System and method for instant ticket-based entertainment game

A gaming system for an instant ticket game combining elements of chance and user skill, the system comprising:

• an electronic instant ticket file object comprising an instant-win game and an interactive multiplayer bonus game during which a participating user plays against other players, each instant ticket file object corresponding to a game having a state selected from the group consisting of new, last-not-played, and played;
• a game device for playing the instant ticket game;
• and
• a central server comprising a processor, a memory unit, and a storage device which stores game data and user data, and maintains user accounts, the central server configured for generating the instant ticket file object and for distributing the instant ticket file object to the game device via a communications network,
• wherein the game device receives the instant ticket file object and displays a graphical representation of the instant ticket file object;
• wherein the graphical representation of the instant ticket file object comprises:
• an instant-win game play area corresponding to the instant-win game and an instant-win prize awarded upon completion of a base game, and
• an interactive bonus game play area corresponding to the interactive bonus game during which the user competes against other players,
• wherein the game device receives input entered by a user to advance play of the instant-win game and contains computer instructions providing betting game logic, fraud protection, and player protection logic with regard to peer-to-peer bets, and the game device communicates events in real time with the server, all information required at one point in time is comprised in one message, and the game device provides online and offline messaging among users,
• wherein the game device receives input entered by the user to advance play of the interactive bonus game, and
• wherein the result of the instant-win game is based on a random parameter and the result of the interactive bonus game is based at least partly on a game attribute randomly assigned to the interactive bonus game play area of the instant ticket file object and the skill and performance of the participating user during bonus game play, and wherein the user's performance is measured at least in part by the user's ranking position relative to the other players.