Gaming system, a gaming method and a gaming server

Abstract

There is provided a gaming system, comprising: a plurality of gaming clients located at a first site; a site controller located at the first site; and a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for the gaming clients, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site and in communication with the gaming clients and the site controller over a network, the gaming server comprising an operational database adapted to store operational data of each gaming client; and a communication interface arranged to communicate the operational data of each gaming client to the site controller.

1 . A gaming system, comprising:
 a plurality of gaming clients located at a first site;   a site controller located at the first site; and   a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for the gaming clients, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site and in communication with the gaming clients and the site controller over a network, the gaming server comprising:
 an operational database adapted to store operational data of each gaming client; and 
 a communication interface arranged to communicate the operational data of each gaming client to the site controller. 
   
     
     
         2 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gaming server comprises a status receiver arranged to receive status information of each gaming client. 
     
     
         3 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the operational data comprises cashbox data of each gaming client, the operational database is a cashbox database adapted to store the cashbox data of each gaming client, and the gaming server comprises a cashbox generator arranged to generate the cashbox data of each gaming client based on the status information of the gaming client. 
     
     
         4 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gaming server comprises an outcome generator arranged to generate the game outcomes for the gaming clients. 
     
     
         5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the network is a wide area network. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises depositing of cash or emptying of cashbox. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises one of the group including: starting of game; ending of game; starting of service session; ending of service session; starting of player session; and ending of player session. 
     
     
         8 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gaming server communicates with the gaming clients and the site controller via one or more secure channels. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gaming server is in data communication with gaming clients at a plurality of sites, and the gaming server stores operational data in the operational database such that the operational data is associated with a specific site. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming method, comprising:
 storing operational data of a plurality of gaming clients at a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for the gaming clients, the gaming clients being located at a first site, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site; and   communicating the operational data of each gaming client from the gaming server to a site controller located at the first site.   
     
     
         11 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising receiving status information of each gaming client from the gaming client at the gaming server via a network. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the operational data comprises cashbox data of each gaming client, and further comprising generating the cashbox data of each gaming client at the gaming server based on the status information of the gaming client. 
     
     
         13 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising communicating the game outcome for each gaming client from the gaming server to the gaming client via a network. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the network is a wide area network. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises depositing of cash or emptying of cashbox. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises one of the group including: starting of game; ending of game; starting of service session; ending of service session; starting of player session; and ending of player session. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the communication between the gaming server and the site controller is via a secure channel. 
     
     
         18 . A gaming method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising storing at the gaming server operational data of a further plurality of gaming clients located in a third site remote from the first and second sites, and wherein operational data is stored in the operational database such that the operational data is associated with a specific site. 
     
     
         19 . A gaming server to generate game outcomes for a plurality of gaming clients located at a first site, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site, the gaming server comprising:
 an operational database adapted to store operational data of each gaming client; and   a communication interface arranged to communicate the operational data of each gaming client to a site controller located at the first site.   
     
     
         20 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the operational data comprises cashbox data of each gaming client, and the operational database is a cashbox database adapted to store the cashbox data of each gaming client. 
     
     
         21 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a status receiver arranged to receive status information of each gaming client; and   a cashbox generator arranged to generate the cashbox data of each gaming client based on the status information of the gaming client.   
     
     
         22 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises depositing of cash or emptying of cashbox. 
     
     
         23 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the status information of each gaming client comprises one of the group including: starting of game; ending of game; starting of service session; ending of service session; starting of player session; and ending of player session. 
     
     
         24 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising an outcome generator arranged to generate the game outcomes for the gaming clients. 
     
     
         25 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the gaming server is in communication with the gaming clients and the site controller over a network. 
     
     
         26 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the network is a wide area network. 
     
     
         27 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the communication between the gaming server and the site controller is via a secure channel. 
     
     
         28 . A gaming server as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the operational database is adapted to store operational data of a plurality of gaming clients located at a plurality of sites, and wherein operational data is stored in the operational database such that the operational data is associated with a specific site. 
     
     
         29 . A site controller located at a first site, the site controller being in communication with a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for a plurality of gaming clients located at the first site, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site and comprising an operational database adapted to store operational data of each gaming client, the site controller comprising a site receiver arranged to receive the operational data of each gaming client from the gaming server. 
     
     
         30 . A site controller as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the operational data comprises cashbox data of each gaming client, the operational database is a cashbox database adapted to store the cashbox data of each gaming client, and the site receiver is a cashbox receiver arranged to receive the cashbox data of each gaming client from the server. 
     
     
         31 . A site controller as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the site controller receives the operational data of each gaming client from the gaming server over a network. 
     
     
         32 . A site controller as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the network is a wide area network. 
     
     
         33 . A site controller as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the site controller receives the operational data of each gaming client from the gaming server via a secure channel. 
     
     
         34 . A site controller as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the operational database is adapted to store operational data of a plurality of gaming clients located in a plurality of sites and wherein operational data is stored in the operational database such that the operational data is associated with a specific site. 
     
     
         35 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming clients located at a first site;   a site controller; and   a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for the gaming clients, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site and comprising a site database comprising identification data of the site controller;   wherein each gaming client is adapted to:
 receive the identification data of the site controller from the gaming server; and 
 communicate operational data to the site controller based on the identification data received from the gaming server. 
   
     
     
         36 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the operational data comprises cashbox data of each gaming client. 
     
     
         37 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the gaming server comprises an outcome generator arranged to generate the game outcomes for the gaming clients. 
     
     
         38 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the gaming server communicates with the gaming clients and the site controller via one or more secure channels. 
     
     
         39 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the gaming server is in data communication with gaming clients at a plurality of sites, and wherein the site database comprises identification data of a plurality of site controllers. 
     
     
         40 . A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer program code, which when executed implements a gaming method, comprising:
 storing operational data of a plurality of gaming clients at a gaming server adapted to generate game outcomes for the gaming clients, the gaming clients being located at a first site, the gaming server being located at a second site remote from the first site; and   communicating the operational data of each gaming client from the gaming server to a site controller located at the first site.