Advertisement and actual benefit distribution in a geocaching/treasure hunting environment

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

• communicating a portion of game information to an advertiser;
• accepting a received bid from the advertiser to sponsor a geoseed or a particular digital fence;
• associating a sponsorship of the geoseed or the particular digital fence with the advertiser;
• in response to a seeker inquiry from a seeker, communicating coordinates of the particular digital fence or a geocache in which the geoseed is placed to a device associated the seeker;
• receiving a confirmation signal indicating the seeker has located the geocache or physically entered the area, the confirmation signal including verification information;
• authenticating the verification information;
• following authentication of the verification information, identifying an actual benefit that is provided for physically entering the area or locating the geoseed;
• and
• awarding the seeker the actual benefit.

A geocache server configured to operate in a geocaching/treasuring hunting environment including a device associated with a seeker and a social media server, the geocache server comprising:

• an ad module configured to communicate a portion of game information to an advertiser, to accept a received bid from the advertiser to sponsor a geoseed, and to associate a sponsorship of the geoseed with the advertiser;
• a geocache module configured to communicate coordinates of a geocache into which the geoseed is placed in response to a seeker inquiry, to receive a confirmation signal including verification information indicating the seeker has located the geocache, to identify an actual benefit provided by the advertiser for locating the geoseed, to identify a virtual benefit provided for locating the geoseed, and to authenticate the verification information;
• and
• a game module configured to host a game involving locating the geocache and including one or more virtual game actions performed through communication of digital data via a network and one or more actual game actions performed in a real-world environment, wherein the virtual benefit is configured for use in the game.