Games, lotteries, and sweepstakes and tickets, systems, technologies, and methods related thereto

A gaming method comprising the steps of:

• a sponsor displaying an invitation to play a game at a spectator event;
• providing a network, including data transmission and storage mechanisms, for game contestants to electronically submit digital images for game participation;
• a plurality of spectators at said spectator event, becoming game contestants and entering said game, by responding to said invitation by generating digital images utilizing a camera, a cellular phone with a built-in camera, a scanner, or a kiosk and electronically submitting said digital images to comprise gaming tickets, and also electronically submitting contestants information to form part of said gaming tickets, to said network, for game participation, said digital images and contestant information being electronically submitted utilizing an MMS message or an internet connection, said digital image being stored on gaming servers;
• said digital images comprising at least one still image selected from a personal photograph, a family photograph, and a pet photograph;
• generating a random entry number for each submitted digital image utilizing a random number generator, each said random entry number being derived from digital image information obtained from each said respective, submitted digital image, and affiliating each said derived random entry number with each said digital image from which it is derived;
• electronically encrypting said digital images and said contestant information together to form a plurality of independent information capsules comprising a plurality of digital image gaming tickets, each said digital image gaming ticket corresponding to an individual entrant of said game;
• selecting a winning digital image gaming ticket from said plurality of digital image gaming tickets by randomly selecting a random winner number in a winner selection phase and matching said random winner number with one of said plurality of derived random entry numbers;
• decrypting said information capsule comprising said winning digital image gaming ticket and obtaining information about the gaming contestant which entered said digital image winning ticket into said game from said decrypted information capsule;
• and
• wherein because gaming entry is accomplished electronically by submitting said digital images and said contestant information via said MMS message or said internet connection, new games can be initiated and completed in compressed time periods.

A gaming method comprising the steps of:

• a sponsor displaying an advertisement accompanied by a game invitation in association with a spectator event;
• providing a network, including data transmission and storage mechanisms, for game contestants to electronically submit digital images for game participation;
• a plurality of spectators of said spectator event, becoming game participants and entering said game, by generating digital images utilizing a camera, a cellular phone with a built-in camera, a scanner, or a kiosk and electronically submitting said digital images representing lottery tickets, and also submitting participant information, to said network, for game participation, said digital images comprising at least one still image selected from a personal photograph, a family photograph, and a pet photograph, said digital images being electronically submitted utilizing an MMS message or an internet connection, said digital image being stored on lottery servers;
• electronically processing said digital images and said contestant information, utilizing software provided on said lottery contestants' computers or mobile devices or upon receipt of said digital images by a server of said lottery provider, to form a plurality of information capsules comprising a plurality of digital image lottery tickets, each said digital image lottery ticket generated corresponding to an individual entrant of said game;
• generating unique entry numbers from data derived from said submitted personal photographs, family photographs, and pet photographs and affiliating said generated entry numbers with respective digital image lottery tickets from which said data is derived;
• entering said digital image lottery tickets into an electronic batch of a plurality of digital image lottery tickets;
• and
• randomly selecting a number in a winner selection phase and matching said selected random number to one of said unique entry numbers affiliated with a digital image lottery ticket to thereby determine a winning ticket of said game;
• identifying a single winner of said lottery by using said digital image and said contestant information;
• and
• wherein because lottery entry is accomplished electronically by submitting said digital image via said MMS message or said internet connection, new lotteries can be initiated and completed in compressed time periods.