Seamless initiation of primary and secondary games at modified gaming machines

Abstract

Secondary gaming functionality is provided for a casino gaming machine ( 26 ) by a secondary controller ( 200 ) of the casino gaming machine. The secondary gaming functionality may function to provide a multi-game experience at the gaming machine or remotely at another gaming machine or other device, e.g., a smart phone ( 28 ), tablet, personal computer ( 32 ), and the like, via the casino gaming machine. The multi-game experience may comprise one or more secondary wager-based games in addition to the one or more primary wager-based game(s) provided by the primary gaming functionality of the gaming machine. The secondary controller functionality may cause the secondary wager-based game to be presented upon a single input player to the gaming machine which also initiates the primary game, whereby primary and secondary games are initiated seamlessly to the player via a single input.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modified gaming machine comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices including at least one video display and at least one player input device;   a main game controller configured to implement primary gaming functionality comprising at least one primary gaming instance, the main game controller configured to generate and transmit information to the plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices; and   a secondary controller interposed between one or more of the plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices and the main game controller, whereby the secondary controller may forward information generated by the main gaming controller to the one or more of the plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices and transmit secondary information to the one or more of the peripheral devices, the secondary controller causing to be provided secondary gaming functionality comprising at least one secondary gaming instance, the secondary controller configured to control play of the primary and secondary gaming instances in response to a single input by said player associated with initiation of said primary game instance.