Patent ID: 6932706

Claim:
An electronic gaming unit for allowing a user to play at least one video game selected from the group of video games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video bingo and video keno, the electronic gaming unit comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating color images; a currency-accepting mechanism that is capable of allowing the user to deposit a medium of currency; a user input device comprising a virtual object, said virtual object being at least one selected from the group of virtual objects comprising: a virtual magic wand shaped like a magic wand; a virtual remote control shaped like a remote control; a virtual pointing helmet shaped like a pointing helmet; a set of virtual pointing goggles shaped like a set of pointing goggles; a virtual pointing glove shaped like a pointing glove; and a virtual gun shaped like a firearm and having a portion shaped like a trigger; and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit, the currency-accepting mechanism and the virtual object, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor; the controller being programmed to allow the user to make a wager after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user; the controller being programmed to cause a sequence of video images to be generated on the display unit after the currency-accepting mechanism detects deposit of currency by the user, the sequence of video images representing a video game selected from the group of video games consisting of video poker, video slots, video blackjack, video bingo and video keno, at least one of the images comprising an image of at least three playing cards if the video game is video poker; at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the video game is video slots; at least one of the images comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if the video game is video blackjack; at least one of the images comprising an image of a bingo grid if the video game is bingo; and at least one of the images comprising an image of a keno grid if the video game is keno; the controller being programmed to cause a portion of the said images to be highlighted in response to the user pointing the virtual object at the portion of said images; the controller being programmed to cause the virtual object to provide feedback to the user through the virtual object when a selectable item is selected, wherein the feedback is based on a characteristic of the virtual object; and the controller being programmed to determine, after the sequence of images has been displayed, an outcome of the video game represented by the sequence of images and to determine a currency payout associated with the outcome of the video game.