Patent ID: 8651946

Claim:
A gaming system, comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, wherein a coin out value is defined as a cumulative, combined payout value from a gaming machine and coin in value is defined as the amount wagered at a gaming machine; a player tracking system, wherein the gaming machines communicate with the player tracking system; a wide area gaming system in communication with the gaming machines, wherein the wide area gaming system controls a gaming system award that is issued to a player identified via the player tracking system upon fulfillment of one or more predetermined criteria disregarding coin in value and related to cumulative coin out value wherein at least the predetermined coin out value is selected by the wide area gaming system; and at least one gaming machine is configured to have a dedicated gaming machine award issued to a player based upon fulfillment of criteria related to play of said at least one gaming machine including cumulative coin out for said at least one gaming machine, and wherein the gaming system and gaming machine awards are issued independently of a game result on the first gaming machine.