Lottery ticket vending machine

1 . A lottery ticket vending machine comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of ticket drawers in the housing, the ticket drawers each configured to hold lottery tickets;

a ticket burster in the housing, the ticket burster comprising a sensor and defining a ticket inlet and a ticket outlet, the ticket burster movable to positions respectively associated with each of the ticket drawers; and

a controller supported by the housing and configured to, for each of the ticket drawers:

receive and use signals from the sensor regarding an amount of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer when the ticket burster is aligned with the ticket drawer,

track a quantity of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer,

track an event associated with the lottery tickets in the ticket drawer, and

cause a display by a lottery ticket state indicator of an indication of a lottery ticket state for the ticket drawer based on any tracked events associated with the lottery tickets in the ticket drawer and any signals from the sensor regarding the amount of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer when the ticket burster is aligned with the ticket drawer.

2 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a display device supported by the housing, and wherein the lottery ticket state indicator for each of the ticket drawers comprises an interface displayable by the display device.

3 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 2 , wherein the interface is configured to display, for each ticket drawer, an empty lottery ticket state indicator, a low lottery ticket state indicator, a full lottery ticket state indicator, a discontinued lottery ticket state indicator, and a jammed lottery ticket state indicator.

4 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer.

5 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer, and where for each ticket drawer, the lottery ticket state indicator for that ticket drawer is connected to that ticket drawer.

6 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer, and where for each ticket drawer, the lottery ticket state indicator for that ticket drawer is adjacent to that ticket drawer.

7 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer, and where for each ticket drawer, the lottery ticket state indicator for that ticket drawer mounted to a support adjacent to that ticket drawer.

8 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer, and where for each ticket drawer, the lottery ticket state indicator for that ticket drawer mounted to a support that supports that ticket drawer.

9 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a separate lottery ticket state indicator for each ticket drawer, and where for each ticket drawer, the lottery ticket state indicator for that ticket drawer is mounted to a support that supports the ticket burster.

10 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , which comprises a display device supported by the housing, and wherein the lottery ticket state indicator for each of the ticket drawers is displayable by the display device.

11 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a discontinuation of a draw lottery game associated with the lottery tickets in one of the ticket drawers.

12 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a jam in one of the ticket drawers.

13 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 1 , wherein:

the sensor is configured to, for each ticket drawer, sense a light beam that is directed to move through a lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer when the ticket burster is aligned with the ticket drawer, and

the sensor sends signals regarding an amounts of lottery tickets in the ticket drawers to the controller based on whether the light beam is sensed.

14 . A lottery ticket vending machine comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of ticket drawers in the housing, each ticket drawer comprising a lottery ticket holding area configured to hold lottery tickets, each ticket drawer associated with a ticket level determination assembly configured to direct a light beam into the lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer;

a ticket burster in the housing, the ticket burster defining a ticket inlet and a ticket outlet, the ticket burster movable to positions respectively associated with the ticket drawers; and

a controller supported by the housing and configured to, for each of the ticket drawers:

receive and use signals regarding an amount of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer when the ticket burster is aligned with the ticket drawer, wherein the signals are based on whether the light beam is blocked by lottery tickets within the lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer,

track a quantity of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer,

track an event associated with the lottery tickets in the ticket drawer, and

cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of a lottery ticket state for the ticket drawer based on any tracked events associated with the lottery tickets in the ticket drawer and any signals regarding the amount of lottery tickets in the ticket drawer.

15 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 14 , wherein the display, for each ticket drawer, comprises one of an empty lottery ticket state indication, a low lottery ticket state indication, a full lottery ticket state indication, a discontinued lottery ticket state indication, and a jammed lottery ticket state indication.

16 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 15 , wherein the event comprises a discontinuation of a draw lottery game associated with the lottery tickets in one of the ticket drawers.

17 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 15 , wherein the event comprises a jam in one of the ticket drawers.

18 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 14 , wherein the ticket level determination assembly associated with each ticket drawer comprises a light beam source that creates the light beam for the ticket drawer and a reflector that deflects the light beam for the ticket drawer out of the ticket drawer after the light beam for that ticket drawer has moved through the lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer.

19 . A lottery ticket vending machine comprising:

a housing;

a display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of ticket drawers in the housing, each ticket drawer comprising a lottery ticket holding area configured to hold lottery tickets;

a ticket burster in the housing, the ticket burster comprising a sensor and defining a ticket inlet and a ticket outlet, the ticket burster movable to positions respectively associated with the ticket drawers, the sensor configured to, for each of the ticket drawers, provide data regarding a quantity of lottery tickets in the lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer when the ticket burster is aligned with the ticket drawer; and

a controller supported by the housing and configured to:

for each of the ticket drawers, receive the data regarding the quantity of lottery tickets in the lottery ticket holding area of the ticket drawer, and

for each of the ticket drawers, cause a display, by the display device, of one of an empty lottery ticket state indication, a low lottery ticket state indication, a full lottery ticket state indication, a discontinued lottery ticket state indication, and a jammed lottery ticket state indication determined at least partially based on the received data.

20 . The lottery ticket vending machine of claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to receive and use signals from the sensor regarding the quantities of lottery tickets in the ticket drawers.