SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING GAMING DEVICES TO A NETWORK FOR REMOTE PLAY

1 . A system for implementing a game, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the plurality of gaming machines being configured to generate and send an inbound packet that includes a player record across at least one of a plurality of networks; and

a server coupled to the plurality of networks and to each of the plurality of gaming machines, the server comprising:

a controller configured to process player records to generate corresponding output records; and

a network interface, the network interface being configured to interface with each of the plurality of networks to receive inbound packets, to extract the player records from the inbound packets, to communicate the player records to the controller, to generate outbound packets that include the output records, and to send the generated outbound packets to a selected one of the plurality of gaming machines.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of gaming machines comprises a player interface unit of a casino gaming machine.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the player record comprises information about at least one of a game being played, a game event, a game value, and a state of a game.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network interface is configured to communicate the player records to the controller in a standard format.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of an Ethernet and 10baseT network.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of gaming machines are configured to generate and send an inbound packet that includes a player record across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a proprietary Appletalk and Ethernet protocol.

8 . A system for implementing a game, comprising:

first means for generating and sending an inbound packet that includes a player record across at least one of a plurality of networks; and

means for processing the inbound packet, the processing means coupled to the plurality of networks and the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, and the processing means comprising:

means for generating a corresponding output record from the player record;

means for interfacing with each of the plurality of networks to receive inbound packets;

means for extracting the player record from the inbound packet;

means for communicating the player record to the means for generating a corresponding output record;

means for generating an outbound packet that includes the output record; and

means for sending the generated outbound packet to the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet or to a second means for generating and sending an inbound packet.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second means for generating and sending an inbound packet comprise gaming machines.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the gaming machines comprise a player interface unit of a casino gaming machine.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing means comprises a central server.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the player record comprises information about at least one of a game being played, a game event, a game value, and a state of a game.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the communicating means comprises means for communicating the player record to the processing means in a standard format.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of an Ethernet and 10baseT network.

15 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet comprises means for generating and sending an inbound packet that includes a player record across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a proprietary Appletalk and Ethernet protocol.

17 . A method for implementing a game, comprising:

receiving at least one inbound packet including a player record from one of a plurality of gaming machines across one of a plurality of networks;

extracting the player record from the at least one inbound packet;

processing the player record to generate a corresponding output record;

generating an outbound packet that includes the output record; and

transmitting the generated outbound packet to a selected one of the plurality of gaming machines.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method is executed by a central server.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the one of the plurality of gaming machines comprises a player interface unit of a casino gaming machine.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the player record comprises information about at least one of a game being played, a game event, a game value, and a state of a game.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing comprises processing player records of a standard format.

22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of an Ethernet and 10baseT network.

23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving at least one inbound packet that includes a player record across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a proprietary Appletalk and Ethernet protocol.

25 . A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the plurality of gaming machines being configured to generate and send an inbound packet that includes inbound information across a plurality of networks; and

at least one server coupled to the plurality of networks and to the plurality of gaming machines, the at least one server comprising:

a first module configured to process inbound information to generate corresponding outbound encrypted information;

a second module, the second module being configured to interface with each of the plurality of networks to receive inbound packets from the plurality of gaming machines, to extract the inbound information from the received inbound packets, to submit the inbound information to the first module, to generate outbound packets that include corresponding outbound encrypted information, and to send the generated outbound packets to one of the plurality of gaming machines.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the one of the plurality of gaming machines comprises a casino gaming machine or a remote device configured to connect to a casino gaming machine.

27 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the inbound information comprises at least one of financial information, credit card information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, identification of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, a password, casino-specific credit information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, wagering information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, casino pay-out information, a key identifying at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, an amount of time a player plays one of the plurality of gaming machines, and a location from which a player is playing one of the plurality of gaming machines.

28 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the second module is further configured to decrypt inbound information produced by the plurality of gaming machines such that the inbound information can be read by the plurality of gaming machines and the controller.

29 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.

30 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the each of the plurality of gaming machines are configured to generate and send an inbound packet that includes inbound information across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a protocol implemented over the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.

32 . A system for implementing a game, comprising:

first means for generating and sending an inbound packet that includes inbound information across at least one of a plurality of networks; and

means for processing the inbound packet, the processing means coupled to the plurality of networks and the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, and the processing means comprising:

means for generating corresponding outbound encrypted information from the inbound information;

means for interfacing with each of the plurality of networks to receive inbound packets;

means for extracting the inbound information from the inbound packet;

means for communicating the inbound information to the means for generating corresponding outbound encrypted information;

means for generating an outbound packet that includes the outbound encrypted information; and

means for sending the generated outbound packet to the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet or to a second means for generating and sending an inbound packet.

33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the first and second means for generating and sending an inbound packet comprise gaming machines.

34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein each gaming machine comprises a casino gaming machine or a remote device configured to connect to a casino gaming machine.

35 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the processing means comprises a central server.

36 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the inbound information comprises at least one of financial information, credit card information of a player of the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, identification of a player of the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, a password, casino-specific credit information of a player of the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, wagering information of a player of the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, casino pay-out information, a key identifying the first or second means for generating and sending an inbound packet, an amount of time a player plays the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet, and a location from which a player is playing the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet.

37 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the processing means further comprises means for decrypting inbound information produced by the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet such that the inbound information can be read by the first or second means for generating and sending an inbound packet and the means for generating corresponding outbound encrypted information.

38 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.

39 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the first means for generating and sending an inbound packet comprises means for generating and sending an inbound packet that includes inbound information across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

40 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a protocol implemented over the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.

41 . A method for implementing a game, comprising:

receiving at least one inbound packet including inbound information from one of a plurality of gaming machines across one of a plurality of networks;

extracting the inbound information from the at least one inbound packet;

processing the inbound information to generate corresponding outbound encrypted information;

generating an outbound packet that includes the outbound encrypted information; and

transmitting the generated outbound packet to a selected one of the plurality of gaming machines.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the method is executed by a central server.

43 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the one of the plurality of gaming machines comprises a casino gaming machine or a remote device configured to connect to a casino gaming machine.

44 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the inbound information comprises at least one of financial information, credit card information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, identification of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, a password, casino-specific credit information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, wagering information of a player of one of the plurality of gaming machines, casino pay-out information, a key identifying at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, an amount of time a player plays one of the plurality of gaming machines, and a location from which a player is playing one of the plurality of gaming machines.

45 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the processing comprises decrypting the inbound information such that the inbound information can be read by the plurality of gaming machines.

46 . The system of claim 41 , wherein the plurality of networks comprise at least one of the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.

47 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving at least one inbound packet that includes inbound information across at least one of a plurality of networks according to one of a plurality of communication protocols.

48 . The method of claim 47 , wherein the one of a plurality of communication protocols comprises one of a protocol implemented over the Internet, a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a network bus.