Cashless gaming system and method

Abstract

A gaming machine ( 100 ) and a method of operating a gaming machine are provided. Encrypted information, including player credit information and identification information, is received at the gaming machine from a cash device ( 190 ) using a non-contact reader ( 160 ). The received information is decrypted using one of a preset number of stored time-stamped keys, the stored time-stamped keys being stored in a first in first out buffer (SAM 2 ) and having been updated sequentially from a remote central server ( 110 ). The gaming machine is enabled for play by the player if the information has been successfully decrypted and the received player credit information meets predetermined criteria to allow play on the gaming machine. Updated information, including updated player credit information, is encrypted with one of the stored time-stamped keys on enablement of the gaming machine for play. The encrypted updated information is written to the cash device. A system including a plurality of such gaming machines and a central server is also provided.

1 . A gaming machine including: 
 a reader to read data representing encrypted information, including credit value information and unique identification information, from a player held device;    a connection component to connect to a remote central server, the connection component being operable to receive updated time-stamped keys from the remote central server;    a storage component to store a preset number of received time-stamped encryption keys in a first in first out format;    a decryption component to decrypt the encrypted credit value information using one of the time-stamped encryption keys stored in the storage component;    an encryption component to re-encrypt information including updated credit value information; and    a writer to write data representing the re-encrypted information to the player held device identified by the identification information.    
   
   
       2 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the reader and writer are non-contact devices.  
   
   
       3 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the reader and the writer are the same device.  
   
   
       4 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection component is intermittently operable to connect the gaming machine to the remote server.  
   
   
       5 . A gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the identification information includes a time-stamp identifier.  
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the decryption component uses the time-stamp identifier to determine which of the preset number of stored time-stamped keys is used to decrypt the credit value information.  
   
   
       7 . A gaming machine system including a plurality of gaming machines according to any one of the preceding claims, and a central server, connected, at least intermittently, to each gaming machine via the respective connection component of each gaming machine.  
   
   
       8 . A gaming machine system according to  claim 7 , the central server further including a database to store all previously issued time-stamped keys.  
   
   
       9 . A gaming machine system according to  claim 8 , wherein the central server is able to decrypt encrypted information, including credit value information, from a player held device, using time-stamped encryption keys no longer held in the respective storage components of the gaming machines.  
   
   
       10 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the method including: 
 receiving data representing information, including encrypted credit value information and identification information, from a cash device using a reader;    decrypting the credit value information using one of a preset number of stored time-stamped keys, the stored time-stamped keys being stored in a first in first out format and having been updated sequentially from a remote central server;    enabling the gaming machine for play by the player if the credit value information has been successfully decrypted and the received information meets predetermined criteria to allow play on the gaming machine;    encrypting updated information, including updated credit value information, with one of the stored time-stamped keys, on enablement of the gaming machine for play; and    and writing data representing the encrypted updated information to the cash device.    
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the gaming machine is connected to the remote central server to sequentially receive time-stamped keys to be stored in first in first out format.  
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the gaming machine is intermittently connected to the remote central server.  
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the predetermined criteria include a minimum credit value held on the cash device.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 10 , further including the gaming machine receiving money from a player and incorporating value of the received money into the updated credit value information.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 10 , further including encrypting further updated information using one of the time-stamped keys stored in the gaming machine at the time of encryption of the further updated information at the end of a player session on the gaming machine.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the further updated information includes updated credit value information.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the encrypted further updated information is written back to the cash device.  
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the encrypted further updated information is written back to the cash device only after the gaming machine has confirmed the identification information from the cash device and that the same cash device has been presented to the gaming machine on writing both the updated information and further updated information.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the identification information is encrypted and is decrypted using a fixed key held in the storage component.  
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the identification information includes a time-stamp identifier encrypted with a fixed key.  
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein the time-stamp identifier is used to determine which of the preset number of stored time-stamped keys is used to decrypt the credit value information.  
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 20 , further including writing a revised time-stamp identifier to the cash device whenever updated or further information is written to the cash device, the time-stamp identifier being encrypted with a fixed key.  
   
   
       23 . A carrier medium carrying processor readable code to control a processor to carry out the method of  claim 7.