Lottery ticket apparatus containing multiple game play areas and methods thereof

Abstract

A scratch off lottery ticket and method of manufacturing the scratch off lottery ticket in which the lottery ticket contains multiple game play areas where a player can scratch off a layer of scratch off material to reveal the hidden results, and depending on those results, can be awarded prizes for each particular game play area or can be awarded prizes for the combination of the results from two or more of the multiple game play areas.

Claims

1. A scratch off lottery ticket apparatus comprising a first side and a second side, said first side comprising a plurality of symbols, said plurality of symbols positioned to create only four individual game play areas, each of said four individual game play areas comprising a three-by-three array of symbols, said four individual game play areas positioned to create an entire game play area comprising a two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, said first side further comprising an opaque scratch off material layer, such that said plurality of symbols cannot be determined through the scratch off material layer, whereby upon removing all of the scratch off material layer, each of the four individual game play areas reveals winning combination of identical symbols in the four individual game play areas, and whereby upon removing all of the scratch off material layer, said entire game play area of said four three-by-three arrays of symbols reveals a second winning combination of identical symbols, wherein said second winning combination utilizes at least one symbol from the plurality of symbols from each of the four individual game play areas to create said second winning combination in the entire game play area, said second winning combination of identical symbols further comprises a diagonal from the upper left symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas to the lower right symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, and wherein said second winning combination of identical symbols further comprises a diagonal from the upper right symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas to the lower left symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, such that said second winning combination comprises twelve identical symbols, thereby generating an X pattern across the four individual game play areas.

2. The scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of symbols includes at least one wild symbol, which will have the value of the identical symbols.

3. The scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of symbols is 36 symbols.

4. The scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first winning combination in each of the four individual game play areas comprises identical symbols on a diagonal of the three-by-three array.

5. A method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus having a first side and a second side, with a scratch off layer on said first side and exactly four three-by-three array individual game play areas creating an entire game play area comprising a two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, and each of said four three-by-three array individual game play areas comprising a plurality of symbols in which each of the four three-by-three array individual game play areas may reveal a first winning combination of said plurality of symbols and the four three-by-three array individual game play areas must be combined to reveal a second winning combination of said plurality of symbols, the method comprising the steps of: a) printing on at least a portion of the first side of a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus a plurality of symbols, said plurality of symbols being positioned to create four three-by-three array individual game play areas and an entire game play area made up of said four three-by-three array individual game play areas, said entire game play area comprising a two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas; b) covering said four three-by-three array individual game play areas with a scratch off material, such that said one or more of the plurality of symbols are not revealed without removing said scratch off material; c) printing instructions on either of said two sides, said instructions instructing a player to remove the scratch off material from the four three-by-three array individual game play areas to reveal said plurality of symbols for each of the four three-by-three array individual game play areas and for the entire game play area; d) whereby upon removing all of the scratch off material layer, each of the four three-by-three array individual game play areas reveals a first winning combination of identical symbols in the four individual game play areas, and whereby upon removing all of the scratch off material layer, said entire game play area reveals a second winning combination of identical symbols, wherein said second winning combination must utilize at least one symbol from each of the four three-by-three array individual game play areas, said second winning combination of identical symbols further comprises a diagonal from the upper left symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas to the lower right symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, and wherein said second winning combination of identical symbols further comprises a diagonal from the upper right symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas to the lower left symbol of the two-by-two array of the four individual game play areas, such that said second winning combination comprises twelve identical symbols, thereby generating an X pattern across the four individual game play areas.

6. The method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 5, further comprising the step of: (e) printing instructions on either of said two sides, said instructions including a description of winning combinations of identical symbols, said winning combinations including a description of winning combinations of identical symbols for each of said four three-by-three array individual game play areas, and a description of winning combinations of identical symbols for said entire game play area.

7. The method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 5, wherein said plurality of symbols includes at least one wild symbol.

