A direct thermal printable construct, such as a ticket, game piece, coupon, collection piece, label, security card, or voucher includes a thermally printable medium and a metallized layer bonded directly or indirectly to the thermally printable medium. A thermosensitive imaging layer of the thermally printable medium is printable by exposing the metallized layer to localized heat of a thermal printer for inducing local changes in the color of the thermosensitive imaging layer that are obscured from view through both the metallized layer and a base substrate of the thermally printable medium. One or more areas of the metallized layer are arranged to be removable by a scratching action using a fingernail or coin for revealing the underlying local changes in the color of the thermosensitive imaging layer.

A redundantly printed security-enhanced document, printing method, and system for better ensuring that the meaning of the information imparted by variable indicia printed by redundant printing indicia on a document protected by a removable Scratch-Off Coating (SOC). By printing the variable indicia with multiple colors, redundancy and integrity of the intended indicia is achieved relative to the perception of human eye photoreceptor cones. The redundantly printed document, methods, and systems enhance the overall appearance of the redundantly printed document, and reduce possible consequences resulting from misprinted variable indicia.

A method, system and device for inspection of a lottery ticket uses a device to scan lottery tickets to detect information concerning the amount of scratch-off material, such as a coating or a covering, that has been removed from a ticket, and/or the type, amount, or content of underlying indicia that have been revealed by the scratches. The system may use the information to calculate and set or determine a tolerance level for scratching below which a ticket will not be invalidated, based on parameters that may include the amount of surface area that has been scratched, and/or the type, amount, or content of underlying indicia that has been revealed. The system enables a user to input information to reset the threshold volume to a user-selected volume above which invalidation is triggered.

A system is disclosed for providing array-based games reflecting the performance of participants in sporting events. The array-based games include skill-based games and event bingo games. The skill based games depend on selecting prospective winners that match actual winners based on real events. The event bingo games provide bingo cards with randomized numbers associated with each position on the card. Winning cards are the first cards that match the randomized numbers with another set of randomized numbers to form a game ending patterns of matches. The system includes at least one server having a processor configured to execute machine-readable code. The processor is configured to cause the server to create and provide a set of array-based games to the plurality of presentation devices of the users, which each present the set of games on a respective display, each game of the set having an assigned fixed odds payout. The server receives, over the wide area network, data from the presentation devices of the users. The server updates the event data pertinent to participants in the actual events associated with the array-based games. The server uses the updated data to calculate and assign payoffs to the users based on the fixed payoff odds.

It is the object of the present invention to provide gaming apparatus and a lottery ticket engagement kit that provides improved interaction with scratch-off style lottery tickets wherein the kit includes elements configured to facilitate improved removal of the film superposed the upper surface of the scratch-off style lottery tickets. The elements will include various sizes and grip members that will reduce the pressure necessary to remove the film from lottery style tickets and will reduce significant pressure needed and that can be challenging for elderly and others that are physically challenged.

The present invention relates to a handheld scratching device for scratch-off tickets. The device/tool is used for scraping opaque or film coatings of the scratch-off tickets such as a lottery tickets, to reveal hidden printed material thereunder. The device includes a base that includes a keyhole and a thumb grip indentation for securely and comfortably gripping the device during scraping. The device also includes a scratching edge for scraping the opaque or film coatings easily and securely. The keyhole is used for attaching the base to a key ring, keychain or keepsake holder. The device can come in multiple shapes, colors and designs, and can have messages or quotations printed or engraved in the base. The device obviates the use of a coin or any conventional sharp object to scrape a scratch-off ticket.

Disclosed herein is a system and method for operating a centralized promotional bingo tournament. The promotional bingo tournament is facilitated by a mobile gaming sub-system that communicates with a plurality of authorized mobile devices to provide each authorized mobile device access to participate in a promotional bingo tournament session based upon an association between each authorized mobile device and a ticket granting access to a venue. The system and method also include a video presentation sub-system communicatively coupled to the mobile gaming sub-system and a stationary monitor client. The video presentation sub-system receives bingo tournament results from the mobile gaming sub-system, and generates an integrated broadcast announcement. The integrated broadcast announcement includes the bingo tournament results and commentary about the bingo tournament session. The video presentation sub-system then communicates the integrated broadcast announcement to the stationary monitor client, which displays the integrated broadcast announcement.

To provide additional playing opportunities for users, a game console is configured to have multiple display devices which are capable of playing separate games. A controller will coordinate play of the games to insure they comply with the rules of the jurisdiction where the console is installed.

A security-enhanced document with a removable SOC is provided that is compatible with process color digital imaging, method and system for producing the document enhances production, and expands the aesthetics of the documents.

A method is provided of digitally imaging a secure portion and a non-secure portion of scratch-off-coating protected documents of at least one game using middleware. The method includes: (a) generating the secure variable indicia in non-vector raster format; (b) generating vector graphics to be imaged on physical document locations; (c) assigning the secure variable indicia in a non-vector raster format to documents in and shuffling the documents throughout a print run; and (d) linking via middleware the secure variable indicia in the non-vector raster format to associated vector graphics variable indicia to be digitally imaged on the documents and to generate vector graphics-formatted data for each document in the print run. The secure variable indicia assignment and shuffling are executed by non-vector raster game generation software output that is reinterpreted by the middleware to produce related vector graphic output for the secure variable indicia.