Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02373370 2002-02-26
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPORTS-BASED LOTTERY GAME
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game in the nature of a lottery. In particular,
this
invention relates to a sports-based lottery game, which enhances audience
exposure to
a sport.
Background of the Invention
2 Many sports suffer from having a low profile, or appealing only to a select
audience. Often this is merely the result of lack of awareness and
knowledgeability on
the part of the general public. Familiarity with a sport, including its rules,
and its icons
such as players and venues, and other details and features, enhances audience
awareness and thus increases audience interest in the sport.
The relatively low profile of some sports is often due to a lack of effective
marketing, which results in poor exposure and thus low audience interest. This
becomes a vicious cycle: with a low audience interest, it is difficult for the
sport to
attract sponsors willing to expend significant amounts of money promoting the
sport
(along with their product or service); yet without proper funding, the sport
is unable to
develop and improve audience interest to the point where a sponsor would be
interested in promoting the sport. Accordingly many sports, which might
otherwise
attract significant interest from the general public, are constrained to
suffer
continuously from a low profile and poor exposure.
4 Horse racing, for example, is ignored by a large segment of the general
public. Although avidly followed by racing fans, others who are unfamiliar
with the
names of icons in the sport such as jockeys, horses, riding venues and
industry
moguls, and other features and details of the sport, remain largely
disinterested and
have no incentive to gain familiarity with the sport. Despite that this
information is
readily available and widely publicized, without any motivation or incentive
to
familiarize themselves with icons and other details relating to the sport,
most
members of the general public will remain disinterested.
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If horse racing as a sport were able to attract a larger audience, it would be
in turn able to attract better sponsors and more funding, which would enable
the sport
to quickly increase its exposure and consumer awareness. This positive cycle
can
develop substantial popularity in an otherwise obscure sport in a relatively
short time.
6 It would accordingly be advantageous to provide an incentive for members
of the general public who had previously failed to show any interest in a
sport, to
familiarize themselves with icons and other details and features relating to
the sport,
and thus to potentially develop a continuing interest in the sport. This would
benefit
the sport, by increasing the size of its audience and thereby rendering
sponsorship
more appealing to funding organizations, and individuals, whose interests are
broadened by their participation (as spectators) in a new sport.
'7 Lotteries, in which participants are offered an opportunity to win
something of value on a purely chance basis, have become very popular and
appeal to
a wide segment of the general population. Technology has been developed for
offering and playing lotteries over a wide area, for example over a global
computer
network such as the Internet.
It would accordingly be advantageous to take advantage of the popularity
of lotteries by associating them with icons and other details and features
relating to
individual sports, such as horse racing, motor racing, golf and tennis, and
team sports
such as Soccer, Cricket, Baseball and Football, to thereby increase the
popularity of
those sports.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides an on-line lottery which can be played over
a wide area, for example over a global computer network such as the Internet,
which
is designed to enhance consumer familiarity with the icons and other details
(for
example statistics) and features relating to a sport. Through the invention,
individuals
would be attracted from a segment of the general population that had
previously
expressed no interest in the sport, which would increase audience size and
awareness
of the sport. The invention can be implemented in connection with any sport
(team or
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CA 02373370 2002-02-26
individual) and be directed to any target audience, and provides incentive for
members
of the target audience to familiarize themselves with icons and details
relating to the
sport and thus increase the popularity of the sport in general.
t o The invention accomplishes this by providing an on-line lottery game
comprising two stages. In the first stage, or "draw" stage, participants log
on to an
online site on a computer network, for example a web site on the Internet, and
register
for a lottery draw. Registration gives the participant an opportunity to be a
winner in
the draw. A predetermined number of draw winners are then drawn at random. In
the
second stage of the game, or "winner" stage, an icon relating to a particular
sport is
assigned to each draw winner. For example, if the lottery is operated in
association
with the sport of horse racing, each draw winner could be assigned to a
specific
jockey or a horse. The icon may be assigned by the lottery administrator, or
each draw
winner may be given the opportunity to select an icon, given priority for
example
based on the order in which the draw winners are drawn. A draw winner would
then
win a prize each time the icon (jockey or horse in this example) wins a race.
