SCRATCH-OFF INSTANT LOTTERY TICKETS WITH DYNAMICALLY POSITIONED VARIABLE SYMBOLS

1 . A method of manufacturing instant lottery tickets for an instant lottery ticket game, said method comprising:

for each of the instant lottery tickets:

determining a first quantity of first variable symbols for that instant lottery ticket, wherein the first quantity is at least one;

determining a position for each of the first quantity of the first variable symbols anywhere in an entire play area of a substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

for each of the first quantity of first variable symbols, printing that first variable symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that first variable symbol;

determining a second quantity of the second variable symbols for that instant lottery ticket, wherein the second quantity is at least two;

determining a position for each of the second quantity of the second variable symbols anywhere in the entire play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

for each of the second quantity of the second variable symbols, printing that second variable symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that second variable symbol; and

applying a scratch off coating on the substrate that covers all of the first variable symbols and all of the second variable symbols printed on the substrate,

wherein an award amount for that instant lottery ticket is based partly on relative distances between the each of the first variable symbols and the second variable symbols on the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the first quantity is one, and the first variable symbol is a target symbol.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the second variable symbols indicate attempts at reaching the target symbol.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the first quantity is more than one, and the first variable symbols are target symbols.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the second variable symbols indicate attempts at reaching the target symbols.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the first quantity is more than one, the first variable symbols are target symbols, and one of the first target symbols is at least partially surrounded by a second one of the first target symbols.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the second variable symbols indicate attempts at reaching the target symbols.

8 . The method of claim 1 , which comprises for each instant lottery ticket:

determining a third quantity of third variable symbols for that instant lottery ticket, wherein the third quantity is at least one, wherein each of the third variable symbols is a variable award amount symbol;

determining a position for each of the third quantity of third variable symbols anywhere in the entire play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

for each of the third quantity of third variable symbols, printing that third variable symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that third variable symbol;

applying the scratch off coating on the substrate that covers all of the third variable symbols on the substrate,

wherein the award amount for that instant lottery ticket is partly based on each of the third variable symbols relative to one of the first variable symbols on the substrate.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the first quantity is more than one, the first variable symbols are target symbols, and one of the first target symbols is at least partially surrounded by a second one of the first target symbols.

10 . The method of claim 1 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the relative distances between the first variable symbols and the second variable symbols based on pixels of the play area of the substrate of that instant lottery ticket.

11 . A method of manufacturing instant lottery tickets for an instant lottery ticket game, said method comprising:

for each instant lottery ticket:

determining a first target symbol for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a position for the first target symbol anywhere in an entire play area of a substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

printing that first target symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that first target symbol;

determining a second quantity of second variable game symbols for that instant lottery ticket, wherein each of the second variable symbols indicates an attempt at reaching the target symbol;

for each of the second quantity of the second variable game symbols, determining a position of the second variable game symbol anywhere in the entire play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

for each of the second quantity of the second variable game symbols, printing that second variable game symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that second variable symbol; and

applying a scratch off coating on the substrate that covers the first target symbol and all of the second variable game symbols printed on the substrate,

wherein an award amount for that instant lottery ticket is partly based on relative distances between the first target symbol and the second variable symbols on the substrate.

12 . The method of claim 11 , which comprises for each instant lottery ticket:

determining a second target symbol for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a position for the second target symbol anywhere in the entire play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

printing that second target symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that second target symbol; and

applying the scratch off coating on the substrate that covers the second target,

wherein the award amount for that instant lottery ticket is also based on relative distances between the second target symbol and the second variable symbols on the substrate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein for each instant lottery ticket, the first target symbol is at least partially surrounded by the second first target symbol.

14 . The method of claim 11 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the relative distances between the first target symbols and the second variable symbols based on pixels of the play area of the substrate of that instant lottery ticket.

15 . A method of manufacturing instant lottery tickets for an instant lottery ticket game, said method comprising:

for each instant lottery ticket:

determining a first target symbol for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a position for the first target symbol in a play area of a substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a second target symbol for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a position for the second target symbol in the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket and based on the position of the first target in the play area;

printing that first target symbol and the second target symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined positions for that first target symbol and that second target symbol;

determining a second quantity of the second variable game symbols for that instant lottery ticket;

determining a position for each of the second quantity of the second variable game symbols in the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket;

for each of the second quantity of second variable game symbols, printing that second variable game symbol on the play area of the substrate for that instant lottery ticket at the determined position for that second variable symbol; and

applying a scratch off coating on the substrate that covers the first target symbol, the second target symbol, and all of the second variable game symbols printed on the substrate, and

wherein an award amount for that instant lottery ticket is partly based on relative positions of the first target symbol, the second target symbol, and the second variable symbols on the substrate.

16 . The method of claim 15 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the positions of each of the second variable symbols based a betting layout printed on the substrate.

17 . The method of claim 15 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the positions of each of the second variable symbols based a betting layout on the substrate, wherein the betting layout is the same for each instant lottery ticket.

18 . The method of claim 15 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the position for the first target symbol for that instant lottery ticket in part by determining a rotational position for the first target symbol for that instant lottery ticket.

19 . The method of claim 15 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the position for the second target symbol for that instant lottery ticket in part by determining the position for the second target symbol based on the rotational position of the first target in the play area.

20 . The method of claim 15 , which comprises, for each instant lottery ticket, determining the positions of the second quantity of second variable game symbols independent of distances relative to the first target symbol and the second target symbol.