Gaming system and a method of gaming

Abstract

An example gaming system includes a plurality of gaming devices. The gaming devices interconnected within the gaming system in such a manner that, when a first award is made in respect of one of the gaming devices, the gaming system conducts an independent determination for each eligible gaming device of the one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices to determine whether to provide a corresponding award to one or more eligible gaming devices.

1 . A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming devices, the gaming devices interconnected within the gaming system in such a manner that when a first award is made in respect of one of the gaming devices, the gaming system conducts an independent determination for each eligible gaming device of the one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices to determine whether to provide a corresponding award to one or more eligible gaming devices. 
     
     
         2 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein conducting an independent determination comprises determining whether to award a qualifying game to each gaming device, conducting the qualifying game for each gaming device to which the qualifying game is awarded and awarding the corresponding award for a winning outcome of the qualifying game. 
     
     
         3 . A gaming system as claimed  claim 2 , wherein each eligible gaming device is arranged to conduct the qualifying game. 
     
     
         4 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the qualifying game is a chance game where there are designated odds of the corresponding award being awarded. 
     
     
         5 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each gaming device is arranged to determine whether to make the first award. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a controller, each gaming device in data communication with the controller such that the gaming devices are interconnected by being connected to the controller. 
     
     
         7 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the controller determines whether to award each qualifying game. 
     
     
         8 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the controller is arranged to determine which of the plurality of gaming devices are eligible. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the corresponding award is equivalent to the first award. 
     
     
         10 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first award is an award of a number of free game events. 
     
     
         11 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the determination as to whether to award a qualifying game to each gaming device is random such that the number of gaming devices in respect of which a qualifying game is conducted is random. 
     
     
         12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein every active gaming device is eligible. 
     
     
         13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a gaming device is eligible if a designated wager has been placed. 
     
     
         14 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises a participation module which determines which gaming devices will be awarded a qualifying game. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each gaming device comprises a qualifying game generator for generating a qualifying game outcome. 
     
     
         16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein each gaming device comprises a qualifying outcome evaluator for evaluating a qualifying game outcome. 
     
     
         17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each gaming device comprises a feature game generator for generating a feature game outcome and a feature game outcome evaluator for evaluating the feature game to determine whether to make an award. 
     
     
         18 . A method of gaming in a gaming system comprising:
 making a first award in respect of one of a plurality of interconnected gaming devices; and   determining in response to making the first award, whether to provide a corresponding award to one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices by conducting an independent determination in respect of each eligible gaming device of the other gaming devices as to whether to provide the corresponding award to the respective eligible gaming device.   
     
     
         19 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein conducting an independent determination comprises determining whether to award a qualifying game to each gaming device, conducting the qualifying game for each gaming device to which the qualifying game is awarded and awarding the corresponding award for a winning outcome of the qualifying game. 
     
     
         20 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the qualifying game is a chance game where there are designated odds of the corresponding award being awarded. 
     
     
         21 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the corresponding award is equivalent to the first award. 
     
     
         22 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the first award is an award of a number of free game events. 
     
     
         23 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the determination as to whether to award a qualifying game to each gaming device is random such that the number of gaming devices in respect of which a qualifying game is conducted is random. 
     
     
         24 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein every active gaming device is eligible. 
     
     
         25 . A method of gaming as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein a gaming device is eligible if a designated wager has been placed. 
     
     
         26 . A gaming system comprising:
 means for making a first award at one of a plurality of interconnected gaming devices; and   means for determining in response to making the first award, whether to provide a corresponding award to one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices by conducting an independent determination in respect of each eligible gaming device of the other gaming devices as to whether to provide the corresponding award to the respective eligible gaming device.   
     
     
         27 . A gaming device for operation as one of a plurality of gaming devices of a gaming system, the gaming device arranged in such a manner that when a first award is made in respect of the gaming device, the gaming device causes the gaming system to conduct an independent determination for each eligible gaming device of the one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices to determine whether to provide a corresponding award to each respective eligible gaming device. 
     
     
         28 . A gaming device as claimed in  claim 27 , further arranged to provide a corresponding award in response to a determination by the gaming system to provide a corresponding award caused by an award being made on another one of the gaming devices. 
     
     
         29 . Computer program code which when executed implements a method of gaming in a gaming system comprising:
 making a first award in respect of one of a plurality of interconnected gaming devices; and   determining in response to making the first award, whether to provide a corresponding award to one or more other gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices by conducting an independent determination in respect of each eligible gaming device of the other gaming devices as to whether to provide the corresponding award to the respective eligible gaming device.