Smart bin lottery ticket dispenser with integrated controller

1. A lottery ticket dispenser array, comprising:

an external frame;

a plurality of separate bins contained within the external frame, each bin defined by a housing having a front side that is exposed to and faces a purchaser in operational use of the dispenser array, an opposite back side exposed to a user of the dispenser array, and an internal space for receipt of a supply of interconnected lottery tickets, wherein each lottery ticket contains a code printed thereon;

each bin having an electronic drive mechanism that dispenses the lottery tickets therefrom;

a controller in communication with each of the drive mechanisms to initiate a dispense sequence upon receipt of a ticket dispense command from the controller;

the controller configured on the external frame at a mounted location that is variably positional to different physical and operational positions along the external frame such that the controller is presented to the user as an outwardly extending interface with the dispenser array that is variably positionable by the user to the different outwardly extending operational positions on the external frame; and

wherein the controller is slidable along a bottom member, top member, or side member of the external frame between the different outwardly extending operational positions on the external frame.

2. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is pivotally mounted to the external frame at the different outwardly extending operational positions along the bottom member, top member, or side member of the external frame.

3. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is pivotably mounted to the external frame at each of the different outwardly extending positions on the external frame.

4. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is positionable along a bottom member of the external frame and is movable from the outwardly extending position on the bottom member into a horizontal storage position below a bottom row of the bins.

5. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises an input device for entry of the ticket dispense command.

6. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a bin ID signal upon a lottery ticket being dispensed from one of the bins, and further comprising a central lottery server, the controller in communication with the central lottery server and transmitting the bin ID signals to the central lottery server.

7. The lottery ticket dispenser array as in claim 6 , wherein each lottery ticket within the bins includes a code printed thereon that uniquely identifies the lottery ticket, each bin further comprising a scanner disposed to read the code as the lottery tickets are dispensed from the bin, the bin ID signal also containing the unique ticket code.

8. A lottery ticket dispenser array, comprising:

an external frame;

a plurality of separate bins contained within the external frame, each bin defined by a housing having a front side that is exposed to and faces a purchaser in operational use of the dispenser array, an opposite back side exposed to a user of the dispenser array, and an internal space for receipt of a supply of interconnected lottery tickets, wherein each lottery ticket contains a code printed thereon;

each bin having an electronic drive mechanism that dispenses the lottery ickets therefrom;

a controller in communication with each of the drive mechanisms to initiate a dispense sequence upon receipt of a ticket dispense command from the controller;

the controller configured on the external frame and variably positional to different physical and operational positions extending outward from and along the external frame such that the controller is presented to the user as an outwardly extending interface with the dispenser array that is variably positionable by the user to the different outwardly extending operational positions on the external frame;

wherein the controller is positionable along a bottom member of the external frame and is movable from the outwardly extending position on the bottom member into a horizontal storage position below a bottom row of the bins; and

wherein the controller further comprises a tray that is connectable to different power/data ports spaced along the bottom member of the frame, the controller movable into the tray in the horizontal storage position.

9. A lottery ticket dispenser array, comprising:

an external frame;

a plurality of separate bins contained within the external frame, each bin defined by a housing having a front side that is exposed to and faces a purchaser in operational use of the dispenser array, an opposite back side exposed to a user of the dispenser array, and an internal space for receipt of a supply of interconnected lottery tickets, wherein each lottery ticket contains a code printed thereon;

each bin having an electronic drive mechanism that dispenses the lottery ickets therefrom;

a controller in communication with each of the drive mechanisms to initiate a dispense sequence upon receipt of a ticket dispense command from the controller;

the controller configured on the external frame and variably positional to different physical and operational positions extending outward from and along the external frame such that the controller is presented to the user as an outwardly extending interface with the dispenser array that is variably positionable by the user to the different outwardly extending operational positions on the external frame; and

wherein the controller is slidable along a side member of the external frame and pivotable from the outwardly extending position on the side member to a storage position essentially flush against the side member of the external frame.