Patent ID: 7815503

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising: (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to initiate a secondary game at a gaming device; (b) at a first point in time, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a first amount of time available for completing the secondary game; (c) during the first amount of time available for completing the secondary game, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to: (i) randomly determine, based on a random number generator, a first outcome of a first play of a primary game; (ii) display the randomly determined first outcome of the first play of the primary game; (iii) determine a primary game award associated with the randomly determined first outcome of the first play of the primary game; and (iv) provide any determined primary game award associated with the randomly determined first outcome of the first play of the primary game; (d) at a second, subsequent point in time, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the first amount of time available for completing the secondary game and the randomly determined first outcome of the first play of the primary game, a second amount of time available for completing the secondary game, wherein a difference between the first amount of time available for completing the secondary game and the second amount of time available for completing the secondary game is different than an amount of elapsed time between the first point in time and the second point in time; and (e) upon completing the secondary game: (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to provide any awards for any secondary game outcomes; and (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the secondary game to end.