US20050261046A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20050261046A1
Application number: US10/848,636
Authority: US
Inventors: Chan Griswold; Craig Paulsen; Richard Wilder; Harold Mattice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: International Game Technology
Priority date: 2004-05-19
Filing date: 2004-05-19
Publication date: 2005-11-24
Also published as: AU2005246881A1; CA2566965A1; EP1747542A1; WO2005114600A1

Abstract

A method and apparatus for electronically controlling gaming machines such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, and/or bingo. Customer information such as denomination input, maximum coin input, maximum number of coins won, pay tables, pay lines, and the like may be changed electronically with an electronic ink display. The gaming machine may be updated electronically without shutting the game down and losing income or incurring additional costs from manually replacing static display inserts on the machine.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed to novel gaming devices and, more particularly, to gaming devices having the capability of electronically changing their displays.

Prior art gaming devices typically include displays with static information that may provide a player with directions and other information for that particular game. Information is printed on a front display glass having static inserts that provide information such as denomination input, award and bonus potential, button legends, and reel strips.

Gaming devices with static inserts are known, for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,488 to Adams et al. discloses gaming devices comprising a standard gaming unit, e.g. three reels, and a discernable additional payout indicator in a rotatable wheel. Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,864 to McCann et al. discloses a gaming device which awards an initial award to a player, discloses to a player that the higher valued enticement award is available and selectable, and enables a player to selectively swap the initial award for an opportunity to select the enticement award. The game masks the enticement award in a pattern of one or more masked consolation awards, the consolation awards having values less than the value of the initial award.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus including a housing with a display unit disposed on the housing. The display unit may be adapted to variably display denomination input, maximum coin input, maximum coin jackpot, pay tables, paylines, and predetermined customer advertisements. At least one electronic insert may be operationally coupled to the display unit. The electronic inserts may include a plurality of electronic ink elements with permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid. The charged particles may be formed in first and second types. The first type of particle may have a first color and have a positive charge. The second type of particle may have a second color and a negative charge. The gaming apparatus further includes a value input device for receiving money and the like. A controller may be operatively coupled to the display unit and to the value input device. The controller may have a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to cause the display unit to generate a game of chance such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, and bingo. The controller may be programmed to selectively change information displayed by the electronic inserts while the apparatus remains operational, and to determine the value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

In another aspect, the invention is directed a display that may have at least one electronic insert. Each electronic insert may include a plurality of electronic ink elements. The elements may have two types of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid. The first type of particles may have a first color and a positive charge. The second type of particles may have a second color and a negative charge. The electronic ink elements may be adapted to display denomination input, maximum coin input, maximum coin jackpot, pay tables, paylines, and predetermined advertising information. A value input device may be provided to receive currency and the like. A controller may be operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller may include a processor with a memory that is operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to receive data representing a payline selection made by a player. The controller may be programmed to cause a game display to be generated by the display unit. The game display may include images of a plurality of slot machine symbols each of which may be associated with a respective slot machine reel. The controller may be programmed to selectively update the electronic display inserts while the gaming apparatus remains operational. The controller may be programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the slots game. The controller may be programmed to determine the outcome of the slots game based on a configuration of the slot machine symbols.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming method for displaying of one of the following games: poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo with an electronic display having at least one electronic insert. Each electronic insert may include a plurality of electronic ink elements with two types of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid. The first type of particles may have a first color and a positive charge. The second type of particles may have a second color and a negative charge. A value payout associated with an outcome of the game represented by the video image may be determined. The method may electronically change information displayed by the display inserts while the game remains operational.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of controlling an electronic display on a gaming machine by supplying electrical power to a controller that may control the display unit. The display unit may have at least one electronic insert with a plurality of electronic ink elements. Each electronic element may include two types of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid. The first type of particles may have a first color and a positive charge. The second type of particles may have a second color and a negative charge. Information may be downloaded to the electronic display. The controller may retrieve the download information for the display and send the information to the display. The controller may start a write timer to determine a refresh time for the display. The controller may determine whether the write timer has timed out. The controller may refresh the display after the timer has timed out. The controller may enter a power save mode for a predetermined period of time and then refresh the display after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a gaming apparatus including a housing with a display unit disposed on the housing. The display unit may be adapted to variably display denomination input, maximum coin input, maximum coin jackpot, pay tables, paylines, and predetermined customer advertisements. At least one electronic insert may be operationally coupled to the display unit. The electronic insert may include a bi-stable image, wherein the display retains the image without electrical power or backlighting. The gaming apparatus further includes a value input device for receiving money and the like. A controller may be operatively coupled to the display unit and to the value input device. The controller may have a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor. The controller may be programmed to cause the display unit to generate a game of chance such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, and bingo. The controller may be programmed to selectively change information displayed by the electronic inserts while the apparatus remains operational, and to determine the value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming units shown schematically inFIG. 1;

FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gaming unit ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video poker routine ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the slots routine ofFIG. 12;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video keno routine ofFIG. 13;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 14 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video bingo routine ofFIG. 15;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

FIG. 16A is a schematic illustrating a partial electronic display having electronic ink elements with randomly positioned charged particles;

FIG. 16B is a schematic illustrating the electronic display ofFIG. 16A, after an electric field has been applied to the electronic ink elements;

FIG. 17 is a display area for a gaming apparatus illustrating a plurality of electronic display inserts; and

FIG. 18 is a flowchart for a gaming machine having an electronic ink display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph.

FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of acasino gaming system10 in accordance with the invention. Referring toFIG. 1, thecasino gaming system10 may include a first group ornetwork12 ofcasino gaming units20 operatively coupled to anetwork computer22 via a network data link orbus24. Thecasino gaming system10 may include a second group ornetwork26 ofcasino gaming units30 operatively coupled to anetwork computer32 via a network data link orbus34. The first and

second gaming networks

12,26 may be operatively coupled to each other via anetwork40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via afirst network link42 and asecond network link44.

Thefirst network12 ofgaming units20 may be provided in a first casino, and thesecond network26 ofgaming units30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states. Thenetwork40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where thenetwork40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links42,44 via an Internet communication protocol.

Thenetwork computer22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of thegaming units20. For example, thenetwork computer22 may continuously receive data from each of thegaming units20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of thegaming units20, data indicative of how much each of thegaming units20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of thegaming units20, etc. Thenetwork computer32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to thegaming units30 as thenetwork computer22 described above.

Although each

network

12,26 is shown to include one

network computer

22,32 and four

gaming units

20,30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. For example, thenetwork12 may include a plurality ofnetwork computers22 and tens or hundreds ofgaming units20, all of which may be interconnected via thedata link24. The data link24 may be provided as a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although thedata link24 is shown as asingle data link24, thedata link24 may comprise multiple data links.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or more of thegaming units20. Although the following description addresses the design of thegaming units20, it should be understood that thegaming units30 may have the same design as thegaming units20 described below. It should be understood that the design of one or more of thegaming units20 may be different than the design ofother gaming units20, and that the design of one or more of thegaming units30 may be different than the design ofother gaming units30. Eachgaming unit20 may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various different structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of thegaming units20 are described below, but it should be understood that numerous other designs may be utilized.

Referring toFIG. 2, thecasino gaming unit20 may include a housing orcabinet50 and one or more input devices, which may include a coin slot oracceptor52, apaper currency acceptor54, a ticket reader/printer56 and acard reader58, which may be used to input value to thegaming unit20. A value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer. As used herein, the term “value” may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, smart cards, and any other object representative of value.

If provided on thegaming unit20, the ticket reader/printer56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encodeticket vouchers60. Theticket vouchers60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types ofticket vouchers60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. Theticket vouchers60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on theticket vouchers60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer56 may be provided with the ability to both read andprint ticket vouchers60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encodeticket vouchers60. In the latter case, for example, some of thegaming units20 may haveticket printers56 that may be used to printticket vouchers60, which could then be used by a player inother gaming units20 that haveticket readers56.

