Finite and pari-mutual video keno

Details Finite and pari-mutual video keno Finite and pari-mutual video keno

1998-06-05

2001-02-06

O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3711)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

In a chance application

C463S017000, C273S269000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06183361

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to amusement and entertainment games. More particularly, the invention relates to finite-definition amusement and entertainment games which have a finite pool and predetermined number of outcomes, payout, and winners and the system, method and apparatus used to play such games. Specifically, the invention is the game of video keno in a finite format, such as that of pull tabs or scratch off games, where a predetermined and finite pool of winners and losers is defined and then randomly played out as players select their numbers whereby draw numbers are created to match, in full, in part or not at all the numbers of the player's based upon the random winner or loser selection, whereby the video keno game meets all gaming regulations that require players compete against each other to win from a common pool and are not wagering against the house as the house instead has a predetermined share so long as all outcomes in the pool are played.
2. Background Information
The amusement and entertainment game of Keno has been played for thousands of years as it dates back to ancient Chinese dynasties. The game of keno has remained popular for all of these thousands of years as different variations have been developed.
With the overall rise in general standards of living, and specifically disposable income, in the 20
th
century, amusement and entertainment games have soared in popularity as is obvious from the rise of such gaming meccas as Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City, as well as the rapid rise in Indian gaming. As a result, many amusement and entertainment games, such as keno, poker, blackjack, bingo and others, have enjoyed both a significant following and continued rise in popularity.
Many applications of keno have been developed including ticket keno, and video or digital keno. These various forms of keno generally involve infinite rounds, unknown payout amounts until play is complete, and are thus not pari-mutual and are instead banked in nature.
Ticket keno is played using play field cards and a bowl with typically 80 numbered balls therein. A paytable or fixed prize schedule is also provided in which odds are displayed. These odds are based upon the number, typically from 2 to 10 (although 1 to 15, or even 1 to 20 are sometimes used), of picks or spots that a player selects from the available numbers (typically an 80 number pool) that are also selected by the house in its draw (typically a 20 number draw).
The object of the game is to have as many hits in your catch as possible. Specifically, after the players have selected their picks or spots, the house draws the winning numbers, typically 20 numbers, referred to as the draw. Each of the draw numbers that matches one of the player's picks or spots is called a hit. The total number of hits is called the catch. The object is therefor to have as many hits in your catch as possible, thus each player wants to have as many of its spots as possible match the numbers drawn in the house draw (although in certain instances there is also a payout for not matching any where a large number of spots was chosen).
An example is as follows, the Keno player decides how many spots or picks to play in this round, for instance 8. The player then marks, using a pen, punchout or other permanent marking means, off of the play field card the 8 spots the player desires from the numbers pool (for instance 1 to 80 which is standard in keno). For instance, this player decides to pick the following 8 numbers: 3, 6, 8, 14, 25, 51, 66, and 80. The player must also indicate a desired wager.
Typically other players are also playing and will have selected their spot, the actual numbers in their spot, and their wager. The house then randomly chooses a predetermined, typically 20, balls from the bowl. Each player then compares its spots to the draw from the bowl. A payout is then determined from the paytable based upon the number of correct spots as a ratio of the number of spots. A sample keno paytable is as follows where the bolded numbers across the top row are the number of spots picked while the numbers in the first column are the catch:
SAMPLE KENO PAYTABLE
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
9
3
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
36
7
3
2
1
1
0
0
4
63
23
12
6
3
2
1
5
188
86
34
14
12
5
6
400
160
60
36
25
7
800
360
128
80
8
1200
480
360
9
2000
1000
10
4000
If the draw included the following numbers: 1, 4, 8, 9, 14, 21, 25, 33, 35, 36, 40, 48, 51, 55, 62, 66, 70, 71, 77, and 80 then the spots of: 3, 6, 8, 14, 25, 51, 66, and 80 result in hits as to 8, 14, 25, 51, 66, and 80, or a catch of 6. Since 8 spots were picked and the catch is 6 then the paytable indicates a payout of 60 (that is 60 times the wager). Obviously, this is a higher payout than a catch of 4 out of 8 spots, or a catch of 6 out of 9 spots, but lower than a catch of 8 out of 8 spots.
Since as indicated above, multiple players could play simultaneously, there may have been multiple payouts as to this particular draw. For instance, another player may have 3 hits in his catch and would thus get his wager back (3 hits from 8 is a payout of 1).
This ticket keno may instead be played in a video format, but in either case a new random draw occurs every so many minutes. Such random selecting of the draw for each round is referred to as “banked” play. Present video keno is of such a banked variety in that the draw generally occurs within that machine only after the player presses play (a random number generator generates the 20 numbers from the pool of 80). Two forms of video play include on lottery type cards and on a digital and interactive screen, where in either case each player picks its spots and awaits a random draw of numbers for the house (the draw). Once again, multiple players may be playing together using different player numbers and the same draw.
In this above described traditional keno, the game has infinite outcomes since each round involves a new draw of 20 numbers from the bowl or random number generator, and thus the same 20 numbers could feasiblely be drawn. In addition, one or more players can be playing each round using one or more sets of player's numbers. Since the number of players is unknown for each round, the player's numbers are unknown for each round, and the house draw and thus the number of winners and losers is unknown for each round until the numbers are randomly drawn, each round has infinite possible outcomes. As a result, the house is playing against the players since the house hopes that its draw is always different from all of the players spots. Since such house vs. players is ripe for fraud, many states and countries have banned such play often called “banked” play.
In contrast, other forms of gaming are available that involve predetermined total outcomes, predetermined payout totals, predetermined payout schedules, etc. These games are finite and pari-mutual because the total quantity of rounds or plays is set or finite, the quantity of winning and losing rounds or plays is known, and the gaming establishment knows how much it will win before any game is ever played. In effect, each player is only playing against other players. This is accomplished by predetermining the total number of outcomes, called the deal, in any particular sequence. The actual outcomes are also secretly determined although the order of such is not known. Then the total percentage to be paid out is determined and the scale or schedule of payout is also determined. Such finite and pari-mutual games are legal in most areas where “banked” games are not, and have thus increased dramatically in popularity.
Two examples of finite and pari-mutual gaming are scratch off paper lottery games, and paper and/or video pull tab games. These games involve the player scratching off, tearing off pull tabs, or opening video doors to reveal symbols or text underneath which are in turn compared to winning patterns whereby a match results in some predetermined winnings.
In the paper games, tickets or

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