Abstract: A method for run-time authentication of memory contents of a gaming machine includes the acts of conducting a wagering game on the gaming machine and, during the conducting step, authenticating a high capacity memory in a first authentication cycle. The high capacity memory contains program code for operating a wagering game at the gaming machine and the first authentication cycle includes the acts of reading data from the high capacity memory, generating first authentication data corresponding to the data files, and verifying the first authentication data. The method also includes, during the conducting step, authenticating at least one other memory in the gaming machine in a second authentication cycle, including processing second authentication data of a data file within the at least one other memory.

Abstract: A method of preparing memory contents of a gaming machine for subsequent authentication and a method of authenticating the prepared memory contents are disclosed. A first memory stores a game data set and a first authentication code generated from the game data set. The game data set includes game data files and second authentication codes generated from the respective data files. A second memory stores an authentication program for authenticating the first memory's contents, as well as a third authentication code generated from the second memory's contents. To authenticate the memory contents, the second memory's contents are first authenticated and, if deemed authentic, the game data set as a whole and each data file in the first memory are authenticated. The authentication process involves generating fresh authentication codes using the authentication program and comparing the fresh codes with appropriate ones of the stored authentication codes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conducting a wagering game are disclosed. A value input device receives a wager from a player to play the wagering game. A processor is operative to define a plurality of possible destinations; define a plurality of possible different movement patterns for moving the objects to the destinations; and for a given one of the objects, assign probabilities to the respective possible movement patterns and select one of the possible movement patterns based on the assigned probabilities. A display depicts the object going to a selected one of the destinations in accordance with the assigned movement pattern. The assigned probabilities for the given object may, for example, depend upon the destination that is selected.