System and method for one-way delivery of notifications from server-to-clients using modified multicasts

1. A notification system to provide notifications to clients of a server, comprising:

a plurality of electronic gaming machines at a casino that are communicatively coupled to a first communications network, wherein communications carried by the first communications network conform to a first communication protocol;

a plurality of clients at the casino that are communicatively coupled to a distinct second communications network and that are mutually exclusive from the electronic gaming machines, wherein the electronic gaming machines are not coupled directly to the second communications network, wherein the clients are not directly coupled to the first communications network, wherein the plurality of clients include at least one registered-client, and wherein communications carried by the second communications network conform to a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol; and

a notification server at the casino communicatively coupled to the first communications network and communicatively coupled to the second communications network, the notification server configured to receive a respective notification message via the first communications network and, responsive to the respective notification message, to multicast a client-notification message indicative of the respective notification message to selected registered clients via the distinct second communications network based at least on a respective message classifier of the respective notification message, wherein the notification server and each of the plurality of clients communicate in at least a request-response mode in which the server provides a respective response to a respective request from the client;

wherein the notification server is further configured to receive a respective registration request from each of one or more of the plurality of clients, wherein each respective registration request indicates a respective logical address for the respective client and one or more types of notifications requested to be selectively received by the respective client;

wherein the notification server receives a first notification message via the first communication network and, based at least on a respective message classifier of the first notification message and at least one look-up table, the notification server determines a respective logical address of each of one or more registered clients associated with the respective message classifier and addresses a first multi-cast client-notification message with the respective logical address of each of the one or more associated registered clients; and

wherein the notification server receives a second notification message via the first communication network and, based at least on a second respective message classifier for the second notification message and the at least one look-up table, multicasts a second client-notification message indicative of the second notification message to a determined respective logical address of each of one or more registered clients associated with the second respective message classifier, and wherein at least one registered client is an addressee of the first client notification message and is not an addressee of the second client-notification message.

2. The notification system of claim 1 , comprising:

a database stored on a computer-readable medium that includes a look-up table that associates the at least one registered-client with information indicative of a logical address of the registered-client and further associates the at least one registered-client with information indicative of one or more respective notification types requested by the at least one registered-client.

3. The notification system of claim 1 wherein in response to receiving the respective notification message, the notification server updates at least one table, and wherein the client-notification message includes information indicative of the update to the at least one table.

4. The notification system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of clients includes at least one nonregistered-client that does not receive multi-cast client-notification messages.

5. A computer implemented method of providing notifications to a plurality of clients of a server, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a respective registration request from one of a plurality of clients, wherein the respective registration request indicates a respective logical address for the one respective client and one or more types of client-notifications requested to be selectively received by the one respective client, wherein each of the plurality of clients and the server communicate in at least a request-response mode in which the server provides respective responses to respective requests from the client;

registering, by the server, one of the plurality of respective clients to selectively receive the one or more types of client-notifications indicated by the respective registration request from the one respective client;

receiving, by the server and after the registering of the one respective client, a respective notification message via a first communications network and in accordance with a first communication protocol, the respective notification message being associated with a respective message classifier;

determining, by the server and based at least on the respective message classifier of the respective notification message and at least one look-up table, the respective logical address for the one respective client;

addressing, by the server, a first multi-cast client-notification message with the determined respective logical address for the one respective client;

multi-casting, by the server via a distinct second communications network and in accordance with a distinct second communication protocol, a client-notification carrying information indicative of the respective notification message to the one respective client based at least on the respective message classifier and on the one or more client notification types, wherein at least one other client of the plurality of respective clients does not receive the respective client-notification; and

receiving, by the server, a second notification message via the first communication network and, based at least on a second respective message classifier for the second notification message and the at least one look-up table, multi-casting a second client-notification indicative of the second notification message to a determined respective logical address of each of one or more other registered clients associated with the second respective message classifier;

wherein the one respective client is an addressee of the first client-notification message and is not an addressee of the second client-notification message.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

reading content that is carried by the respective notification message and formatted in accordance with the first communication protocol; and

updating at least one table stored in a memory based on the read content of the respective notification message, wherein the information carried by the client-notification message is indicative of the update in the at least one table.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein registering the one respective client includes:

associating information indicative of the respective logical address of the one respective client with one or more respective message classifiers associated in a look-up table with at least one of the indicated one or more types of requested notifications.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving a respective de-registration request from the one respective client; and

based at least in part on the de-registration request, removing information indicative of a respective logical address of the one respective client from a look-up table.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein the logical address for the one respective client indicated by the respective registration request includes an IP address for the one respective client.