Intellectual Property Law

Patent: U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,786 (Bingo)

Bingo Game Method

Issued on December 8, 1995 to Inventor Gary Weingardt

Summary:

This invention attempts to reinvigorate the classic game of Bingo and lure the gamblers away from video poker, slot machines and table games by providing larger bingo jackpots. The invention includes a bingo card with different colored squares, or a board readout that displays the numbers and their associated colors. The colors may be Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow, etc., and specific jackpots or progressive payouts are associated with each color. For example, a player could obtain the largest Bingo by getting a Bingo of all Blue numbers. The next highest payout might be a Green Bingo, followed by a Red Bingo and then a Yellow Bingo. The smallest payout would then go to a multi-colored Bingo. In this example, there would be the smallest amount of numbers designated as Blue, the next smallest as Green, a larger amount of Red, and the remainder of numbers would be Yellow. There may even be a payout for a ?Case Bingo? meaning a Bingo which the player has missed by one number.

Exemplary Claim:

The method of playing a game of bingo comprising:

a) providing a player with a bingo card having a plurality of numbered spaces;

b) providing a plurality of bingo balls each having individual numbers corresponding to the numbered spaces on the bingo card;

c) providing an electronic number reader bingo board having a plurality of numbered spaces corresponding to the number of bingo balls used in the bingo game;

d) a player making a wager to be eligible for the bingo game;

e) randomly designating a portion of the numbered spaces on the bingo board with a first designated marking;

f) designating the remaining numbered spaces on the bingo board as a second designated marking;

g) randomly selecting consecutive bingo balls;

h) if the player achieves a predetermined winning combination on the bingo card of selected numbers having only the first designated marking, awarding the player a first preselected amount.

Full post as published by Patent Arcade on August 14, 2007 (boomark / email).