If provided, thecard reader58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, thecard reader58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.

Thegaming unit20 may include one or moreaudio speakers62, acoin payout tray64, aninput control panel66, and adisplay unit70. Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video casino game, such as video poker or video slots, thedisplay unit70 may be a color video display unit that displays images relating to the particular game or games. Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a reel-type slot machine, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, with each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon. Theaudio speakers62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. Theinput control panel66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc. Thegaming unit20 may also include electronic display inserts71. Theelectronic inserts71 may use electronic ink elements to display text and graphics. Electronic inserts with electronic ink elements will be described more fully below.

FIG. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of thecontrol panel66, which may be used where thegaming unit20 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Referring toFIG. 2A, if thedisplay unit70 is provided in the form of a video display unit, thecontrol panel66 may include a “See Pays”button72 that, when activated, causes thedisplay unit70 to generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information for the game or games provided by thegaming unit20. As used herein, the term “button” is intended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make an input selection or a display area that a player may simply touch. Thecontrol panel66 may include a “Cash Out”button74 that may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on thegaming unit20, in which case thegaming unit20 may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the player via thepayout tray64.

If thegaming unit20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reel symbols, thecontrol panel66 may be provided with a plurality ofselection buttons76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, fivebuttons76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.

If thegaming unit20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, thecontrol panel66 may be provided with a plurality ofselection buttons78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by thegaming unit20 is a quarter ($0.25), thegaming unit20 may be provided with fiveselection buttons78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the “5” button76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).

Thecontrol panel66 may include a “Max Bet”button80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. Thecontrol panel66 may include aspin button82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.

InFIG. 2A, a rectangle is shown around the

buttons

72,74,76,78,80,82. It should be understood that that rectangle simply designates, for ease of reference, an area in which the

buttons

72,74,76,78,80,82 may be located. Consequently, the term “control panel” should not be construed to imply that a panel or plate separate from thehousing50 of thegaming unit20 is required, and the term “control panel” may encompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable buttons.

Although onepossible control panel66 is described above, it should be understood that different buttons could be utilized in thecontrol panel66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on thegaming unit20. If thedisplay unit70 is provided as a video display unit, thecontrol panel66 could be generated by thedisplay unit70. In that case, each of the buttons of thecontrol panel66 could be a colored area generated by thedisplay unit70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with thedisplay unit70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.

Gaming Unit Electronics

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may be incorporated in thegaming unit20. Referring toFIG. 3, thegaming unit20 may include acontroller100 that may comprise aprogram memory102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP)104, a random-access memory (RAM)106 and an input/output (I/O)circuit108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus110. It should be appreciated that although only onemicroprocessor104 is shown, thecontroller100 may includemultiple microprocessors104. Similarly, the memory of thecontroller100 may includemultiple RAMs106 andmultiple program memories102. Although the I/O circuit108 is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit108 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s)104 andprogram memories102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.

Although theprogram memory102 is shown inFIG. 3 as a read-only memory (ROM)102, the program memory of thecontroller100 may be a read/write or alterable memory, such as a hard disk. In the event a hard disk is used as a program memory, the address/data bus110 shown schematically inFIG. 3 may comprise multiple address/data buses, which may be of different types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposed between the address/data buses.

FIG. 3 illustrates that thecontrol panel66, thecoin acceptor52, thebill acceptor54, thecard reader58, the ticket reader/printer56, thedisplay70, and theelectronic inserts71 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit108, each of those components being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used. The speaker(s)62 may be operatively coupled to asound circuit112, that may comprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit. The sound-generatingcircuit112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit108.

As shown inFIG. 3, the

components

52,54,56,58,66,112 may be connected to the I/O circuit108 via a respective direct line or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, one or more of the components shown inFIG. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components. Furthermore, some of the components may be directly connected to themicroprocessor104 without passing through the I/O circuit108.

