Slot Machine With Charging Port for Mobile Phones

A method, comprising:

• providing a gaming device including:
• a housing having at least one outer surface at least partially forming a slot sized for receiving an identification card, and
• an electronic device interface removably-secured to the at least one outer surface of the housing, wherein the electronic device interface is directly connected to an external power source;
• connecting to the electronic device at the electronic device interface;
• determining if the electronic device interface should be granted access to the external power source when the identification card is removably interfaced with the slot;
• upon determining that the electronic device should be granted access to the power source, permitting the electronic device to receive power from the external power source;
• and
• providing power from the power source to the electronic device.

A gaming device, comprising:

• a housing having at least one outer surface at least partially forming a slot sized for receiving an identification card and a cavity for receiving an electronic device,
• an electronic device interface disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic device interface is directly connected to an external power source;
• data processing hardware disposed within the housing;
• and
• memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
• connecting to the electronic device at the electronic device interface;
• determining if the electronic device interface should be granted access to the external power source when the identification card is removably interfaced with the slot;
• and
• providing power from the power source to the electronic device.

A gaming device for providing a game of chance, comprising:

• a housing having at least one outer surface at least partially forming a slot sized for receiving an identification card and a cavity for receiving an electronic device,
• an electronic device interface disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic device interface is selectively connected directly an external power source by a switch;
• a computing resource including data processing hardware in communication with the switch, wherein the computing resource does not include logic or processing associated with the game of chance, and memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
• connecting to the electronic device at the electronic device interface;
• determining that the electronic device interface should be granted access to the external power source based on an occurrence of a qualifying event not associated with operation of the game of chance;
• and
• closing the switch to provide power from the external power source to the electronic device when the computing resource determines that the qualifying event has occurred.