Optionally a consolation prize may be provided to draw winners who do not win
a
prize and a further draw opportunity provided for all other entrants who have
not
originally been drawn.
1 t The lottery is played regularly, in association with the dissemination of
information, including icons and any other desired sports details or features,
relating
to the sport on which the lottery is based. The ability to play the lottery so
simply and
potentially win a prize provides incentive to members of the general public
who enjoy
playing lotteries, but have never expressed an interest in the sport on which
the lottery
is based, to become familiar with some of the icons and other details
associated with
the sport. The increased familiarity with these details, facts and features of
the sport
increases the likelihood that a participant will be drawn to the sport and
increase the
size of the audience. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment, participation
in the
lottery is free of charge, and prizes are funded by the lottery administrator
and/or
sponsors and advertisers (that may, for example, be associated with or
compensated
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CA 02373370 2002-02-26
by an administrative body governing the sport), in order to maximize
participation in
the lottery.
12 In the preferred embodiment, information relating to icons and other
details and features of the sport is disseminated to lottery participants
through the
same site at which participants register for the lottery draw, for example at
a web site
accessed through the participant's browser. In an alternative embodiment,
information
can also be disseminated in any other fashion, including in printed
publications
circulated generally or specifically to registered participants.
Brief Description of the Drawings
13 In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred
embodiment of the invention,
14 Figure 1 is a schematic flow diagram showing the steps in a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
15 The invention will be described in relation to the sport of horse racing.
However, the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. It will be
appreciated
that the invention is equally applicable to other sports (individual or team),
by
associating draw winners with icons relating to each particular sport, which
would
benefit in the same fashion as the sport of horse racing.
The invention, shown in Figure I, relates to a system and method for
conducting an on-line lottery which can be played over a wide area, for
example over
a global computer network such as the Internet. In the preferred embodiment,
the
system and method of the invention comprises two stages.
1'7 In the first or "draw" stage participants log on to an online site, for
example a web site posted by the lottery administrator. The web site comprises
instructions for participants and an interface into which participants can
enter
identifying information in order to register for the lottery draw. In the
preferred
embodiment the lottery draw is free to participants, who need only register
and
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provide an email address for notifications (preferably with an agreement to
accept e-
mail promotions relating to the sport), and optionally a postal code or zip
code which
allows the administrator to verify the geographic location of the participant.
Participants logging in for the first time must enter any mandatory membership
information required by the administrator, and can also supply a pseudonym
which
will thereafter serve as a member name which can be used in subsequent lottery
draws, allowing the participant to retain anonymity if desired.
18 The administrator's web site preferably also provides information,
including icons and any other desired sports details or statistics, relating
to the sport
on which the lottery is based, in this example horse racing. Thus, in the
preferred
embodiment the web site serves not only as a user interface for the lottery
game, but
also as an information dissemination vehicle for imparting icon and other
sports-based
feature information to the registered participants.
19 Entry times may be restricted or unlimited, but with a cut-off time prior
to
the next upcoming event for which each draw is intended. In the case of a
horse race,
for example, the administrator may specify a cut-off time of 12:00 p.m. local
time on
the day of the races. Participants logging in after the assigned cut-off time
would then
be automatically entered into the next following draw. One registration per
registered
e-mail address per draw per day only gives the participant an opportunity to
be a draw
winner; prizes are awarded only in the second stage of the lottery game.
2o After the assigned cut-off time, a predetermined number of draw winners
are drawn at random from the pool of registered participants. This may be done
by
computer, manually, by machine, or in any other desired manner, and commences
the
second or "winning" stage of the game, in which an icon relating to the
featured sport
is assigned to each draw winner.
