A server-based gaming system includes a plurality of gaming machines or terminals, at least one gaming terminal control server and one or more game servers, where game processes and system/machine processes are separated. The gaming terminals have separate game process layers and machine or system process layers. Integration of the game processes and machine processes is effected via the gaming terminal control server. The system allows the gaming terminals to execute generic game code or game code configured in accordance with varying protocols, rather than a single, proprietary protocol.