US 11,704,977 B2
Method and apparatus for dispensing funds in a lottery
Douglas E. Pollard, Winnipeg (CA); Nancy Bettcher, Winnipeg (CA); Richard Bennett Roschuk, Winnipeg (CA); and Amit Chhabra, Winnipeg (CA)
Filed by Pollard Banknote Limited, Winnipeg (CA)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/722,460.
Application 16/722,460 is a continuation of application No. 16/126,755, filed on Sep. 10, 2018, granted, now 10,657,773.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/556,871, filed on Sep. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0143628 A1, May 7, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63F 9/24 (2006.01); G07F 17/32 (2006.01); G06K 7/14 (2006.01); G06K 19/06 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 17/329 (2013.01) [G06K 7/1417 (2013.01); G06K 19/06037 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing a lottery distribution of lottery funds to customers in a lottery comprising:
providing a lottery control system comprising at least one programmed computer;
providing a plurality of lottery cards each comprising a substrate and each having printed thereon:
a Point of Sale (POS) code by which the lottery card is scanned through a POS system for purchase of the lottery card by a customer of the customers;
a unique activation code which is scanned for entry of data identifying the lottery card into the lottery control system;
and an access code which is used for entry by the customer into a digital experience provided by the lottery control system on a communication platform accessible by an internet communication device operated by the customer;
providing in the lottery control system a predetermined pool of instant win lottery outcomes containing both winners of a predetermined prize and non-winners of the lottery;
the lottery control system being arranged to receive the unique activation code of a lottery card when transmitted from a POS terminal to the lottery control system after reading of the POS code and the activation code of the lottery card by the POS terminal and after completing a purchase transaction of the lottery card using the POS code at the POS terminal;
the lottery control system and the lottery cards being arranged such that, prior to receipt of the activation code from a lottery card by the lottery control system, the lottery card is not associated in the lottery control system with any of the outcomes in the pool of outcomes;
in response to the receipt of the activation code by the lottery control system, selecting from the predetermined pool of instant win lottery outcomes one of the lottery outcomes as a selected outcome and associating the activation code with the selected outcome;
the lottery control system operating to display to the customer on said digital experience said selected outcome as a digital experience game mechanic;
wherein the display of the selected outcome on the digital experience game mechanic is provided by the lottery control system independent of any game symbols provided on the lottery card;
wherein the lottery control system provides only, with the digital experience game mechanic and thus not on the lottery card, a validation code which is arranged to be stored on the internet communication device of the customer; and
wherein the validation of the prize determined by the selected outcome is carried out by displaying the validation code from the digital experience game mechanic on the internet communication device to a lottery terminal.