System for and method of dispensing lottery tickets

A lottery ticket dispensing system for lottery tickets of the type which includes a front sheet having window means which are normally closed, a rear sheet, means for bonding the front sheet and the rear sheet together, a plurality of play symbols on an inward side of the rear sheet toward an inward side of the front sheet, at least some of the play symbols capable of being winning symbols, the play symbols being respectively located in various regions of the inward side of the rear sheet aligned with the window means, and the window means for being selectively opened to reveal the play symbols in the various regions thereunder, said lottery ticket dispensing system comprising:

• a bar code window in one of the front sheet and the rear sheet of the lottery ticket which said bar code window is normally closed;
• bar code markings for each lottery ticket on at least one of the inward side of said bar code window and the inward side of the other of the rear sheet and the front sheet in alignment with said bar code window;
• said bar code markings including ticket information for indicating each of the play symbols in the various regions as aligned with the window means;
• a lottery ticket dispensing machine including a housing and a front panel;
• ticket storage means in said housing for storing a plurality of the lottery tickets;
• electronic control means in said housing including ticket dispensing means for dispensing each lottery ticket from said ticket storage means for advancement toward said front panel;
• bar code window opening means in said housing for opening said bar code window to reveal said bar code markings of each lottery ticket dispensed from said ticket storage means;
• a bar code reading device in said housing adjacent to said bar code window opening means operably connected to said electronic control means for reading and identifying said bar code markings of each lottery ticket and for storing said ticket information in said electronic control means regarding each of the play symbols as located in the various regions as each lottery ticket advances toward said front panel;
• said front panel having a plurality of display areas which directly correspond to the various regions on the inward side of the rear sheet of the lottery ticket;
• each of said display areas being operably connected to said electronic control means for receiving display signals therefrom;
• said front panel having switch means associated with said each of said display areas;
• each of said switch means being operably connected to said electronic control means;
• said each switch means is for being selectively actuated to provide said actuation signal to said electronic control means to cause said electronic control means to generate said display signal for said each display area associated with said switch means;
• said display signal producing a display symbol in said display area;
• and,
• for each lottery ticket having been dispensed from said ticket storage means, said display symbol in said each display area being directly indicative of the play symbol of each of the various regions which corresponds to said display area associated with said each switch means that has been selectively actuated.

A method of dispensing lottery tickets of the type which includes a base sheet having a plurality of play symbols respectively disposed within a plurality of regions on an inward side of the base sheet, a cover sheet having an inward side disposed over the inward side of the base sheet, the cover sheet having normally closed window means aligned with the plurality of regions to hide the play symbols thereunder, and at least some of the play symbols capable of being winning symbols, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing bar code markings for each lottery ticket on a bar code portion of the inward side of one of the base sheet and the cover sheet which bar code markings include ticket information for indicating each of the play symbols as arranged in the plurality of regions on the inward side of the base sheet;
• providing a machine having a housing and a front panel;
• storing a plurality of the lottery tickets in said housing;
• dispensing a lottery ticket from said housing to said front panel;
• relatively separating said bar code portion of the inward side of said one of the base sheet and the cover sheet and a corresponding portion of the inward side of the other of the base sheet and the cover sheet to reveal said bar code markings of each lottery ticket during said dispensing from said housing;
• reading said bar code markings to identify said ticket information and storing said ticket information regarding each of the play symbols as arranged in said plurality of regions on the inward side of the base sheet after said relatively separating;
• providing a plurality of display areas on said front panel which directly correspond to the plurality of regions having play symbols;
• and
• utilizing said ticket information from said storing to display a display symbol in said display area which is directly indicative of the play symbol of each of the regions on the inward side of the base sheet of the lottery ticket that has been dispensed from said housing.

An improved lottery ticket for being dispensed by a machine and being of the type which includes a front sheet having window means which are normally closed, a rear sheet, means for bonding the front sheet and the rear sheet together, play symbols on an inward side of the rear sheet toward an inward side of the front sheet, the play symbols capable of being winning symbols, the play symbols being located in play regions on the inward side of the rear sheet in alignment with the window means, and the window means for being opened after the lottery ticket is dispensed from the machine to reveal the play symbols in the play regions thereunder, said improvement comprising:

• a bar code cover on one of the front sheet and the rear sheet of the lottery ticket;
• bar code markings for the lottery ticket on one of the front sheet and the rear sheet in alignment with said bar code cover;
• said bar code cover being normally in a position to cover said bar code markings to prevent any viewing thereof when stored in the machine;
• said bar code cover for being removed by the machine during the dispensing thereof to reveal said bar code markings thereunder;
• and
• said bar code markings including ticket information capable of being read by the machine after the removal of said bar code cover by the machine for indicating the play symbols in the play regions as aligned with the window means.

An improved lottery ticket of the type which includes a front sheet having window means which are normally closed, a rear sheet, means for bonding the front sheet and the rear sheet together, play symbols on an inward side of the rear sheet toward an inward side of the front sheet, the play symbols capable of being winning symbols, the play symbols being located in play regions on the inward side of the rear sheet in alignment with the window means, and the window means for being opened to reveal the play symbols in the play regions thereunder, said improvement comprising:

• a bar code window in one of the front sheet and the rear sheet of the lottery ticket which said bar code window is normally closed;
• bar code markings for the lottery ticket on at least one of the inward side of the bar code window and the inward side of the other of the rear sheet and the front sheet in alignment with said bar code window;
• said bar code markings including ticket information for indicating the play symbols in the play regions as aligned with the window means;
• and
• said bar code window for being opened to reveal said bar code markings thereunder.