Competitive Gaming Method and System

Abstract

Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.

1 . A method of providing a competitive bonus game on gaming apparatus that includes plurality of linked gaming machines, the method including:
 operating each of the plurality of linked gaming machines to provide game play of a game in which a player places a wager on the occurrence of a winning combination as an outcome of the game and the representations of one or more said outcomes are presented on one or more displays of the gaming machine, the gaming machine awarding an award if a winning combination occurs;   monitoring for occurrence of a first outcome during play of the game on each of the gaming machines, the first outcome occurring with substantially equal probability on each of the gaming machines, the representations of the first outcome being either the same or different between the gaming machines;   storing an electronic record of the occurrence of the first outcome on each of the gaming machines and displaying representations of the occurrences of the first outcome on one or more displays of the gaming apparatus, the representations being persistent across separate game plays of the game;   when a trigger event occurs, operating the gaming apparatus in a competition mode in which one or more of the gaming machines enter into a competition; wherein when the gaming apparatus is in the competition mode, the method further includes:   identifying from the electronic record on which gaming machines the first outcome has occurred;   completing a first round of the competition by determining one or more scores for each of the identified gaming machines, wherein the value of a said score or the number of said scores for a said gaming machine is dependent on the number of occurrences of the first outcome on that gaming machine, as recorded in the electronic record, wherein progression by a gaming machine in the competition is dependent on the score or scores determined for that gaming machine;   completing at least one further round of the competition by determining one or more scores for each gaming machine that has progressed in the competition past the first round, each round designed to eliminate gaming machines from the competition;   awarding an award to a said gaming machine that progresses through all of the rounds of the competition; and   displaying representations on one or more displays of the gaming apparatus of the competition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including continuing to monitor for occurrence of the first outcome and when the certain number of the first outcome reoccurs, again placing the gaming apparatus into a competition mode to run a further competition in which occurrences of the first outcome used in a previous competition are disregarded for the further competition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each gaming machine allows continued play of the game while the gaming apparatus is placed in the competition mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the process of displaying representations on one or more displays of the gaming apparatus of the competition includes displaying a character to represent each score of a gaming machine and removing said character from the display for the purposes of each subsequent round if the score that it represents does not cause the gaming machine to progress in the competition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further including for a said character that represents a score that does not cause the gaming machine to progress in the competition, displaying on the one or more displays an animation of that character that represents the characters being removed from the competition. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further including for a said character that represents a score that does cause the gaming machine to progress in the competition, displaying on the one or more displays an animation of that character that represents the characters progressing in the competition. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the characters from each gaming machine are displayed to be distinguishable from each other. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of scores a determined for at least one gaming machine, each representing an entry into the competition so that if any of the scores progresses the gaming machine past the current round of the competition, then the gaming machine progresses in the competition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein when a gaming machine progresses in the competition, the number of scores determined for the next round is dependent on the number of scores that are of a value so as to progress the gaming machine to that next round. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of scores determined for each gaming machine in the first round is dependent on the number of first outcomes that are recorded in the electronic record as having occurred. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger event occurs when the electronic record indicates that a certain number of first outcomes has occurred, the number being measured by the number of occurrences on any one of the gaming machines or by the total number of occurrences across the plurality of gaming machines. 
     
     
         12 . A method for use with a plurality of linked gaming machines, the method including monitoring on each of a plurality of linked gaming machines for the occurrence of a first event during play of a game in which a plurality of symbols are presented and if a winning combination occurs the gaming machine awards an award, and monitoring the number of occurrences of the first event on each said gaming machine, wherein following at least one monitored occurrence of the first event on at least one of the gaming machines, the method further includes monitoring play of the game for the occurrence of a second event, and on the occurrence of the second event awarding a bonus award on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , including only awarding the bonus award after at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred on at least two of the gaming machines. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first event is different for at least two of the plurality of linked gaming machines. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first event occurs with constant and substantially equal probability on each of the gaming machines. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the value of the bonus award or potential value of the bonus award is dependent on the size of a wager placed immediately before the second event occurred. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the probability of occurrence of the first event in any given game play is dependent on the size of a wager placed in that game play. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the probability of occurrence of the first event is substantially equal on each said gaming machine when equal sized wagers are placed on the gaming machines. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the game allows a plurality of different sized wagers to be placed on the occurrence of an outcome being a said winning combination and wherein the size of a wager is determined solely by the credits wagered per outcome. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the bonus award is entry into a competition between the gaming machines for a second award, wherein the bonus award is dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event due to the number of occurrences of the first event affecting the likelihood of winning the competition.