Patent ID: 7662040

Claim:
A method for allowing players at a plurality of electronic gaming terminals to place side wagers, the method comprising: using wager input detectors to accept wager inputs from players at a plurality of electronic gaming terminals, the wager inputs being indicative of a wager to play a wagering game associated with a respective one of the electronic gaming terminals; in response to the wager, using one or more processors to execute a game program that causes at least one of a plurality of video displays to display wagering games on each of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals; using at least one of the processors to achieve a progressive game at a first one of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals, the progressive game being displayed on at least one of the plurality of video displays and including at least one progressive award, the plurality of electronic gaming terminals contributing a portion of inputted wagers received at the wager input detectors to the at least one progressive award; in response to achieving the progressive game by an eligible player of the progressive game at the first one of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals, sending a side wager inquiry signal to a second one of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals indicating the achievement of the progressive game, wherein the step of sending is performed by a signage controller coupled to the plurality of electronic gaming terminals; and in response to receiving the side wager inquiry signal, displaying a communication to a non-eligible player of the progressive game at the second one of the plurality of electronic gaming terminals inquiring whether the non-eligible player desires to make a side wager on an event that may occur in the progressive game, the non-eligible player having a selection choice to select the event from a plurality of events, wherein the eligible player is the only player eligible for the at least one progressive award.