Patent ID: 7914372

Claim:
A gaming apparatus comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: (a) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game; (b) display the play of the primary game; (c) determine if an advantage credit triggering event occurs; (d) for each occurrence of the advantage credit triggering event, accumulate at least one advantage credit; (e) determine if a bonus game trigger occurs; (f) if the bonus game trigger is determined to occur: (i) enable the player to utilize any accumulated advantage credits to cause a modification of an average expected payout of a bonus game, (ii) display a play of the bonus game, (iii) determine an outcome for the play of the bonus game in accordance with the average expected payout of the bonus game, and (iv) provide any payout associated with the determined outcome for the play of the bonus game; and (g) if the bonus game trigger is determined not to occur, do not display any play of the bonus game.