Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
DISPENSING LOTTERY TICKETS
The present invention relates to a method of dispensing lottery tickets,
to an apparatus for dispensing tickets and to an apparatus including a book or
quantity of the tickets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ticket vending machines for example those manufactured by Interlott
Technologies Inc of Cincinnati, Ohio and American Games Inc. (now Pollard
Games
Inc.) of Council Bluffs, Iowa generally include an exterior housing which
contains and
secures the tickets and payment receptacle and which is accessible by
customers
for actuating switches on the housing for dispensing selected lottery tickets.
The lottery tickets are contained within separate containers within the
housing each of which has a dispensing unit operable to dispense a ticket from
a
selected container in response to the actuation of the switches by the
customer.
The control of the dispensing is effected by a control unit within the
housing which is responsive to the actuation of the switches by the customers
and
responsive to the receipt of payment from the customers for dispensing the
tickets.
Instant win lottery tickets can be provided either as scratch-off tickets
or as pull tab (otherwise known as break-open) tickets. While the two above
types
of tickets are different in many respects both in regard to the manner of
manufacture
and in regard to methods of validation and control, the present invention is
intended
to be directed to both types of lottery tickets and the term "lottery ticket"
as used
herein is intended to cover both types and other types of lottery tickets
which require
dispensing in the same or similar manner as the above types.
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Generally lottery tickets of the scratch off type are manufactured in a
continuous strip which is then fan-folded for convenient supply. Generally
break
open type tickets are manufactured in individual ticket pieces which are then
formed
into a stack and dispensed one at a time from the bottom of the stack.
A machine for dispensing scratch off type tickets in fan folded form is
manufactured by Interlott and has been available for many years. A machine for
dispensing break open type tickets in stacked form also has been available for
many
years from American Games Inc and has been sold under the model PTVM. The
construction, arrangement and operation of these models is well known to one
skilled in the art.
In addition a specific arrangement of dispensing arrangement
proposed for use in a dispenser for the fan folded scratch off tickets is
shown in
Canadian Patent application Serial no. 2384117 filed May 30th, 2002 which is
commonly owned with this application. This dispensing arrangement provides an
arrangement for feeding an upper end of the strip of tickets to a feed system
which
acts to burst the perforations between each ticket and the next as each ticket
is
dispensed in turn.
The dispensing machines are generally maintained on the premises of
a retailer so that the retailer is charged with the responsibility of filling
the containers
as necessary to maintain a continuous supply without shortages which would
potentially reduce sales. It is necessary therefore for the containers to be
refilled on
a periodic basis, either shortly after a container has become empty or in
order to
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
3
anticipate the container becoming empty. The service person therefore is
required
to check the inventory of a container and to top up the supply within each
container
which may be empty or approaching empty.
The apparatus includes a control unit which monitors the inventory and
controls the dispensing of the tickets in response to the manual actuation of
the
switches by the customers and in response to the submission of suitable
payment by
the customers.
Furthermore the control unit controls the operation of the dispensing
unit of each container so as to forward the ticket to be dispensed to the
required
dispensing location. In regard to the scratch off type tickets which are
generally
supplied in a continuous strip, it is generally desirable to effect a bursting
of the
pertorations between each ticket and the next so as to allow an individual
ticket to be
dispensed into a chute. This avoids any possibility of a customer improperly
tearing
a ticket or being able to pull an extended number of tickets from the supply.
In order
to effect the bursting action, it is necessary for the dispensing unit to have
information concerning the length of the ticket from its leading edge at the
previous
pertoration line to the trailing edge at the next perforation line so as to
move the
pertoration line to the bursting position and so as to dispense the ticket. In
regard to
the break open type tickets which are conventionally supplied in individual
ticket
form, it is also necessary for the control unit to have information concerning
the
length of the ticket in order to ensure that the ticket is properly dispensed.
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The marketing of lottery ticket involves generating attractive tickets of
different game types to successfully convince the customer to purchase the
particular game. For this purpose, different dimensions of tickets are
manufactured
including different widths and particularly different lengths so that tickets
commonly
vary in length from 2.0 inches up to 8.0 inches with many different lengths in
between. The design of the ticket does not wish to be restricted to particular
lengths
since this could interfere with maximizing the attractiveness of the graphics
on the
ticket while minimizing the cost of the ticket.
