Patent ID: 7125017

Claim:
A method of authenticating a lottery ticket having at least one first play area containing at least one game indicia covered by a first scratch-off layer and at least one second play area comprising at least one prize affecting symbol covered by a second scratch-off layer wherein if a player wins a prize in the first play area, the player can seek to enhance the value of the prize by playing the second play area, said method comprising: a) providing the second play area with a first ticket authenticating indicia beneath the second scratch-off layer and a second ticket authenticating indicia on top of the second scratch-off layer; b) reading only the second ticket authenticating indicia as indicative of the player having removed only the first scratch-off layer thereby playing only the first play area or reading only the first ticket authenticating indicia as indicative of the player having removed both the first scratch-off layer from the first play area and the second scratch-off layer from the second play area and thereby having played both the first play area and the second play area; and c) comparing the second ticket authenticating indicia or the first ticket authenticating indicia to a database containing the same and if there is a match the ticket and the amount of the prizes are thereby authenticated.