System and method for remote display of scratch-off lottery tickets prior to sale

A system for conducting a scratch-off lottery ticket game, comprising:

• a plurality of scratch-off lottery tickets (“lottery tickets”), each of the lottery tickets comprising a unique identifier and a game play area containing a first set of play characters covered by a scratch-off coating, and indicia instructing a player how to receive a second set of predetermined play characters assigned to the lottery ticket via a mobile smart device, wherein the lottery tickets are presentable at a retail establishment in a manner such that the player physically retrieves the lottery ticket of their choice and presents the lottery ticket to a point-of-sale (“POS”) station for purchase;
• the first set of play characters and the second set of predetermined play characters combining to form a complete set of play characters necessary to determine an outcome of a game embodied on the lottery ticket;
• an individual computer file associated with each of the lottery tickets, the computer file comprising a second set of predetermined play characters assigned to the lottery ticket;
• a central server, wherein the computer files are stored at or accessible by the central server, the central server configured to:
• at a time of purchase of the lottery ticket by the player, flag the lottery ticket in the computer file associated with the lottery ticket as activated for subsequent play;
• upon receiving a request from the player with the unique identifier of the lottery ticket, verify the activated status of the lottery ticket;
• retrieve and download the second set of predetermined play characters from the computer file to the mobile smart device, wherein the second set of predetermined play characters are presented in a visual representation on the mobile smart device, the visual representation depicting the lottery ticket provided to the player at the retail establishment with a dame play area that displays the second set of predetermined play characters;
• and
• wherein the player removes the scratch-off coating from the first set of play characters on the lottery ticket and compares the first set of play characters with the down-loaded second set of play characters to reveal a predetermined outcome of the game embodied on the lottery ticket.