Patent ID: 7789755

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including: at least one display device, at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to enable a player to play a base game upon a wager; and a controller programmed to operate with the plurality of gaming devices, said controller programmed to: (a) before a random occurrence of an award distribution triggering event, for at least one actively played gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices: (i) randomly determine whether to distribute a number of shares of a bonus pool, said random determination of whether to distribute said number of shares being separate from the random occurrence of the award distribution triggering event, and (ii) if the random determination is to distribute the number of shares of the bonus pool, distribute said number of shares of the bonus pool to said actively played gaming device; (b) before the random occurrence of the award distribution triggering event, nullify shares distributed to the gaming devices that become non-actively played; and (c) upon the random occurrence of the award distribution triggering event, cause each gaming device to make a distribution of the bonus pool according to an amount of the bonus pool and currently distributed, non-nullified shares of said gaming device.