Scratch-off lottery ticket system and method with foreign language templates

1. An instant lottery ticket game system, comprising:

a set of master instant lottery tickets for a common game, wherein each master instant lottery ticket comprises a game play area with variable game play indicia, and static game instruction indicia in a master language, the static game instruction indicia common to all of the master instant lottery tickets in the common game;

each of the master instant lottery tickets further comprising a code thereon that links the master instant lottery ticket to the common game;

for the common game, one or more corresponding digital templates that contain the static game instruction indicia in a foreign language;

a central server that stores the digital templates for the common game, the central server configured for communication with a player's smart device to download the digital templates via an application running on the player's smart device;

the code or a separate code provided on the ticket linking the master instant lottery ticket to a ticket-specific file at the central server, the ticket-specific file comprising a digital game play area corresponding to the game play area on the master instant lottery ticket;

wherein, via the application on their smart device, the player enters one or both of the code and the separate code from the master instant lottery ticket and selects one of the digital templates to view the game instruction indicia in the foreign language of the digital template; and

wherein the central server transmits the digital game play area to the player's smart device where the digital game play area is combined with the digital template and presented to the player.

2. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the digital templates for the common game are downloaded to and stored on the player's smart device, wherein upon entry of the code to the smart device, the application makes the digital templates available to the player.

3. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the digital templates are individually transmitted by the central server to the player's smart device upon receipt by the central server of the code from the player's smart device.

4. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the digital templates are presented on the player's smart device as static non-interactive images.

5. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 4 , wherein the digital templates are presented on the player's smart device as part of a generic instant lottery ticket image for the common game.

6. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the code is a game-specific code for the common game and is not specific to individual master instant lottery tickets within the common game, wherein the separate code is provided that is specific to the master instant lottery ticket and links the master instant lottery ticket to the ticket-specific file at the central server.

7. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the code is a ticket-specific code that also links the master instant lottery ticket to the ticket-specific file at the central server.

8. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein the digital game play area is interactive so that the player simulates removal of a scratch-off coating from the digital game play area to reveal a winning or losing status of the master instant lottery ticket.

9. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein some or all of the variable game play indicia on the master instant lottery ticket is in the master language, the digital game play area further comprising foreign language game play indicia for the foreign language selected by the player.

10. The instant lottery ticket game system as in claim 1 , wherein each of the master instant lottery tickets comprises a symbol printed thereon that indicates to players that one or more of the foreign language digital templates are available for the master instant lottery ticket.

11. An instant lottery ticket game system, comprising:

a set of master instant lottery tickets for a common game, wherein each master instant lottery ticket comprises a game play area with variable game play indicia, and static game instruction indicia in a master language, the static game instruction indicia common to all of the master instant lottery tickets in the common game;

each of the master instant lottery tickets further comprising a code thereon that links the master instant lottery ticket to the common game;

for the common game, one or more corresponding digital templates that contain the static game instruction indicia in a foreign language;

a central server that stores the digital templates for the common game, the central server configured for communication with a player's smart device to download the digital templates via an application running on the player's smart device;

wherein, via the application on their smart device, the player enters the code from the master instant lottery ticket and selects one of the digital templates to view the game instruction indicia in the foreign language of the digital template;

wherein the code is a game-specific code for the common game and is not specific to individual master instant lottery tickets within the common game; and

wherein each of the master instant lottery tickets further comprises a separate validation code that is linked to a validation file associated with the master instant lottery ticket, the validation file containing ticket-specific information for validation and pay-out on the master instant lottery ticket.

12. An instant lottery ticket game system, comprising:

a set of master instant lottery tickets for a common game, wherein each master instant lottery ticket comprises a game play area with variable game play indicia, and static game instruction indicia in a master language, the static game instruction indicia common to all of the master instant lottery tickets in the common game;

each of the master instant lottery tickets further comprising a code thereon that links the master instant lottery ticket to the common game;

for the common game, one or more corresponding digital templates that contain the static game instruction indicia in a foreign language;

a central server that stores the digital templates for the common game, the central server configured for communication with a player's smart device to download the digital templates via an application running on the player's smart device;

wherein, via the application on their smart device, the player enters the code from the master instant lottery ticket and selects one of the digital templates to view the game instruction indicia in the foreign language of the digital template;

wherein the code is a ticket-specific code that also links the master instant lottery ticket to a ticket-specific file at the central server, the ticket-specific file comprising a digital game play area corresponding to the game play area on the master instant lottery ticket, wherein upon receipt of the ticket-specific code, the central server transmits the digital game play area to the player's smart device where the digital game play area is combined with the digital template and presented to the player; and

wherein the ticket-specific code is a validation code that is also linked to a validation file associated with the master instant lottery ticket, the validation file containing ticket-specific information for validation and pay-out on the master instant lottery ticket, the digital game play area stored in the validation file.

13. A method for providing multi-lingual capability to an instant lottery ticket game system, comprising:

producing a set of master instant lottery tickets for a common game, wherein each master instant lottery ticket comprises a game play area with variable game play indicia, and static game instruction indicia in a master language, the static game instruction indicia common to all of the master instant lottery tickets in the common game;

on each of the master instant lottery tickets, printing a code thereon that links the master instant lottery ticket to the common game;

linking the code or a separate code provided on the master instant lottery ticket to a ticket-specific file at the central server, the ticket-specific file comprising a digital game play area corresponding to the game play area on the master instant lottery ticket;

for the common game, producing one or more corresponding digital templates that contain the static game instruction indicia in a different foreign language;

storing the digital templates at a central server, and downloading the digital templates to a player's smart device via an application running on the player's smart device;

wherein, via the application on their smart device, the player enters one or both of the code and the separate code from the master instant lottery ticket and selects one of the digital templates stored on their smart device or individually transmitted by central server to view the game instruction indicia in the foreign language of the digital template; and

wherein the central server transmits the digital game play area to the player's smart device where the digital game play area is combined with the digital template and presented to the player.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the digital templates are presented on the player's smart device as static non-interactive images as part of a generic instant lottery ticket image for the common game.

15. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the code is a game-specific code for the common game and is not specific to individual master instant lottery tickets within the common game, wherein the separate code is provided that is specific to the master instant lottery ticket and links the master instant lottery ticket to the ticket-specific file at the central server.

16. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the code is a ticket-specific code that also links the master instant lottery ticket to the ticket-specific file at the central server.

17. The method as in claim 13 , wherein the digital game play area is interactive so that the player simulates removal of a scratch-off coating from the digital game play area to reveal a winning or losing status of the master instant lottery ticket.

18. The method as in claim 13 , wherein some or all of the variable game play indicia on the master instant lottery ticket is in the master language, the digital game play area further comprising foreign language game play indicia for the foreign language selected by the player.