Abstract: A gaming machine includes a gaming cabinet, an electronic display device, a masked area, a light source, and a diffused lighting area. The display device is within a cabinet enclosure and has an active area with an image surface, which is defined by a plurality of active edges and is configured to display images of a casino wagering game. The masked area is adjacent to the active area and lacks any display of the images of the casino wagering game. The light source is concealed from view relative to a player position and emits an initial light. The diffused lighting area is adjacent to the masked area, extends to overlap the adjacent peripheral edge of the cabinet enclosure, and includes a single diffuser that receives the initial light and transmits it towards the player.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a gaming cabinet, an electronic display device, and a front diffuser. The display device is positioned within the cabinet and includes an active area for displaying images of a casino wagering game and an inactive area lacking image display capability. The inactive area is immediately adjacent to the active area. The front diffuser receives light from a light source and diffuses at least a portion of the received light as indirect light viewable from a player position in front of the gaming machine. The diffuser overlaps the inactive area, is adjacent to the active area, and faces the player position.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations which can include analyzing electronic information associated with a first gaming effect and a second gaming effect provided for concurrent presentation via an output device, determining that the first gaming effect has a higher priority than the second gaming effect, and causing the first gaming effect to be presented via the output device before the second gaming effect is presented based on the higher priority. The operations can further include preventing, without user input, presentation of a first portion of the second amine effect via the output device while the first gaming effect is presented. The operations can further include electronically determining that a second portion of the second gaming effect is available for presentation after an ending point for the first gaming effect, and causing the second portion to be presented via the output device after the first gaming effect.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player's account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Abstract: A method directed to operating a plurality of gaming machines in a gaming establishment includes determining that a certain triggering event has occurred in one of the plurality of gaming machines. The triggering event includes a desired game outcome. The method further includes selectively controlling audio output from a plurality of remotely located speakers to operate in conjunction with internal cabinet speakers for creating a desired audio ambience only within a portion of the gaming establishment. The remotely located speakers are located remotely from the plurality of gaming machines. The internal cabinet speakers are located within gaming cabinets of the plurality of gaming machines. The audio output is focused to deliver enhanced audio effects only to the portion of the gaming establishment.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player's account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Abstract: A gaming system includes a secure communication board having a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and/or a wireless interface accessible externally to players and administrators of the gaming system. The secure communication board selectively provides power and communication between a coupled or proximate mobile device and the gaming system. The secure communication board includes a microcontroller to selectively control both power and communication flow through the secure communication board to the external interfaces. The microcontroller is responsive to the physical state of gaming system components and gaming system processor events and control signals. A wagering game event, user authentication, and/or specific states of one or more physical security switches of the gaming system may be required to provide power and data via the external interfaces.

Abstract: A gaming system comprises a wager input device for receiving at least one wager and a display for displaying a wagering game. The display includes an integrated image capture device for visually capturing objects proximate the display. The system further comprises at least one controller operative to (i) detect the presence of at least a first object proximate the display, (ii) cause the image capture device to visually capture the first object and create a stored image thereof, (iii) graphically integrate the stored image of the first object into the wagering game, and (iv) display one or more outcomes of the wagering game which include one or more symbols comprising at least a portion of the stored image.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player's account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Abstract: A switchable transmissive display for a gaming system has an underlying display mode and a full video mode. The switchable transmissive display includes a first underlying display and a second display overlaying the first display. The second display includes a transmissive liquid crystal panel, a backlight assembly and a switchable diffuser film layer. The backlight assembly includes a transmissive aperture behind which the first underlying display is positioned. The second display also includes a supplemental backlight directed at the aperture. The second display has a first mode where the switchable diffuser film layer is transparent to allow viewing the first display and a second mode where the switchable diffuser film layer is translucent to obscure the transmissive aperture and an image is displayed. The switchable diffuser film layer distributes light to provide substantially homogeneous light intensity across the back of the transmissive liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations include, for example, presenting, via an autostereoscopic three-dimensional display of the wagering game system, wagering game content with an autostereoscopic three-dimensional depth effect. The wagering game content is associated with an electronic wagering game. The operations can further include detecting, via a sensor of the wagering game system, a change in a position of a slider control associated with the wagering game system. The operations can further include changing, via at least one of one or more electronic processing units of the wagering game system, a degree of the autostereoscopic three-dimensional depth effect for at least a portion of the wagering game content according to a degree of the change in the position of the slider control.

