GB2287198A

GB2287198A - Bingo

Info

Publication number: GB2287198A
Application number: GB9405181A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Goldfarb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-02-01
Filing date: 1994-01-24
Publication date: 1995-09-13
Also published as: GB9405181D0; CA2114666A1

Abstract

A method of playing a game to predict a winning number combination comprising: a plurality of players each marking a game sheet with a choice of a winning number combination in a machine readable form; transmission of player's game sheet to a game site operator; reading the game sheets with an electronic game reader to input the players' number selections into a computer memory; returning a copy of each player's marked game sheet; random selection of a winning number combination by game site operator and entry of winning number combination into the computer for comparison with the players' numbers and selection of the winning number.

Description

METHOD OF PLAYING A GAME OF CHANCE WITH A UNIVERSAL BINGO CARD AT THE GAME SITE OR LOCATIONS REMOTE FROM THE GAME SITE BACKGROUND AND SUMD4ARY OF THE INVENTION Many persons enjoy playing games of chance, such as the LOTTERY, BINGO, KENO, or other similar games. However, in some cases a person may not be able to play the game because of transportation problems or for other reasons. Thus, the person may not be physically able to drive a car to the site of a BINGO game or to a store where lottery tickets are sold.

Many people playing the game of BINGO or KENO are dissatisfied with the fact that there is a limitation on the numbers and number combinations that can be played. Each BINGO card has specific numbers printed thereon, so that the person purchasing a particular BINGO card is required to play those particular numbers. The person does not have a choice as to the numbers that he or she can play.

The present invention concerns a method of playing a game such as BINGO, wherein the above-noted disadvantages are overcome. The method of this invention is designed to enable persons to play the game of BINGO or other game of chance without requiring the person to be physically present at the game site (where the BINGO numbers are drawn); the person can be located at the game site, or in some other location remote from the site.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of participation in the playing of a game of chance prediction of a winning number combination, wherein said method comprises: (a) each game player manually completing a game sheet, wherein each game sheet has indicia thereon that a game player can selectively mark to indicate the player's choice of a winning number; said indicia being machine-readable when marked by a player; (b) each game player transmitting the respective marked game sheet to a game site operator who runs the game of chance; (c) the game site operator passing each marked game sheet through an electronic reader that is associated with a computer having a memory, whereby the marked numbers on each respective game sheet are put into the computer memory; (d) the game site operator transmitting back to each game player a copy of the player's marked game sheet so that each game player has visible proof of the marked numbers on the respective game sheet; (e) the game site operator operating a number selection machine that selects a winning number combination on a random chance basis; and (f) the game site operator entering the winning number combination into the computer, whereby the computer compares the winning numbers with the numbers put into the computer memory in step(d);

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia on each game sheet forms a simulated bingo card that comprises multiple spaces arranged in vertical columns that collectively form horizontal rows of spaces; said spaces comprising a single central blank space and a plurality of markable numbered spaces; each said numbered space having a multiplicity of numbers therein that a game player can selectively mark to indicate the player's choice of a winning number for that space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each numbered space has fifteen numbers therein.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) is performed by the game player inserting the respective marked game sheet into a facsimile phone machine that is electronically connected with a facsimile phone machine at the game site, whereby the game player is enabled to play the game from a location remote from the game site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (d) is accomplished by the game site operator inserting a copy of the player's marked game sheet into a facsimile phone machine at the game site, such that the copy is electronically transmitted to a facsimile phone machine remote from the game site.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of: (g) passing the marked game sheet from the electronic reader through a rejection mechanism for detection of errors on the game sheet that would make the game player ineligible to become a winner.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the step of (h) a human technician at the game site phoning game game players the reasons for ineligibility discovered in step (g).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) includes the player writing his, or her, signature on the respective game sheet.

9. A method of participation in playing game of chance prediction of a winning combination, wherein the game players are in various locations remote from the game site, said method com prising the steps of: a. each game player manually completing a game sheet so that the sheet includes, in machine readable form, at least the game player's identity and predicted winning combination, b. each game player inserting the completed game sheet into a facsimile phone machine at a location remote from the game site, whereby the game sheet information is transmitted over the phone line to the game site; c. the game site operator removing a facsimile of the game sheet from a receiving facsimile phone machine located at the game site; d. charging the cost of each game player's participation in the game to the respective player;; e. the game site operator transmitting a written receipt from the game site to the game player, confirming the details of the player's participation in the game; f. the game site operator sending the facsimile of the game sheet through an electronic reader at the game site, whereby the electronic output of the reader is transmitted to the memory of an associated computer; g. selecting a winning combination on a random number basis; and h. using the computer to compare the winning combination with combinations stored in the computer memory, to thereby select the player having the winning combination.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising the step of: i. televising the ceremony of drawing the winning combination, so that the game player is immediately aware of the winning combination.

11. The method of claim 10, and further comprising the step of: j. passing the facsimile of the game sheet from the electronic reader through a rejection mechanism for detection of errors on the game sheet that would make the game player ineligible to become a winner.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising the step of: k. a human technician at the game site telephoning the game player the reasons for the ineligibility discovered in step(j).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (a) involves the player writing his signature on the game sheet.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein step(d) involves the game site operator charging the cost of the game participation number.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein step (d) involves the automatic charging of the game player's participation as an incident to step (b).

16. The method of claim 9, wherein step (a) is carried out with sheet that forms a simulated game card comprising multiple spaces arranged in vertical columns that collectively form jorizontal rows of spaces; said spaces comprising a single central blank space and a plurality of markable numbered spaces; each said numbered space having a multiplicity of numbers therein that a game player can selectively mark to indicate the player's choice of a winning number for that space.