Gaming system and a method of managing bandwidth usage in a gaming network

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines; and

a communications network arranged to facilitate communications between respective gaming machines, the communications network having an associated total network bandwidth;

wherein each gaming machine is configured to:

send status data to other gaming machines over the communications network, wherein the status data is indicative of whether the gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage;

receive status data from the other gaming machines over the communications network, wherein the status data received from each of the other gaming machines is indicative of whether the other gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage; and

wherein each gaming machine is further configured to determine an amount of the total network bandwidth available to the gaming machine for non-game related activity using the status data received from the other gaming machines.

2. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a remote base station arranged to communicate with one or more gaming machines through the communications network so as to implement a game.

3. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the remote base station comprises a gaming server.

4. A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to operate such that during implementation of a game, part of the game is executed on a gaming machine and part of the game is executed by the gaming server.

5. A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the gaming system is arranged to operate such that most of the game is executed remotely by the gaming server and the gaming machine is used only to display audible and/or visible gaming information to a player and to receive gaming inputs from the player.

6. A gaming system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each gaming machine is capable of receiving gaming machine update data from the remote base station.

7. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the status data includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is downloading update data.

8. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each gaming machine is configured to prioritize its own bandwidth usage so that adequate bandwidth is available for all games then currently active in the gaming system, wherein each gaming machine prioritizes its own bandwidth using the status data from other gaming machines by modifying the bandwidth available for receiving gaming machine update data.

9. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the update data comprises software update data.

10. A gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a software update server.

11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the update data comprises advertising data.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising an advertising update server.

13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the status data includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is inactive.

14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the status data sent by a gaming machine includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is implementing a game.

15. An electronic gaming machine comprising:

a data communication component arranged to:

send status data over a communications network to other gaming machines, wherein the communications network has a total network bandwidth, wherein the status data is indicative of whether the electronic gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage;

receive status data from at least one other electronic gaming machine via the communications network, wherein the status data from the at least one other electronic gaming machine conveys information about an activity requiring bandwidth usage that is currently performed by the at least one other electronic gaming machine; and

wherein the gaming machine is configured to use the received status data to determine an amount of the total bandwidth available to the gaming machine for non-game related activity of the gaming machine.

16. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the gaming machine is arranged to receive gaming machine update data.

17. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the status data sent by the gaming machine includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is downloading update data.

18. A gaming machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein the gaming machine is part of a gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines, and the gaming machine is arranged to self-prioritize bandwidth usage so that adequate bandwidth of the total bandwidth is available for games being implemented by other gaming machines of the gaming system.

19. A method of managing bandwidth usage in a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines and a communication network arranged to facilitate communications between respective gaming machines, the communication network having an associated total network bandwidth, the method comprising:

each gaming machine sending status data to other gaming machines that is indicative of whether the gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage of the total network bandwidth;

each gaming machine receiving the status data from the other gaming machines; and

each gaming machine determining an amount of bandwidth of the total network bandwidth that is available to the gaming machine for non-game related activity using the status data received from the other gaming machines.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 , comprising providing a remote base station arranged to communicate with one or more gaming machines through the communications network so as to implement a game.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 , comprising implementing part of a game on a gaming machine and part of the game on the gaming server.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 , comprising implementing most of the game remotely on the gaming server, and using the gaming machine only to display audible and/or visible gaming information to a player and to receive gaming inputs from the player.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20 , comprising receiving gaming machine update data from the remote base station.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the status data sent by a gaming machine includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is downloading update data.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23 comprising self-prioritizing bandwidth usage of the total network bandwidth so that adequate bandwidth is available for all gaming machines that are running respective games by modifying the bandwidth available for receiving gaming machine update data.

26. A method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the status data sent by the gaming machine includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is inactive.

27. A method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the status data sent by the gaming machine includes information indicative of whether the gaming machine is implementing a game.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable code for implementing a method to control a gaming machine connected by a communications network to other gaming machines, wherein the communications network has an associated total network bandwidth, the method comprising:

sending status data to the other gaming machines over the communications network, wherein the status data is indicative of whether the gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage of the total network bandwidth;

receiving status data from the other gaming machines over the communications network, wherein the status data received from each of the other gaming machines is indicative of whether the other gaming machine is performing an activity requiring bandwidth usage of the total network bandwidth; and

wherein each gaming machine is further configured to determine an amount of the total network bandwidth available to the gaming machine for non-game related activity using the status data received from the other gaming machines.