Patent ID: 7744456

Claim:
In a gaming system having one or more gaming devices, each of said one or more gaming devices facilitating a play of a game of chance, and a central computer coupled to said one or more gaming devices, a method that awards promotional awards, said method comprising: configuring, at said central computer, a sweepstakes eligibility criterion and a sweepstakes entry criterion; determining whether said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met by a player at one gaming device based on a monitored activity related to play of said gaming device; if it is determined that said sweepstakes entry criterion has been met based on said monitored activity, then: determining whether said sweepstakes eligibility criterion has been met by said player of said one gaming device; issuing a virtual sweepstakes entry with respect to said player of said one gaming device, said virtual sweepstakes entry defining a ticket of a pool of tickets; closing said pool of tickets from receiving any additional virtual sweepstakes entry; randomly selecting at least one virtual sweepstakes entry from said pool of tickets to obtain a winning ticket; and awarding one of said promotional awards in response to said winning ticket.