Patent ID: 7819745

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device: (i) including a display device, an input device, a processor, and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to display a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, and (ii) is associated with a distinct accumulated bonus event pool which is based on wagers placed at said gaming device; and a controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices, wherein upon a triggering of a first bonus event, the controller is programmed to: (a) designate one of the gaming devices as a triggering gaming device and designate each of the remaining gaming devices as auxiliary gaming devices; (b) for each gaming device, determine if the accumulated bonus event pool associated with said gaming device exceeds a threshold amount; (c) if the accumulated bonus event pool associated with the triggering gaming device does not exceed the threshold amount, enable the triggering gaming device to participate in the first bonus event; (d) if the accumulated bonus event pool associated with the triggering gaming device exceeds the threshold amount, enable the triggering gaming device to participate in the first bonus event, wherein any first bonus event awards randomly determined for the triggering gaming device in the first bonus event are modified by a triggering gaming device modifier and a first accumulated bonus event pool modifier that is based on the accumulated bonus event pool associated with the triggering gaming device; and (e) for each auxiliary gaming device, if the accumulated bonus event pool associated with said auxiliary gaming device exceeds the threshold amount, enable said auxiliary gaming device to participate in the first bonus event, wherein any first bonus event awards randomly determined for said auxiliary gaming device in the first bonus event are modified by a second accumulated bonus event pool modifier that is based on the accumulated bonus event pool associated with said auxiliary gaming device.