Overall Operation of Gaming Unit

One manner in which one or more of the gaming units20 (and one or more of the gaming units30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of thecontroller100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of thegaming unit20, and may control the operation of thegaming unit20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects thegaming unit20 with a remote computer (such as one of thenetwork computers22,32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-level assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of the

memories

102,106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of amain operating routine200 that may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Referring toFIG. 4, the main routine200 may begin operation atblock202 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play thegaming unit20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit70 (if provided as a video display unit) and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via thespeakers62. The attraction sequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or video images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to thegaming unit20 as determined atblock204, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display unit70 (if provided as a video display unit) atblock206 to allow the player to select a game available on thegaming unit20. Thegaming unit20 may detect an input atblock204 in various ways. For example, thegaming unit20 could detect if the player presses any button on thegaming unit20; thegaming unit20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into thegaming unit20; thegaming unit20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.

The game-selection display generated atblock206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit20. While the game-selection display is generated, thegaming unit20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined atblock208, thecontroller100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include avideo poker routine210, avideo blackjack routine220, a slots routine230, avideo keno routine240, and avideo bingo routine250. Atblock208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block202.

After one of the

routines

210,220,230,240,250 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block260 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on thegaming unit20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, thecontroller100 may dispense value to the player atblock262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined atblock260, the routine may return to block208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.

It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown inFIG. 4, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of a different number of games. Thegaming unit20 may also be programmed to allow play of different games.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternativemain operating routine300 that may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. The main routine300 may be utilized forgaming units20 that are designed to allow play of only a single game or single type of game. Referring toFIG. 5, the main routine300 may begin operation atblock302 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play thegaming unit20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit70 (if provided as a video display unit) and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via thespeakers62.

During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to thegaming unit20 as determined atblock304, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display unit70 (if provided as a video display unit) atblock306. The game display generated atblock306 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on thegaming unit20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into thegaming unit20. Atblock308, thegaming unit20 may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed atblock310.Block312 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case agame routine320 may be performed. Thegame routine320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five

game routines

210,220,230,240,250, or another game routine.

After the routine320 has been performed to allow the player to play the game, block322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on thegaming unit20. If the player wishes to stop playing thegaming unit20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, thecontroller100 may dispense value to the player atblock324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block302. If the player did not wish to quit as determined atblock322, the operation may return to block308.

Video Poker

Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video poker game, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 6 is anexemplary display350 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo poker routine210 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 6, thedisplay350 may includevideo images352 of a plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards. To allow the player to control the play of the video poker game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Hold”button354 disposed directly below each of theplaying card images352, a “Cash Out”button356, a “See Pays”button358, a “Bet One Credit”button360, a “Bet Max Credits”button362, and a “Deal/Draw”button364. Thedisplay350 may also include anarea366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the

buttons

354,356,358,360,362,364 may form part of thevideo display350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of thevideo poker routine210 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 8, atblock370, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button358, in which case atblock372 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock374, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the “Bet One Credit”button360, in which case atblock376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock378, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Bet Max Credits”button362, in which case atblock380 bet data corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100.

Atblock382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw”button364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing thedisplay unit70 to generate theplaying card images352. After the hand is dealt, atblock386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold”buttons354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of theplaying card images352 are to be “held” may be stored in thecontroller100 atblock388. If the “Deal/Draw”button364 is activated again as determined atblock390, each of theplaying card images352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from thevideo display350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playingcard image352 atblock392.

Atblock394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by theplaying card images352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined atblock396. Atblock398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined atblock396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area366 (FIG. 6).

Although thevideo poker routine210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.

Video Blackjack

Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video blackjack game, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 7 is anexemplary display400 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo blackjack routine220 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 7, thedisplay400 may includevideo images402 of a pair of playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other card being shown face down, andvideo images404 of a pair of playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The “dealer” may be thegaming unit20.

