Patent ID: 7621809

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player and at least one display device operable to display said primary game; a bonus pool; and at least one controller in communication with said gaming machines, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to: (a) maintain the bonus pool, wherein said bonus pool is based at least in part on the wagers placed by the players of the plurality of gaming machines; (b) determine an average expected value of a bonus award, wherein the average expected value is based, at least in part, on the maintained bonus pool; (c) determine at least part of an actual bonus award, wherein said actual bonus award is based at least in part on the bonus pool, and the actual bonus award may be different than the determined average expected value of the bonus award; (d) cause at least one of the gaming machines to provide the actual bonus award to at least one player; (e) subtract the average expected value of the bonus award from the bonus pool; and (f) utilize the remaining bonus pool to determine at least part of at least another actual bonus award.