Patent ID: 7108605

Claim:
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor, a random access memory and a write-protected EPROM operatively coupled to said processor, wherein said write-protected EPROM has operating system software stored therein, includes a signature section uniquely marking said write-protected EPROM, is compressed, and includes random number generating software stored therein, said random number generating software being capable of causing a random number to be generated; said controller being programmed to check the validity of a set of data stored on said write-protected EPROM using a data hashing algorithm, said controller being programmed to extract data stored on said write-protected EPROM and map said data into said random access memory, said controller being programmed to detect, in a computer software instruction, a name of a portion of a computer program to be executed, said controller being programmed to determine a memory address corresponding to said name of said portion of said computer program to be executed, said controller being programmed to cause said portion of said computer program to be retrieved from said memory utilizing said memory address, said controller being programmed to execute said portion of said computer program retrieved from said memory, said controller being programmed to authenticate a media storage device, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or 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, and said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game.