An electronic Input/Output Interface and device abstraction system used in gaming machines includes: a game central processing unit (game "CPU"); an intelligent input/output controller board ("IOCB"); an Industry Standard Architecture PC bus ("ISA" bus); and a framed message transport protocol. The IOCB facilitates communications between the game CPU and virtual device services, which are peripheral devices associated with the gaming system. The game CPU communicates to gaming peripherals by sending virtual device messages across the ISA bus to the IOCB. The IOCB routes virtual device messages to appropriate virtual device services. Virtual device services are responsible for handling specific hardware, and include virtual device drivers on the game CPU that communicate with virtual devices on the IOCB. Use of the IOCB and the high speed interface enables the game CPU to use more of its available functions for controlling gaming functions rather than one operation of its associated peripheral devices.