Case Study: Video Poker Arcade-to-Pi Conversion with RFID Payments
A Lebanon-based arcade operator needed their video poker cabinets modernised. The original machines ran on proprietary chip-based game boards with no connectivity, no cashless payment, and no way to monitor usage remotely. DigitalMonk replaced those boards with a Raspberry Pi 4 platform: same cabinet, same gameplay, but now cloud-connected, RFID-enabled, and remotely manageable.
The Challenge
The operator ran a fleet of video poker cabinets across multiple venues. The original game boards were aging out of production — replacement chips were hard to source, and every game update meant physically swapping EPROMs. Revenue was cash-only, with no visibility into machine usage, session lengths, or per-venue performance.
They wanted three things the existing hardware couldn't deliver: cashless RFID payment so players could tap a card instead of feeding coins, per-machine time logging so the operator could see what was being played and for how long, and a cloud dashboard to activate or deactivate machines and monitor the fleet remotely — all without replacing the cabinets themselves.
One of the original game boards — a Tai Wan-era PCB with VGA output, DIP EPROMs, and edge connector. No connectivity, no update path.
Engineering — The Conversion
Each original game board — an edge-connector PCB packed with DIP EPROMs, discrete logic ICs, and VGA or CRT output — was removed from the cabinet and replaced with a Raspberry Pi 4 connected to an HDMI display panel. The Pi handles all game rendering, input scanning, payment processing, and cloud connectivity. The cabinet shell, buttons, and power supply stay — only the brain changes.
Tai Wan-era board — VGA output, DIP EPROMs, edge connector.
Older Motorola 6821-based board — CRT controller, 2764 EPROMs, wiring harness.
Hardware Architecture
| Component | Spec | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4 | 4GB | Main controller — game rendering, input, payments, connectivity |
| HDMI display | Touchscreen panel | Replaces original CRT/VGA output |
| Custom keypad PCB | 4×4 GPIO matrix | Maps cabinet buttons — HOLD, BET, DEAL, etc. |
| RFID reader | 125 kHz USB HID | Cashless card payments and player identification |
| Wi-Fi | On-board (Pi 4) | Cloud reporting, remote management, OTA updates |
Key Engineering Decisions
Custom 4×4 Matrix Keypad PCB
We designed a 4×4 matrix keypad PCB that maps directly to the game's physical controls: HOLD 1–5, BET, MAX, DEAL/DRAW, CANCEL, DUP, COLLECT, and METERS. It connects to the Pi's GPIO pins — the firmware scans the matrix to detect button presses with minimal latency. This board drops into the cabinet's existing button cutouts, so the player's physical experience stays identical to the original machine.
Game Software — Full Rewrite
The client provided the original game logic specifications. We rewrote the entire game software from scratch for the Pi — a suite of seven video poker variants (Jacks or Better, Lucky 5 Poker, Magic Joker, No Loose, X10 Super Bonus, Super Bonus 32, Super Bonus 50) with a menu system, loading screens, and full payout tables that faithfully replicate the original machines. The bottom-of-screen status bar confirms the keypad is connected and maps every physical button to its in-game action.
RFID Cashless Payment
We integrated a 125 kHz USB HID RFID reader. It enumerates as a standard keyboard device, so the Pi reads tag scans without custom drivers or additional wiring — just a USB port. Players tap an RFID card to load credits, replacing the coin mechanism entirely. This enables pre-paid card systems, time-based billing, and per-player session tracking that the operator can monitor from the cloud dashboard.
Cloud Connectivity & Admin Dashboard
We developed server-side APIs and an admin dashboard that collects data from every machine in the fleet. The operator can activate or deactivate individual machines remotely, view live machine status, monitor session data and usage patterns, and manage RFID card balances — all from a browser, across every venue.
Each machine reports to the cloud over Wi-Fi, while a local database on the Pi ensures no session or transaction data is lost during connectivity gaps. When the connection resumes, queued data syncs automatically. This dual-storage approach means the machine keeps running and logging regardless of what the venue's internet is doing.
Scalability — SD Card and Go
Because the firmware runs from an SD card, scaling the fleet is straightforward — the operator images a new card, drops it into a Pi 4, installs it in the next cabinet, and the cloud dashboard automatically picks up the new machine. No per-unit programming, no factory flashing, no custom board runs. The same image that runs one cabinet runs the entire fleet.
What This Proves
Converting legacy arcade hardware to a connected Pi platform is a repeatable, fielded process — not a concept. Same cabinet, same gameplay feel, but now with RFID payments, cloud fleet management, per-machine analytics, and time logging. The operator gets a modernised fleet without the capital cost of new cabinets, and every future game update is a software deploy, not an EPROM swap.
