Abstract: Systems and methods permit or cause content to be displayed by a plurality of gaming displays, such as gaming machine displays and/or external displays. Content may be synchronously displayed by multiple gaming displays, such as one or more EGM displays and one or more external gaming displays, where the content which is displayed by the different displays may be the same or be different, and may be provided by a content controller and/or may be provided or triggered by a gaming machine. The systems and methods permit or cause content to be synchronously displayed across multiple gaming displays, such as in time and/or space. In some examples, the content is configured as a content “package” which is associated with one or more displays.

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: Generating and validating a subscription key based on subscription parameters associated with a jurisdiction file stored in a NVRAM, the subscription key having characters based on a subscription start date, a subscription term, a key generation date, and a cyclical redundancy check value. Parameters are extracted from the subscription key including the subscription start date, the subscription term, the key generation date, and the cyclical redundancy check value and are stored in a memory of the gaming machine. The key is checked by generating a local cyclical redundancy check value based on a MAC address of the gaming machine and one or more of the extracted parameters, and is validated when the local cyclical redundancy check value matches the cyclical redundancy check value extracted from the subscription key. The jurisdiction file may be updated during a RAM clear function during installation of the gaming machine.

Abstract: Generating and validating a subscription key based on subscription parameters associated with a jurisdiction file stored in a NVRAM, the subscription key having characters based on a subscription start date, a subscription term, a key generation date, and a cyclical redundancy check value. Parameters are extracted from the subscription key including the subscription start date, the subscription term, the key generation date, and the cyclical redundancy check value and are stored in a memory of the gaming machine. The key is checked by generating a local cyclical redundancy check value based on a MAC address of the gaming machine and one or more of the extracted parameters, and is validated when the local cyclical redundancy check value matches the cyclical redundancy check value extracted from the subscription key. The jurisdiction file may be updated during a RAM clear function during installation of the gaming machine.

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 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: An artificial intelligence (AI) learning machine is integrated into a gaming system to adaptively learn to predict when and where excessive chronological clustering of winning hits is likely to occur for a progressive jackpot (e.g., a high frequency one) within the gaming system, to preemptively prepare for such occurrences by prefunding one or more smart-awards funds to cope with such excessive chronological clusterings of hits and to use the one or more smart-awards funds to pay off not-first-in-time winners with a same jackpot award amount as is paid to the true first-in-time winner of the jackpot if such runner up winners hit their respective win conditions within a predetermined smart-awards time span after the first-in-time winner hits. This can avoid or reduce feelings of unfairness by the not-first-in-time winners especially when the latter hit just a split second after the true first-in-time winner hits the jackpot.

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: 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 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: Security measures for an automated gaming system are disclosed. When pre-identified segments of code and/or data are installed into the gaming system, the installation is automatically carried out under control of scripts that cause a corresponding installer to automatically install the identified segments and at the same time automatically generate respective verification records for the installed segments and to automatically send to a secured database, the generated verification records and their respective segment identifications and to cause the database to automatically receive and encrypt the received verification records, to store the encrypted verification records in association with their respective segment identifications and to store in an essentially read-only portion of the database and in association with respective ones of the segment identifications, corresponding decryption keys and/or identifications of decryption procedures that can be used to decrypt the encrypted verification records.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) learning machine is integrated into a gaming system to adaptively learn to predict when and where excessive chronological clustering of winning hits is likely to occur for a progressive jackpot (e.g., a high frequency one) within the gaming system, to preemptively prepare for such occurrences by prefunding one or more smart-awards funds to cope with such excessive chronological clusterings of hits and to use the one or more smart-awards funds to pay off not-first-in-time winners with a same jackpot award amount as is paid to the true first-in-time winner of the jackpot if such runner up winners hit their respective win conditions within a predetermined smart-awards time span after the first-in-time winner hits. This can avoid or reduce feelings of unfairness by the not-first-in-time winners especially when the latter hit just a split second after the true first-in-time winner hits the jackpot.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) learning machine is integrated into a gaming system to adaptively learn to predict when and where excessive chronological clustering of winning hits is likely to occur for a progressive jackpot (e.g., a high frequency one) within the gaming system, to preemptively prepare for such occurrences by prefunding one or more smart-awards funds to cope with such excessive chronological clusterings of hits and to use the one or more smart-awards funds to pay off not-first-in-time winners with a same jackpot award amount as is paid to the true first-in-time winner of the jackpot if such runner up winners hit their respective win conditions within a predetermined smart-awards time span after the first-in-time winner hits. This can avoid or reduce feelings of unfairness by the not-first-in-time winners especially when the latter hit just a split second after the true first-in-time winner hits the jackpot.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) learning machine is integrated into a gaming system to adaptively learn to predict when and where excessive chronological clustering of winning hits is likely to occur for a progressive jackpot (e.g., a high frequency one) within the gaming system, to preemptively prepare for such occurrences by prefunding one or more smart-awards funds to cope with such excessive chronological clusterings of hits and to use the one or more smart-awards funds to pay off not-first-in-time winners with a same jackpot award amount as is paid to the true first-in-time winner of the jackpot if such runner up winners hit their respective win conditions within a predetermined smart-awards time span after the first-in-time winner hits. This can avoid or reduce feelings of unfairness by the not-first-in-time winners especially when the latter hit just a split second after the true first-in-time winner hits the jackpot.

Abstract: Security measures for an automated gaming system are disclosed. When pre-identified segments of code and/or data are installed into the gaming system, the installation is automatically carried out under control of scripts that cause a corresponding installer to automatically install the identified segments and at the same time automatically generate respective verification records for the installed segments and to automatically send to a secured database, the generated verification records and their respective segment identifications and to cause the database to automatically receive and encrypt the received verification records, to store the encrypted verification records in association with their respective segment identifications and to store in an essentially read-only portion of the database and in association with respective ones of the segment identifications, corresponding decryption keys and/or identifications of decryption procedures that can be used to decrypt the encrypted verification records.

Abstract: Generating and validating a subscription key based on subscription parameters associated with a jurisdiction file stored in a NVRAM, the subscription key having characters based on a subscription start date, a subscription term, a key generation date, and a cyclical redundancy check value. Parameters are extracted from the subscription key including the subscription start date, the subscription term, the key generation date, and the cyclical redundancy check value and are stored in a memory of the gaming machine. The key is checked by generating a local cyclical redundancy check value based on a MAC address of the gaming machine and one or more of the extracted parameters, and is validated when the local cyclical redundancy check value matches the cyclical redundancy check value extracted from the subscription key. The jurisdiction file may be updated during a RAM clear function during installation of the gaming machine.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for generating and distributing game pieces, such as game pieces which are associated with a secondary event such a raffle, to underlying game play. In one embodiment, an eligible game piece may be won by a player when the player is playing an eligible gaming machine and receives a qualifying outcome as part of playing a wager-based game at the gaming machine. Eligible game pieces and eligible gaming machines may be determined, and thus vary, at each of a plurality of distribution periods during the secondary event.