Positive-return gambling
AssigneeElectronic Arts Inc.
InventorsNicholas James Rush, Jason M. Kapalka, Sukhbir Singh Sidhu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system of providing players with positive return in a gambling game. Tokens are won or lost in a manner that assures net positive return. Token value is determined based on the total number of outstanding tokens, or on the total number that have been issued in a predetermined time period, so that the total prize payout is predetermined and constant. In one embodiment, tokens act as lottery tickets, and prizes are awarded to winners of the lottery, so that a player's chance of winning the lottery is based on the percentage of outstanding tokens he or she possesses.
Claims20
A game system, comprising:
- a game apparatus configured to provide a game and to credit and debit a token account associated with a first user responsive to gameplay of the first user in the game, wherein tokens are credited to the token account after payout events associated with the game, each payout event having an associated payout value of zero or more tokens and an odds of occurrence, wherein for each payout event, the payout value multiplied by the odds of occurrence produces a yield per token bet, wherein a total of the yields per token bet for all payout events is greater than one, and wherein said payout events having a non-zero yield per token bet have a combined odds of occurrence of less than 50 percent;
- and
- a token conversion module for converting tokens in the token account according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.
A method of providing a game, comprising:
- providing an initial quantity of tokens to a player;
- crediting and debiting a token account of the player responsive to gameplay of the player in a game, wherein tokens are credited to the token account after payout events associated with the game, each payout event having an associated payout value of zero or more tokens and an odds of occurrence, wherein for each payout event, the payout value multiplied by the odds of occurrence produces a yield per token bet, wherein a total of the yields per token bet for all payout events is greater than one, and wherein said payout events having a non-zero yield per token bet have a combined odds of occurrence of less than 50 percent;
- and
- converting tokens according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.
A computer-readable medium including code for controlling a processor to provide a game, the code including instructions to:
- provide an initial quantity of tokens to a player;
- credit and debit a token account of the player responsive to gameplay of the player in a game, wherein tokens are credited to the token account after payout events associated with the game, each payout event having an associated payout value of zero or more tokens and an odds of occurrence, wherein for each payout event, the payout value multiplied by the odds of occurrence produces a yield per token bet, wherein a total of the yields per token bet for all payout events is greater than one, and wherein said payout events having a non-zero yield per token bet have a combined odds of occurrence of less than 50 percent;
- and
- convert tokens according to a token value determined based on a total number of tokens in a set of tokens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.