Patent ID: 8678911

Claim:
An apparatus for use with a gaming machine, the apparatus comprising: an electronic processing board that is external to the gaming machine, the electronic processing board including a board controller separate from a game controller of the gaming machine; a first data interface that is electrically coupled to the electronic processing board for communication between the board controller and the game controller; a second data interface that is electrically coupled to the electronic processing board for communication between the board controller and a remote computer system remote to the gaming machine; and a ticket printer external to the gaming machine that is electrically coupled through a direct physical connection to the electronic processing board, wherein the electronic processing board isolates the ticket printer from direct operational control by the game controller, wherein the electronic processing board is arranged to perform the following steps in response to a cashout signal: communicate with the game controller via the first data interface to effect a removal of wagerable credits from the gaming machine; communicate with the remote computer system, via the second data interface so as to: provide the remote computer system with details of the removal of the wagerable credits; receive from the remote computer system ticket data that is associated with the removal of the wagerable credits; and communicate with the ticket printer to direct the ticket printer to issue a ticket that is associated with the ticket data.