VIRTUALIZATION FOR GAMING MACHINES

1 . An improved gaming device having hardware resources operable by software compatible with a plurality of different software operating systems, said gaming machine comprising:

at least one processor and a memory storing a plurality of operating system software and application software;

a virtualization module configured to partition assets of the gaming device into a plurality of virtual machines substantially concurrently executing (a) at least plural instances of a first operating system software and (b) one or more instances of different, second operating system software, at least one virtual machine configured to execute a said first operating system software to process game application software from said memory to provide a game of chance at said gaming device and one or more second virtual machines to execute second operating system software to process other application software from said memory to operate one or more of said hardware resources, at least one of said second software applications being a real-time application subject to real time constraints.

2 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising at least one of said second operating system software is secure operating system software configured to process at least one application software selected from the group including an application stored in said memory to run security checks on at least said systems and applications, application software to provide external communication functionality to said gaming device and application software to provide financial transaction functionality to said gaming device.

3 . The gaming device of claim 1 wherein said gaming device is connected to a remote server storing data corresponding to an operating system update, said gaming device configured to receive said update and to update said corresponding operating system software stored in said memory.

4 . The gaming device of claim 1 comprising a resource is a player club identification apparatus, said memory storing an operating system configured to execute a player club software application associated with said player club identification apparatus.

5 . A method for operating a gaming device including hardware resources controlled by software applications operable by two or more different operating systems, said method comprising:

providing said gaming device with a processor and a memory to store said operating system software and said software applications;

configuring said gaming device processor to partition processing assets into virtual machines for substantially concurrently executing (a) plural instances of a first operating system software and (b) one or more instances of different, second operating system software, at least one virtual machine configured to execute a said first operating system software to process game application software from said memory to provide a game of chance at said gaming device and one or more second virtual machines to execute second operating system software to process other application software from said memory to operate one or more of said hardware resources, at least one of said second software applications being a real-time application subject to real time constraints.

6 . The method of claim 5 comprising enabling said gaming device for receiving from a remote server operating system software updates.

7 . The method of claim 5 comprising configuring said memory to store (a) a secure operating system to operate in a secure environment and (b) an unsecure operating system and to partition processing assets into a virtual machine for operating software applications on said secure operating system is a secure environment and a virtual machine for operating software applications on said unsecure operating system in an unsecure operating environment.

8 . A system for operating gaming devices and associated hardware resources controlled by software applications operable by two or more different operating systems, said system comprising:

a remote server;

said gaming devices configured to communicate with said server, each gaming device having at least one processor and a memory storing a plurality of operating system software and application software, said processor configured to include a virtualization module configured to partition assets of the gaming device into a plurality of virtual machines substantially concurrently executing (a) plural instances of a first operating system software and (b) one or more instances of different, second operating system software, at least one virtual machine configured to execute a said first operating system software to process game application software from said memory to provide a game of chance at said gaming device and one or more second virtual machines to execute second operating system software to process other application software from said memory to operate one or more of said hardware resources, at least one of said second software applications being a real-time application subject to real time constraints; and

said server configured to deliver operating system updates to said gaming devices and said gaming devices configured to revise said operating system software in accordance to said updates.

9 . The system of claim 8 comprising a player tracking server to support player tracking functions across said gaming devices and a resource is a player club identification apparatus located at said gaming devices, said memory storing a second operating system configured to execute a player club software application associated with said player club identification apparatus.