Patent ID: 7666081

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine 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 cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and a controller in communication with the plurality of gaming machines, wherein the controller is programmed to: (i) maintain an accumulated wager pool including at least the wagers placed on the gaming machines during a bonus event accumulation period, (ii) randomly determine to provide one of a plurality of bonus awards, wherein said determination is based at least in part on the accumulated wager pool and is independent of any event in any play of any of the primary games of the gaming machines, and (iii) determine which of the gaming machines will provide the bonus award based at least in part on the wagers placed on the primary games of the gaming machines, wherein the selected gaming machine determines at least part of the bonus award to be displayed and provided by said gaming machine selected by the controller.