Patent ID: 8360858

Claim:
A gaming system having a rewards program associated with at least one game and comprising: a storage element that stores information identifying at least two program members; a team identifier that links the at least two program members as members of a team; the storage element configured to store information identifying a team goal requiring that the members play a predetermined number of game sessions of the at least one game within a predetermined time period that is completed at an end of a first game session of the at least one game and linked to participation in the first game session of the at least one game by one or more of the members of the team; a reward counter that stores rewards earned by any member of the team to accumulate a team reward based at least in part on the team goal, wherein the team reward is accomplishment oriented and awarded independent of and free from game play results, wherein a level by which the team reward improves odds of winning within the at least one game of which the first game session is a part is determined by the team goal and at least one of the team size or activity when the team accomplishes the team goal; wherein the team gains better odds on the at least one game of which the first game session is part when the team accomplishes the team goal at the end of the first game session, wherein the team goal is accomplished after completion of the first game session of the at least one game; and the game system configured to notify at least one of the members of the team of the team reward.