In addition it is conventional to supply to the customers a selection of
tickets of different prices so the customer may choose particular tickets not
only
based upon the attractiveness of the game but also upon the amount of money
which the customer chooses to pay.
Yet further in view of the different dimensions of the tickets, the
number of tickets supplied in a particular quantity or "book" of the tickets
will vary
widely.
The different games are identified by an individual game number so
that each game can be quickly distinguished from the next by the lottery
organization
controlling the sale of the tickets.
In order to provide the customer with an appealing array of tickets from
which to purchase, the dispensing machine generally although not necessarily
includes a number of containers which can vary depending upon the particular
size
of dispensing machine required for example from 12 dispensing containers up to
24
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
dispensing containers. Each container generally therefore will be filled with
a
different game for selection by the customers. Generally the game selection
remains constant so that it is necessary only for the service person to
maintain the
containers properly filled by adding into each container a fresh supply of the
tickets
5 associated with that container. However in addition it also necessary on
occasion to
change the game associated with a respective container when older games are
cancelled and new games are brought in to replace those older games.
It is necessary for the control unit, for each container, to have input into
the memory thereof information relating to the game including the game number,
the
price of the ticket, the total number of tickets in an quantity or book of the
ticket and
the length of the tickets between the perforation lines.
At the present time, the information relating to the above items is input
into the control unit by the service person or store clerk using a keypad.
Thus the
service person must enter the numerical price of each of the items set forth
above
when changing the game. Also when adding tickets to the supply, it is
necessary for
the service person to ensure that the proper tickets are placed within the
proper
respective container so that the above prices are proper for the tickets
within the
container and must also enter into the control unit the number of tickets
added.
It will be appreciated that the service person in the retail location is
faced with between 12 and 24 different containers each containing a different
game
and each having different prices for the above items. There is therefore
significant
potential for error to be made leading to many difficulties. For example the
input of
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
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the wrong ticket price could lead to tickets being sold at the wrong price
with a
considerable loss of revenue. For example the entry of the wrong number of
tickets
in the book may lead to inventory problems which are difficult to resolve. For
example the entry of the wrong length of the ticket may lead the dispensing
device to
tear tickets at the wrong location leading to dispensing of part tickets or
jamming of
the dispensing device.
In order to assist the retailer in this regard it is common to provide prior
to launch of a new game a data sheet or flyer which is provided to the
retailers as a
promotion for the new game. Such flyers often give information at separate
parts of
the flyer relating to the game number, price, number of tickets in the book
and the
length of the ticket.
As the length of the ticket can vary widely, in the absence of the flyer
which is not arranged nor intended to be stored or supplied with the tickets,
the
technique used for entry of the length is generally to require the service
person to
actually measure the length of the ticket on a scale provided on the housing
so that
the service person reads off from the scale the actual numerical value of the
length
either in inches or centimeters and then enters that numerical value in the
keypad. It
will be appreciated that this measurement is troublesome, time consuming and
leads
to potential errors.
In PCT application WO 99/52691 published 21St October 1999 by
Roberts is disclosed a method in which the data necessary to input in the
information is published on the ticket itself and this can be read either by a
separate
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
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bar code reader for each container, where each ticket is scanned as it passes
the
dispensing system, or by a hand-held reader which scans the first and last
tickets of
the supply when they are entered into the container by the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved and
simplified arrangement by which information relating to the dispensing of the
tickets
is input into the control unit of the dispensing machine.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method
of supplying lottery tickets comprising:
providing a plurality of dispensing containers each arranged to receive
from a set of lottery tickets a plurality of lottery tickets of the set in a
row for
dispensing each in turn;
providing a control unit;
the control unit being arranged for operation by an authorised service
person for controlling the filling of selected containers with respective
selected
tickets for dispensing;
providing a reader of machine readable data for supplying machine
read data to the control unit;
providing for each set of lottery tickets stored in a respective container
a lottery game set-up substrate separate and distinct from the lottery tickets
and
having printed thereon information relating to the tickets of the respective
set;
providing for each container a storage and display holder associated
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
with the respective container for receiving and displaying the separate game
set-up
substrate;
and, when a container requires additional or replacement tickets,
providing a quantity of tickets for insertion into the container and inputting
information into the control unit for the container into which tickets are to
be inserted
and for the respective quantity of tickets;
wherein at least some of the information is input into the control unit by
providing said at least some of the information in machine readable data on
the
game set-up substrate and moving one of the game set-up substrate and the
reader
relative to the other for reading the information on the substrate by the
reader.
