A remote gaming system whereby a player can gamble against a wagering establishment
or state-run lottery from a remote location on a personal computer or portable
computer device where it is unnecessary to establish an on-line connection with
a host computer associated with the wagering establishment, the gaming computer
having associated gaming software for providing at least one wagering opportunity
and enabling the player to obtain gambling credit and cash-out any resulting winnings,
the host computer enabling the player to purchase and redeem gambling credit at
the remote location in one embodiment of the invention using cryptographic protocols
such as through a series of authenticatable message exchanges between the player
and the wagering establishment, the gaming computer and the host computer directly
on-line, or the gaming computer having a detachable tamper-resistant or tamper-evident
credit module associated therewith or for use with a personal computer being provided
to the player with preinstalled or preloaded gambling credit, the gaming system
also enabling participation in future events of which the outcome is uncertain
such as, for example, a lottery whereby the player makes selections on a gaming
computer at a remote location.