Background The computer systems to facilitate the sale of lottery tickets to governmental lotteries in Australia has typically comprised of dedicated lottery terminals at "brick and mortar" stores. These terminals would communicate with the computer systems of governmental lottery administrators. For at least some people, there is an increased level of trust in the governmental lotteries in comparison to other forms of lotteries and in particular private lotteries provided electronically over the Internet. This trust may arise in part from the operation of the computer systems for governmental lottery systems. These computer systems importantly include the generation by the lottery provider of ticket serial numbers for purchased tickets. The following patent publications describe systems for lotteries or gaming: US 6,024,641, US 6,146,272, US 2001/0031661, US 6,277,026, US 5,823,877, US 4,922,522, US 4,922,522, US 4,815,741, US 2001/0003 100, US 5,954,582. In addition, it appears that a system called the TMS or Wizard System may have been operating in Australia, which apparently took order information from emails, the processing of the orders requiring manual processing steps. Reference to these documents and the TMS or Wizard System is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the information contained in the documents forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction, that the operation of the TMS or Wizard System was public knowledge, or that any information in the documents or the TMS or Wizard System could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art. The applicant is of the view that none of the documents or the TMS or Wizard System describes a computer processing apparatus that facilitates an agent to sell tickets to a lottery, in particular a governmental lottery, over a public electronic network such as the Internet; indeed, there was no description of any computer processing apparatus having the advantages of receiving ticket serial numbers from the governmental lottery to facilitate secured sales of lottery tickets in an automated (without manual processing) fashion over a publicly accessible electronic network. 2 Summary of the Invention A system for facilitating governmental lottery play over an electronic network is disclosed, comprising an agent server connected via said electronic network for 5 receiving player and ticket information transmitted from a plurality of player terminals, for transmitting said ticket information to a governmental lottery administrator, and for receiving serial numbers issued by said governmental lottery administrator in association with each lottery ticket; a database in said agent server for storing said player and ticket information and said serial numbers associated with each lottery ticket; 10 and a screening unit in said agent server, having criteria required by the governmental lottery administrator pre-stored therein, for verifying that each player satisfies said criteria prior to transmitting said ticket information to said governmental lottery administrator. The system preferably further includes a verification unit in said agent server for 15 receiving winning numbers drawn by a governmental entity and for comparing said winning numbers with said ticket information stored in said database to determine if there are any winning lottery tickets of which numbers match said winning numbers. The verification unit preferably verifies serial numbers of said winning lottery tickets with said serial numbers previously stored in said database. 20 The ticket information of the above system includes subscription play information, said system further including a subscription play unit for monitoring subscription play of the same lottery numbers for a specified number of draws. ,The system further including a banking server and a banking database for storing player account information, said banking server for debiting a player's account when 25 said player purchases a lottery ticket and for crediting said player's account with a winning amount upon a win from said lottery ticket, said banking server for communicating and transmitting debits and credits of money with said governmental 3 lottery administrator. The banking server communicates with a credit card provider of said player and debits and credits a credit card account of said player upon purchase of a lottery ticket or a win from a lottery ticket purchased by said player. The agent server may be configured to transmit to said player terminals lottery 5 game data upon confirmation of purchase of a lottery ticket from said governmental lottery administrator, whereby an image in the form of a lottery ticket including ticket numbers selected by said player and said associated serial numbers is displayed on said player terminal of said player. The electronic network is the Internet. A method is also disclosed for conducting governmental lottery play over an 10 electronic network, comprising the steps of receiving player and ticket information entered by lottery players; verifying that said lottery players satisfy criteria required by a governmental entity governing said governmental lottery play; storing said player and ticket information of said verified lottery players; receiving serial numbers issued by governmental entity server, each serial number being associated with each lottery ticket; 15 receiving winning numbers from said governmental entity server; determining winning tickets by comparing said winning numbers with ticket numbers entered by said verified lottery players; and verifying said winning tickets with said serial numbers. The method further including the steps of crediting a winning amount of each winning ticket to an account of each corresponding winning player, and debiting 20 accounts of said verified players for purchases of said lottery tickets. The verification criteria may include a minimum age and residency within border of said governmental entity. The ticket information may include subscription player information including the subscription lottery number and the number of times to be played. The method 25 further includes the steps of monitoring the number of times to be played and stopping when the number of times to be played reaches zero. The method also includes the steps of transmitting information of said winning 4 tickets to the governmental entity server, said information including said serial