8. The method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 5, wherein said plurality of symbols is 36 symbols.

9. The method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first winning combination in each of the four individual game play areas comprises similar symbols on a diagonal of the three-by-three array.

10. The method for printing a scratch off lottery ticket apparatus of claim 9 wherein said second winning combination of symbols is a first diagonal of similar symbols and a second diagonal of similar symbols, said first diagonal of similar symbols located across two of the four individual game play areas and said second diagonal of similar symbols located across the remaining two of the four individual game play areas.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to the limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the lottery ticket in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of a first embodiment of the lottery ticket with the scratch off material removed in accordance with the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the lottery ticket in accordance with the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of the lottery ticket with the scratch off material removed in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 illustrates a lottery ticket 10 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The lottery ticket 10 is made up of a cardboard base 12 with fanciful printing 14 on the cardboard base 12 and an opaque layer 16 that can be scratched off without damaging the underlying information (not shown in FIG. 1). The opaque layer 16 is usually made from a latex material and can be scratched off using the end of a coin or a fingernail.

(7) The fanciful printing 14 can include the title 18 of the lottery ticket 10, in this case X Marks the Spot, the number of possible winning combinations 20, the maximum amount the player can win 22, and instructions for playing the game 24. Additional printing can be included for decoration or informational purposes.

(8) The lottery ticket 10 can range in size anywhere from two inches by four inches, up to four inches by eight inches, although the size of the lottery ticket 10 does not matter and smaller or larger lottery tickets 10 can be used and still come within the scope of the invention.

(9) In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there are four separate areas or regions in which game play can take place separately from the other areas or in combination with one or more of the other areas. The four areas displayed include Game #1 26, Game #2 28, Game #3 30, and Game #4 32. Each of the separate game areas 26, 28, 30, 32 comprise a three row by three column array, making up nine different positions in each game area 26, 28, 30, 32. These game areas 26, 28, 30, 32 are covered by the opaque material 16 and therefore cover or hide the prize amount or symbols that must be uncovered to play the game.

(10) To play the game, the player purchases the lottery ticket 10 shown in FIG. 1 and scratches off the opaque material 16 covering each of the game areas 26, 28, 30, 32. The resulting figure (in this example) is shown in FIG. 2. As shown, much of the fanciful printing 14 remains on the surface of the lottery ticket 10, including the title 18, the number of possible winning combinations 20, the maximum amount the player can win 22, and instructions for playing the game 24.

(11) However, the scratching off of the four game play areas 26, 28, 30, 32 uncovers the four game play area results; Game #1 34, Game #2 36, Game #3 38, and Game #4 40. the results for each game play area determines whether or not that particular game is a winner. For example, the results in Game #1 34 indicate that the player has won $100 based on the results displayed in the first column 42, which contains two similar prize amounts of $100 and a symbol X 44 that is wild in this game, and can be used as any result (here, $100).

(12) Once all of the positions for the four games 34, 36, 38, 40 in this example have been revealed, there may be other combinations of similar prize amounts or symbols that provide the player with a winning combination. For example, if the six positions forming a diagonal 46 from the upper left 48 of the entire game play area down to and including the lower right position 50 of the entire game play area, contained a similar prize amount or symbol (or if the game play provides for wild symbols, a combination of similar prize amounts or symbols and a wild symbol), then the player would win the individual game plays for Game #1 34 and Game #4 40, and also win another prize amount (in addition, as a multiplier or a different amount altogether) for having the successful combination of similar prize amounts or symbols in the positions for the entire diagonal 46.

(13) Further, the multiple game play (as opposed to the separate individual game play) can have a number of different designs or winning combinations based on the positions of the similar prize amounts or symbols. For example, each off the four games 34, 36, 38, 40 can be used to create two intersecting diagonals 46, 52, using six positions each, to make a large X in the middle of the entire game play.

