Patent ID: 8641520

Claim:
A method of conducting a wagering game, comprising: receiving a wager via a wager input device from a player; displaying on a display a base wagering game in response to receiving the wager; selecting, by at least one of one or more processors, an initial randomly selected outcome from a plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game; awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, one or more bonus triggers in the initial randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game; selecting, by at least one of the one or more processors, a subsequent randomly selected outcome from the plurality of outcomes of the base wagering game; awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, at least one additional bonus trigger in the subsequent randomly selected outcome of the base wagering game; accumulating, by at least one of the one or more processors, a number of bonus triggers based on the at least one additional bonus trigger and the one or more bonus triggers; in response to accumulating the number of bonus triggers, allowing the player to play a progressive game having a first expected value if an X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, the player being eligible to receive a progressive award in the progressive game, and allowing the player to play a bonus event that is different than the progressive game, the bonus event having a second expected value and being played if (i) less than the X number of bonus triggers is accumulated, and (ii) a selection is received to indicate player selection of the bonus event, the bonus event having a bonus award that is less than the progressive award, wherein the second expected value is less than or equal to the first expected value.