Patent ID: 8439744

Claim:
A gaming system for playing a wagering game, comprising: a gaming machine configured to conduct a wagering game responsive to a wager; and a controller operatively associated with the gaming machine, the controller being configured to temporarily pause a game-in-progress on the gaming machine following the occurrence of a pause event, and prior to a reveal of an outcome in the game-in-progress, and to conduct a game feature on the gaming machine while the game-in-progress is paused, wherein the controller is configured to reinstate the game-in-progress on the gaming machine and reveal the outcome of the game-in-progress following the occurrence of an end-pause event in association with the game feature, wherein the gaming machine is linked to a group of gaming machines, wherein the controller is configured to determine an eligibility of each of the linked gaming machines to play a community-event, to pause games-in-progress on the eligible gaming machines in response to a pause event, and to control the community-event on the participating eligible gaming machines, and wherein the controller is configured to reinstate games-in-progress on the participating eligible gaming machines in response to an end-pause event.