Interoperability of servers and supported electronic gaming machines of different manufacturers

A gaming machine that supports wagering on casino wagering games where the gaming machine is coupled to a gaming network, the gaming machine comprising:

• a cabinet housing components for the gaming machine;
• a display on the cabinet;
• an electronic input device;
• an electronic communications interface device;
• a memory;
• a microprocessor based system adapted to receive at the electronic communications interface device a communication formatted according to a protocol from a second gaming machine coupled to the gaming network, the protocol including a manufacturer identification indicating a manufacturer of the second gaming machine;
• the microprocessor based system adapted to determine if the communication includes an instruction from the second gaming machine requesting that the gaming machine send proprietary information to the second gaming machine;
• the microprocessor based system adapted to determine whether the second gaming machine is a trusted source by evaluating the manufacturer identification in the protocol;
• the microprocessor based system adapted to transmit, via the electronic communications interface device, the requested proprietary information in a reply to the electronic communications interface device of the second gaming machine if it has been determined that the second gaming machine is a trusted source;
• the microprocessor based system, upon determining by the gaming machine that the second gaming machine is not a trusted source, not transmitting to the second gaming machine the requested proprietary information.

A tangible computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions for controlling a first gaming machine that supports wagering on casino wagering games, the first gaming machine including a cabinet housing components for the gaming machine, a microprocessor, a display on the cabinet, an electronic input device, and an electronic communications interface device, the instructions comprising:

• computer readable storage instructions for receiving at the electronic communications interface of the first gaming machine coupled to the gaming network a communication formatted according to a protocol from a second gaming machine coupled to the gaming network, the protocol including a manufacturer identification indicating a manufacturer of the second gaming machine, the second gaming machine including a cabinet housing components for the second gaming machine, a microprocessor, a display on the cabinet of the second gaming machine, an electronic input device, and an electronic communications interface device;
• computer readable storage instructions for determining by the microprocessor of the first gaming machine if the communication includes an instruction from the second gaming machine requesting that the first gaming machine send proprietary information to the second gaming machine;
• computer readable storage instructions for determining by the first gaming machine whether the second gaming machine is a trusted source by evaluating the manufacturer information in the protocol;
• computer readable storage instructions for transmitting via the electronic communications interface device of the first gaming machine the requested proprietary information in a reply to the electronic communications interface device of the second gaming machine upon the first gaming machine determining that the second gaming machine is a trusted source;
• and
• computer readable storage instructions for not transmitting to the second gaming machine the requested proprietary information upon determining by the first gaming machine that the second gaming machine is not a trusted source.