Reel basket encoder

A motorized reel assembly for a gaming machine includes a reel assembly, and an encoder disc. The reel assembly includes a central hub defining a central opening and a pair of flange-receiving apertures on opposing sides of the central opening. The encoder disc includes a disc hub, a flagged exterior ring, and coupling flanges. The disc hub defines a disc cavity extending through a center of the disc hub. The flagged exterior ring is concentrically positioned and extends around the disc hub. The coupling flanges each protrude from the disc hub toward the central hub on opposite sides of the disc cavity. Each of the coupling flanges extends through a different flange-receiving aperture of the pair of flange-receiving apertures of the central hub and interfaces with a surface of the reel assembly facing away from the disc hub to at least partially secure the encoder disc to the reel assembly.