Patent ID: 7351140

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming apparatuses, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses; one of said gaming apparatuses comprising a network computer, said network computer comprising a network processor and a network memory operatively coupled to said network processor; said network computer being programmed to accumulate and analyze data relating to operation of said plurality of gaming apparatuses; each of said plurality of gaming apparatus comprises: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a game controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said game controller comprising a controller processor and a controller memory operatively coupled to said controller processor; said game controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager; said game controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo; said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker; said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots; said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack; said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno; said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo; said game controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; and said game controller being programmed to generate a signal indicating whether or not said gaming apparatus is in play; and said network computer being further programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a game being displayed on one of said gaming apparatuses, to compare said value payout to a threshold amount, and if said value payout is greater than or equal to said threshold amount to (1) send a distributed jackpot payout message to the plurality of gaming apparatuses and (2) cause each of said plurality of gaming apparatuses to distribute at least part, but not all of the value payout.