A ticket dispenser for dispensing a pleated ribbon of tickets, the ticket dispenser comprising a ticket storage chamber within a housing and a ticket dispensing aperture, wherein the housing has opposed ticket display and rear walls, and also has opposed first and second walls that each extend between the ticket display wall and the rear wall, the display wall comprising: an outer wall having an interior face, and an inner ticket pathway guide proximate the outer wall, providing a ticket display pathway extending along the interior face of the outer wall, between the outer wall and the inner ticket pathway guide, the ticket display pathway having a pathway inlet, wherein the ticket dispenser is configured for a ticket to be drawn out from within the storage chamber, through the pathway inlet, along the ticket display pathway towards the first wall, and out through the dispensing aperture, wherein the ticket storage chamber has a chamber length extending along the display wall between the first wall and the second wall, and the ticket display pathway extends along more than half of the chamber length, wherein the ticket storage chamber is provided with a storage chamber guide configured to space tickets apart from the display wall adjacent a central portion along the length of the ticket display pathway, and wherein the storage chamber guide extends to a maximal separation from the ticket display pathway at a location that is closer to the first wall than the separation between the pathway inlet and the first wall.

A ticket dispenser for dispensing a pleated ribbon of tickets, the ticket dispenser comprising a ticket storage chamber within a housing and a ticket dispensing aperture, wherein the housing has opposed ticket display and rear walls, and also has opposed first and second walls that each extend between the ticket display wall and the rear wall, the display wall comprising: an outer wall having an interior face, and an inner ticket pathway guide proximate the outer wall, providing a ticket display pathway extending along the interior face of the outer wall, between the outer wall and the inner ticket pathway guide, the ticket display pathway having a pathway inlet, wherein the ticket dispenser is configured for a ticket to be drawn out from within the storage chamber, through the pathway inlet, along the ticket display pathway towards the first wall, and out through the dispensing aperture, wherein the ticket storage chamber has a chamber length extending along the display wall between the first wall and the second wall, and the ticket display pathway extends along more than half of the chamber length, wherein the ticket storage chamber is provided with a storage chamber guide configured to space tickets apart from the display wall adjacent a central portion along the length of the ticket display pathway, and wherein the storage chamber guide extends to a maximal separation from the ticket display pathway at a location that is closer to the first wall than the separation between the pathway inlet and the first wall.

A lottery ticket dispensing unit includes at least one ticket compartment and a separation module that has a drive roller and an opposed idler roller, with a motor geared to the drive roller. An automatic separator device is provided, wherein the drive roller conveys a leading lottery ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device. The separator device includes a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle having a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line. A bi-directional drive mechanism moves the shuttle back and forth along the linear path.

A lottery ticket dispenser array includes a plurality of separate bins, each bin having a housing with a back side. A circuit board fixed to the back side of the housing to supply power and control functions to the bin. The circuit boards of adjacent bins are rigidly interconnected via complimentary electronic connectors. At each bin, the circuit board is mounted to the back side of the housing with a defined relative degree of movement between the circuit board and the housing in at least a first direction. The rigidly interconnected circuit boards define a rigid structure and one or more of the bins are movable relative to the rigid structure such that the array absorbs misalignment, movement, and size variations between the bins without disconnection of the electronic connectors between the bins.

A dispenser for sheet products includes a housing having a space inside for accommodating a stack of sheet products, wherein the housing includes a dispensing opening for dispensing a sheet product from the front of the stack, an electronic controller configured to receive a pull-out signal indicating the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and, upon receiving said pull-out signal, to send out a drive signal to transfer a number of sheet products from the front of the stack into a presentation position, and a pull-out detector for detecting the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and for providing the pull-out signal to the controller.

A dispenser for sheet products includes a housing having a space inside for accommodating a stack of sheet products, wherein the housing includes a dispensing opening for dispensing a sheet product from the front of the stack, an electronic controller configured to receive a pull-out signal indicating the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and, upon receiving said pull-out signal, to send out a drive signal to transfer a number of sheet products from the front of the stack into a presentation position, and a pull-out detector for detecting the removal of a product from the front of the stack through the dispensing opening and for providing the pull-out signal to the controller.

A lottery ticket dispenser bin is configured for dispensing interconnected sealed ticket packs, and includes a housing having a front panel with a dispensing slot defined therein and a back panel. The housing has a bottom contour that includes a middle section on which the stack of ticket packs rest in an upright orientation, and a front wall that extends upwards towards the dispensing slot. A hump defines a transition surface between the middle section and the front wall, and an initial contact surface that retains a trailing ticket pack in the middle section as a leading ticket pack is pulled through the dispensing slot. The front wall defines a second contact surface against which the trailing ticket pack is pulled and bent as the leading ticket pack is pulled from the dispensing slot. An insert that defines the bottom contour is also provided for insertion into a ticket bin.

A lottery ticket dispenser bin is configured for dispensing interconnected sealed ticket packs, and includes a housing having a front panel with a dispensing slot defined therein and a back panel. The housing has a bottom contour that includes a middle section on which the stack of ticket packs rest in an upright orientation, and a front wall that extends upwards towards the dispensing slot. A hump defines a transition surface between the middle section and the front wall, and an initial contact surface that retains a trailing ticket pack in the middle section as a leading ticket pack is pulled through the dispensing slot. The front wall defines a second contact surface against which the trailing ticket pack is pulled and bent as the leading ticket pack is pulled from the dispensing slot. An insert that defines the bottom contour is also provided for insertion into a ticket bin.

A lottery ticket dispenser array includes a plurality of separate bins, each bin having a housing with a back side. A circuit board fixed to the back side of the housing to supply power and control functions to the bin. The circuit boards of adjacent bins are rigidly interconnected via complimentary electronic connectors. At each bin, the circuit board is mounted to the back side of the housing with a defined relative degree of movement between the circuit board and the housing in at least a first direction. The rigidly interconnected circuit boards define a rigid structure and one or more of the bins are movable relative to the rigid structure such that the array absorbs misalignment, movement, and size variations between the bins without disconnection of the electronic connectors between the bins.

Disclosed are an input/output structure, a gaming machine including such a structure and a method for use of the input/output structure. The input/output structure includes first and second chutes disposed beneath a surface of the input/output structure with an elongated output port configured to dispense a first ticket from a printer through the first chute and onto the surface and an elongated input port directly adjacent and generally orthogonal to the output port and coupled to the second chute to accept and lead at least one of currency or a second ticket into the second chute and further into a bill acceptor. The method includes the steps of dispensing a first ticket from the output port and onto the surface above the first chute and of accepting at least one of currency or a second ticket into the input port and then the second chute.