numbers associated with said winning tickets; receiving claim validation numbers associated with said winning tickets from the governmental entity server, said claim validation numbers being issued by and stored in the governmental entity server; providing said claim 5 validation numbers to each winning player; claiming a predetermined winning amount by submitting said claim validation numbers; verifying said submitted claim validation numbers with said claim validation numbers stored in the governmental entity server; and rewarding said winning amount to said each winning player. In one aspect, the present invention provides a system for facilitating 10 governmental lottery play over an electronic network comprising: an agent server connected via said electronic network for receiving player and ticket information, including subscription play information, transmitted from a plurality of player terminals, for transmitting said ticket information to a governmental lottery administrator, and for receiving serial numbers issued by said governmental lottery 15 administrator in association with each lottery ticket; a database in said agent server for storing said player and ticket information and said serial numbers associated with each lottery ticket; and a subscription play unit for monitoring subscription play of the same lottery numbers for a specified number of draws. 20 The system may further include a screening unit in said agent server, having criteria required by the governmental lottery administrator pre-stored therein, for verifying that each player satisfies said criteria prior to transmitting said ticket information to said governmental lottery administrator. The system may also include means for notifying the player prior to or at the 25 expiration of the specified number of draws that play is to end or has ended. The system may also include a database which includes pre-stored serial numbers associated with instant lottery tickets for facilitating play of instant lottery 5 upon verifying that the player satisfies the criteria by the agent server. Brief Description of the Drawings 5 This disclosure will present in detail the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein : Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a lottery agent system according to the present invention; Fig. 2A and 2B are flow charts describing a method for operating on-line state 10 lottery games according to the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a flow chart describing a series of steps for claiming awards for winning lottery tickets. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments 15 The present disclosure describes a lottery agent system for facilitating lottery games which makes it possible to purchase lottery tickets and to play lottery games at player terminals through a communication network. The lottery agent system more particularly relates to playing lottery games provided by a governmental entity such as a 20 country, county, state, province or multi-state lottery association (hereafter referred to as "state"). The system includes an agent server for interacting with lottery players and lottery administrators of the states to manage and facilitate the state lottery games. For example, lottery players access the agent server via an electronic network such as the Internet to purchase lottery tickets at the player terminals, such as personal computers or 25 lottery terminals, for playing lottery games. The lottery players enter player information, such as names, addresses, ages, and accounts of the lottery players, and ticket information of the lottery tickets to be purchased. The types of games include the 6 traditional periodic games (which draw winning numbers twice a week, weekly or monthly etc.), instant games wherein players learn whether they have won nearly instantaneously, or subscription games, The players purchase lottery on a subscription basis by entering subscription 5 play information such as the lottery numbers, the amount of wager, and the duration or number of plays using the lottery numbers. The accounts may be credit card accounts or bank accounts of the lottery players, or separate accounts or other payment method such as prepaid account cards established by the agent server for the lottery players for the use of lottery games. Upon receiving the player and ticket information, the agent server 10 verifies based on the player information of the lottery players that each lottery player satisfies certain criteria required by the state. After such verification of the lottery players, the agent server sends the ticket information via the Internet to each state lottery administrator which then provides the agent server with security or serial numbers associated with each lottery ticket 15 purchased. The security or serial numbers (hereinafter referred to as"serial numbers") are preferably encrypted numbers. Each ticket sold is assigned a unique serial number by the state. In the case of instant lottery games, the instant tickets and associated serial numbers are pre-stored in a database at the agent server. The agent server transmits lottery game data to the player terminals of the lottery players upon confirmation of the 20 purchase of the lottery tickets. Upon drawing winning numbers, the agent server verifies winning tickets of which ticket numbers match the winning numbers, based on the serial numbers received from the state lottery administrator. The agent server then notifies the lottery players of the verified winning tickets. 25 The agent server also transmits to the state lottery administrator the ticket information of the winning tickets including the serial numbers associated with the winning tickets. The state lottery administrator verifies the ticket information received 7 from the agent server with the ticket information previously stored in a state database. Upon a successful verification, the state lottery administrator issues claim validation numbers associated with the verified winning tickets.for the future claims on lottery awards by winning players. The claim validation numbers issued by the state lottery 5 administrator are stored in the state database and transmitted to the agent server. The lottery agent system may also include a banking server which interacts with the agent server and the each state lottery administrator and credits an account of each winning player with a winning amount provided by the each state administrator and debits the account for purchase of the lottery tickets. 