A disclosed gaming machine provides a gaming machine with a non-volatile memory storage device and gaming software that allows the dynamic allocation and de-allocation of memory locations in a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory storage devices interface to an industry standard peripheral component interface (PCI) bus commonly used in the computer industry allowing communication between a master gaming controller the non-volatile memory. The master gaming controller executes software for a non-volatile memory allocation system that enables the dynamic allocation and de-allocation of non-volatile memory locations. In addition, the non-volatile memory allocation system enables a non-volatile memory file system. With the non-volatile memory file system, critical data stored in the non-volatile memory may be accessed and modified using operating system utilities such as word processors, graphic utilities and compression utilities.