System and method for performing lottery ticket transactions utilizing point-of-sale terminals

1. A method comprising:

determining a purchase price of a purchase;

determining an amount of change based on the purchase price;

establishing a fractional value for a fractional lottery ticket based on the amount of change; and

providing the fractional lottery ticket in exchange for the amount of change.

2. A method comprising:

calculating a change amount that is based on a transaction;

transmitting a request for a lottery ticket, the request including the change amount;

receiving lottery ticket information including an indication of a fractional value that is based on the change amount; and

printing the lottery ticket information on a receipt.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

generating transaction information; and

in which the step of printing comprises:

printing the lottery ticket information and the transaction information on the receipt.

4. The method of claim 2 , in which the lottery ticket information comprises at least one of:

a price,

a code, and

a plurality of lottery numbers.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving additional lottery ticket information that comprises at least one of:

a lottery game,

a number of lottery tickets, and

a plurality of lottery numbers.

6. The method of claim 5 , in which receiving the additional lottery ticket information comprises:

receiving the additional lottery ticket information from a customer.

7. An apparatus for performing a lottery ticket transaction, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor,

the memory storing executable program instructions, and

the processor operative with the program instructions to perform a method comprising:

calculating a change amount that is based on a transaction;

transmitting a request for a lottery ticket, the request including the change amount;

receiving lottery ticket information including an indication of a fractional value that is based on the change amount; and

printing the lottery ticket information on a receipt.

8. A method comprising:

determining an amount of change that is based on a purchase;

allocating a portion of a ticket, the portion being based on the amount of change,

in which the portion is less than a full ticket; and

outputting a ticket identifier that identifies the ticket and a portion identifier that identifies the portion of the ticket.

9. A method comprising;

receiving a request for a lottery ticket, the request including a change amount that is based on a transaction; and

transmitting lottery ticket information including an indication of a fractional value that is based on the change amount.

10. The method of claim 9 , in which the lottery ticket information comprises at least one of:

a price,

the change amount,

a code, and

a plurality of lottery numbers.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

creating an entry for a lottery ticket after receiving the request.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

creating an entry for a lottery ticket based on the lottery ticket information.

13. The method of claim 9 , in which the request further includes at least one of:

a lottery game,

a number of lottery tickets, and

a plurality of lottery numbers.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

generating a plurality of lottery numbers.

15. An apparatus for performing a lottery ticket transaction, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor,

the memory storing executable program instructions, and

the processor operative with the program instructions to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request for a lottery ticket, the request including a change amount that is based on a transaction: and

transmitting lottery ticket information including an indication of a fractional value that is based on the change amount.

16. A method comprising:

determining a fractional purchase amount,

in which the fractional purchase amount is any fraction of a full price of a lottery ticket and is based on a change amount of a transaction;

generating a fractional lottery ticket based on the fractional purchase amount; and

exchanging the fractional lottery ticket for the fractional purchase amount.

17. The method of claim 16 , in which determining the fractional purchase amount comprises:

receiving a request for a lottery ticket, the request indicating the fractional purchase amount.

18. The method of claim 17 , in which receiving the request comprises:

receiving the request in a stand-alone transaction.

19. The method of claim 16 , in which the fractional purchase amount is less than one dollar.

20. The method of claim 16 , in which the full price is a multiple of one dollar.

21. The method of claim 16 , in which the fractional purchase amount is a fraction that is not greater than ninety-nine percent of the full price.

22. The method of claim 16 , in which the fractional purchase amount is a fraction that is not greater than seventy-five percent of the full price.

23. The method of claim 16 , in which the fractional purchase amount is a fraction that is not greater than fifty percent of the full price.

24. The method of claim 16 , in which the fractional purchase amount is a fraction that is not greater than twenty-five percent of the full price.

25. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining a fraction of a winning prize based on the fractional purchase amount; and

providing the fraction of the winning prize to a holder of the fractional lottery ticket.

26. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a lottery ticket, the request including a purchase amount that is less than a price of a full lottery ticket;

calculating a fractional amount of the full lottery ticket, the fractional amount being based on the purchase amount and the price of the full lottery ticket; and

storing an indication of the fractional amount and an indication of the full lottery ticket.