Patent ID: 8597098

Claim:
A method of competitive bonus game for use with a gaming network having a plurality of gaming machines and a bonus controller, the method including: receiving a first wager at a said gaming machine for a first game; detecting occurrences of a first outcome during play of said first game among the gaming machines; identifying via the bonus controller each of said gaming machines in response to the occurrence of a first outcome having been detected; entering via the bonus controller at least one of said plurality of gaming machines into a competition mode in response to an event having been triggered; in a first round of competition in said competition mode, determining via the bonus controller a first score for each of said identified gaming machines based on a number of occurrences of said first outcome on each of said identified gaming machines; progressing via the bonus controller each of said identified gaming machines to a next round of competition in response to a respective said first score being within a range; in the next round of competition in said competition mode, 1) determining via the bonus controller a number of reels to be spun based on the occurrences of said first outcome for each progressed gaming machines, 2) selecting via the bonus controller a second outcome for each progressed gaming machine using said determined number of reels, and 3) determining via the bonus controller a next score for each progressed gaming machine based on a number of occurrences of said second outcome on each of said identified gaming machines; awarding an award to a said gaming machine that progresses through all rounds of the competition; and displaying representations of the competition.