Patent ID: 9633509
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: G07F

Claim:
1. A gaming system comprising: a housing; a display device supported by the housing; an acceptor supported by the housing; a wager button supported by the housing; a cashout button supported by the housing; a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device, the acceptor, the wager button, and the cashout button to: (a) establish a credit balance for a player based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item after the acceptor receives the physical item; (b) place a wager on a play of a primary wagering game following receipt of an actuation of the wager button, wherein the primary wagering game has at least one non-qualifying outcome and at least one qualifying outcome and the credit balance is decreasable by the wager; (c) randomly determine and display an outcome of said play of the primary wagering game; (d) determine and display any award associated with said outcome of said play of the primary wagering game, the credit balance being increasable by any determined award; (e) accumulate one or more tournament entry points for the player if the outcome of said play of the primary wagering game is the at least one qualifying outcome; (f) after the player has accumulated a first designated quantity of tournament entry points, qualify the player for a first-tier tournament and enable the player to opt out of the first-tier tournament; (g) following receipt of an opt out input, enable the player to accumulate additional tournament entry points to attempt to qualify for a second-tier tournament to be held in the future that requires a second greater designated quantity of tournament entry points to enter and that offers a larger award than the first-tier tournament; and (h) initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following receipt of an actuation of the cashout button.