. One embodiment is depicted in FIG. 1, where a single gaming apparatus 10 for playing a lottery type game such as lotto allows one person to play a game against a single gaming machine. This embodiment comprises a game playing console, such as a Casino Lotto Machine (CLM) 11 which consists of a video display 12, an input/out communications means which can be through keyboard, voice recognition, capacitive touch screen, or other means 13, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 14 with internal random number generator 15 and memory 16, and a local network connection 18. In this embodiment, input/output capability can be provided by voice communications. In this configuration, a player may insert a bet, typically a dollar ($ 1.00), and then select up to six numbers, or command the CLM 11 to randomly select six numbers, which are then displayed on the video display terminal 12. Upon satisfaction with the selected numbers the player commands a start by pressing the keyboard 13 PLAY key. A lotto game is started by the CLM 11 which commands the random number generator 15 to select six numbers to be played against the players selected numbers. During this period, the display terminal 12 shows random numbers scrolling on the display screen to simulate a random number selection process, which in fact takes the CPU 14 random number generator 15 less than a millisecond to perform. After a programmed delay for simulated random number display, the CLM 11 randomly generated winning numbers [win numbers] are displayed on the video display terminal 12 and the player selected numbers are compared for any matches. All matching numbers are highlighted on the video display terminal 12 and, if a winning combination is detected,(e.g.; two matches, three matches, etc.), an instant payoff at the CLM 11 occurs. The CLM 11 then interrogates the player to determine if another lotto game will be played. If the player responds yes, another bet from the player is demanded on the video display 12 and the cycle described above repeats.

#In a second embodiment of the invention, the lotto gaming apparatus 10 includes one or more game playing consoles such as CLMs 11 connected to a casino master controller (CMC) 20, as depicted in FIG. 2, located within a single gaming facility allowing one or more players to play a lotto game against the CMC 20, but independent of any other players' CLMs 11. In this embodiment, the lotto game is played the same way as with the single CLM embodiment except that the CMC compares the player's numbers with win numbers remotely selected by the CMC so that one or more players are simultaneously playing their personally selected numbers against a set of remotely selected win numbers from the CMC 20 to which their CLM 11 is connected through the network connection 18. In this embodiment of the invention, each player is simultaneously playing the personally selected numbers against a remotely selected CMC 20 generated WIN NUMBER with nearly instant win/loss status acknowledgment and payoff at the CLM 11 they are playing. Each CLM may optionally additionally allow each player to initiate play of and comparison of the personally selected numbers against win numbers generated locally by the player's CLM's as discussed above. As an additional element of this embodiment, more than one casino or gaming facility may be interconnected to a state wide network, or national network, as further shown in FIG. 2 so that a state master controller (SMC) 30 is independently randomly selecting and comparing another set of winning numbers against which each individual CLM 11 is simultaneously playing lotto. The individual player now has three chances to win with a single selection of numbers at the player's local CLM 11 with instant acknowledgment and possible payoff for winning combinations. These game controllers can be connected via communication links, such as switched, dedicated, packet, and the like, or any available electronic communications link system, such as radio, satellite, wire, wireless, cellular, and the like. Multiple such controllers may be provided, and each controller should have the ability to randomly or otherwise generate a set of winning numbers, compare those winning numbers to numbers forwarded to that controller from another controller or game playing console via a hierarchical or distributed communications link, and to return a win/loss status to the other controllers and/or game playing consoles. The generation of the winning numbers need not be via a random number generator, but may be. The generation of winning numbers may also be provided via a mechanical means of selection of winning numbers, computer, wired logic system, and the like.