Patent ID: 7314408

Claim:
A gaming system for playing a competitive bonus game comprising: a first gaming apparatus comprising: a game display unit; a value input device; a controller operatively coupled to said game display unit and said value input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to cause said game display unit to generate a game display relating to one of the following games: poker, blackjack, slots, keno or bingo, said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game; a second gaming apparatus operatively coupled to said first gaming apparatus; a bonus controller operatively coupled to said first and second gaming apparatuses, said bonus controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor of said bonus controller, said bonus controller being programmed to enter a first player at said first gaming apparatus into said competitive bonus game when said first player obtains a qualifying event associated with said game, wherein said competitive bonus game has a closed set of participants for said competitive bonus game, each of said participants attempting to achieve a goal, and wherein each of said participants has a probability of achieving said goal relative to all other participants in said closed set, said probability set to an initial value; said bonus controller being programmed to associate said first player with one and only one of said participants from said closed set when said first player enters said competitive bonus game, said bonus controller being programmed to only increase said probability of achieving said goal for said participant associated with said first player from said initial probability upon occurrence of any additional qualifying event for said first player, wherein increasing said probability for said participant decreases said probability for all other participants in said closed set, said bonus controller being programmed to determine an outcome of said competitive bonus game, and said bonus controller being programmed to transmit data corresponding to said outcome of said competitive bonus game to said first and second gaming apparatuses.