The method may include providing at each container a dispensing
device actuable to dispense each ticket in turn and providing switches
arranged for
dispensing tickets from selected ones of the containers, wherein the control
unit is
arranged to control the dispensing of the tickets in response to the actuation
of the
switches.
The information in machine readable data on the game set-up
substrate preferably includes a game number for a game provided on the
tickets, a
price of the ticket and a total number of the tickets making up the quantity
of tickets.
The information in machine readable data on the game set-up
substrate also preferably includes a length of the tickets from a leading edge
of each
ticket to a trailing edge thereof.
The information may be included as actual numerical values as fields
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in the machine readable data.
Alternatively the machine readable data including the price, the length
and the total number may be included as coded values different from the actual
numerical values as fields in the data where the control unit includes a
memory
containing a table correlating the coded values with the actual numerical
values.
Preferably the storage and display holder for each container is
provided on the respective container.
Preferably the game set-up substrate is readily removable from the
respective holder and is moved from the holder to the reader.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a
method of supplying lottery tickets comprising:
supplying at least one quantity of lottery tickets;
the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common transportation
and storage;
the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common insertion into
a dispensing container for dispensing therefrom sequentially for sale to
customers;
the tickets having associated therewith a game number and a game
price;
the quantity having a predetermined total number of tickets;
and supplying with the at least one quantity a game setup substrate
separate and distinct from the tickets;
the game setup substrate having printed thereon data providing the
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
game number, the game price and the total number in machine readable form for
input into a dispensing container;
the game setup substrate being shaped and arranged for display at a
location associated with the quantity of tickets in the container.
5 According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an
apparatus comprising:
a quantity of lottery tickets;
the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common transportation
and storage;
10 the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common insertion into
a dispensing container for dispensing therefrom sequentially for sale to
customers;
the quantity having supplied therewith a game set up substrate
separate and distinct from the lottery tickets having thereon printed
information in
machine readable form representative of a length of the tickets from a leading
edge
of each ticket to a trailing edge thereof;
the game setup substrate being shaped and arranged for display at a
location associated with the quantity of tickets in the container.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided an
apparatus comprising:
a quantity of lottery tickets;
the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common transportation
and storage;
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the quantity of lottery tickets being arranged for common insertion into
a dispensing container for dispensing therefrom sequentially for sale to
customers;
the tickets having associated therewith a game number for a game
provided on the tickets, a price of the ticket and a total number of the
tickets making
up the quantity;
the quantity having supplied therewith a game set up substrate
separate and distinct from the lottery tickets having thereon printed
information in
machine readable form representative of the game number of the tickets, the
price of
the tickets and the total number of tickets in the quantity;
the game setup substrate being shaped and arranged for display at a
location associated with the quantity of tickets in the container.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided an
apparatus for supplying lottery tickets comprising:
a plurality of dispensing containers each arranged to receive from a set
of lottery tickets a plurality of lottery tickets of the set in row for
dispensing each in
turn;
a control unit;
the control unit being arranged for operation by an authorised service
person for controlling the filling of selected containers with respective
selected
tickets for dispensing;
a reader of machine readable data for supplying machine read data to
the control unit;
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and a plurality of substrate mounting holders mounted at locations for
receiving and displaying, to an authorized service person, a respective game
setup
substrate separate and distinct from the lottery tickets, each holder being
associated
with a respective container so as to display the setup substrate in
association with
the container at a location separate from the tickets in the container;
the reader and the control unit being arranged to read machine
readable data providing information relating to the tickets;
whereby at least some of the information is input into the control unit
by providing said at least some of the information in machine readable data on
the
game set-up substrate and moving one of the game set-up substrate and the
reader
relative to the other for reading the information on the substrate by the
reader.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing schematically the components of
a lottery ticket dispensing machine according to the present invention, the
front door
panel being shown separate for convenience of illustration.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of a game set up card of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of an alternative game set up card for use
in the machine of Figure 1.
