Patent ID: 8096866

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: a slot machine having a device for displaying a bonus award; a bonus device provided independently from said slot machine; a device controller for remotely operating said bonus device and at least checking status whether said slot machine is currently used and wagers accepted by said slot machine during a predetermined time period immediately before the bonus award occurs; wherein said bonus device describes a bonus display information upon receiving from said device controller in a condition independent from a game result of said slot machine; wherein said device controller collects a wager from one or more slot machines, checks whether a randomly pre-determined value has been reached, determines a bonus content based on the collected wager, remotely operates one or more bonus devices, and transmits same or different bonus display information for each of the bonus devices; wherein said bonus device includes a device control unit for exchanging information with said device controller and a display portion for displaying the bonus content; wherein said device controller remotely operates a plurality of bonus devices, and transmits same or different bonus display information to each of said bonus devices; wherein said plurality of bonus devices are grouped into a plurality of bonus display groups, each of said bonus display groups comprising one or more bonus display devices, and said device controller shows one bonus content using said plurality of said bonus display groups; wherein said plurality of bonus display groups are divided into an upper level group and a lower level group comprising one or more bonus display groups; and wherein one or more slot machines belonging to said lower level group move to said higher level group when one of said plurality of said machines belonging to said lower level group wins a bonus game.