A system and method for selling pre-printed instant-winner lottery tickets by use of a central computer communicating with widely-distributed enclosed vending machines and other terminals. Tickets used in the system either have no play data marked on them, or all of the data is in encrypted machine-readable form on the ticket. Deferred disclosure of win/loss results is provided at the ticket buyer's option. Internet tickets including gift tickets are created by using them to defer reporting game results until later inquiry by the recipient. The win/loss results can be retrieved remotely by the use of laptops, PCs and other mobile devices, at a time after sale. A two-ticket game is provided, preferably presenting poker hands on each of a pair of tickets for comparison with one another. Preferably, each ticket provides a traditional instant-winner game with a chance for an added instant-winner progressive jackpot prize.