Patent ID: 8419542

Claim:
A method for providing wide-area bonusing on a gaming network, the method comprising: initiating a bonus accumulation period; determining, after the initiation of the bonus accumulation period, whether each gaming machine in a plurality of gaming machines on the gaming network is eligible to participate in the wide-area bonusing by polling each gaming machine in the plurality of gaming machines for metrics describing the gaming machine, wherein the metrics describing the gaming machine include at least one metric selected from the group including the type of games available for play on the gaming machine, the denominations the gaming machine is configured to accept, the paytable or payback percentage of the gaming machine, the protocol used by the gaming machine, the location of the gaming machine, and the gaming machine manufacturer, wherein the determining is based on the metrics describing each gaming machine, and wherein each gaming machine may be determined to be ineligible to participate in the wide-area bonusing even if previously determined to be eligible; increasing a bonus amount from an initial bonus amount during the bonus accumulation period according to bonus accumulation criteria; identifying a first bonus-triggering criterion for the increased bonus amount, wherein the identifying step comprises generating a first random number, the first random number separate from gaming criteria for games played on a plurality of gaming machines; providing one or more random numbers on the plurality of gaming machines located in a plurality of gaming establishments and interconnected on a wide-area bonusing network; determining whether one of the one or more random numbers generated on a particular gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines meets the first bonus-triggering criterion by at least matching the first random number at least in part, wherein the particular gaming machine is eligible to participate in the wide-area bonusing per the determining step; and paying out at least a portion of the bonus amount to the particular gaming machine when the particular gaming machine meets the first bonus-triggering criterion.