Method and apparatus for telephone prize opportunities

A telephone network provided by a telephone service provider for processing a telephone call from a caller, comprising:

• means for playing at least one game having predetermined rules and for the winning of which said caller will receive a prize;
• means for completing said telephone call by said telephone service provider from said caller to a third party telephone number independent of said game playing means;
• and
• means for engaging said caller in said at least one game as a result of completion of the portion of said telephone call to said third party.

Apparatus for playing a game in using a telephone system provided by a telephone service provider, comprising:

• a telephone network for completing a caller's call by said telephone service provider to a third party;
• means for playing a game in accordance with predetermined rules;
• means, responsive to completion of the portion of said caller's call to said third party using said network to a telephone number independent of said game playing means, for activating said game playing means to enter said caller in said game;
• and
• means for transmitting the result of the game to said caller.

A method for use in playing a game in a telephone network provided by a telephone service provider, comprising the steps of:

• processing a call by said telephone service provider for a caller to a third party;
• and
• upon the conclusion of processing for said call to said third party, connecting said caller to a game processor for playing a game;
• wherein said call was not dialed by said caller to a telephone number assigned to reach said game processor.

A method for use in processing a call by a telephone service provider for a caller in a telephone network to multiple third parties having a plurality of destinations to which said call may be connected, said call being the last of a predetermined number of calls processed for said caller in said telephone network within a predetermined time period, the method comprising the steps of:

• completing said call to said third parties for said caller through said telephone network to a destination of said telephone network by said telephone service provider;
• in response to termination of said calls to said third parties in said telephone network, entering said caller in a game of chance having predetermined rules for winning, said destination to which said caller's call was completed being other than a machine for engaging said caller in said game of chance;
• determining, using said rules, whether said caller is a winner in said game;
• and
• supplying information to said caller to inform him that he is a winner if it is determined in said determining step that said caller is a winner.

A method for use in playing a game in a telephone network provided by a telephone service provider, comprising the steps of:

• processing a plurality of calls to third parties for a caller, said plurality of calls including a predetermined number of calls;
• and
• upon the conclusion of processing for the last call of said plurality of calls to said third parties, said telephone service provider automatically entering said caller in a game of chance having predetermined rules for winning;
• wherein said plurality of calls were not dialed by said caller to any telephone number assigned to reach a game processor implementing said game.

A method for use in playing a game in a telephone network, provided by a telephone service provider comprising the steps of:

• processing a plurality of calls originated from a particular telephone line to a plurality of third parties said plurality of calls including a predetermined number of calls;
• and
• upon the conclusion of processing for the last call of said plurality of calls, said telephone service provider automatically connecting said telephone line to a game processor;
• wherein said calls were not dialed to any telephone number assigned to reach said game processor.