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US 6,880,824 B2Granted
Apparatus for controlling play of a progressively operated lottery-type game
AssigneeDouglas Press, Inc.
InventorWilliam Everett Thinnes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling the play of progressively operated lottery-type game systems wherein at least one selected player becomes eligible to play for a bonus award which if not awarded to or won by a player rolls over and is added to the bonus award for a subsequently played game, and specifically an apparatus for awarding an initial or an accumulated bonus award when the bonus award equals or exceeds a predetermined amount.
Claims19
An apparatus for controlling play of a progressively operated lottery type card based game, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of playing cards which can be purchased by game players each of which having one or more game symbols displayed thereon;
- a master game card for use in conjunction with the plurality of playing cards;
- at least one of the master game card and the plurality of playing cards having displayed thereon means for establishing the eligibility of one or more selected game players having playing cards displaying predetermined selected ones of the game symbols,
- at least one of the master game card and the plurality of playing cards including means for identifying at least one of the selected game players, and selectively removable elements for concealing the identifying means prior to establishing the selected game players;
- the master game card further including first award identifying means comprising a plurality of award values displayed on the master game card, and selectively removable elements for concealing the award values, so that the at least one of the selected game players identified by the first award identifying means can determine the award to be received by removing the concealing elements associated with the award values;
- an accumulated jackpot established from jackpot contributions from one or more games prior to the play of the master game card;
- indicia on the master game card for identifying a maximum allowed jackpot value;
- the master game card further including a second award identifying means for establishing the identity of at least one game player, and selectively removable element for concealing the second award identifying means which concealing element is removed to reveal the identity of the at least one game player who is awarded an award from the accumulated jackpot when the accumulated jackpot amount equals or exceeds the maximum allowed jackpot value and has not been awarded to at least one of the selected game players identified by the first award identifying means.
5 more elements
A method of playing a lottery-type game having a progressive jackpot, comprising:
- a) providing a plurality of playing cards to game players, each of the playing cards having at least one game symbol displayed thereon, and a master game card for use in association with the playing cards, the master game card having at least one first game symbol displayed thereon;
- at least one first concealment element initially concealing the at least one first game symbol of the master game card;
- a plurality of award identifying symbols, each award identifying symbol having an associated award concealing element initially concealing the award identifying symbol;
- at least one second game symbol displayed thereon;
- and at least one second concealment element initially concealing the identity of at least one game player;
- b) setting a maximum jackpot value to be awarded to a winning game player;
- c) distributing the playing cards to a plurality of game players;
- d) operating the at least one first concealment element to reveal at least one first game symbol of the master game card;
- e) permitting each game player holding a playing card having a game symbol matching at least one of the at least one first game symbols to select at least one of the at least one award concealment elements to be opened to reveal the award identifying symbol associated therewith, and awarding each said game player any prize identified by the associated award identifying symbol;
- f) accumulating additional value into a jackpot when the entire jackpot is not awarded as a prize in step e);
- g) repeating steps a), b), c), d), e) and f) until the entire jackpot is awarded as a prize in step e) or the accumulated jackpot reaches the maximum allowed jackpot value;
- h) operating the at least one second concealment element to reveal the identity of at least one game player when the accumulated jackpot reaches at least the maximum allowed jackpot value and
- i) awarding the entire accumulated jackpot value to the at least one player whose identity is revealed upon operating the at least one second concealment element.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.