10 Thus, the lottery agent system performs a screening and a verification process. Preferably, upon receiving the player and ticket information, the agent server screens each lottery player for satisfaction of criterias set by the states. Upon purchase of a ticket, the serial number associated with each ticket is stored. Upon a drawing of winning numbers, the agent server verifies winning tickets with the player's 15 information, serial numbers and validation numbers issued by each state administrator and stored in a database of the agent server. Fig. I shows a lottery agent system. Player terminals 10 are used by lottery players to enter information for playing lottery games. The player terminals 10 may be personal computers of the lottery players and/or lottery terminals specifically for 20 playing lottery games and located at readily accessible places. To purchase lottery tickets, the lottery players enter at the player terminals 10 player information, such as age and address, account number of the player, and ticket information, such as types and numbers of lottery tickets to be purchased, including specifying instant play or subscription play as a subscriber. The player and ticket information is transferred via a 25 communication network 20 to an agent server 30. The communication network 20 is preferably a global electronic network such as the Internet through which a lottery website is provided for the lottery players to log on. 8 The agent server 30 includes a plurality of program modules having stored codes executable by a data process unit 39 for effecting agent server functions including communicating over the electronic network, Other modules include a screening unit 31 for verifying based on the player information that each lottery player satisfies certain criteria 5 required for playing lottery games, an agent database 33 for storing the player and ticket information and serial numbers generated by a state lottery administrator 40, a verification unit 35 for verifying winning tickets based on the ticket information and the serial numbers after a drawing of winning numbers, a game server 37 for storing and providing various types of lottery games. The data process unit 39 also communicates control and data signals with 0 the above and other components of the agent server 30. The game server 37 includes a subscription play unit (not shown) for monitoring subscription play and putting in play the subscription lottery numbers for a pre-specified number of draws until expiration of the specified subscription time period. Detail description of the agent server 30 in Fig. 1 follows. When a lottery player enters his/her player and ticket information at a player terminal 5 10 to purchase lottery tickets, the screening unit 31 receives the player and ticket information and verifies based on the player information that the lottery player satisfies certain criteria required by the state. The criteria, for example, minimum age and residency within the border of the state, are set by the state as a condition to purchase lottery tickets. Such criteria may be previously stored in the screen unit 31. For the verification, the screening unit 31 20 compares the criteria with the player information to confirm that each and every requirement of the criteria is satisfied with each corresponding data of the player information. For example, the screen unit 31 may perform comparison and determination with respect to whether the lottery player's age is over the minimum age, whether the lottery player's address falls within the border of the state, and so on. If the player information is 25 successfully verified by the screening unit 31, the verified player information along with the 9 ticket information is stored in the agent database 33 under the control of the data process unit 39. Upon such verification, the ticket information is transmitted to the state lottery administrator 40 under the control of the data process unit 39. Upon receiving and storing the ticket information in a state database 42, the state lottery administrator 40 issues serial 5 numbers associated with the lottery tickets to be purchased in accordance with the ticket information. Each of the serial numbers is associated with each of the lottery tickets to be purchased. That is, each serial number is unique to each lottery ticket to be purchased. The serial numbers are then transmitted to and stored in the agent database 33 under the control of the data process unit 39. In the case of instant lottery games, winning numbers can be pre 10 drawn and the serial numbers associated with tickets pre-stored in the agent server. Thus, the instant ticket can be presented to the player immediately upon verification of player information. Upon receiving the serial numbers associated with the lottery tickets from the state lottery administrator 40, the data process unit 39 confirms the purchases of the lottery tickets 5 and generates control signals to the game server 37 for playing lottery games. In response to the control signals from the data process unit 39, the game server 37 provides the player terminal 10 with image data in the form of the lottery tickets purchased. The player terminal 10 displays on its screen virtual lottery tickets corresponding to the image data of the lottery tickets purchased. The image data may include ticket numbers selected by the lottery player 20 and the serial numbers associated with the lottery tickets. The game server 37 may previously store image data of various types of lottery tickets. The lottery player can then play lottery games with the virtual lottery tickets displayed on the player terminal 10. That is, the lottery player observes a drawing of winning numbers and matches between the winning numbers and the ticket numbers of the virtual lottery tickets. The lottery player can also interactively 25 communicate with the agent server 30 via-the Internet 20 while playing lottery games. 