Method and apparatus for operating networked gaming devices

Abstract

A system for monitoring and configuring gaming devices interconnected over a high-speed network is disclosed. The system can support a file server, one or more floor controllers, one or more pit terminals, and other terminals all interconnected over the network. Each gaming device includes an electronic module which allows the gaming device to communicate with a floor controller over a current loop network. The electronic module includes a player tracking module and a data communication node. The player tracking module includes a card reader for detecting a player tracking card inserted therein which identifies the player. The data communication node communicates with both the floor controller and the gaming device. The data communication node communicates with the gaming device over a serial interface through which the data communication node transmits reconfiguration commands. The gaming device reconfigures its payout schedule responsive to the reconfiguration commands to provide a variety of promotional bonuses such as multiple jackpot bonuses, mystery jackpot bonuses, progressive jackpot bonuses, or player specific bonuses.

1. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
 selecting a plurality of the gaming devices;  
 using the network to track the amount of money played on the selected gaming devices;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played to a bonus pool;  
 issuing a command over the network including data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event;  
 storing the command in a memory connected to a controller associated with only one of the gaming devices;  
 transmitting data indicative of gaming device activity from the gaming device to the controller;  
 transmitting a pay command from the controller to the gaming device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; and  
 paying the bonus via the gaming device responsive to receipt of the pay command.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said bonus pool comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the predetermined event comprises effecting a wager at one of said selected gaming devices which brings the pool to a predetermined level. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein said selected gaming devices comprise a group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein said selected gaming devices comprise a first group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network and wherein said method further comprises:
 selecting a second group of gaming devices;  
 using the network to track the amount of money played on the second group of gaming devices;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played on the second group of gaming devices to a second bonus pool; and  
 issuing a second command over the network to cause a second bonus to be paid from the second pool via one of said gaming devices in the second group upon the occurrence of a second predetermined event.  
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein said second bonus pool comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the second predetermined event comprises winning a jackpot at one of said gaming devices in the second group. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4  wherein the second group of gaming devices comprise a group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein said first and second groups of gaming devices include different gaming devices. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4  wherein said method further comprises:
 storing the second command in a second memory connected to a second controller associated with a second one of the gaming devices;  
 transmitting data indicative of activity of the second gaming device from the second gaming device to the second controller;  
 transmitting a second pay command from the second controller to the second gaming device upon the occurrence of the second predetermined event; and  
 paying the second bonus via the second gaming device responsive to receipt of the second pay command.  
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of using the network to track the amount of money played on the selected gaming devices occurs after the step of selecting a plurality of the gaming devices. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 5  wherein said second bonus comprises a multiple of the jackpot. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein said first-mentioned bonus comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the first-mentioned predetermined event comprises effecting a wager at one of the gaming devices in the first group which brings the first-mentioned pool to a predetermined level. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  wherein said method further includes using the network to track the activity of all of the gaming devices in the network substantially simultaneously with all of the preceding steps. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  wherein said host computer includes a user-operated input device and wherein selecting a plurality of the gaming devices comprises effecting action at the input device. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein said method further includes associating each gaming device with a unique address code and wherein effecting action at the input device comprises identifying the selected gaming devices with their respective associated address codes. 
     
     
       15. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
 detecting a player of the gaming devices;  
 transmitting the amount of money played at each gaming device by the player from the gaming device to the host computer;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played by the player on all of the gaming devices to a bonus pool containing allocations resulting only from money played by the player; and  
 issuing a command over the network to cause the pool to be paid by a gaming device played by the player upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.  
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein said bonus pool comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the predetermined event comprises effecting a wager at one of the gaming devices which brings the pool to a predetermined level. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of detecting a player of the gaming devices comprises entering a unique player identification card into a card reader operatively connected to one of the gaming devices and to the network. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15  wherein issuing a command over the network to cause the pool to be paid by a gaming device played by the player upon the occurrence of a predetermined event comprises issuing a command over the network upon the occurrence of a predetermined transaction at the gaming device played by the player. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15  wherein allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played by the player on all of the gaming devices to a bonus pool comprises allocating only money played by the player to the bonus pool and wherein said method further includes:
 transmitting the amount of money played at a first gaming device by the player from the first gaming device to the host computer;  
 transmitting the amount of money played at a second gaming device by the player from the second gaming device to the host computer; and  
 issuing a command over the network to cause the pool to be paid by said second gaming device upon the occurrence of said predetermined event.  
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein issuing a command over the network to cause the pool to be paid by said second gaming device upon the occurrence of said predetermined event comprises issuing a command over the network upon the occurrence of a predetermined transaction at said second gaming device. 
     
     
       21. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
 selecting a plurality of the gaming devices;  
 issuing a command over the network including data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event;  
 storing the command in a memory connected to a controller associated with only one of the gaming devices;  
 transmitting data indicative of gaming device activity from the gaming device to the controller;  
 transmitting a pay command from the controller to the gaming device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; and  
 paying the bonus via the gaming device responsive to receipt of the pay command.  
 
