Centralized lottery system for remote monitoring or operations and status data from lottery terminals including detection of malfunction and counterfeit units

A lottery terminal unit for operation with telephonic communication facilities and a host computer, said terminal comprising:

• a continuity clock means for sensing a loss of power in said terminal unit to provide a discontinuity signal indicating power loss or the absence of power loss;
• means for forming a lottery data packet including lottery data and said discontinuity signal;
• and
• means for coupling said lottery data packet for transmission to said host computer by said telephonic communication facilities.

A lottery processing system for operation with telephonic communication facilities comprising:

• a host computer including:
• (a) receiving means for receiving said lottery data packets;
• (b) memory means for storing reference terminal data for said terminal units;
• (c) means coupled to said memory means for testing said lottery data packets received by said receiving means to provide anomaly signals indicating irregularities with regard to said data packets;
• and
• (d) means controlled by said anomaly signals for providing control instructions to said terminals, said means controlled by said anomaly signals further comprising means for defining corrective action prompted by said anomaly signals;
• and
• a plurality of terminal units including means to formulate lottery data packets including lottery data and terminal unit identification data.