US Patent 12131607 Gaming machine controller and method of use

An application enabling a player to utilize a portable computing device, such as a Smartphone, to function as a game controller for a gaming machine. The portable computing device is paired with the gaming machine using a pairing based, short range protocol. The portable computing device enables manual user input or use of motion controllers for controlling skill based games in a casino environment. The application can receive a configuration from the gaming machine to replicate or mimic the controls and the gaming images, thus enabling the player to play the game at a short distance from the machine. The player can select an image/theme for integration into the game during play.