Patent ID: 7294059

Claim:
A gaming apparatus comprising: a housing; a display unit enclosed within the housing and capable of generating gaming images; a value input device; a touch pad assembly supported by a sub-panel mounted inside the gaming apparatus such that the touch pad assembly is enclosed within the housing and interior to a screen of the housing through which said display unit is viewed, the sub-panel being mounted independent of the screen and having at least one touch pad capable of producing a touch detection field extending from the at least one touch pad through the screen for defining a touch area located on an exterior of the housing and wherein a user touch in said touch area creates a disturbance in said touch detection field to generate a switch activation signal; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a gaming image to be generated on said display unit, said gaming image representing a game selected from said group of games consisting of poker, blackjack, slots, keno and bingo, said gaming image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises poker, said gaming image comprising an image of a plurality of slot machine reels if said game comprises slots, said gaming image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises blackjack, said gaming image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises keno, said gaming image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises bingo, said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game, and said controller being programmed to respond to said switch activation signal.