System and method for operating governmental lottery games with television-based user terminals

1. A method for facilitating governmental lottery play over television, comprising:

receiving a lottery ticket purchase request from a player terminal including a television over a communication network of a television service provider and transmitting the received lottery ticket purchase request to an agent server, configured to process lottery ticket purchase requests transmitted from a plurality of player terminals, in communication with the television service provider over the Internet;

retrieving player information pertaining to a player from a subscriber database of the television service provider;

verifying that the player satisfies predetermined criteria required by a lottery administration entity based on the retrieved player information using a verification unit of the agent server; and

processing the purchase of a lottery ticket based on the received lottery ticket purchase request when it is verified that the player satisfies the predetermined criteria,

wherein the processing of the purchase of the lottery ticket includes receiving a serial number, at the agent server, from a separate lottery administrator server maintained by the lottery administration entity and configured to generate serial numbers associated with purchased lottery tickets.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lottery ticket purchase request is generated by the player's interaction with a set-top-box that is part of the player terminal, via a remote control.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the television service provider is a cable television provider and the television service provider communication network is a cable television network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the television service provider is a fiber optic television provider and the television service provider communication network is a fiber optic television network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the television service provider is a satellite television provider and the television service provider communication network is a satellite television network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the television service provider is a local area hotel or cruise ship television system and the television service provider communication network is local television system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lottery ticket purchase request includes a personal identification number (PIN) that is provided by the player in order to access restricted content or services.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber database includes the location, residency and age of the player.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying that the player satisfies predetermined criteria based on the retrieved player information includes verifying that the player lives in and is located within a particular geographic jurisdiction and verifying that the player is of at least a certain age.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a lottery ticket purchase fee is settled via the television service provider's subscriber account.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein lottery ticket winnings are settled via the television service provider's subscriber account when the winnings are below a particular threshold and lottery ticket winnings are settled via the lottery administration entity when the winnings are above the particular threshold.

12. A system for facilitating a governmental lottery play over television, comprising:

a player terminal with a display device, a digital television provision unit, and a console for the digital television provision unit, the player terminal receiving a lottery ticket purchase request from a player and transmitting the lottery ticket purchase request, over a communication network of a television service provider to the television service provider, the television service provider transmitting the lottery ticket purchase request to an agent server, configured to process lottery ticket purchase requests transmitted from a plurality of player terminals, over the Internet;

a subscriber database for retrieving player information pertaining to the player;

a verification unit of the agent server for verifying that the player satisfies predetermined criteria required by a lottery administration entity based on the retrieved player information;

a lottery transaction server, comprising the agent server, for processing the purchase of a lottery ticket based on the received lottery ticket purchase request when it is verified that the player satisfies the predetermined criteria; and

a separate government lottery administrator server maintained by the lottery administration entity for providing information for determining whether the purchased lottery ticket is a winning ticket or a losing ticket and for generating serial numbers associated with purchased lottery tickets,

wherein the processing of the purchase of the lottery ticket includes receiving a serial number, at the agent server, from the government lottery administrator server.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the display device is a television set and the digital television provision unit is a television set-top-box.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the television set-top-box is a cable box.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the television set-top-box is a cableCARD enabled set-top-box.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the display device and the television set-top-box are embodied in a single television device that is cableCARD enabled.

17. A method for facilitating governmental lottery play over television, comprising:

receiving a lottery ticket purchase request from a player terminal with a display device, a digital television provision unit, and a console for the digital television provision unit, over a communication network of a television service provider and transmitting the received lottery ticket purchase request to an agent server, configured to process lottery ticket purchase requests transmitted from a plurality of player terminals, in communication with the television service provider over the Internet;

retrieving player information pertaining to a player from a subscriber database of the television service provider;

verifying that the player satisfies predetermined criteria required by a lottery administration entity based on the retrieved player information using a verification unit of the agent server; and

processing the purchase of a lottery ticket based on the received lottery ticket purchase request when it is verified that the player satisfies the predetermined criteria,

wherein the processing of the purchase of the lottery ticket includes receiving a serial number, at the agent server, from a separate lottery administrator server maintained by the lottery administration entity and configured to generate serial numbers associated with purchased lottery tickets.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the display device is a television set and the digital television provision unit is a cableCARD enabled set-top-box or a cable box.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the television service provider is a cable television provider and the television service provider communication network is a cable television network.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the television service provider is a fiber optic television provider and the television service provider communication network is a fiber optic television network.