     
     
       22. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer having a user-operated input device comprising:
 preselecting less than all of the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network responsive to a user-effected action at the input device;  
 using the network to track the amount of money played on the preselected gaming devices;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played to a bonus pool; and  
 issuing a command over the network to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool by one of said preselected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.  
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  wherein said preselected gaming devices comprise a first group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network and wherein said method further comprises:
 preselecting a second group of gaming devices responsive to a user-effected action at the input device;  
 using the network to track the amount of money played on the second group of gaming devices;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played on the second group of gaming devices to a second bonus pool; and  
 issuing a command over the network to cause a second bonus to be paid from the second pool via one of said gaming devices in the second group upon the occurrence of a second predetermined event.  
 
     
     
       24. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
 selecting a plurality of the gaming devices;  
 using the network to track the amount of money played on the selected gaming devices;  
 allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played to a bonus pool; initiating a bonus period after the bonus pool exceeds a predetermined level;  
 providing data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event;  
 storing the data in a memory connected to a controller associated with only one of the gaming devices;  
 transmitting data indicative of gaming device activity from the gaming device to the controller;  
 initiating the bonus period;  
 transmitting a pay command from the controller to the gaming device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; and  
 paying the bonus via the gaming device responsive to receipt of the pay command.  
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  wherein the predetermined event comprises a predetermined transaction at the gaming device. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  wherein said predetermined transaction comprises making a wager at the gaming device. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25  wherein said predetermined transaction comprises a jackpot at the gaming device. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 24  wherein providing data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event comprises providing data causing a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices only if predetermined minimum gaming device activity is achieved. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 24  wherein said predetermined event comprises transmission of a pay command from the host computer to the controller. 
     
     
       30. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
   selecting a plurality of the gaming devices;        using the network to track the amount of money played on the selected gaming devices;        allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played to a bonus pool;        generating a message including data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event;        transmitting the message over the network;        storing the message in a memory connected to a controller associated with only one of the gaming devices;        transmitting data indicative of gaming device activity from the gaming device to the controller;        transmitting a pay command from the controller to the gaming device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; and        paying the bonus via the gaming device responsive to receipt of the pay command.      
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30  wherein said bonus pool comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the predetermined event comprises effecting a wager at one of said selected gaming devices that brings the pool to a predetermined level.  
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30  wherein said selected gaming devices comprise a group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network.  
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30  wherein said selected gaming devices comprise a first group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network and wherein said method further comprises:
   selecting a second group of gaming devices;        using the network to track the amount of money played on the second group of gaming devices;        allocating a predetermined percentage of the money played on the second group of gaming devices to a second bonus pool; and        generating a second message to cause a second bonus to be paid from the second pool via one of said gaming devices in the second group upon the occurrence of a second predetermined event.      
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 33  wherein said second bonus pool comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the second predetermined event comprises winning a jackpot at one of said gaming devices in the second group.  
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 33  wherein the second group of gaming devices comprises a group of gaming devices made up of less than all the gaming devices interconnected by the computer network.  
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  wherein said first and second groups of gaming devices include different gaming devices.  
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 33  wherein said method further comprises:
   storing the second message in a second memory connected to a second controller associated with a second one of the gaming devices;        transmitting data indicative of activity of the second gaming device from the second gaming device to the second controller;        transmitting a second pay command from the second controller to the second gaming device upon the occurrence of the second predetermined event; and        paying the second bonus via the second gaming device responsive to receipt of the second pay command.      
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 30  wherein the step of using the network to track the amount of money played on the selected gaming devices occurs after the step of selecting a plurality of the gaming devices.  
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 34  wherein said second bonus comprises a multiple of the jackpot.  
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 39  wherein said first- mentioned bonus comprises a progressive jackpot and wherein the first - mentioned predetermined event comprises effecting a wager at one of the gaming devices in the first group that brings the first - mentioned pool to a predetermined level.    
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 30  wherein said method further includes using the network to track the activity of all of the gaming devices in the network substantially simultaneously with all of the preceding steps.  
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 30  wherein said host computer includes a user- operated input device and wherein selecting a plurality of the gaming devices comprises effecting action at the input device.    
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 42  wherein said method further includes associating each gaming device with a unique address code and wherein effecting action at the input device comprises identifying the selected gaming devices with their respective associated address codes.  
     
     
       44. A method of operating gaming devices interconnected by a computer network to a host computer comprising:
   selecting a plurality of the gaming devices;        generating a message including data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event;        transmitting the message over the network;        storing the message in a memory connected to a controller associated with only one of the gaming devices;        transmitting data indicative of gaming device activity from the gaming device to the controller;        transmitting a pay command from the controller to the gaming device upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; and        paying the bonus via the gaming device responsive to receipt of the pay command.      
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44  wherein the predetermined event comprises a predetermined transaction at the gaming device.  
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 45  wherein said predetermined transaction comprises making a wager at the gaming device.  
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 45  wherein said predetermined transaction comprises a jackpot at the gaming device.  
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 44  wherein generating a message including data establishing criteria to cause a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices upon the occurrence of a predetermined event comprises providing data causing a bonus to be paid from the pool via one of said selected gaming devices only if predetermined minimum gaming device activity is achieved.  
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 44  wherein said predetermined event comprises transmission of a pay command from the host computer to the controller.