Patent ID: 8517824

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including: at least one input device, at least one display device, at least one processor, and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to place a primary game wager to play a primary game; and at least one controller, said at least one controller configured to communicate with said gaming devices and programmed to: (a) enable one of the players of one of the gaming devices to place a side wager, said side wager associated with at least one occurrence of a triggering of a bonus event and an eligibility period; and (b) if a bonus event associated with the placed side wager is triggered: (i) determine if the eligibility period associated with the placed side wager has expired, (ii) if the eligibility period associated with the placed side bet has not expired: (A) generate a bonus event outcome associated with the triggered bonus event, (B) cause the generated bonus event outcome to be displayed to at least the player that placed the side wager, and (C) cause a bonus event award to be provided to the player that placed the side wager, an amount of said bonus event award being based on an amount of the placed side wager and the generated bonus event outcome, and (iii) if the eligibility period associated with the placed side bet has expired: (A) generate the bonus event outcome associated with the triggered bonus event, and (B) for the triggered bonus event, cause no bonus event award resulting from the placed side wager to be provided to the player that placed the side wager.