Patent ID: 8858321

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming machine, said method comprising: (a) during a first period, enabling a player to interact with at least one reward generating asset within a regulated game of the gaming machine; (b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to measure a level of skill of the player in interacting with the at least one reward generating asset within the regulated game of the gaming machine during the first period; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on the measured level of skill of the player, an average return to player percentage from a range of different average return to player percentages for a second period subsequent to the first period, wherein a first measured level of skill is associated with a first average return to player percentage and a second, lower measured level of skill is associated with a second, lower average return to player percentage; and (d) during the second period, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each interaction with any one of the at least one reward generating asset within the regulated game of the gaming machine: (i) determine whether said interaction is successful; and (ii) if said interaction is successful, determine an amount of a reward based on: (A) the average return to player percentage determined based on the measured level of skill of the player, (B) a random number, and (C) a time elapsed since a last successful interaction with any one of the at least one reward generating asset within the regulated game of the gaming machine.