Patent ID: 7749074

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: (a) receive a wager on a play of a main game; (b) display an outcome of the play of the main game; (c) determine if the displayed outcome is a designated outcome; (d) if the displayed outcome is the designated outcome, associate one of a plurality of symbols with one of a plurality of bonus positions; (e) if a first designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, regardless of the displayed outcome, enable a player to make an input to elect to play a bonus event, said first designated quantity being at least one; (f) repeat (a) through (e) until a bonus event triggering condition occurs, the bonus event triggering condition: occurring if the player makes the input to play the bonus event or if a second designated quantity of the symbols are associated with the bonus positions, said second designated quantity being greater than said first designated quantity; and (g) if the bonus event triggering condition occurs: (i) display a play of the bonus event, the play of the bonus event including an indication of one of the plurality of bonus positions, and (ii) if one of the symbols is associated with the indicated bonus position, provide a bonus award to the player, said bonus award based at least in part on the symbol associated with the indicated bonus position.