Patent ID: 8545333

Claim:
A system for a gaming environment comprising: a plurality of gaming devices configured to generate and output data wherein each of the plurality of gaming devices includes a master min controller configured to manage a game played on the gaming machine and a communication interface device in communication with the master gaming controller, the communication interface device configured to communicate data and translate data to and from a plurality of communication protocols; a plurality of general casino operating systems, each of said plurality of general casino operating systems configured to utilize a particular communication protocol which is different than communication protocols utilized by another general casino operating system; and at least one open interface associated with each of the plurality of general casino operating systems, said open interface configured to permit communication between each of the plurality of general casino operating systems and the plurality of gaming devices and configured to translate data to and from the particular communication protocol of the associated general casino operating system and a common communication protocol for transmission over a network; wherein the communication device is configured to receive data formatted in the common communication protocol from the at least one open interface and to translate the data formatted in the common protocol to the particular communication protocol; wherein the communication device is further configured to translate data formatted in the particular communication protocol to the common protocol and to transfer the data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to the at least one open interface; wherein the at least one open interface is configured to receive data formatted in the common communication protocol from the communication device and to translate the data formatted in the common protocol to the particular communication protocol; and wherein the at least one open interface is further configured to translate data from the particular communication protocol to the common protocol and to transfer the data formatted in the common communication protocol over the network to the communication device.