(14) Additional game plays can incorporate a winning combination of all twenty positions on the perimeter of the entire game play area; a large box. In another embodiment, the winning combination can be a grid of four Xs from each of the four games 34, 36, 38, 40, such that the entire game play area has a checkerboard pattern. In yet another embodiment, any of the six positions across or up and down the entire game play area can be both a winning combination in the two individual game play areas, and in the entire game play area. Other winning designs and combinations can be incorporated within the scope of the invention.

(15) The scope of the invention is not limited to a three by three array and other arrays can be utilized to obtain the same results. For example, a five by five array can be used with four separate games or with nine individual games set up as a three by three array of individual games.

(16) Further, the scope is not limited to a particular prize amount or a particular bonus or multiplier if the multiple game play results in a favorable combination. Other amounts can be used both for the individual game play and the multiple game play.

(17) FIG. 3 shows another lottery ticket game play 60 that incorporates two individual game play areas 62, 64. As described above, the lottery ticket 60 is made up of a cardboard base 12 with fanciful printing 14 on the cardboard base 12 and an opaque layer 16 that can be scratched off using the end of a coin or a fingernail. The fanciful printing 14 may include one or more of the title 18, the number of possible winning combinations 20, the maximum amount the player can win 22, and instructions for playing the game 24, among other things. Additional printing can be included for decoration or informational purposes.

(18) FIG. 4 shows the lottery ticket 60 after the scratch off material has been removed and the game play results for Game #1 66 and Game #2 68 have been revealed. In this example, since there are only two games, there is no way to place similar prize amounts or symbols across a diagonal as done previously. However, other designs as discussed herein and that are based on the two game play set up can be utilized for winning combinations.

(19) For example, a row of similar prize amounts or symbols can be revealed across the six positions 70 in row two (not shown here as a winning combination). As such, the player can will in both individual game plays 66, 68 and also receive the bonus amount or multiplier for the successful combination in the six positions from row 270. Other designs can be incorporated, including a checkerboard pattern or a box pattern as described above.

(20) Further, the rules may allow for a winning combination if, between the two different games 66, 68, removing the scratch off material reveals a particular number of a unique symbol 72 (in this case, an X). In this example, the two games 66, 68 revealed three Xs 72, which may be a winning combination. This game play can be incorporated in any of the game play described herein.

(21) To manufacture the lottery tickets 10, 60 described herein, including those lottery tickets that come within the scope of the present invention, the manufacture uses one or both sides of a cardboard base 12 and may print decorations or information about the lottery ticket, that may include one or more of the title 18, the number of possible winning combinations 20, the amount the player can win 22, and instructions for playing the game 24, among other things. Additional printing can be included for decoration or informational purposes.

(22) The manufacturer also prints on at least a portion of one side, a number of prize amounts or symbols in various positions. These positions are combined or separated to create two or more game play areas that may be shown as a design before scratching off the scratch off layer, but will be revealed as separate game play (and the entire game play) when the player scratches off the scratch off material.

(23) Further, by strategically placing the prize amounts or symbols (including wild symbols), only a certain number of the lottery tickets will contain winning combinations. As understood by those having ordinary skill in the art, numerous lottery tickets are printed, with a small percentage having winning combinations and usually an even smaller percentage having winning combinations of larger prize amounts.

(24) The various game play areas of the lottery ticket are then covered with the scratch off material 16. In doing so, the multiple prize amounts or symbols are concealed from the player before purchasing the lottery ticket.

(25) Also, the game play instructions may be printed on one or both sides of the lottery ticket. These instructions explain to the player the rules of the game play, and that the player must scratch off the scratch off layer to reveal the prize amounts or symbols to determine if a there is a winning combination on that particular card.

(26) Instructions may also be printed on either of the two sides of the lottery ticket that describe the combinations of similar prize amounts or symbols that must be revealed in order for the lottery ticket to contain a winning combination. The instructions including a description of winning combinations of similar prize amounts or symbols for each of the individual games and a description of winning combinations of similar prize amounts or symbols for the combination of the entire game (or at least two of the game play areas).

(27) The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Those of skill in the art will recognize changes, substitutions and other modifications that will nonetheless come within the scope of the invention and range of the claims.