Patent ID: 8376836

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one controller configured to operate with a gaming device to: (a) for a first play of a game upon a first wager: (i) receive a first signal from said gaming device that a player has not enrolled to skip at least one play of a designated secondary game, said designated secondary game having a secondary game triggering event including a designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols associated with the secondary game, and (ii) receive a second signal from said gaming device that a first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols were generated for the first play of the game, wherein said first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols is associated with an award having a value of zero; (b) for a second play of the game upon a second wager: (i) receive a third signal from said gaming device that the player has enrolled to skip at least one play of the designated secondary game, (ii) receive a fourth signal from said gaming device that the first quantity of at least one, but less than the designated quantity of secondary game triggering symbols occurred for the second play of the game, and (iii) after receiving the fourth signal, accumulate a first quantity of bonus event units in an account associated with the player, wherein said first quantity of accumulated bonus event units is based, at least in part, on an average expected payout of the skipped designated secondary game, and each bonus event unit has an average expected value; (c) determine a bonus event award for the player, wherein said bonus event award is based, at least in part, on the first quantity of bonus event units accumulated in the account associated with the player and the average expected value of each bonus event unit; and (d) cause said gaming device to display said determined bonus event award to the player.