10 The players can also select subscription play from the types of games made available to players from agent server 30. A player selects from the website operated by the agent server 30 the subscription play icon. A subscription form appears to prompt the player to enter subscription play information such as the number of plays, the actual numbers to be 5 played, and the amount of wager per play, etc. The subscription information received by agent server 30 is stored in database 33. A subscription play unit (not shown) in game server 37 monitors the subscription play data stored in database 33. For example, if the number of plays entered by the subscriber player is weekly play, the subscription play unit, in connection with data process unit 39 and agent database 33, will put in play the actual 0 numbers selected by the player (stored in database 33) each week. The subscription play unit also monitors the specific number of plays by counting down by one each time the lottery numbers are played until the specified number of play becomes zero. The subscription play unit preferably generates a 'subscription play complete' flag and the player is notified of the completion of subscription play by agent server 30. Preferably, the flag is generated prior to 15 or at the expiration of the number of plays or the specified time period and the subscriber player is notified prior to or at the end of subscription play. The notification can be sent by email or sent to the account of the player which the player can access over the global electronic network. After winning numbers are drawn from each game, the state lottery administrator 40 20 provides the winning numbers to the agent server 30 or the winning numbers are entered into the agent server 30 after they are publicly announced. The verification unit 35 receives the winning numbers and determines if there are any winning lottery tickets of which ticket numbers match the winning numbers. For the determination, the verification unit 35 accesses the ticket information stored in the agent database 33 which includes the ticket numbers of 11 the lottery tickets purchased. The verification unit 35 then compares the respective ticket numbers with the winning numbers to determine the winning lottery tickets. Upon determining the winning lottery tickets, the verification unit 35 verifies the winning lottery tickets with the serial numbers previously issued by the state lottery 5 administrator 40. For the verification, the verification unit 35 accesses the serial numbers stored in the agent database 33. Since each of the serial numbers is previously issued in association with each of the purchased lottery tickets and stored in the agent database 33, each of the winning lottery tickets can be verified by confirming the serial numbers of the winning lottery tickets with the corresponding serial numbers retrieved from the agent 0 database 33. Upon being successfully verified with the corresponding serial numbers, information of the winning lottery tickets including the serial numbers are transmitted- from the agent database 33 to the state lottery administrator 40 under control of the data process unit 39. Upon receiving the information and the serial number of the winning tickets, the state lottery 15 administrator 40 issues claim validation numbers associated with the winning tickets. Each of the claim validation numbers is unique to each of the winning tickets. The issued claim validation numbers are stored in the state database 42. The claim validation numbers are transmitted from the state lottery administrator 40 and stored in the agent database 33 under control of the data process unit 39. The agent 20 server 30 also provides the claim validation numbers to the player terminals 10 of the winning players. Upon receiving the claim validation numbers, the winning players are qualified to claim predetermined lottery awards. That is, the winning players can print a claim form including the claim validation numbers at the player terminals 10, and then claim the predetermined lottery awards by completing and submitting the claim form to the state 25 lottery administrator 40. Upon receiving the claim form with the claim validation numbers, 12 the state lottery administrator 40 accesses the corresponding claim validation numbers previously stored in the state database 42 to verify the claim form and the claim validation numbers received. After successful verification of the claim form and the claim validation numbers, the state lottery administrator 40 allows the banking server 50 to reward the 5 predetermined lottery awards under control of the data process unit 39 to the claimants, i.e., the winning players. The lottery agent system may further include a banking server 50 for crediting and debiting the accounts of the lottery players. The accounts for the use of playing lottery games may be credit card accounts or bank accounts of the lottery players, or separate 10 accounts previously established for the lottery players. Such accounts may be stored in the database 51 of the banking server 50. The player can also purchase prepaid cards, which are similar to prepaid phone cards wherein the cards bear a credit or sum of money to be subtracted down each time a player purchases a ticket. The prepaid cards can be in different denominations purchased at convenience stores by cash or check or online with a credit 15 card. The prepaid card preferably bears a user-id number which the player can enter for identification and proper debiting/crediting by the agent server. The banking server 50 credits the accounts of the respective lottery players who own the winning tickets and claim predetermined lottery awards, and debits the accounts of the respective lottery players for the purchases of the lottery tickets. At the time of every credit or debit, the banking server 20 50 updates the corresponding accounts in the banking database 51. The banking server 50 may directly communicate with credit card providers 53 of the lottery players. That is, the banking server 50 debits and credits credit card accounts of the lottery players upon purchases of the lottery tickets or wins from the lottery tickets purchased. Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, a flowchart illustrates a method for facilitating play of 25 on-line state lottery games. To purchase lottery tickets, a lottery player enters his/her player 13 information and ticket information at a player terminal (step 101). The player information may include name, age, address, and account information of the lottery player. The ticket information includes types and numbers of the lottery tickets to be purchased by the lottery player. A lottery agent receives the player and ticket information through an electronic 5 network, such as the Internet (step 103), and verifies that the lottery player satisfies certain criteria required by the state to purchase the state lottery tickets (step 105). For example, the state may require in the criteria that a lottery player must be at least 18 years old and resident in the state. The lottery agent stores the player and ticket information of the verified player in a 0 database (step 107), and transmits the ticket information to the state, i.e., a state lottery administrator (step 109). The state lottery administrator then issues serial numbers associated with the ticket information after confirming the purchase of the state lottery tickets by the lottery player (step 111). The issued serial numbers, each of which is unique to each of the purchased lottery tickets, are transmitted to the lottery agent. In the case of instant games, the [5 serial numbers can be pre-stored in the database of the agent server for retrieval by the agent server and presented to the player without communication by the agent server to the governmental administrator. After receiving the serial numbers, the lottery agent transmits to the player terminal lottery game data including image data of the lottery tickets (step 113), and at the same time the lottery agent debits the player's account for the purchase of the 20 lottery tickets (step 115) with the lottery game data, the player terminal displays virtual lottery tickets corresponding to the lottery tickets purchased including ticket numbers selected by the player and associated with the serial numbers. The player then plays a lottery game with the virtual lottery tickets displayed on the player terminal (step 117). After winning numbers are drawn by the state and transmitted to the lottery agent 25 (step 119), the lottery agent compares the winning numbers with the ticket numbers selected 14 by the lottery player (step 121). If there is any match between the winning numbers and the ticket numbers (step 123), the lottery agent verifies the winning ticket with the serial numbers received from the state lottery administrator (step 125). With respect to the verified winning ticket, the lottery agent credits the player's account with a winning amount provided by the 5 state lottery administrator (step 127). If there is no match between the winning numbers and the ticket numbers in the step 123, the lottery agent asks the lottery player whether to play another lottery game (step 129). If the lottery player chooses not to continue the lottery game, the lottery agent ends the player's lottery game (step 131). If the lottery player chooses to play another lottery game, the lottery agent again transmits the ticket information to the state . 10 lottery administrator (step 109). Then, the state lottery administrator issues new serial numbers associated with new lottery tickets and provides the new serial numbers to the lottery agent (step 111). Upon receiving the new serial numbers, the lottery agent repeats the steps 113 to 131 as described above. Referring to Fig. 3, a flow chart illustrates a series of steps for claiming awards for 15 wins in playing lottery games. At a predetermined time before a drawing of winning numbers, a lottery agent managing the lottery games stops communicating with lottery players (step 201). Thus, the lottery players cannot purchase lottery tickets after a predetermined time before a drawing of the winning numbers. After the winning numbers are drawn so that winning tickets are determined (step 203), the lottery agent verifies the winning 20 tickets with the ticket information previously provided by the lottery player and provides the information of the winning tickets to the state (step 205). The verification of the winning tickets includes confirming the winning tickets with serial numbers previously issued by the state in association with the respective winning tickets. Upon receiving the information of the winning tickets, the state verifies the winning 25 tickets with the ticket information previously stored in a database of the state (step 207). The 15 state then issues claim validation numbers each of which is associated with each of the verified winning tickets (step 209). The claim validation numbers are stored in the state and transmitted to the lottery agent (step 211). Upon receiving the claim validation numbers associated with the winning 5 tickets, the lottery agent determines whether a winning amount of each winning ticket is over a certain amount of money (step 213). If the winning amount is not over a certain amount of money, the lottery agent credits the winning amount to an account of the corresponding winning player (step 215). If the winning amount is over a certain amount of money, the lottery agent provides each winning player with a notice of win, 10 the claim validation numbers, and a claim form, preferably, via the Internet (step 217). The winning player then prints and completes the claim form and submits the completed claim form with the claim validation numbers to a state lottery office administering the state lottery games (step 219). The state lottery office verifies the claim validation numbers submitted by the winning player with the corresponding claim validation 15 numbers previously stored in the state (step 221). Upon verifying the claim validation numbers, the state allows the lottery agent to award the winning amount to the winning player (step 223). Thus, the disclosed system and the method for operating on-line state lottery games provides the lottery players with not only convenient and readily accessible 20 lottery play but also more reliable security on the information for playing the state lottery games. Therefore, the present invention may facilitate lottery games so as to encourage patrons to play lottery games more frequently. Having described preferred embodiments of a system and a method for playing electronic lottery games, it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by 25 persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. 16 It is also to be understood that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative, and that any changes may be made in the particular embodiments disclosed, which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims. 5 Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word "comprise" and variations of the word, such as "comprising" and "comprises", is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. 17