Patent ID: 7416484

Claim:
A method for simulating bonus pay in a finite pool prize system having a central game controller coupled for communication to a plurality of player terminals, said method comprising: generating a finite pool of at least one primary prize and at least one bonus prize, and wherein each of the at least one bonus prize is a simulated bonus prize, wherein the simulated bonus constitutes a portion of the primary award that appears to a player to be a bonus prize since a separate presentation from the primary award is provided, wherein the simulated bonus is not a probability bonus awarded as part of scratch-off or pull-tab lottery game, and wherein each of the at least one bonus prize is payable only coincident with a primary prize, wherein a wagering cost is associated with each of the at least one primary prize, wherein a payout is associated with each of the at least one primary prize and each of the at least one bonus prize, wherein the finite pool has a predetermined profitability based on a sum of the wagering cost and a sum of the payout; storing said finite pool on the central game controller; receiving a purchase request at one of the plurality of player terminals; receiving a request for a primary prize from said one of the plurality of player terminals; selecting one of the at least one primary prize in response to said request for a primary prize and removing said one of the at least one primary prize from said finite pool; selecting the one of the at least one bonus prize if said one of the at least one primary prize identifies entitlement to the one of the at least one bonus prize, and removing said one of the at least one bonus prize from said finite pool if the one of the at least one primary prize identifies entitlement to the one of the at least one bonus prize; communicating said one of the at least one primary prize to the one of the plurality of player terminals, and if said one of the at least one primary prize indicates entitlement to the one of the at least one bonus prize, then communicating said one of the at least one bonus prize to said one of the plurality of player terminals; displaying said one of the at least one primary prize on said one of the plurality of player terminals; and displaying said one of the at least one bonus prize on said one of the plurality of player terminals if the one of the at least one bonus prize is received.