Button design, gaming machine, and method for gaming machines

A gaming machine comprising:

• a display system, a button deck, and at least one electronic controller operatively coupled to the display system and the button deck and configured to execute instructions related to a game, the button deck comprising a plurality of buttons mounted along a common mounting surface of the gaming machine, at least one of the buttons comprising:
• a push button mechanism;
• a transparent button cap mounted along the push button mechanism and including an outer contact surface and an inner surface;
• a one-way mirror film positioned beneath the inner surface of the transparent button cap;
• a light source positioned beneath the transparent button cap;
• and
• a graphical printed pattern positioned with respect to the light source and the one-way mirror film such that when the light source is active the printed pattern is visible through the one-way mirror film, and when the light source is inactive the printed pattern is not visible and the transparent button cap has a mirror appearance;
• and
• tangible, non-transitory electronically accessible memory coupled to the at least one electronic controller and containing program code executable by the at least one electronic controller for, responsive to at least one of the buttons having a defined function in the game, turning the light source on to indicate that the at least one button is active, and responsive to the at least one button not having a defined function in the game, holding the light source inactive to allow the transparent button cap to maintain the mirror appearance.