Patent ID: 6896616

Claim:
In a system having a first gaming machine and a second gaming machine, said first gaming machine alterable to provide one of a plurality of operating characteristics selected by a player in accordance with player data stored in memory, a method of play of said first gaming machine by the player, comprising: storing player data in said memory, said player data including data relating to an operating characteristic of said first gaming machine and a status of the player's gaming activities; downloading said player data from said memory to said first gaming machine, said step of downloading being initiated by said player interacting with said first gaming machine; calibrating said first gaming machine to provide said operating characteristic in accordance with downloaded player data; playing said calibrated gaming machine by said player; and displaying an update of the progress of play of said player, said update based on the downloaded status of the player's gaming activities and the current progress of play, said step of displaying including ranking said player relative to another player currently playing said second gaming machine.