Patent ID: 7736227

Claim:
A system for awarding prizes, comprising: a gaming device presenting a game of chance in response to a wager, the gaming device capable of producing a prize qualifying event in response to a winning outcome in the game of chance; a vault coupled to the gaming device, the vault comprising: a housing having a transparent cover, a rotating tray positioned within the housing and visible through the transparent cover, the rotating tray having a substantially vertical axis of rotation, a plurality of partitions dividing the rotating tray into a plurality of compartments, a tangible prize located within each compartment that may be distributed to a player on occurrence of the prize qualifying event, a secured door coupled to the housing, the secured door having an open position for accessing the compartment and a closed position for securing the tangible prize within each compartment, and a central processing unit in communication with the gaming device and the vault, the central processing unit dispensing a prize upon the occurrence of the prize qualifying event; and a central computer in communication with the vault, the central computer monitoring the vault and verifying the prize qualifying event.