Patent ID: 8460086

Claim:
A gaming system allowing players to be eligible for a special feature, comprising: a plurality of linked gaming machines for playing one or more wagering games having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering games, each of said gaming machines including at least one wager-input device for receiving a first type of wager and a second type of wager, said first type of wager allows said player to play said wagering game without allowing said player to be eligible for said special feature, said second type of wager being an optional wager made in addition to said first wager for allowing said player to be eligible for said special feature while playing said wagering game; and a controller coupled to said plurality of gaming machines and operative to (i) determine a first cumulative value of said first type of wagers, (ii) determine a second cumulative value of said second type of wagers, (iii) determine a first distributable wager pool that is derived from “X” percentage of said first cumulative value and “Y” percentage of said second cumulative value, and (iv) determine a second distributable wager pool that is derived from a percentage of said first cumulative value and a percentage of said second cumulative value, wherein the “X” percentage is different from the “Y” percentage.