Money handling apparatus and method for use with gaming machines

A system for providing centralized management of the receipt, storage and disbursement of money for a plurality of money-activated gaming machines, comprising

• a housing adapted for securely receiving a plurality of gaming machines;
• a plurality of money-activated gaming machines secured to said housing, each of said gaming machines being adapted for generating a game result and having display means for displaying a credit balance;
• money intake means fixed to said housing and external to said plurality of gaming machines for receiving a deposit of money from a player, determining the value of said deposit, and securely storing said money;
• a plurality of money withdrawal trays fixed to said housing, each of said trays being associated with a different one of said gaming machines, said trays being adjacent to their respective associated gaming machines;
• memory means for recording a plurality of credit balances, each credit balance being associated with a different one of said plurality of gaming machines;
• booking selection means for selecting a target credit balance that is one of said credit balances;
• return selection means for selecting a source credit balance that is one of said credit balances;
• money discharge means responsive to said return selection means for discharging an amount of money from said money intake means, said money discharge means including controllable shunt means for selectively discharging money to that one of said money withdrawal trays that is adjacent to the gaming machine associated with said source credit balance;
• communications means for enabling communication of data between said control means and said plurality of gaming machines, said data including data representing said credit balances and said game outcomes;
• and
• control means operatively associated with said memory means, said communication means, said booking selection means, and said return selection means for:
• incrementing said target credit balance by the value of said deposit;
• selectively incrementing and decrementing each of said credit balances in accordance with the game results generated by its associated gaming machine;
• and
• decrementing said source credit balance by the amount of money discharged by said discharging means;
• wherein each of said plurality of gaming machines is operable when its respective credit balance is greater than zero, and each of said gaming machines displays its respective credit balance on said display means.

A method for managing the receipt, storage and disbursement of money for a plurality of money-activated gaming machines adapted for generating a game result and secured to a housing having an integrated safe that is external to the gaming machines, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing at least one money intake slot to accept a deposit of money from a player;
• (b) determining the value of said deposit;
• (c) securely storing said deposit in the safe;
• (d) recording a plurality of credit balances, each credit balance associated with one of said plurality of gaming machines, and enabling operation of said gaming machines when their respective credit balances are positive;
• (e) selecting a target credit balance that is one of said recorded credit balances;
• (f) incrementing said target credit balance by the value of said deposit;
• (g) incrementing and decrementing said credit balances in accordance with the game results generated by their respective gaming machines;
• and
• (h) blocking the insertion of money into said intake slot unit the step of selecting a target credit balance has been performed.