SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING A GAMING MACHINE

1 . A method for configuring a gaming machine, the method comprising:

providing access to a setup screen on a display of a gaming machine;

initiating a default game configuration screen from the setup screen;

enabling selection of a game package from a plurality of game packages presented on the default game configuration screen, the plurality of game packages stored in a memory device in the gaming machine, the game package includes one or more games having similar game themes and paytables;

enabling selection of a game denomination set from a list of game denominations presented on the default game configuration screen, the list of game denominations stored in the memory device in the gaming machine;

verifying that the selected game package and the selected game denomination set is valid, wherein the selected game package and the selected game denomination set form a configuration of the gaming machine;

saving the selected configuration to a non-volatile memory; and

presenting one or more games on the display of the gaming machine for play based on the selected configuration.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling access to an advanced configuration screen from the default game configuration screen; and

modifying one or more features of the game package or the game denomination set in response to operator input.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the selected configuration to gaming devices on a gaming network; and

reconfiguring the gaming devices according to the selected configuration received at the gaming device.

4 . A method for configuring a gaming machine, the method comprising:

receiving operator input at a gaming machine, the operator input creating a default game configuration by selecting a game package and a game denomination set from a default list of game packages and game denomination sets;

transmitting the selected default game configuration to a configuration manager;

determining validity of the selected default game configuration at the configuration manager;

adding the default game configuration to the gaming machine if the default game configuration is valid; and

presenting one or more games on a display of the gaming machine based on the default game configuration.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising displaying an error message if the selected configuration is invalid.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising receiving operator input correcting the selected invalid game configuration.

7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising prompting the operator to save the selected default game configuration.

8 . A method for configuring a gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising:

providing access to a setup screen on a display of a first gaming machine;

initiating a default game configuration screen from the setup screen;

enabling selection of a game package from a plurality of game packages presented on the default game configuration screen, the plurality of game packages stored in a memory device in the first gaming machine, the game package includes one or more games having similar game themes and paytables;

enabling selection of a game denomination set from a list of game denominations presented on the default game configuration screen, the list of game denominations stored in the memory device in the first gaming machine;

verifying that the selected game package and the selected game denomination set is valid, wherein the selected game package and the selected game denomination set form a configuration of the first gaming machine;

saving the selected configuration to a non-volatile memory on the first gaming machine;

transmitting the selected configuration from the first gaming machine to one or more selected gaming machines in the gaming system in response to operator input;

reconfiguring the selecting gaming machines according the selected configuration sent from the first gaming machine; and

presenting one or more games on the displays of the gaming machines for play based on the selected configuration.