Abstract: Club cards and tickets can be eliminated by providing an application that allows a player's mobile phone to process an image of an optical machine-readable representation of data. At the end of a wagering session on a WGM, the WGM can display a barcode representing a player's winnings, an achievement, game status, etc. The player takes a picture of the barcode with his or her mobile phone. The application on the phone processes the barcode image and automatically updates an account of the player in accordance with the data represented or carried by the barcode. For instance, the mobile phone sends a request to a wagering account server to electronically deposit the winnings, as represented by the barcode, in a wagering account associated with the player's club profile.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations include, for example, detecting, by at least one of one or more electronic processing units of the wagering game system, a first game condition in a wagering game presented via an autostereoscopic display device of the wagering game system. The wagering game includes game symbols used for presentation of wagering game outcomes for the wagering game. The operations can further include determining, based on the first game condition, a first significance level from a plurality of significance levels associated with a first of the game symbols.

Abstract: A gaming system and its operations include, for example presenting, via an autostereoscopic display device, symbols for an electronic wagering game, determining a game event value for a game event for the wagering game, determining a first symbol significance value for a first set of the symbols based on the game event value, and determining a second symbol significance value for a second set of the symbols based on the game event value. The operations can further include presenting, via the autostereoscopic display device, the first set of the symbols with a first autostereoscopic three-dimensional depth value corresponding to the first symbol significance value. The operations can further include presenting, via the autostereoscopic display device, the second set of the symbols with a second autostereoscopic three-dimensional depth value corresponding to the second symbol significance value.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include presenting wagering game content via an autostereoscopic display of a wagering game machine. The operations can further include determining a degree change in a position of a chair connected to the wagering game machine. In some examples, the change in the position occurs in accordance with an event from the wagering game content. The operations can further include altering an autostereoscopic presentation of the wagering game content proportional to the change in the position of the chair.

Abstract: Gaming-related displays present text and graphics viewable with a special visual aid, e.g., a camera phone. The visual aid provides an interface allowing the player to interact with, and be engaged by, the gaming machine and the gaming environment. The text and graphics shown on the visual aid may provide information that adds to the player's experience. For example, a gaming system includes a gaming terminal for a wagering game. The gaming terminal includes a light-emitting area emitting a predetermined pattern of invisible light having wavelengths outside the visible electromagnetic spectrum. The gaming system also includes a visual aid including a sensor and a visual aid display. The visual aid detects, with the sensor, the pattern of invisible light, converts the pattern of invisible light into a pattern of visible light having wavelengths inside the visible electromagnetic spectrum, and displays the pattern of visible light on the visual aid display.

Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a multi-player wagering game includes a multi-touch table surface that is touched by a handheld electronic wager input device (EWID) carried by a player for placing wagers on a wagering game displayed on the multi-touch table surface. Each EWID carried by a player has an associated unique identification code, which is linked to the respective player's account. Players indicate an amount to be wagered by touching the EWID to designated wager amount areas, then place the wager by touching the EWID to a designated wagering area. Because each EWID is uniquely associable with distinct player accounts, the gaming system can support any number of players placing wagers. The funds remain safe in the player account and no funds are stored on the EWID. Only the identification code is detected, which is compared with the associated player account before allowing that player to place wagers.

Abstract: Club cards and tickets can be eliminated by providing an application that allows a player's mobile phone to process an image of an optical machine-readable representation of data. At the end of a wagering session on a WGM, the WGM can display a barcode representing a player's winnings, an achievement, game status, etc. The player takes a picture of the barcode with his or her mobile phone. The application on the phone processes the barcode image and automatically updates an account of the player in accordance with the data represented or carried by the barcode. For instance, the mobile phone sends a request to a wagering account server to electronically deposit the winnings, as represented by the barcode, in a wagering account associated with the player's club profile.

Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one light pipe which splits, reflects, and propagates light provided from one or more internal light sources to a plurality of external regions of the gaming system. The light sources may include sets of LEDs which deliver light via multiple light pipes or differing sections of the same light pipe, in varying configurations. Each light pipe may utilize a light splitter-reflector to receive, split, direct, propagate, and emit light from one or more sections of internally positioned light sources, simultaneously projecting decorative lighting to multiple exterior surfaces and regions of the gaming system. Light pipe assemblies may be constructed from modular pieces which include a separate light splitter-reflector, or from a single piece of uniform material which splits, directs, and emits light. Variations of direct light, indirect (reflected) light, and combinations of both enable various lighting patterns on the exterior of gaming machines.

Abstract: A system includes a community screen configured to display images of a community event thereon. The system includes a number of wagering game machines coupled to the community screen. The system also includes a number of handheld devices, wherein each handheld device has a respective display and is associated with a respective one of the wagering game machines. The system includes an image module configured, for at least one handheld device of the number of handheld devices, to identify a location on the community screen based on a position of the at least one handheld device and to present an image on the display of the at least one handheld device based on the location.