a wagering system for accepting wagers over communications systems comprising : automatic call director means for receiving incoming messages from subscribers who wish to wager on the system ; b ) message means connected thereto for receiving the incoming messages routed from the acd , and for playing a series of recorded audio messages requesting subscriber wager information to be input via telecommunications means ; and host processor means having storage means and being connected to the wagering vru for receiving the subscriber wager information , storing it in a master subscriber wager file in the storage means , and assigning an associated ticket number to the wager .