Lottery gaming with merchandising prizes

A method for enhancing a lottery game, comprising:

• providing a lottery game that enables a selection of a first subset of symbols from a set of symbols, wherein a player is provided with the opportunity to win monetary prizes, full-value prize certificates that are redeemable for merchandise, and partial-value prize certificates,
• wherein the partial-value prize certificates have a value less than the full-value prize certificates, and the partial-value prize certificates are not individually redeemable for merchandise;
• providing merchandise that is redeemable for one or more full-value prize certificates;
• receiving input from the player selecting a first subset of symbols;
• generating and displaying winning symbols, wherein the winning symbols comprise a second subset of symbols selected from the set of symbols;
• awarding monetary prizes to the player if there is a first number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols;
• awarding full-value prize certificates to the player if there is a second number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the second number of matches is less than the first number of matches;
• awarding partial-value prize certificates to the player if there is a third number of matches between the first set of symbols and the winning symbols, wherein the third number of matches is less than the second number of matches;
• and
• receiving player input selecting merchandise in exchange for one or more full-value prize certificates.

A system for enhancing lottery wins, the system comprising:

• a means for running a lottery;
• a means for enabling selection of a first subset of symbols from a set of symbols;
• a means for selecting a second subset of symbols by the lottery, wherein the second subset is the winning symbols;
• a means for determining a number of matched symbols between the first subset and the second subset, wherein the determining means is capable of issuing monetary prizes, redeemable prize certificates, and partial prize certificates for a predetermined number of matched symbols, wherein the partial prize certificates have a value less than the redeemable prize certificates and the partial prize certificates are not individually redeemable for merchandise;
• a means for providing a selection of merchandise that is associated with issued prize certificates;
• and
• a means for redeeming issued prize certificates for merchandise selected by a player.

A method for enhancing a lottery game, comprising:

• providing a lottery game;
• providing a player with the opportunity to win full-value certificates that are redeemable for a prize from a selection of merchandise;
• providing a player with the opportunity to win partial-value certificates that are not individually redeemable for cash or a prize;
• generating and presenting a game outcome for the lottery game, wherein the game outcome comprises a plurality of symbols;
• and
• awarding a monetary prizes, full-value certificates, and partial-value certificates for winning outcomes.