To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”button406, a “See Pays”button408, a “Stay”button410, a “Hit”button412, a “Bet One Credit”button414, and a “Bet Max Credits”button416. Thedisplay400 may also include anarea418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the

buttons

406,408,410,412,414,416 may form part of thevideo display400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of thevideo blackjack routine220 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 9, thevideo blackjack routine220 may begin atblock420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the “Bet One Credit”button414 or the “Bet Max Credits”button416. Atblock422, bet data corresponding to the bet made atblock420 may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be “dealt” by making the

playing card images

402,404 appear on thedisplay unit70.

Atblock426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case atblock428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making anotherplaying card image404 appear in thedisplay400. If the player is hit, block430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks426 and428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.

If the player decides not to hit, atblock432 the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, atblock434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making anotherplaying card image402 appear in thedisplay400. Atblock436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks432,434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.

If the dealer does not hit, atblock436 the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined atblock440. At block442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined atblock440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area418 (FIG. 7).

Slots

Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video slots game, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 10 is anexemplary display450 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of the slots routine230 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 10, thedisplay450 may includevideo images452 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols454 associated therewith. Although thedisplay450 shows fivereel images452, each of which may have three reel symbols454 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.

To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”button456, a “See Pays”button458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin”button464, and a “Max Bet”button466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the slots routine230 shown schematically inFIG. 10. Referring toFIG. 12, atblock470, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button458, in which case atblock472 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock474, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons460, in which case atblock476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock478, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection buttons462, in which case atblock480 data corresponding to the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. Atblock482, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Max Bet”button466, in which case atblock484 bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100.

If the “Spin”button464 has been activated by the player as determined atblock486, atblock488 the routine may cause the slotmachine reel images452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. Atblock490, the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images454 that will be displayed when thereel images452 stop spinning. Atblock492, the routine may stop thereel images452 from spinning by displayingstationary reel images452 and images of three symbols454 for each stoppedreel image452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.

The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stoppedreel images452 of a particular symbol454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined atblock494, the routine may proceed to block496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined atblock498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined atblock500. Atblock502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined atblock500.

Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on thedisplay unit70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead, in which case thedisplay unit70 could be provided in the form of a plurality of mechanical reels that are rotatable, each of the reels having a plurality of reel images disposed thereon.

Video Keno

Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video keno game, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 11 is anexemplary display520 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo keno routine240 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 11, thedisplay520 may include avideo image522 of a plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game and avideo image524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.

To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”button526, a “See Pays”button528, a “Bet One Credit”button530, a “Bet Max Credits”button532, a “Select Ticket”button534, a “Select Number”button536, and a “Play”button538. Thedisplay520 may also include anarea540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of thevideo display520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of thevideo keno routine240 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Thekeno routine240 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit20 where a single player is playing a keno game, or thekeno routine240 may be utilized in connection withmultiple gaming units20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by thecontroller100 in each gaming unit or by one of the

network computer

22,32 to whichmultiple gaming units20 are operatively connected.

Referring toFIG. 13, atblock550, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button528, in which case atblock552 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock554, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit”button530 or the “Bet Max Credits”button532, in which case atblock556 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100. After the player has made a wager, atblock558 the player may select a keno ticket, and atblock560 the ticket may be displayed on thedisplay520. Atblock562, the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100 atblock564 and may be included in theimage522 on thedisplay520 atblock566. After a certain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players (where a number of players are playing a single keno game using multiple gambling units20).

If play of the keno game is to begin as determined atblock568, at block570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by thecontroller100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the

network computers

22,32. Atblock572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on thedisplay unit70 and thedisplay units70 of other gaming units20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. Atblock574, the controller100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected atblock570.

Atblock576, the controller100 (or one of thenetwork computers22,32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected atblock570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, atblock578 the controller100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected atblock570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.

If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined atblock580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected atblock570. Atblock582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined atblock580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area540 (FIG. 11).

Video Bingo

Where thegaming unit20 is designed to facilitate play of a video bingo game, thedisplay unit70 may comprise a video display unit.FIG. 14 is anexemplary display600 that may be shown on thedisplay unit70 during performance of thevideo bingo routine250 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Referring toFIG. 14, thedisplay600 may include one ormore video images602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game. Thebingo card images602 may have a grid pattern.

