Patent ID: 6890260

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a gaming apparatus and a player tracking card; said gaming apparatus comprising a housing, a display unit associated with said housing and capable of generating video images, a value input device, a card reader, and a controller; said card reader comprising a first light generating source, a second light generating source, and a data reading apparatus, said first light generating source associated with said card reader and adapted to generate light corresponding to a first visible color, and said second light generating source associated with said card reader and adapted to generate light corresponding to a second visible color, said controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image is an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image is an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image is an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image is an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said game represented by said video image and a value payout associated with said outcome of said game; said player tracking card disposed in said card reader, said player tracking card comprising a data storage device, a first card surface, a second card surface, and a light transmissive body portion, said data storage device adapted to store data representing the identification of a player, and said light transmissive body portion extending between said first card surface and said second card surface; said player tracking card being positioned in a card illumination position wherein said first card surface is disposed in said card reader so that said first card surface is positioned adjacent said first and second light generating sources associated with said card reader, and said second card surface of said player tracking card remains visible outside said card reader; and when said player tracking card is in said card illumination position, lights generated by said first and second light generating sources are transmitted into said first card surface of said player tracking card and are transmitted through said light transmissive body portion of said player tracking card so that said lights are visible to said user through said second card surface.