A gaming machine has a housing and a top panel which extends over an open top of the housing. A display is mounted to the top panel and a gaming controller is located within the housing beneath the display. Cooling air is drawn through one or more intakes in a front of the housing and expelled through one or more exhausts in a rear portion of the top panel at a location above the air intakes. The cooling air passes through a space between the gaming controller and the display, cooling those components.