Patent ID: 7946917

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: a master gaming controller configured to i) control a game of chance played on the gaming machine and ii) generate data for use in a loyalty program session; a display mechanism for displaying the game of chance controlled by the master gaming controller; a loyalty program session status interface separate from the display mechanism operable to at least visually display a status of the loyalty program session; a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader configured to read loyalty program instrument data from a loyalty program instrument, said loyalty program instrument comprising an RFID tag, said RFID tag reader comprising an antenna operable to receive the loyalty program instrument data from the RFID tag when the RFID tag is proximate to the gaming machine; an input mechanism operable to receive an indicia of credit or money for a wager on the game of chance; and an output mechanism operable to output the indicia of credit or the money; wherein the gaming machine is configured to a) determine a first gaming event has occurred on the gaming machine, said first gaming event comprising at least one of (i) a deposit of an indicia of credit into the gaming machine, (ii) an insertion of a card into a card slot on the gaming machine, (iii) an activation of an input button on the gaming machine, (iv) an input of a loyalty program instrument into the input mechanism on the gaming machine, (v) an input of a code into the gaming machine, (vi) an input of biometric information into the gaming machine; b) broadcast an RFID tag compatible signal, in response to determining the first gaming event has occurred; c) receive loyalty program instrument data from the RFID tag; d) after receiving the loyalty program instrument data, output on the loyalty program session status interface an indication that a loyalty program session is active; e) determine a second gaming event has occurred on the gaming machine; f) determine that the second gaming event is to result in a termination of the loyalty program session; g) in response to determining the second gaming event is to result in the termination of the loyalty program session, output on the loyalty program session status interface an indication that the loyalty program session interface is inactive; h) prior to changing a status of the loyalty program session and in response to determining the second gaming event is to result in the termination of the loyalty program session, output on the loyalty program session status interface an indication that the loyalty program status is about to change.