Patent ID: 8715052

Claim:
A gaming system comprising a controller a shared display, and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine: a) comprising at least one individual display, b) operable by a player to play at least one base game, and c) being in communication with the controller, the gaming system allowing each of the plurality of gaming machines to participate in a shared secondary game that is common to the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the individual display of each gaming machine is caused to display a token indicative of an entry into the shared secondary game, the token comprising a game play area for selecting one or more events from a plurality of possible events of the secondary game, the shared secondary game having an outcome resulting in the allocation of an award to the player of at least one of the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the controller causes (1) the plurality of possible events of the secondary game that are selected by the controller on the shared display and, upon selection, displayed to players on each individual display and matched to the selection of one or more events on the token, the plurality of events being common to every one of said plurality of gaming machines, a probability of at least one of the plurality of events occurring during game play of the secondary game being influenced by an occurrence of a base game event during game play of the base game, and (2) a randomly determined component that dictates whether the outcome is achieved by any one of said plurality of gaming machines, wherein the outcome is capable of being achieved by any one of the plurality of gaming machines and without any other one of the plurality of gaming machines also achieving the outcome.