21 For example, in the example in which the lottery is operated in association
with the sport of horse racing, each draw winner might be assigned to a
specific
jockey or a horse. The assignment of an icon such as a jockey may be
particularly
beneficial in the case of horse racing, since the reputation of a popular
horse is often
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short lived whereas the fame of a popular jockey can persist for many years.
However,
which particular type of icon is chosen as suitable for a particular sport is
a matter of
choice which may be best made by those knowledgeable in the sport, but the
types of
icons which can be selected is very broad and will vary from sport to sport.
22 The icon may be assigned by the lottery administrator, in which case the
draw winners are notified of their respective icon assignments after the draw,
but
before the game in the sport on which the lottery is based and played; or each
draw
winner may be given the opportunity to select their own icon. In either case,
the icons
may for example be assigned or selected in priority based on the order in
which the
draw winners are drawn during the first stage of the game. In the second stage
of the
game, a draw winner wins a prize each time the icon achieves a success; for
example,
each time the jockey wins a race.
23 The linking or association of draw winners with icons related to the sport
is designed to enhance consumer familiarity with the icons and other details
(venues,
statistics etc.) relating to the sport, by giving otherwise disinterested or
indifferent
consumers an opportunity to win a prize based on the performance of an icon in
which
they now have a stake. The invention would thus increase audience size and
awareness of the sport, and interest in the sport in general.
24 Many variations from the basic game are available. For example,
optionally a consolation prize or further draw opportunity may be provided to
draw
winners who do not win a prize. Information relating to icons, statistics and
other
details and features of the sport may be disseminated to participants through
any
media channel, and multiple media channels. This allows the information
dissemination aspect of the invention to be most beneficially deployed through
channels most appropriate for the particular sport concerned. For example, in
the sport
of horse racing printed periodicals, and particularly daily newspapers, are a
preferred
information dissemination medium, given the frequency with which and the
number
of local venues at which horse racing takes place. In other sports television,
radio,
Internet and/or other media channels may be most appropriate. The ability to
disseminate information through any available means offers an opportunity to
provide
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a multi-media presence which affords saturation exposure via newspapers,
radio,
television, and other media channels, in addition to the Internet.
25 The sports based lottery according to the invention is easy to play, and
the
results of the post-draw portion of the game can be viewed, listened to or
otherwise
monitored live by participants, which increases the excitement and enhances
the
viewer's feeling of participation in the game. Further, as participants become
familiar
with the sport through increased access to icons, statistics and details
relating to the
sport, they will be more likely to seek out further information (from the same
and
other media sources) in order to enhance their knowledge and appreciation of
the sport
in general. As the audience for the sport increases, through participation in
the lottery
of the invention, the administrator will develop a sizeable database that can
be a
valuable marketing tool for many goods or services based companies. Revenues
can
thus be generated not only by direct sponsorship and advertising, but also by
the
distribution of customer lists through other marketing entities.
26 In the operation of the example relating to the sport of horse racing,
during
the actual draw ten registered participants can be drawn at random, if
desired, by
computer, for each featured racetrack. Each local racetrack may then be
matched to
local participants using the postal code or zip code information provided by
each
participant upon registration. The ten draw winners are assigned the
designated icons
(for example jockeys or horses, or a combination of the two), either in a
particular
order or at random. For example, the first participant drawn can be assigned
the
leading jockey at racetrack A, the second participant drawn getting the second
leading
jockey at racetrack A, etc. The tenth person can be awarded a "joker" which
represents all other jockeys riding at that racetrack on that date.
Alternatively, the
icons may be selected by the winners, either in a particular order or at
random.
27 A prize can then be awarded to the participant associated with each icon
which achieves a success of some kind, for example each jockey that wins a
race,
either once or every time the jockey wins a race. Lesser prizes can be awarded
for
place and show, etc. The number of possible permutations is essentially
unlimited.
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28 Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described
in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that
variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention.
The
invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the
scope of the
appended claims.
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