Patent ID: 8444474

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a user interface device to accept a wager input to play a wagering game; a display adapted for displaying a randomly determined outcome of the wagering game from a plurality of outcomes; and a controller operative to randomly determine a winning outcome from the plurality of outcomes, the winning outcome associated with a value; display and accumulate to a credit meter at least some of the plurality of outcomes that are winning outcomes; independently from the randomly determined outcome, randomly determine whether to cache the value to a bonus object that is distinct from the credit meter; display on the display the bonus object as a graphical object distinct from the credit meter, the bonus object being utilizable by the player using a player-input device; responsive to at least one random determination to cache the value, provide a player an option to utilize the bonus object by making the bonus object available for utilization on the display via the player-input device; in response to the utilization of the bonus object, randomly determine an enhancement condition for the bonus object; and apply the enhancement condition to at least the value cached to the bonus object.