Abstract: Some example embodiments of the present invention address growing demand by lottery customers for expanded gaming options and new gaming concepts. Example embodiments may include methods and systems for providing a shared centralized gaming host which implements software as a service concepts for lottery and other wagering games.

Abstract: A lottery ticket dispenser includes a number of ticket bins mounted in a housing of the dispenser. The ticket bins hold a fanfold stack of tickets proximate a transparent front panel of the dispenser for optimum visibility. The ticket bins are adjustably mounted in the dispenser for proper positioning in one of a variety of positions depending upon the size and configuration of the stack of fanfold tickets. The tickets are transported from the ticket stack upwardly over a guide by a ticket transport mechanism for processing by a powered separator to separate the adjacent tickets apart prior to dispensing. Excessive stress is not placed on the tickets which in prior art dispensers resulted in prematurely bursting the perforated joints apart or damaging the tickets.

Abstract: The gaming system operates a lottery system for a single state, or includes multiple state systems, each having many different instant-winner ticket games and distributed ticket dispensers. A supervisory computer system is provided. A jackpot is provided which increases with the sale of each ticket in the system. The dispensers have code readers which are used to detect the sale of each ticket. The game is won when the code number detected by one of the code readers matches the code for a jackpot winner.

Abstract: Lottery ticket dispensing housings are provided with a hinged, transparent rear and top cover, a hinged front wall, and a powered ticket drive and separator module. A relatively tall embodiment of the dispenser with a small footprint is fitted onto the countertop of a check-out counter of a retail store. The top of the housing is flat so as to provide a convenient place for customers to write checks with the tickets being displayed immediately below being highly visible to the customer. A display of relatively flat and short dispensers is provided wherein a rack or housing supports the dispensers one a top of the other in a vertical array. The dispensers are shifted laterally with respect to one another to as to give greater viewability of the contents of each of the dispensers to a customer. The length of each dispenser can be decreased with the increasing elevation of the dispenser so as to provide a vertical alignment of the front sides of the dispensers, the side through which tickets are dispensed.

Abstract: A gaming machine is provided for playing several types of games. The winnings from one gave can be used to create credits in the machine for buying tickets in a different game from the same machine. A separator/drive module has a rotary helical separator member which spans multiple channels to separate tickets in any of the channels. A single drive source is the housing rotates the separate drives in each channel.

Abstract: The dispenser dispenses tickets such as instant-winner lottery tickets from a strip in which the individual tickets are delineated by perforation lines. The dispenser includes a separator to tear the tickets apart before issuing them from the machine. The mechanism is simplified by using a separator member and transport drive structures which span a plurality of different channels or bins of a multi-channel dispenser. This provides a very compact, simple, secure and low-cost mechanism which is used both in stand-alone ticket vending machines, and in counter-top attended dispensers.

Abstract: The dispenser dispenses tickets from a strip where tickets are delineated by perforation lines. The dispenser includes a separator to tear the tickets apart before issuing them from the machine. The separator preferably is rotary and has a dull helical blade to tear the tickets apart along the perforation line. Preferably, a bar code reader is provided for reading codes on tickets in order to initialize the dispenser control system, to account for ticket sales, and to verify the sale of winning tickets. A game is provided where a jackpot is built up using the detection of each ticket sold. The mechanism is simplified by using a separator member and transport drive structures that span a plurality of different channels or bins of a multi-channel dispenser. This provides a very compact, simple, secure and low-cost mechanism that is used both in stand-alone ticket vending machines, and in counter-top attended dispensers.

Abstract: An online game of chance that produces a multi-player extension to an individual, instant lottery-type game and a method of playing the game are disclosed. The game comprises a first, individual phase of play using a virtual game substrate and a second, group phase of play comprising a plurality of virtual game substrates from first phase of play that are arrayed in a matrix. The first, individual phase of play is based on in instant lottery version of the well-known game of tic-tac-toe; the object being to match a plurality of game pieces, e.g., three, in one of a contiguous row, column, and diagonal. The object of the second phase of play is to use the combination of virtual game substrates to produce a match with one or more predetermined winning array combinations. This provides each individual participant with a second chance of winning. With the second phase of play, the combination of virtual game substrates is also movable, which produces even more opportunities for participants to win a prize.

Abstract: A keyboard assembly is pivotally connected a terminal having a recess. The keyboard assembly has a slot and is shaped to lie within the recess. A glide assembly is shaped to fit within the slot and is slidable along the slot. The glide assembly pivotally connects the keyboard to the terminal within the recess. A glide surface, across which the keyboard pivots, is disposed within the recess. The glide surface provides a frictive force between the glide surface and the keyboard. The invention may be applied in general to a lottery terminal.

Abstract: A method of playing a game of chance, and the game of chance, include a plurality of playstations, one of which is chosen by a player for entering a quantity of player symbols, e.g., numbers. A unique game symbol is assigned to each playstation of the plurality of playstations, the game symbol being chosen from a set of game symbols, e.g., numbers. A quantity of winning symbols is randomly selected from the set of game symbols. The player wins the game if a predetermined number of the player symbols match the winning symbols or if the game symbol assigned to the player's playstation is related to one of the winning symbols in a predetermined manner, e.g., if the game number assigned to the player's playstation matches one of the winning numbers or is numerically adjacent to one of the winning numbers.

Abstract: A wagering system such as a lottery with a central computer communicating with agent terminals at which tickets are issued, for example in convenience stores and the like, has a player-operated win-checking system coupled to the communications network, preferably as a peripheral to the agent terminal but possibly as a separate network terminal. Player choices and game identifications are bar coded on the tickets. A player scans the ticket automatically to trigger comparison of the bar coded data with winning entry data kept in a past game memory, such that the system need not resort to stored data on individual wager transactions to check for wins. This reduces the burden on the agent and the network because most issued tickets need not be checked by attempting to validate them for a payout. A limited number of past games are stored, e.g., the most recent thirty Keno game cycles of a game run at five minute intervals.

Abstract: A controller for operating a stepping motor to a resolution defined by plural inter-pole motor positions includes a digital processor for communication with an external host system for controlling operation of the stepping motor, at least in a microstep mode. The processor selects Sine/Cosine driving current values for the motor windings from a table covering at least 90.degree., to define the inter-pole positions, stored in a RAMDAC or combination digital memory and digital to analog converter. The processor also controls scaling of the output of the digital to analog converter for different modes of operation, such as normal, hold and shutdown. The RAMDAC also can be loaded by the processor. Power stages are coupled to two analog outputs of the RAMDAC amplify the RAMDAC output signals, and provide a high power output to the windings using bridge drivers.

Abstract: A wagering system for random drawing lotteries has a central data processor managing acceptance of player entries and payout authorization. Remote agent terminals receive player entry data from players and process authorized payouts. Portable agent data modules having an on-board memory and security provisions are issued to the agents and carry data in both directions between the central data processor and the terminals. Preferably the agent modules are integrated circuit cards or "smartcards". Available player entries are downloaded from the central data processor to the agent data modules, stored on the agent data modules for transport to the agent data terminals, and uploaded under security protection to the agent data terminals when processing a wager. The agent data modules record assignment of the available player entries to players for reporting to the central processor and can obtain payout authorizations or credits.