Patent ID: 7841942

Claim:
A gaming system, comprising: a plurality of gaming units coupled to a data network, each gaming unit having a configuration for executing a game application enabling a player to play a game of chance on the gaming unit, wherein a configuration of the gaming system is defined by the plurality of gaming unit configurations; means for storing a license parameter paired with a corresponding license parameter value of a license for determining access to the gaming system configuration, the license applicable to the plurality of gaming units; means, separate from the gaming units and coupled to the data network, for monitoring the plurality of gaming units; means for comparing a real-time parameter value with the license parameter value, the real-time parameter value determined from a current configuration of the plurality of gaming unit configurations; means for determining that the gaming system configuration is not in compliance with the license when the real-time parameter exceeds the license parameter value; and means for preventing reconfiguration of the gaming system configuration without interrupting game play on the gaming units when the gaming system configuration is not in compliance with the license.