Patent ID: 7083518

Claim:
A method of awarding a bonus award at a gaming machine in order to increase play at one or more gaming machines comprising: providing at least one gaming machine having a player tracking device including a card reader, a keypad, and at least one display, said player tracking device configured to receive information regarding game play at said gaming machine; configuring bonus event information by a bonus system host; transmitting bonus event information from said bonus system host via a communication link to said player tracking device; displaying bonus event information at said display of said player tracking device when said gaming machine is not being played; obtaining player information from a player card of a player provided to said card reader; configuring bonus award information about said bonus award by said bonus system host in response to said player card provided to said card reader and without requiring actual game play at the one gaming machine; notifying said player of said bonus award; transmitting said bonus award information from said bonus system host to said player tracking device to communicate said bonus award information on said display; and awarding said bonus award to said player.