Patent ID: 8523661

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: a game controller comprising a computational device and data storage in communication with the computational device; and a user interface comprising at least one display and one or more input devices in communication with the game controller to facilitate play of a game at the gaming machine; wherein the data storage includes a definition of a plurality of possible eligibility criteria, each defining a winning outcome of the game that may occur during play of the game on the gaming machine; wherein the game controller selects, using a random selection process, one or more of the plurality of possible eligibility criteria to thereby define at least one active award trigger event associated with an active award, and displays information on a display at the gaming machine identifying the selected eligibility criteria, and wherein the game controller further monitors play of the game on the gaming machine for occurrence of the active award trigger event and, in response to a predefined change event occurring before the active award trigger event, the game controller selects, using the random selection process, a new one or more of the plurality of possible eligibility criteria; wherein the game controller delays the selection for a delay period following occurrence of the predefined change event; and wherein when the active award trigger event occurs, the game controller causes the gaming machine to award the active award.