Patent ID: 8231460

Claim:
A gaming device for use in combination with a network of gaming machines, the gaming machines randomly displaying combinations of symbols, certain symbol combinations being winning combinations providing an award for a player, the gaming machines providing a first set of game rules in a non-enhanced play mode, the device comprising: a control system in communication with a plurality of gaming machines, the control system incrementing a progressive jackpot based on a percentage of wagers placed on games played by the gaming machines, the control system selecting one or more of the gaming machines for operating in an enhanced play mode for periods of time upon detection of a trigger event, the enhanced play mode causing the selected one or more gaming machines to provide a number of free games to players of the gaming machines, the control system predetermining, prior to the enhanced play mode being initiated, the number of free games to be played in the enhanced play mode or a length of time that the enhanced play mode is in effect, where the number of free games to be played in the enhanced play mode or the length of time that the enhanced play mode is in effect is directly correlated with an amount of accumulated wagers made on a plurality of games by the plurality of gaming machines prior to the enhanced play mode, such that the number of free games to be played in the enhanced play mode or the length of time that the enhanced play mode is in effect increases with the amount of the accumulated wagers, the enhanced play mode automatically terminating after the predetermined number of free games or length of time.