An instant lottery ticket game system includes a set of scratch-off lottery ticket blanks, each lottery ticket blank having a front face and a back face and a game play area on the front face with play indicia that presents a pre-determined game outcome, the play indicia covered by a scratch-off coating (SOC). A coating layer is applied over at least the game play area such that an entirety of the front face presents an empty composition area void of lottery ticket indicia. The set of lottery ticket blanks are housed within an automated dispenser. An interface is configured with the dispenser and is in communication with a printer associated with the dispenser and accepts input of composition indicia from a patron for printing on portions of or the entirety of the front face to generate a finished scratch-off lottery ticket prior to dispensing the finished lottery ticket.

A full-color protected document, printing method, and system secured by removable Scratch-Off Coatings where the protection against microscratch type attacks is provided by ensuring strategic placement of similarly colored and/or patterned variable indicia. By printing the variable indicia with similarly standards, usability and integrity of the printed indicia are achieved relative to the consumer's perspective while at the same time providing countermeasures to illicit microscratching attacks.

A security-enhanced document including a substrate, at least one lower portion of graphic imaging with or without first variable indicia directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate, at least one release coat applied over the lower portion, at least one scratch-off layer over the release coat to maintain the lower portion imaging unreadable until removal of the scratch-off layer, and at least one second surface material portion.

A security-enhanced document including a substrate, at least one lower portion of graphic imaging with or without first variable indicia directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate, at least one release coat applied over the lower portion, at least one scratch-off layer over the release coat to maintain the lower portion imaging unreadable until removal of the scratch-off layer, and at least one second surface material portion.

A method and associated system are provided for producing a perforation line between adjacent lottery tickets in an automated production line wherein a substrate having lottery tickets printed thereon is conveyed through a perforation station in the production line. A perforation machine in the line is controlled to define a perforation line between the adjacent lottery tickets. The controlling process includes inputting control variables into a controller associated with the perforation machine, the control variables relating to conditions that determine a desired perforation profile of the perforation line. The controller programs the perforation machine with a specific perforation profile for the perforation line that is generated based on the entered control variables, and changes the perforation profile upon inputting of different values for the control variables. The perforation profile is specifically tailored to the control variables between different ticket production runs, or between tickets in the same ticket production run.

In one embodiment, a secure substrate provides a print-ready surface for printing scratch-off products and eliminates the need to print lower security layers for protecting against attempts to view hidden indicia information. In one embodiment, a secure substrate comprises applying microperforations to a dyed substrate that meets a predefined transmission optical density to resist an attempt to reduce the opacity of the dyed substrate by delamination. In another embodiment, a secure substrate comprises applying a lower opacity layer and a lower background layer on a substrate to provide a secure substrate that meets a predefined transmission optical density. In another embodiment, a secure substrate comprises applying a lower opacity layer on a substrate, applying a reflective coating, and applying a lower background layer over the reflective coating to provide a secure substrate that meets a predefined transmission optical density.

A method and associated system are provided for producing a perforation line between adjacent lottery tickets in an automated production line wherein a substrate having lottery tickets printed thereon is conveyed through a perforation station in the production line prior to being folded into a Z-fold pattern for subsequent packaging. A perforation machine in the line is controlled by a controller for defining the perforation lines, wherein the control process includes determining the perforation lines that correspond to fold lines in the Z-fold pattern and, for these perforation lines, programming the perforation machine to generate a second perforation profile that is different from a first perforation profile of non-fold perforation lines that lie between the fold lines in the Z-fold pattern. The second perforation profile is specifically tailored to produce a stronger perforation line to compensate for weakness induced in the perforation line from being folded.

A system and method for providing instant games in both physical scratch-off and virtual forms wherein at least a portion of the winning value of the instant game is determined by a plurality of planar layers with the concordance of the planar layers determining value enhancements. The distribution and composition of the concordance of the plurality of planar layers is configured to ensure compliance with a predetermined prize outcome prize fund.

A substrate thermal sensitive system for creating a latent image that is useful as a scratch-off ticket that comprises a substrate and a first layer that is superimposed on the substrate. The first layer contains a plurality of microcapsules with a dye precursor or a solvent. The microcapsules are configured to rupture from pressure. The substrate thermal sensitive system further has an acidic developer layer coated over the first layer and containing a co-reactant. Particles of the co-reactant are coated with a meltable material, which is configured to melt when the heat is applied. The system further may include a scratch-off layer coated over the acidic developer layer. The system is configured such that when the meltable material is melted by the thermal printing device and the microcapsules are ruptured, the co-reactant of acidic developer layer reacts with the dye or the solvent of the first layer to develop color.

Herein is described a scratch-off structure comprising the following layers in order: a substrate having a first layer showing information thereon, a second layer comprising a polymeric film and being substantially transparent; a third layer comprising a transparent electrostatic ink; a fourth layer, wherein the fourth layer is coloured. Methods for making scratch-off structures and collections of scratch-off structures are also described.