Figure 3A is a table of codes for printing on the card of Figure 3 and for
storage in the memory of the control unit.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In Figure 1 is shown schematically a machine for dispensing lottery
tickets. As described above machines of this general type have been
manufactured
for a number of years by Interlott and by American Games so that details of
the
machine construction are known to one skilled in the art from those publicly
available
machines.
The machine generally indicated at 10 includes a main housing 11 and
a door 12. For convenience of illustration the door is removed from the main
housing rather than hinged and is shown moved to one side so its front face is
visible alongside the exposed front of the machine.
The front face of the door when the door is closed is presented to the
customer and includes a plurality of game identification display locations 14
equal to
the number of games stored within the main housing 11. Each game
identification
display location corresponds to a respective ticket dispensing container 15
within the
main body 11. Thus in the example shown there are twelve such display
locations
14 and twelve dispensing containers 15 although of course this number can
vary.,
Each display location 14 includes graphics 14A identifying and
promoting the game to the customer. Each location includes a display
indicating a
price 14B of the tickets of the game 14A so that the customer can choose the
price
of game to be played and can provide the required amount of money to select
that
particular game. Each location further includes a switch 14C which is actuable
by
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14
the customer to effect dispensing of a ticket from the respective dispensing
container
15.
In the embodiment shown the switches 14C are arranged at spaced
positions across the front face so that each switch is directly adjacent the
respective
game information and price information. However it will be appreciated that
the
switches maybe congregated into a single location and associated with
particular
games by a number 1 to 12 identifying the respective game and its dispensing
container 15.
In the embodiment shown, the game information and price are
displayed on the door. In an alternative arrangement, the door may have
openings
to allow the game information displayed on the container 15 to be viewed thus
simplifying the construction.
The door 12 of the housing further includes a feed slot 16A which
cooperates with the location of a payment device 16 , which may be a coin
freed
device as shown schematically or may receive bills or other method of payment
such
as credit card, debit card or tokens, within the main body 11 so that the
customer
can supply the required payment through the slot 16A to the device 16 to
effect a
payment for the selected tickets.
The door further includes a discharge opening 17 by which the
customer can reach through the door to a trough 18 which collects the
dispensed
tickets from the actuated dispensing containers and collects those tickets for
removal by the customer.
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Within the main body 11 covered by the door 12 is provided a control
unit 19 which is connected by suitable communication to the switches 14C, to
the
device 16 and to dispensing drive arrangements schematically indicated at 15A
for
each of the respective dispensing containers.
5 The details of the dispensing drive devices are shown in the above
mentioned pending Canadian application 2,384,117.
The control unit 19 is shown only schematically and includes a memory
19A, a display 19B and a keypad 19C by which information can be introduced
into
the control unit and stored in memory for running a predetermined program
within
10 the control unit for effecting the functions set out hereinafter, as will
be well apparent
to one skilled in the art of electronic control units of this type.
The control unit also includes a reader 20 which is arranged to read
machine readable characters. Many different types of such characters are
available
including what are conventionally known as bar codes in one dimension or two
15 dimensional form and including a number of protocols of characters which
are
readable both in human alpha-numeric form and in machine readable form. Many
examples are available for optical reader protocols to one skilled in the art
and the
present invention can use any of these as best suitable in the circumstance.
Also
other non-optical types of reader such as magnetic strip readers may also be
used.
The reader is shown as associated with or attached to the control unit
but may be located at any suitable position within the housing 10, either on
the main
body 11 or the door 12, with a suitable connection to the control unit. The
reader
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16
thus provides an input to the control unit for inputting information from a
scanned
code provided on a suitable substrate as described hereinafter. Each of the
containers 15 includes a storage location 15B for a game set up or game
identification card 21 associated with the game of the tickets housed within
the
container 15. The receptacle 15B is defined by a pair of flanges each on a
respective side of the card 21 so that the card can slide downwardly into the
receptacle and be held against the front face of the rectangular container 15.
Thus
each container has on its front face identifying the game within the container
a
respective game set up card which shows to the service person the
identification of
the game within that container in a manner which is readily visible from the
front of
the main section 11 of the housing when the door is opened.
