Patent ID: 8430747

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines; and a controller configured to communicate with said gaming machines, wherein the controller is programmed to determine if a bonus event will occur, and if the controller determines that the bonus event will occur, said controller is programmed to: (a) identify a plurality of players at said gaming machines; (b) determine which of the identified players were in an active state during a bonus event qualification period for said bonus event; (c) select a first of the identified players in the active state; (d) send a signal to the gaming machine of the first selected player to cause said gaming machine to display and provide a primary bonus award to the first selected player; (e) determine a quantity of said identified players in the active state to provide secondary bonus awards, said determination being based, at least in part, on a total number of the identified players in the active state to divided by a predetermined number, said determined quantity being greater than one and said determined quantity being less than the total number of the identified players in the active state; (f) for each of said determined quantity, select one of the identified players in the active state; and (g) send a signal to the gaming machine of each identified player to cause said gaming machine to display and provide a secondary bonus award to the selected player.