Systems, Apparatus and Methods for Ticket Sales for On-Line Lotteries and On-Line Games

Abstract

Various systems, apparatus and methods for purchasing tickets for on-line lottery and on-line game without the use of a selection slip are disclosed. A player uses a player terminal to make selections for the on-line lottery or on-line game. The player's selections are recorded in a lottery computer system in a ticket purchase voucher record for a ticket purchase voucher. A ticket purchase voucher code is assigned to the ticket purchase voucher and the player is provided with a mechanism for identifying the ticket purchase voucher code to a ticket vending terminal. The player may be provided with a printable version of the ticket purchase voucher that includes a machine readable form of the ticket purchase voucher code. The player may be provided with a version of the ticket purchase voucher code that may be transmitted to a ticket vending terminal in a radio frequency, optical or electronic signal.

1 . A method of issuing tickets comprising:
 receiving a Ticket Purchase Voucher Request containing proposed ticket information from a player terminal;   creating a ticket purchase voucher record;   recording at least one selection based on the proposed ticket information;   generating a ticket purchase voucher code and recording the ticket purchase voucher code in the ticket purchase voucher record;   transmitting the ticket purchase voucher code to the player terminal;   receiving the ticket purchase voucher code from a ticket vending terminal;   creating at least one ticket record based on the selection recorded in the ticket purchase voucher record;   generating Ticket Receipt Data corresponding to the ticket record; and   transmitting Ticket Receipt Data to the ticket vending terminal.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request includes proposed ticket information for two or more tickets and including:
 recording at least one selection corresponding to the proposed ticket information for each of the tickets; and   after receiving the ticket purchase voucher code:
 creating a ticket record for each of the tickets; and 
 transmitting Ticket Receipt Data corresponding to each of the tickets to the ticket vending terminal. 
   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the proposed ticket information identifies an on-line lottery and a played number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes recording the played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request identifies an on-line lottery and a request for an automatically selected number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes generating an automatically selected played number set and recording the automatically selected played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further including:
 before receiving the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request:
 receiving an account identification code from the player terminal; and 
 identifying a player account associated with the account identification code; 
   identifying the player account in the ticket purchase voucher record; and   associating the ticket record with the player's account.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further including:
 associating a payment service with the player account; and   after receiving the ticket purchase voucher code from the ticket vending terminal and before transmitting the Ticket Receipt Data, obtaining payment from the payment service.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request includes proposed ticket information for two or more tickets and including:
 recording at least one selection corresponding to the proposed ticket information for each of the tickets; and   after receiving the ticket purchase voucher code:
 creating a ticket record for each of the tickets; and 
 transmitting Ticket Receipt Data corresponding to each of the tickets to the ticket vending terminal. 
   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the proposed ticket information identifies an on-line lottery and a played number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes recording the played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request identifies an on-line lottery and a request for an automatically selected number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes generating an automatically selected played number set and recording the automatically selected played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       10 . A method of issuing tickets for an on-line lottery comprising:
 providing a lottery computer system including a player interface, a lottery database and a ticket server;   receiving a Ticket Purchase Voucher Request, wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request originates from a player terminal communicating with the player interface, wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request identifies at least one selection for the on-line lottery;   creating a ticket purchase voucher record in the lottery database based on the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request;   recording at least one played number set corresponding to the selection in the ticket purchase voucher record;   generating a ticket purchase voucher code;   recording the ticket purchase voucher code in the ticket purchase voucher record;   generating a ticket purchase voucher, wherein the ticket purchase voucher includes a machine readable version of the ticket purchase voucher code;   transmitting the ticket purchase voucher to the player terminal;   receiving the ticket purchase voucher code from a ticket vending terminal communicating with the ticket server;   creating a ticket record corresponding to the selection;   generating Ticket Receipt Data based on the ticket record; and   transmitting the Ticket Receipt Data to the ticket vending terminal.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further including:
 before receiving the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request:
 receiving an account identification code from the player terminal; and 
 identifying a player account associated with the account identification code; 
   identifying the player account in the ticket purchase voucher record; and   associating the ticket record with the player's account.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further including:
 associating a payment service with the player account; and   after receiving the ticket purchase voucher code from the ticket vending terminal and before transmitting the Ticket Receipt Data, obtaining payment from the payment service.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request includes proposed ticket information for two or more tickets and including:
 recording at least one selection corresponding to the proposed ticket information for each of the tickets; and   after receiving the ticket purchase voucher code:
 creating a ticket record for each of the tickets; and 
 transmitting Ticket Receipt Data corresponding to each of the tickets to the ticket vending terminal. 
   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the proposed ticket information identifies an on-line lottery and a played number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes recording the played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the Ticket Purchase Voucher Request identifies an on-line lottery and a request for an automatically selected number set for the on-line lottery and wherein recording at least one selection includes generating an automatically selected played number set and recording the automatically selected played number set in the ticket purchase voucher record. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the ticket purchase voucher is adapted to be reproduced at the player terminal in a machine readable form. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ticket purchase voucher is adapted to be printed in paper form at the player terminal and wherein a printed version of the ticket purchase voucher includes the machine readable version of the ticket purchase voucher code. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the ticket purchase voucher code is printed as a barcode on the printed version of ticket purchase voucher. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ticket purchase voucher is adapted to be displayed on a display of a player terminal such that the ticket purchase voucher code may be scanned from the display and wherein the ticket vending terminal is adapted to scan the ticket purchase voucher code from the display. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ticket purchase voucher code may be reproduced at the player terminal in a radio frequency signal and wherein the ticket vending terminal is adapted to receive the radio frequency signal. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ticket purchase voucher code may be reproduced at the player terminal in an optical signal and wherein the ticket vending terminal is adapted to receive the optical signal. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ticket purchase voucher code may be reproduced at the player terminal in an electronic signal and wherein the ticket vending terminal is adapted to receive the electronic signal.