Lottery systems, methods and apparatus providing a limited prize eligibility option
OwnerJay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulleyinventors
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided to facilitate lottery ticket transactions. According to some embodiments, a lottery ticket may be requested that is eligible for only a subset of prizes or payouts otherwise available in a lottery game.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, a request to purchase a lottery ticket associated with a lottery game that is associated with a plurality of different prizes;
- wherein the lottery ticket requested is to be eligible, in a lottery drawing for the lottery game, for only a subset of the plurality of different prizes otherwise available for the lottery game;
- determining, by the controller, a price for the lottery ticket based on the subset of prizes;
- and
- providing the lottery ticket to a player in exchange for the determined price.
The method of 1, wherein the subset of the plurality of different prizes consists of only a topmost prize for the lottery game.
The method of 2, wherein the topmost prize comprises a pari-mutuel jackpot payout.
The method of 1, wherein determining the price comprises:
- determining a discount price that is less than a second price for a second lottery ticket for the lottery game that is eligible for the plurality of different prizes in the lottery drawing.
The method of 4, wherein the second price comprises a fixed price.
The method of 4, wherein the discount price is determined based on an appropriation required to fund the subset of prizes.
The method of 1, wherein determining the price comprises:
- determining a topmost prize associated with the lottery game;
- and determining the price for the lottery ticket based on the topmost prize.
The method of 1, further comprising:
- determining a likelihood of the player obtaining at least one prize of the subset of prizes, and
- wherein determining the price comprises:
- determining the price based on the likelihood of the player obtaining the at least one prize of the subset of prizes.
The method of 1, wherein the subset of prizes comprises only non-jackpot prizes for the lottery game.
The method 9, further comprising:
- offering, for an additional fee, an insurance product to the player.
The method of 10, further comprising:
- determining the additional fee.
The method of 10, wherein the insurance product provides an insurance payout in the event that the lottery ticket would have qualified for a topmost prize based on the lottery drawing for the lottery game but for the eligibility being limited to only the subset of prizes.
The method of 12, wherein the insurance payout comprises a fixed payout amount.
The method of 13, wherein the fixed payout amount is not less than one million dollars.
The method of 12, wherein the insurance payout is determined based on a percentage of a topmost prize available with respect to the lottery game.
The method of 1 further comprising:
- providing, on the lottery ticket, a printed indication of at least one of:
- the limited subset of available prizes;
- the determined price;
- and the applicability of an insurance product.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor direct the processor to
- receive a request to purchase a lottery ticket associated with a lottery game that is associated with a plurality of different prizes;
- wherein the lottery ticket requested is to be eligible, in a lottery drawing for the lottery game, for only a subset of the plurality of different prizes otherwise available for the lottery game;
- determine a price for the lottery ticket based on the subset of prizes;
- and
- provide the lottery ticket to a player in exchange for the determined price.
A computer-readable memory device storing instructions that when executed by a processor direct the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, a request to purchase a lottery ticket associated with a lottery game that is associated with a plurality of different prizes;
- wherein the lottery ticket requested is to be eligible, in a lottery drawing for the lottery game, for only a subset of the plurality of different prizes otherwise available for the lottery game;
- determining, by the controller, a price for the lottery ticket based on the subset of prizes;
- and
- providing the lottery ticket to a player in exchange for the determined price.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.