Method of modifying a primary game of an existing legacy gaming machine to include secondary game features

1. A modified gaming machine modified to present multi-game functionality, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices including at least one video display and at least one player input device;

a main game controller configured to implement a primary instance of a primary wagering game based upon a primary game wager placed with said main game controller, said main game controller configured to generate and transmit information to said plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices to present said primary instance of said primary wagering game on said at least one video display and said main game controller determining an outcome of said primary instance of said primary wagering game; and

a secondary controller added to said gaming machine to modify said gaming machine to present said multi-game functionality, said secondary controller interposed between one or more of said plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices and said main game controller, wherein said secondary controller forwards information generated by said main game controller to said one or more of said plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices to implement said primary instance of said primary wagering game, and wherein in response to receiving a request to implement said multi-game functionality, said secondary controller transmits secondary information to said one or more of said peripheral devices to cause at least one secondary instance of said primary wagering game to be presented at said at least one video display in addition to said primary instance of said primary wagering game being displayed at said at least one video display, and

said secondary controller determines an outcome of said secondary instance of said primary wagering game.

2. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said primary wagering game comprises a wager-based video game, said secondary controller captures said primary instance of said wager-based video game, and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a secondary instance of said wager-based video game in addition to said primary instance of said wager-based video game.

3. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said primary instance of said wager-based video game comprises a primary video poker game and said at least one secondary instance of said wager-based video game comprises a plurality of secondary video poker games.

4. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said primary video poker game comprises the play of a primary video game hand and said secondary video poker games comprise the play of secondary poker hands which are separate from said primary poker hand.

5. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said secondary controller communicates with an external server and presents said secondary instance of said primary wagering game using information provided by said external server.

6. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein said external server is a social media server and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises at least one secondary instance of a wager-based video game presented to a player's social media friends.

7. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 5 wherein said external server is a server in a server-based gaming system, and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises at least one secondary instance of a wager-based video game provided via said external server.

8. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein said secondary controller causes said at least one secondary instance of said primary wager-based video game to be provided via another modified gaming machine.

9. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said primary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a wager-based video game presented via said main game controller and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises multiple secondary instances of said primary wagering game, wherein said secondary controller determines an outcome of said multiple secondary instances of said primary wagering games in reference to an outcome of said primary instance of said primary wagering game presented by said main game controller.

10. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said primary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a primary video poker hand presented by said main game controller, said secondary controller is configured to capture said primary video poker hand, and wherein said secondary instance of said primary wagering game is triggered via said secondary controller in response to a hold operation on at least one card in said primary video poker hand.

11. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises at least one additional video poker hand which is presented via said secondary controller, each additional video poker hand including said at least one card held in said primary video poker hand.

12. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein each card held in said primary video poker hand becomes a feed card for an additional video poker hand presented via said secondary controller.

13. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises at least one bonus video poker hand.

14. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said primary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a primary video slot game presented via said main game controller and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises at least one additional video slot game presented via said secondary controller.

15. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 14 wherein at least one symbol from said primary video slot game is used in said at least one additional video slot game.

16. The modified gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said secondary instance of said primary wagering game is presented by said secondary controller concurrently to said main game controller presenting said primary instance of said primary wagering game.

17. The secondary controller in accordance with claim 16 wherein said at least one video display displays information regarding said primary instance of said primary wagering game at a same time information regarding said secondary instance of said primary wagering game is presented.

18. The secondary controller in accordance with claim 16 wherein said primary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a wager-based video game presented via said main game controller and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game comprises multiple secondary instances of said primary wagering game, wherein said secondary controller determines an outcome of said multiple secondary instances of said primary wagering games in reference to an outcome of said primary instance of said primary wagering game presented by said main game controller.

19. The secondary controller in accordance with claim 16 wherein said primary instance of said primary wagering game comprises a primary video poker hand presented by said main game controller, said secondary controller is configured to capture information regarding said primary video poker hand, and wherein said secondary instance of said primary wagering game is invoked via said secondary controller in response to a hold operation on at least one card in said primary video poker hand.

20. A secondary controller configured to modify a gaming machine to present multi-game functionality without changing a primary wagering game presented by a video display of the gaming machine, the secondary controller comprising:

a first interface for connection to a plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices including at least one video display and at least one player input device; and

a second interface for connection to a main game controller configured to implement a primary instance of said primary wagering game based upon a primary game wager placed with said main game controller, said main game controller configured to generate and transmit first information to said plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices to present said primary instance of said primary wagering game on said at least one video display; wherein

said secondary controller receives said first information generated by said main game controller regarding said primary wagering game and selectively forwards said first information to said one or more of said plurality of gaming machine peripheral devices to implement said primary wagering game; and

in response to receiving a request to implement said multi-game functionality, said secondary controller transmits secondary information to said one or more of said peripheral devices, causing at least one secondary instance of said primary wagering game to be presented at said at least one video display in addition to said primary instance of said primary wagering game;

whereby said primary instance of said primary wagering game is presented by and said outcome thereof is determined by said main game controller independent of said secondary controller and said secondary instance of said primary wagering game is presented by and said outcome thereof is determined by said secondary controller.