To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out”button604, a “See Pays”button606, a “Bet One Credit”button608, a “Bet Max Credits”button610, a “Select Card”button612, and a “Play”button614. Thedisplay600 may also include anarea616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If thedisplay unit70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of thevideo display600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from thedisplay unit70.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of thevideo bingo routine250 shown schematically inFIG. 4. Thebingo routine250 may be utilized in connection with asingle gaming unit20 where a single player is playing a bingo game, or thebingo routine250 may be utilized in connection withmultiple gaming units20 where multiple players are playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by thecontroller100 in eachgaming unit20 or by one of the

network computers

22,32 to whichmultiple gaming units20 are operatively connected.

Referring toFIG. 15, atblock620, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays”button606, in which case atblock622 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on thedisplay unit70. Atblock624, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit”button608 or the “Bet Max Credits”button610, in which case atblock626 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of thecontroller100.

After the player has made a wager, atblock628 the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined atblock632, at block634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by thecontroller100 or a central computer such as one of the

network computers

22,32. Atblock636, the bingo number may be displayed on thedisplay unit70 and thedisplay units70 of anyother gaming units20 involved in the bingo game.

Atblock638, the controller100 (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected atblock634. If any player has bingo as determined atblock638, the routine may determine atblock640 whether the player playing thatgaming unit20 was the winner. If so, at block642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. Atblock644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined atblock642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area616 (FIG. 14).

Electronic Inserts

FIGS. 16A and 16B are illustrations of a portion the display70 (shown inFIG. 2) that may includeelectronic inserts71. Electronic inserts71 may be formed with electronic ink or the like. Electronic inserts71 may have a plurality ofviewable elements700 that can be controlled in a similar manner as pixels are controlled on a standard cathode ray tube (CRT) display. Eachelectronic ink element700 may include a plurality of positively chargedparticles702 and a plurality of negatively chargedparticles704 suspended in a clear fluid. The

particles

702,704 are depicted as forming a “solid” half of eachelement700 in a homogeneous manner for clarity, however, it should be understood there are many

actual particles

702,704 in eachelement700. The

particles

702,704 may be formed from materials that can permanently hold a positive or negative electronic charge. The materials may include mixtures of iron, nickel, and cobalt and others known to those skilled in the art. The positive chargedparticles702 may be colored white and the negatively chargedparticles704 may be colored black. However, the particle charge may be reversed such that the negatively chargedparticles702 are white and the positively chargedparticles704 are black. Alternatively, other binary color schemes may be used as desired.

Theelectronic inserts71 may include a plurality offirst electrodes706 labeled C₁, C₂, C₃. . . C_m. Theelectronic inserts71 may include asecond electrode708 that when used in conjunction with thefirst electrodes706 may form an electric field that may act on eachelement700 independently. The

electrodes

706,708 are depicted as individual rectangular shapes for illustrative purposes only. The

electrodes

706,708 may be integrally formed within thin film transparent polymer layers that are known to those skilled in the art. The polymer film may be laminated to a layer of circuitry. The circuitry may form a pattern of “pixels” that are controlled by thecontroller100. Electronic ink film (not shown) may be used with virtually any type of surface material including, but not limited to, glass, plastic, fabric, and paper. Electronic ink inserts71 may be used as a display replacement for static inserts, dot matrix displays, and multi segment displays, etc. Additional information on electronic ink can be found on the internet at www.eink.com.

FIG. 16A shows theelectronic ink elements700 havingwhite particles702 andblack particles704 randomly positioned within eachelement700 prior to an electric field being generated by the

electrodes

706,708.FIG. 16B shows theelements700 after an electric field has been applied to anelectronic insert71. A first set ofelectrodes706, labeled c1, c2, c3, c7, c8, and c10 may have positive fields applied thereto and thus have the positively chargedwhite particles702 positioned in the viewable top portion of theelement700. The remaining elements may be negatively charged which causes theblack particles704 to move to the viewable portion of theelements700. In this manner theentire display70 may be controlled to depict readable alpha numeric text and/or graphics thereon.

