Abstract: A display control system for a gaming machine is described. The display control system allows a gaming machine controller to directly control attributes of one or more video displays coupled to a gaming machine. Display attributes can be adjusted to account for different machine states which can occur when the gaming machine is operating in an attract mode, game play mode and tilt mode. A few examples of display attributes which can be controlled include but are not limited to power on or off, input source selection, contrast control, brightness control and color temp control.

Abstract: A server which provides game play services, such as game play services associated with progressive games, is described. The server provides the game play services to remote gaming machines via a network protocol and a network interface. The server is configured to monitor the network connections associated with the network protocol in real-time to ensure that only valid processes executing on the server are utilizing the network connections. In one embodiment, software ports, associated with the network protocol and utilized to provide the game play services, are monitored. The monitoring can prevent malicious programs from utilizing the network connections for fraudulent purposes.

Abstract: A gaming device includes a front-mounted display, such as one or more displays which are mounted to a door of the gaming device. The display may be located in a recess or opening in the front of the gaming device, such as in the door. One or more electrical interconnection points may be electrically connected with one or more electrical attachment points to form one or more electrical connects between the gaming device and the one or more displays. The display may be mounted to the gaming device, such as the door, via one or more connectors which are accessible at an interior of the gaming device, such as the rear of the door.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to a gaming device including a memory, a processor, a display, and a call tower including a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, and a call tower display screen and/or a plurality of external lights located at an outer area of a front surface of the gaming device, forming a u-shape with a left side, a right side, and a bottom each comprising a light column. The gaming device includes a processor which presents a game via the display.

Abstract: When awarding of a locally-incremented prize or a jackpot prize takes place in a chance-based gaming system, first there may be joy for the player who won but then there is a sense of lost opportunity for remaining other players as they come to realize at that moment that they have lost the opportunity to win that same prize and instead they must start all over in re-building a comparable prize amount. The notion of having to start from ground zero and build all the way up again may discourage some and induce them to walk away from the gaming machines. Methods are disclosed where the post-award prize reset amounts displayed to the remaining other players are not easily recognizable or attention attracting patterns that may induce the remaining other players to immediately recognize that a reset event has occurred, become disheartened and walk away.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a video display mounting configuration, such as for mounting a secondary video display to a base cabinet having a first or primary video display. The mounting comprises connectors on a display frame which drop into mounts of a display support. The mounting may include a locking mechanism. An alignment configuration is also provided, such as for aligning different gaming machine components such as two video displays and/or light rings, trim or the like, relative to one another in three dimensions.

Abstract: An upright gaming machine includes a game determination component that facilitates a wager-based game result, input/output devices coupled to the game determination component, a gaming machine cabinet housing various gaming machine components, and lower and cash access doors located about the gaming machine cabinet. The lower door can be fully removable from the gaming machine, can facilitate access to an internal belly region, and can include a tethered locking arrangement having rotary latches, stationary pins, and a tether. The cash door includes a virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement that moves the cash door in a swivel motion from a closed position to an open position, where the swivel motion of the cash door is about a virtual axis having a center of rotation for which no physical component passes therethrough.

Abstract: Wager-based video slot reel games are disclosed where prizes can be awarded based upon by-chance insertion of bonus wild symbols. In particular, a series of free spin games are provided. In each spin of the series of free spin games, a number of bonus wild symbols can be awarded by chance. The by-chance awarded wild symbols can be randomly distributed in a game outcome array. If and after the wild symbols are awarded, the number of next by-chance insertable wild symbols is increased and that increase is signaled to the player to thereby heighten the expectations of the player of winning even more bonus wild symbols by-chance in a next of the series of free spin games.

Abstract: A progressive pool controller within a gaming environment can have programmable contents thereof retrieved or changed without need for user interaction with the controller other than inserting a dynamically-linkable and reprogrammable storage device (e.g., a USB flash drive) into an I/O receptacle of the controller. The controller has a service automatically repeatedly executing therein, checking for insertion of the storage device, checking for recognizable commands within the inserted storage device after it is inserted, executing command following programs for the recognizable commands, saving output results of the executed programs into the inserted storage device and signaling that the storage device should be removed from the I/O receptacle upon completed execution of all the command following programs. Contents of the storage device remain encrypted when in transit and are exposed within secured confines of the controller.

Abstract: The configuring of an electronic gaming machine (EGM) to participate in pools managed by a progressive pools managing controller (PPMC) can be complex. The process is simplified in accordance with the present disclosure by automatically transmitting from an EGM and to its corresponding PPMC, an auto-configuration request identifying the EGM and a predetermined wagering game supported by the EGM; responsively receiving from the PPMC and within the EGM a listing of one or more progressive pools that are managed by the PPMC and that have been determined within the PPMC to be progressive pools that the predetermined wagering game of the requesting EGM is qualified to or required to participate in; and causing the predetermined wagering game of the EGM to begin participating in at least one of the listed progressive pools.

Abstract: A card shuffler or other card handling apparatus defines a card receiving and/or dispensing area that accepts cards. The card shuffler also includes a shuffling compartment. A trap door is provided to transport the cards from the receiving and/or dispensing area to the shuffling compartment.

Abstract: A bonus providing element distinct from underlying game play enables individual player unique benefits to an underlying game winning outcome by the bonus providing element providing a linear indication of at least three individual random indicators including: a) an identification of a single one of at least two different player positions; b) at least one of an absolute amount or multiplier of a winning outcome payout; and c) at least one of a multiplier, prize or an absolute amount larger than or smaller than any absolute amount or multiplier in b). When a winning outcome or triggering outcome by a first player position (any player position in a group of players) occurs in an underlying game, the bonus providing element is subsequently activated to randomly provide random outcomes for each of the at least three individual random indicators.

Abstract: A gaming machine is provided with easily installable and serviceable components. The gaming machine includes a gaming cabinet having a main door and a lower door. A lock assembly is attached to the gaming cabinet. The lock assembly has a lock support with front panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least gaming machine access control device is disposed in the front panel of the lock support, and a flange is disposed on the first side panel to connect with a mount on the gaming cabinet. A hinge pin extends through the second side panel of the lock support about which the lock assembly rotates when the main door of the gaming cabinet is open. A subwoofer is slidably mounted to a platform in the gaming machine and is secured in place with a locking element via a single fastener.

Abstract: A gaming machine is provided having a cabinet with one or more technician accessible and normally locked compartments that include respective compartment service lights. A respective gaming power supply node is provided in at least one of the compartments where power is supplied to that node for a limited time during servicing. In order to allow for long durations of service lighting in the compartment, a service backup battery is added to the compartment. A power selecting circuit is employed to automatically select either the service backup battery or the gaming power supply node for supplying power to service lights in the compartment.

Abstract: Wager-based video slot reel games are disclosed where additional prizes or other gains can be awarded after completion of an initial gaming action based upon application of a multi-symbol transformation (MST) tool along a MST target line extending through a gaming action outcome display area. In one embodiment, the MST tool is a virtual razor blade capable of slicing open razor-susceptible initial symbols found along the MST target line where the cutting open action can unleash additional prizes, juices or entertaining effects hidden within the razor-susceptible initial symbols. The availability of the MST tool at the end of a current gaming action or for a next gaming action is signaled to the player in one embodiment to thereby heighten the expectations of the player of winning the additional prizes or other gains due to the multi-symbol transformation action of the available MST tool.