Patent ID: 7169047

Claim:
A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a user input device; a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said user input device, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of 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 controller being programmed to cause a first number of bonus images to be generated on said display unit to indicate the person has achieved a hidden bonus, simultaneously with said displayed game for a first time period in response to a trigger event, said first number of bonus images being at least one and after said first time period, to cause the generation of the first number of bonus images on the display unit to stop for a second subsequent time period; said controller being programmed to award the hidden bonus in response to the person making an input via said user input device in response to the generation of said first number of bonus images on said display unit, said controller being programmed to cause a second number of bonus images to be generated on said display unit to indicate the person has achieved the hidden bonus, simultaneously with said displayed game for a third subsequent time period if the person does not make an input via said user input device in response to the generation of said first number of bonus images on said display unit during said second time period, wherein the second number of bonus images is greater than the first number of bonus images, said controller being programmed to award the hidden bonus in response to the person making an input via said user input device in response to the generation of said second number bonus images on said display unit, and said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game represented by said video image.