FIG. 17 shows apartial display area718 of thegaming unit20 illustrating a plurality of electronic display inserts71 positioned on thedisplay area718. Theelectronic inserts71 may include, but are not limited to, electronic text messaging such as general customer information, number of credits, pay lines, number of coins won, denomination input, pay tables, and the like. Theelectronic inserts71 may be formed with electronic ink as described above so that the game can be changed quickly via electronic means without having to shut the game down and manually remove and replace old static inserts (not shown) with new static inserts (not shown).

FIG. 18 is aflowchart750 of a control routine for anelectronic ink display71 on agaming unit20. Thecontroller100 may start atblock752 and may determine whether to start up after power up atblock754. If the response to thequery754 is yes, then thecontroller100 may retrieve downloaded information for theelectronic inserts71 atblock756. If the answer to query754 is no, then the refresh timer for theelectronic inserts71 may start atblock758. The refresh time is determined by how long theelectronic ink elements700 will hold a charge and remain readable. The refresh timeframe is a function of the type of theelectronic ink elements700 being used, but will typically last from a few hours to a few days. Afterblock756, thecontroller100 may send information to the display atblock760 before moving to block758. Thecontroller100 may query whether the timer has timed out atblock762. If the timer has timed out, then the display may be refreshed atblock764. If the timer has not timed out, then thecontroller100 may wait until the timer has run out atblock766. The controller may enter a power save mode atblock768 while waiting for the timer to run out. Thecontroller100 may continue to check the timer atblock762 while in power save mode.

Theelectronic inserts71 are not limited to electronic ink displays. On the contrary, the present invention contemplates any display that includes a bi-stable image. A bi-stable image is an image that remains visible without electrical power or backlighting. The image is stored on the display and is viewed in reflective light. The bi-stable image may also include a bi-refrengent image. A bi-refrengent image is one that reflects different images when the display is moved relative to the viewer. Additional information on No Power Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display Products can be found on the internet at www.kentdisplays.com. Additional information on Smart Paper Products can be found on the internet at www.gyricon.com. Additional information on Micro-Electromechanical Display Products can be found on the internet at www.iridigm.com.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a display unit disposed on the housing, the display unit adapted to display denomination input, maximum coin input, maximum coin jackpot, pay tables, paylines, and predetermined customer advertisements;

at least one electronic insert associated with the display unit, the electronic insert including a plurality of electronic ink elements with permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid, the charged particles formed in first and second types, the first type having a first color and a positive charge and the second type having a second color and a negative charge, each element having first and second electrodes for imparting an electrical charge thereto;

a value input device;

a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor;

the controller being programmed to cause the display unit to generate a game display relating to one of the following games: poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo;

the controller being programmed to selectively control the electrodes to change the information displayed by the inserts while the apparatus remains operational; and

the controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the game.

2. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a video display unit that is capable of generating video images.

3. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards to be displayed if the game comprises video poker;

wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels to be displayed if the game comprises video slots;

wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards to be displayed if the game comprises video blackjack;

wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers to be displayed if the game comprises video keno; and

wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of a bingo grid to be displayed if the game comprises video bingo.

4. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1 wherein the display unit comprises at least one mechanical slot machine reel or at least one electronically simulated slot machine reel.

5. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein the electronic ink elements further comprise:

black particles having a negative charge and white particles having a positive charge suspended in the clear fluid, the elements being viewable when the white particles are positioned in a viewable portion of the element.

6. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 5, wherein the white particles move to the viewable portion of the element when a negative electric field is applied by the electrodes to the element and the black particles move to the viewable portion of the element when a positive electric field is applied by the electrodes to the element.

7. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein the electronic insert displays at least one of:

a slot machine including simulated spinning reels;

8. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 1, the gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

9. A gaming system as defined inclaim 8, wherein the gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.

10. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a display unit having at least one electronic insert, each electronic insert having a plurality of electronic ink elements with a first type of permanently charged particles and a second type of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid, the first type of particles having a first color and a positive charge and the second type of particles having a second color and a negative charge;

a value input device;

the controller being programmed to receive data representing a payline selection made by a player;

the controller being programmed to cause a game display to be generated by the display unit, the game display comprising images of a plurality of slot machine symbols each of which is associated with a respective slot machine reel;

the controller being programmed to selectively change the display inserts while the apparatus remains operational; and

the controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the slots game, the controller being programmed to determine the outcome of the slots game based on a configuration of the slot machine symbols.

11. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 10, wherein the display unit comprises a video display unit that is capable of generating video images.

12. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 11, wherein the controller is programmed to cause a video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels to be displayed on the display unit.

13. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 10, wherein the display unit comprises at least one mechanical slot machine reel.

14. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 10, wherein the controller is programmed to receive payline data representing a number of paylines selected by the player.

15. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 10, wherein the first type of particles has a white color and the second type of particles has a black color.

16. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 15, wherein the element becomes viewable when the white particles are positioned in a viewable portion of the element.

17. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 16, wherein the white particles move to the viewable portion when a negative electric field is applied to the element and the black particles move to the viewable portion when a positive electric field is applied to the element.

18. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 10, the gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

19. A gaming method, comprising:

displaying of one of the following games: poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo with an electronic display having at least one electronic insert, each electronic insert including a plurality of electronic ink elements with a first type of permanently charged particles and a second type of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid, the first type of particles having a first color and a positive charge and the second type of particles having a second color and a negative charge;

determining a value payout associated with an outcome of the game represented by the video image; and

electronically changing information displayed by the electronic display inserts while the game remains operational.

20. A gaming method as defined inclaim 19, additionally comprising:

forming display information with the inserts using electronic ink.

21. A gaming method as defined inclaim 20, wherein the electronic ink forming step comprises:

forming a plurality of elements;

adding clear fluid to the elements; and

placing negatively charged black particles and positively charged white particles into the fluid, wherein the elements are viewable when white particles are positioned in a viewable portion of the element.

22. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 21, further comprising:

moving the white particles to the viewable portion when a negative electric field is applied to the element; and

moving the black particles to the viewable portion when a positive electric field is applied to the element.

23. A method of controlling an electronic display on a gaming machine comprising:

supplying electrical power to a controller and the display unit having at least one electronic insert, each electronic insert including a plurality of electronic ink elements with a first type of permanently charged particles and a second type of permanently charged particles suspended in a clear fluid, the first type of particles having a first color and positive charge and the second type of particles having a second color and a negative charge;

downloading information to the electronic display;

retrieving download information for the display;

starting a write timer to determine a refresh time for the display;

determining whether the write timer has timed out;

refreshing the display after the timer has timed out;

entering a power save mode for a predetermined period of time; and

refreshing the display after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

24. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

at least one electronic insert associated with the display unit, the electronic insert including a bi-stable image, wherein the display retains the image without electrical power or backlighting;

a value input device;

the controller being programmed to selectively change the information displayed by the inserts while the apparatus remains operational; and

25. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 24, wherein the display unit comprises a video display unit that is capable of generating video images.

26. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 25, wherein the controller is programmed to cause at least one electronic insert to display a video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards to be displayed if the game comprises video poker;

27. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 24, wherein the bi-stable image includes a bi-refrengent image.

28. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 24, wherein the bi-stable image includes an electronic ink image.

29. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 24, wherein the display unit comprises at least one mechanical slot machine reel or at least one electronically simulated slot machine reel.

30. A gaming apparatus as defined inclaim 24, wherein the electronic insert displays at least one of:

a slot machine including simulated spinning reels;

31. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined inclaim 24, the gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.

32. A gaming system as defined inclaim 32, wherein the gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.