Patent ID: 7976379

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including at least one input device; at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices; and at least one controller configured to operate with each of said gaming devices and said at least one display device to: (a) maintain a bonus accumulation pool; (b) for each of any of said gaming devices that generate a designated number of triggering symbols in association with a play of a primary game: (i) contribute an average expected payout of a gaming device triggered bonus game to the maintained bonus accumulation pool, and (ii) accumulate a quantity of triggering symbols for the player; and (c) for a play of a gaming system triggered bonus game: (i) enable one of the players to redeem a quantity of accumulated triggering symbols for a gaming system triggered bonus game award, wherein a value of said gaming system triggered bonus game award is based, at least in part, on said quantity of redeemed accumulated triggering symbols, and (ii) cause one of the gaming devices to provide the gaming system triggered bonus game award to the player that redeemed the quantity of accumulated triggering symbols, wherein said gaming system triggered bonus game award is funded by the maintained bonus accumulation pool.