Patent ID: 8202164

Claim:
A ticket management apparatus for cashless operation of a gaming machine comprising: a) a ticketing device configured to receive and output tickets containing gaming data; and b) at least one data management device including b1) a gaming machine interface configured for connection to a controller of the gaming machine, the gaming machine interface configured to exchange at least some of the gaming data between the ticket management apparatus and the controller of the gaming machine; b2) a ticketing device interface connected to the ticketing device, the ticketing device interface configured to exchange at least some of the gaming data with the ticketing device of the ticket management apparatus; b3) a processor unit configured to process at least some of the gaming data within the ticket management apparatus; b4) a memory unit configured to store at least some of the gaming data within the ticket management apparatus; and b5) an external communication interface configured to directly exchange at least some of the gaming data between the ticket management apparatus and one or more other ticket management apparatuses residing in other gaming machines, wherein at least some of the gaming data are stored on the one or more other ticket management apparatuses.