Turning now to Figure 2, one of the game set up cards 21 is shown in
front elevation and it will be appreciated that this set up card is one
example of
twelve different cards each identifying a respective game. The game set up
card 21
includes a logo 21A identifying the manufacturer and/or the distributor or
authority
controlling the game. The card includes indicia 21 B identifying that the card
is the
game set up card and thus is required to be installed in location on the front
of the
respective housing. The indicia may be generic as shown simply stating that
the
card is for game set up or the indicia may include the same promotional
graphics or
similar or part of the promotional graphics of the game tickets themselves so
as to
be more readily identified with the game. The card further includes the name
or
trademark identifying the game as indicated at 21 C.
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Yet further the card includes four items indicated at 21 D, 21 E, 21 F and
21 G printed together in a table so as to be immediately apparent and readily
accessible providing information for the control unit for proper operation of
the
dispensing machine to dispense the particular game identified on the card.
Thus as
shown item 21 D carries and identifies the game number which is a three digit
number associated with the distributor or authority indicated at 21A.
The second item 21 E defines the price of the ticket. In the example
shown, this is indicated as "$2" but it will be appreciated that different
prices in
different monetary units can be selected including dollars and cents over a
wide
range of different prices as selected for the particular game as indicated at
21 D.
A third item 21 F identifies the number of tickets in a quantity of tickets
or book of tickets which are supplied as a common package for insertion into
the
container. In view of the fact that tickets come in different sizes and
different
lengths, the number of tickets in a suitable volume for common transportation
and
storage varies. In the example shown the quantity or number of tickets is
"150".
The fourth item identifies the length of the ticket. The length may be
identified in inches, centimeters or arbitrary units, provided the control
unit
recognizes the length and can control the dispensing unit 15A using the length
identified to properly dispense the length of the ticket as described in the
above
pending Canadian application 2,384,117. In the example shown the length is
indicated as "140" which is provided in millimeters.
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The game setup card further includes a machine readable code 21 H
and a corresponding numerical code 21J providing for the convenience of a
reader
the same number as provided in the code 21 H. The human readable form
indicated
21J is optional since the same numbers are set forth in effect in the
information in
items 21D through 21G. Thus it will be noted that the numerical code 21J
includes
the game number "532", the quantity "150", the price "0200" and the length
"140". In
addition the number 21 J includes a check sum 1 which is a conventional system
for
ensuring accurate reading of the bar code 21 H since the check sum is
calculated by
a suitable algorithm from the previous information numbers in the series of
numbers.
The bar code encoding of the number as shown at 21 H is of the conventional
bar
code form known as "Interleaved 2 of 5" using thick and thin lines and using
narrow
and wide spaces between the lines as is well known. Other encoding systems can
be used including 2D codes, particularly if it is desired to reduce the size
of the code
21 H to reduce the space taken up on the card by the bar code.
In Figures 3 and 3A is shown an alternative arrangement of the game
setup card. In this arrangement the items indicated 21 E, 21 F and 21 G are
modified
so that they form a single digit code identified from the table 3A. It will of
course be
appreciated that the numbers set fourth in the table 3A are purely exemplary
and do
not necessarily represent actual examples which might be used but simply are
shown to illustrate the principle.
Thus it will be noted that under the game number 532 is printed a price
code 21 E, a quantity code 21 F and a length code 21 G each which is selected
from
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19
the table. The table is of course available electronically at the central
control at the
lottery authority, at the printer and is stored in the memory of the machine.
The codes 21 E, 21 F and 21 G are then printed on the card in numerical
form at the bottom of the card in a bar code which is accordingly simplified
and
shorter in view of the fact that game number comprises three digits and each
of the
three items set forth above are provided in single digit code form, making a
total of
only six digits.
The code form may include more than one digit, provided it is simpler
and easier to input into the control unit than the numerical value itself.
In operation when the machine is set up and the games properly
installed, it is necessary for the clerk only to periodically add tickets to
those
containers which are empty or are close to empty. The following steps are
therefore
followed by the clerk for refilling:
1 ) The clerk can visually scan the machine for empty containers or the
clerk can run an inventory report from the control unit which will print
for each container in a table the above items of game number, price,
quantity in the container and length of the ticket. The clerk can
therefor determine from the inventory report which containers require
additional tickets. Alternatively the control unit is programmed so that
when a container is emptied, the price indication on the door switches
to zero to indicate to the customer that no tickets can be purchased
from that game.
