Patent ID: 7128650

Claim:
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a promotional credit member processing apparatus; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said promotional credit member processing apparatus, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to obtain a first number of promotional gaming credits in response to processing of a promotional credit member by said promotional credit member processing apparatus, said controller being programmed, if a signal indicating the validation number is valid is received from the central computer, to allow a person to make a at least one wager using at least one of said first number of promotional gaming credits, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said controller being programmed to determine a second number of promotional gaming credits based on said first number of promotional gaming credits and said at least one wager, said controller being programmed, if said second number of promotional gaming credits is different than said first number of promotional gaming credits, to generate a new validation number, to encrypt the new validation number and to transmit the new encrypted validation number to the central computer, and said controller being programmed to cause said promotional credit member processing apparatus to record said second number of promotional gaming credits and said new validation number on said promotional credit member and permitting said promotional credit member to be used on a different gaming apparatus.