Marketing system and methods for use with electronic gaming machines

An electronic gaming machine configured to provide an interactive game, the electronic gaming machine including a display device, gaming machine memory containing display content, a player interface and a controller, the electronic gaming machine comprising:

• a memory containing marketing content;
• a data processor in communication with the controller, wherein the data processor is configured to passively detect data communication within the electronic gaming machine, differentiate between data communication associated with game play and data communication associated with a game idle state, actuate a transmission of marketing content responsive to the detection of data communication associated with the game idle state and terminate the transmission of marketing content responsive to the detection of data communication associated with game play;
• and
• a data stream switch having the gaming machine memory containing display content and the memory containing marketing content as data stream input sources and an output in communication with the display, wherein the data stream switch is configured to preempt the display content from being output for display on the display device responsive to receiving the transmission of marketing content actuated by the data processor and to output the marketing content for display on the display device until the transmission of marketing content terminates.

An electronic gaming machine configured to provide an interactive game, comprising:

• a gaming machine display;
• gaming machine memory containing display content for display on the gaming machine display, wherein the display content includes game play content and game idle content;
• a gaming machine player interface configured to receive player input relating to the provision of the interactive game;
• a gaming machine controller configured to facilitate display of the display content on the gaming machine display, including the display of the game play content on the gaming machine display responsive to detecting player input received by the gaming machine player interface and the display of the game idle content on the gaming machine display during a game idle state;
• a memory containing marketing content;
• a data processor in communication with the gaming machine controller, wherein the data processor is configured to passively detect data communication within the electronic gaming machine, differentiate between data communication associated with player input and data communication associated with the game idle state, actuate transmission of marketing content responsive to the detection of data communication associated with a game idle state and terminate the transmission of marketing content responsive to the detection of data communication associated with player input;
• and
• a data stream switch having the gaming machine memory containing display content and the memory containing marketing content as data stream input sources and an output in communication with the gaming machine display, wherein the data stream switch is configured to preempt the display content from being output by the data stream switch for display on the gaming machine display responsive to receiving the transmission of marketing content actuated by the data processor, and to output the marketing content for display on the display device until the transmission of marketing content to the data stream switch terminates.