Patent ID: 7753783

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines; and at least one controller configured to communicate with said gaming machines, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to: (a) identify a plurality of players of said gaming machines; (b) for each identified player, maintain an accumulated bonus event pool, wherein the accumulated bonus event pool maintained for the identified player is based on any wagers placed by the identified player on said gaming machines during a designated period; (c) determine if a triggering event will occur; and (d) if the triggering event is determined to occur: (i) designate one of the identified players as a triggering player and designate each of the remaining identified players as auxiliary players, (ii) cause the gaming machine of the triggering player to enable the triggering player to participate in a bonus event, wherein said bonus event has an average expected payout, and (iii) cause the gaming machine of at least one of the auxiliary players to enable the auxiliary player to input a bonus event buy-in wager amount to participate in the bonus event, wherein the bonus event buy-in wager amount is based, at least in part, on a comparison of the accumulated bonus event pool maintained for said auxiliary player to the average expected payout of the bonus event.