Patent ID: 7780525

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising: for each individual gaming session of a plurality of gaming sessions: (a) causing a computing device to execute the plurality of instructions to initially associate a first rate of earning reward points with a player for said individual gaming session, wherein the first rate of earning reward points for said individual gaming session is based on an activity of the player during a first portion of a period of time associated with said gaming session and said individual gaming session includes a plurality of plays of a wagering game; (b) awarding, based at least in part on the first rate of earning reward points, any earned reward points to the player for said individual gaming session, wherein the awarding of any reward points to the player for said individual gaming session is without regard to any outcomes generated for any of the plays of the wagering game; (c) causing the computing device to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the player qualifies for a second rate of earning reward points for said individual gaming session; and (d) if the player qualifies for the second rate of earning reward points, causing the computing device to execute the plurality of instructions to associate the second rate of earning reward points with the player for said individual gaming session, wherein: (i) the second rate of earning reward points for said individual gaming session is based on an activity of the player during a second portion of the period of time associated with said gaming session, (ii) the second portion occurs after the first portion, and (iii) the second rate is associated with the player if the first rate is first associated with the player.