Patent ID: 8393957

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: enabling a player to place a wager on a play of a primary game; causing at least one gaming system processor to execute a plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display the play of the primary game; when a triggering event occurs in association with the play of the primary game, causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a play of a bonus round, said play of the bonus round including: (i) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a bonus round outcome, (ii) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the determined bonus round outcome, (iii) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a bonus round award based on the determined bonus round outcome, and (iv) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the determined bonus round award; causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive an indication of a request by the player to take a tour of the bonus round on a wagering game machine; and enabling the player to take the tour, wherein an entity provides a payment to an operator of the wagering game machine in exchange for the player taking the tour, the tour is taken without any occurrence of the triggering event, the gaming system processor, the player, the entity, and the operator of the wagering game machine are each distinct from each other and said tour of the bonus round includes: (i) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a bonus round tour outcome, (ii) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the determined bonus round tour outcome, (iii) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a bonus round tour award based on the determined bonus round tour outcome, and (iv) causing the at least one gaming system processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display the determined bonus round tour award.