Patent ID: 8285740

Claim:
A wager gaming machine, comprising: means for providing wagering games; a network interface; a memory having a database stored therein, the database comprising wager gaming data and having fields organized according to a predetermined format; and a logic system configured to do the following: determine whether a first message has been received from a device via the network interface; decrypt the first message, if necessary; subject the first message to an authentication challenge; if the first message passes the authentication challenge, determine whether the first message includes a data request message; if the first message includes a data request message, extract a query string from a predetermined portion of the first message, wherein the predetermined portion comprises a predetermined extension to the Gaming Standards Association's G2S Message Protocol, wherein the query string is formed according to a query language and comprises an indicated format for indicated wager gaming data; parse the query string to determine the indicated format for indicated wager gaming data; select one of game usage data, wagering data, configuration data, or peripheral device data from the database based upon the indicated format to form the indicated wager gaming data; form a second message comprising the indicated wager gaming data such that the indicated wager gaming data are provided in the indicated format; and send the second message to the device via the network interface.