Abstract: A system and method for retrofitting an existing casino server and at least one server-based gaming machine in a room to make the gaming machine communicatively-interactive within a communication network (e.g., multi-media enabled), without the use of Wi-Fi, wherein there is an existing data/communication exchange (e.g., DSL) between the existing server and the at least one server-based gaming machine. The system includes a pair of network switches, where one is hardwired to the existing server and other is hardwired to the gaming machine or machines. A pair of data exchange relay nodes is communicatively connected to their respective switch and transmits/receives data up to Gigabits through a directed energy beam, such as an infrared laser beam. A security globe may be used to conceal the server side data exchange relay node(s) or the gaming machine-side data exchange relay nodes, or both.