Patent ID: 7896741

Claim:
A system for configuring and authenticating a progressive game network, the system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices providing game play on the progressive game network; a first security key configured with progressive game network programming parameters; a second security key configured with progressive game network operation parameters; a progressive controller comprising: a key interface integrated with the progressive controller, wherein the key interface is configured to receive only one of the first security key and the second security key; memory having machine readable code stored thereon, the machine readable code configured to: authenticate the first security key or the second security key when the first security key or the second security key is in the key interface; and in response to a successful authentication of the first security key, disable said game play on the progressive game network and permit programming of the progressive controller with the progressive game network programming parameters associated with the first security key; and in response to a successful authentication of the second security key, permit operation of the progressive game network based on the progressive game network operation parameters associated with the second security key.