INTEGRATING REMOTELY-HOSTED AND LOCALLY RENDERED CONTENT ON A GAMING DEVICE

摘要

A wager gaming machine may be configured not only to provide wagering games, but also to communicate with one or more hosts that can provide information and/or services pertaining to local wager gaming events, including but not limited to local tournaments, local restaurants, local messages (e.g., messages from other players in the gaming establishment), local social events, local sporting events, local dating opportunities, etc. Other hosts may provide information and/or services pertaining to business or finance (e.g., stock quotes), sports, news, weather, etc. Processes for conveying audio, video, etc., from host devices may be separate from processes used to control wager game presentations. At least some such processes may be able to output an associated “skin” on a video system of the wager gaming machine. These processes may involve providing one or more “widgets.” In some preferred implementations, at least a threshold level of one or more wager gaming machine resources will be made available to wager game presentations and related functions.

主权项

1. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
(a) receiving player loyalty account information; (b) causing a wager gaming machine to display a graphical user interface indicating widget options, wherein the wager gaming machine is associated with a credit balance which is:
(i) increasable via:
(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; (c) receiving an indication regarding a desired widget; and (d) enabling the desired widget.