Matching bonusing method using a player tracking card

A method of providing a bonus award for using a player tracking account associated with a gaming establishment, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting that a gaming player has accessed the player tracking account using a server including a processor, memory and a communication interface configured to communicatively couple the server to a gaming machine;
• (b) determining, using the server, whether the player's access to the player tracking account occurred within a limited time period of time allotted for awarding the bonus award and whether it matches a specified sequence number in a sequence of player tracking account accesses by other players to their respective player tracking accounts;
• (c) if the player's access to the player tracking account matches the specified sequence number and if it occurred within the limited period of time, providing the bonus award for using the player tracking account by making a bonus award presentation on a player tracking device associated with a gaming machine if the bonus award is provided;
• and
• (d) prior to providing the bonus award for using the player tracking account, determining, using the server, that the player made a wager on a game.

A gaming machine system comprising:

• a plurality of gaming machines, each comprising:
• one or more processors controlling game play on the gaming machine,
• a player tracking device comprising a light bezel, a video display, and a player tracking card reader, and
• a network interface for communications to and from the player tracking device;
• and
• a player tracking server comprising:
• a server network interface for communicating with said player tracking devices;
• logic for issuing a bonus award triggered by insertion of a player tracking card in the card reader at one of the gaming machines (i) during a limited period of time allotted for awarding said bonus award, and (ii) when insertion of the player tracking card matches a specified sequence number in a sequence of other player tracking card insertions by other players to access their respective player tracking accounts at the plurality of gaming machines;
• and
• logic for determining that a player made a wager on a game prior to providing the bonus award for inserting the player tracking card in the card reader.