Networked gaming system communication protocols and methods

摘要

A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

主权项

1. A gaming system, comprising:
a first gaming device having a first base game processor to control play of a base game, the first gaming device having one or more system processors, having a game monitoring module to monitor play of the base game and having a rewards system module to control play of a bonus game on the first gaming device, the bonus game being available on the first gaming device only through play of the base game, the rewards system module implemented by one or more of the one or more system processors of the first gaming device; a first server having an accounting system, the first server to send bonuses to the game monitoring module; and a second server having a rewards system to track rewards responsive to play of the base game and a threshold responsive to play of the base game, the rewards to provide currency used to play the bonus game on the first gaming device and the threshold to provide the amount of rewards being needed to enable play of the bonus game on the first gaming device, the second server to send bonuses to the rewards system module of the first gaming device; wherein the rewards system module and the game monitoring module communicate bonus information; wherein the second server further to send an enabling message for bonuses to the first gaming device, the second server to send the enabling message responsive to determining a user of the first gaming device and the rewards system has achieved a predetermined threshold of rewards as tracked by the rewards system; and wherein determining whether a user has achieved the predetermined threshold of rewards further checks the frequency of play of bonus games by a user against business rules of the rewards system controlling bonus play prior to enabling bonus play.