Lottery ticket distribution system
View Patent ↗A lottery ticket distribution system according to the invention includes a ticket distribution center ( 9 ) that is in electronic communication with a number of player terminals ( 10 ) at locations remote to the ticket distribution center. The ticket distribution center ( 9 ) includes an electronic ticket storage device ( 11, 20 ) for storing a game set ( 29 ) of electronic tickets ( 31 ) and distributing the electronic tickets to the player terminals ( 10 ). A ticket record manufacturing device ( 14, 15 ) operatively connected to the ticket distribution center ( 9 ) provides either a nonvolatile data record for each ticket or a hard copy ticket, or both. The nonvolatile data records or set of hard copy tickets for a given game set are not distributed to the players, but are held for verification and dispute resolution purposes either at the ticket distribution center ( 9 ) or some other secure location.
1. A lottery ticket distribution system including:
(a) a ticket distribution center including an electronic ticket storage device for storing a game set comprising a number of electronic lottery tickets to be distributed to players using the system, each electronic lottery ticket being represented by ticket data that includes at least a result and a ticket identifier associated with the respective electronic lottery ticket;
(b) a ticket record manufacturing device operatively connected with the ticket distribution center and located at a secure location inaccessible to the players, the ticket record manufacturing device for producing a non-volatile data record or a hard copy ticket record for each respective electronic lottery ticket in the game set prior to a ticket request corresponding to the respective electronic lottery ticket, the ticket record manufacturing device also being distinct from the electronic ticket storage device;
(c) a player terminal for receiving from the ticket distribution center the ticket data representing one of the electronic lottery tickets, the player terminal residing at a location remote from the ticket distribution center;
(d) a player ticket printer included with the player terminal, the player ticket printer for printing a player ticket with the result and a ticket identifier included in the respective ticket data; and
(e) a communications arrangement for facilitating data communications between the ticket distribution center and the player terminal.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket record manufacturing device comprises a hard copy printer that produces the hard copy ticket record for each electronic lottery ticket in the game set.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket record storage manufacturing device comprises an optical disc writer that produces the non-volatile data record for each electronic lottery ticket in the game set.
4. The system of claim 1 further including a display operatively connected to the player terminal for displaying the result included in the respective ticket data in response to a player input at the player terminal.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket distribution center includes a manufacturing computer for manufacturing the game set.
6. A method for distributing lottery tickets, the method including the steps of:
(a) at a ticket distribution center, storing a game set comprising a number of electronic lottery tickets to be distributed to players using the system, each electronic lottery ticket being represented by a respective collection of ticket data that includes at least a result and a ticket identifier associated with the respective electronic lottery ticket;
(b) prior to a ticket request for any electronic lottery ticket in the game set at the distribution center, producing a game set record at a secure location and securing the game set record from access by the players, the game set record comprising a set of non-volatile data records including a respective data record for each respective electronic lottery ticket in the game set or comprising a set of hard copy ticket records including a respective hard copy ticket record for each respective electronic lottery ticket in the game set;
(c) communicating the ticket data representing one of the electronic lottery tickets over a communications arrangement from the ticket distribution center to a player terminal at a location remote from the ticket distribution center; and
(d) at the player terminal location, printing a player ticket with the result and ticket identifier included in the respective ticket data communicated from the ticket distribution center to the player terminal.
7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of generating the game set at the ticket distribution center.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of communicating the ticket data representing one of the electronic lottery tickets is performed in response to a player input at the player terminal.
9. The method of claim 6 further including the step of storing the respective ticket data while different ticket data representative of a different one of the electronic lottery tickets is printed on a different player ticket in response to a play request entered through the player terminal.
10. The method of claim 6 further including the step of storing the respective ticket data while different ticket data representative of a different one of the electronic lottery tickets is printed on the player ticket in response to a play request entered through the player terminal.
11. The method of claim 6 further including the steps of:
(a) communicating different additional ticket data representing a different one of the electronic lottery tickets over the communications arrangement from the ticket distribution center to the player terminal;
(b) at the player terminal location, printing the player ticket with the result included in the additional ticket data; and
(c) at the player terminal location, displaying a representation indicating the result included in the additional ticket data.
12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of ejecting the player ticket in response to an end play signal.
13. A lottery ticket distribution system including:
(a) a ticket distribution center including an electronic ticket storage device for storing a game set comprising a number of electronic lottery tickets to be distributed to players using the system, each electronic lottery ticket being represented by respective ticket data;
(b) a ticket record manufacturing device operatively connected with the ticket distribution center and located at a secure location inaccessible to the players, the ticket record manufacturing device for producing a hard copy ticket record for each respective electronic lottery ticket in the game set prior to a ticket request corresponding to the respective electronic lottery ticket, the ticket record manufacturing device also being distinct from the electronic ticket storage device;
(c) a player terminal for receiving from the ticket distribution center the ticket data representing one of the electronic lottery tickets, the player terminal residing at a location remote from the ticket distribution center;
(d) a player ticket printer included with the player terminal, the player ticket printer for printing a replica of the hard copy ticket record for a respective electronic lottery ticket; and
(e) a communications arrangement for facilitating data communications between the ticket distribution center and the player terminal.
14. The system of claim 13 further including a display operatively connected to the player terminal for displaying the result included in the respective ticket data in response to a player input at the player terminal.
15. The system of claim 13 wherein the ticket distribution center includes a manufacturing computer for manufacturing the game set.
16. The system of claim 13 wherein the ticket record manufacturing device produces the respective hard copy ticket record for the respective electronic lottery ticket in the game set prior to the distribution of any of the electronic lottery tickets in the game set from the ticket distribution center.