Patent ID: 7607977

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 a controller in communication with said gaming machines, wherein the controller is programmed to determine if a bonus event will occur, and if the controller determines that the bonus event will occur, said controller is programmed to: (i) determine which of the gaming machines were in an active state during a bonus event qualification period for said bonus event, (ii) select at least one of the gaming machines in the active state, (iii) send a signal to the selected gaming machine in the active state to provide a primary bonus award to the player of said gaming machine, wherein said selected gaming machine at least in part determines the primary bonus award to display and provide to the player, (iv) if at least two gaming machines are each in the active state: (1) determine a designated number of gaming machines which will each provide a secondary bonus award, said determination based on the number of gaming machines in the active state, and (2) for each secondary bonus award select a different one of the gaming machines in the active state excluding the gaming machine selected to provide said primary bonus award, and (v) send at least one signal to each gaming machine selected to provide a secondary bonus award to the player of said gaming machine, wherein each of said selected gaming machines determines at least part of the secondary bonus award to display and provide to the player of said selected gaming machine.