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2) From a menu type system shown on the screen of the control unit, the
clerk is prompted to select the function of "add tickets only".
3) When the menu for adding tickets only is selected, the clerk is
prompted to select a required container where the inventory count is
5 zero or close to zero.
4) After selecting a container to be filled, the clerk is prompted to add the
tickets into the container and thread up the dispensing device. In the
event that tickets remain in the container, these are connected to the
leading end of the new strip of tickets by the conventional perforated
10 tape which is applied over the joint between the trailing and leading
ends to simulate the perforation line between the two tickets which can
then be burst in conventional manner.
5) After the tickets are loaded the clerk is prompted by a message "scan
ticket pack bar code now" and the control unit activates the scanner to
15 allow reading of the bar code from the set-up card. The clerk then
takes the existing card from the storage location on the front of the
respective container and scans this under the reader so that the bar
code is read by the reader to enter the information into the control unit.
6) The control unit checks to determine that the information concerning
20 the game number corresponds to the game number already
programmed for that container and in the event that it is inconsistent,
provides an error message.
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21
7) In the event that the game numbers are consistent, the control unit
receives the quantity of tickets as read from the barcode and enters
this into the inventory for that particular container so that the additional
number of tickets now added is added to the inventory existing which
may be zero or may be an existing number of tickets.
Thus the clerk is required only to check that the game number of the
tickets entered into the container corresponds to the game number identified
on the
front of the container on the setup card and then to scan the setup card to
provide all
the necessary information to the control unit. The possibility for error is
therefore
significantly reduced and the time spent by the clerk is also significantly
reduced
thus dramatically improving efficiency in the operation of the machine.
When the clerk is instructed to load a new game in replacement for an
existing game, or when initially setting up the machine, or to add a game to
an
otherwise empty container, the clerk carries out the following steps:
1 ) The clerk selects from the menu on the screen of the control unit "load
new game".
2) The clerk is prompted to select a container and to enter the number of
that container into the control unit via the keypad.
3) If the container currently includes tickets from an existing game, the
clerk is prompted to zero the inventory and to remove the tickets.
4) The clerk is then prompted by a message stating "scan ticket pack
barcode now".
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22
5) After the bar code is scanned, a prompt for the correct ticket pack
information appears, and if accepted as correct by the clerk, then the
tickets are added to the inventory for that container.
6) The clerk then places the game set up card for the new game in its
storage location associated with or on the front of the container into
which the tickets have been added.
The set up of a new game therefore is simplified in that the clerk needs
merely to identify the required container and to scan the set up card in
relation to
that container to enter the necessary information relating to the game tickets
far that
container, thus dramatically improving efficiency both in respect to time
spent and
the possibility for error.
The arrangement shown in Figure 3 operates in the same manner
using the same procedures with the exception that the control unit needs also
to
access the table within its memory after receiving the information from the
scanned
bar code in order to decode the data from the code numbers read from the
scanned
bar code in order to enter the necessary numerical values from the table.
The game set up card is a sheet of a suitable substrate material
generally of thick paper or card which is printed on one side only with the
information
set forth above. The card is generally rectangular and dimensioned so that it
can fit
on the front of the container so as to be clearly associated with the
respective
container. While the slot mounting arrangement is desirable, other techniques
for
attachment of the card to the container can be used. The card is wholly
associated
CA 02379687 2004-11-29
23
with a single game in that it includes data relating only to the single game
defining
the four required values for the control unit to operate the system in
relation to that
game. The card therefore may be identified simply with the name of the game
and
the game number or may include more graphics more associated more closely with
the game so as to make more clear which card is associated with which game to
further avoid the possibility of error.
The set up cards are manufactured by the same printer as the tickets
but are not connected to the tickets nor packaged with the tickets in wrapping
material. Generally, the wholesaler will supply to the retailer with each
order for one
or more books of tickets forming a quantity of tickets of a particular game a
game set
up card for use with that game.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described
above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be
made
therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications
which
may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
