Gaming Machine Having A Community Game With Side Wagering

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for conducting a wagering game on a plurality of gaming machines is disclosed. The method comprises the act of triggering a community event while conducting the wagering game on the plurality of gaming machines. Two or more gaming machines are selected to participate in the community event. The community event is selected from a plurality of independent community events. The gaming system comprises a plurality of gaming machines, at least one community display, and at least one controller. The controller is operative to select the two or more gaming machines to participate in the community event, and select the community event from the plurality of independent community events to display on the at least one community display.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers and a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising:
 detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;   initiating, via each gaming machine, a respective casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;   triggering, by at least one of the one or more controllers, a community event while conducting the respective casino wagering game via each gaming machine;   enabling, by at least one of the one or more controllers, each gaming machine to participate in the community event;   selecting, by at least one of the one or more controllers without player input, a community game for the community event from a plurality of different types of community games, the selected community game including game play elements shared among the plurality of gaming machines;   awarding, by at least one of the one or more controllers, one or more respective awards from the selected community game to each gaming machine; and   receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more respective awards are associated with at least one of the game play elements. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein one or more of the plurality of different types of community games are included as a feature in another of the plurality of different types of community games. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, increasing, by at least one of the one or more controllers, the one or more respective awards to each gaming machine based on a value-enhancement parameter earned on that gaming machine. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one of the one or more controllers that enable each gaming machine to participate in the community event and the at least one of the one or more controllers that select the community game are the same controller. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of different types of community games include a progressive community game. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the progressive community game includes a plurality of award levels, each of the award levels having an award value associated therewith. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the award values for the plurality of award levels are only increased in response to the selecting of the community game. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the selecting the community game from the plurality of different types of community games is done by randomly selecting the community game from the plurality of different types of community games. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the value-enhancement parameters earned on each gaming machine are not equal. 
     
     
         31 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices; and   one or more controllers configured to:
 detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, 
 initiate, via each gaming machine, a respective casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, 
 trigger a community event while conducting the respective casino wagering game via each gaming machine, 
 enable each gaming machine to participate in the community event, 
 select without player input, a community game for the community event from a plurality of different types of community games, the selected community game including game play elements shared among the plurality of gaming machines, 
 award one or more respective awards from the selected community game to each gaming machine, and 
 receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. 
   
     
     
         32 . The gaming system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more respective awards are associated with at least one of the game play elements. 
     
     
         33 . The gaming system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to enable each gaming machine to participate in the community event in response to symbols achieved in one or more of the respective casino wagering games. 
     
     
         34 . The gaming system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to enable each gaming machine to participate in the community event in response to a random trigger independent of the respective casino wagering games. 
     
     
         35 . The gaming system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more controllers are located within one gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines. 
     
     
         36 . The gaming system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to randomly select the community game from the plurality of different types of community games. 
     
     
         37 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines with each gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices; and   means for:
 detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, 
 initiating, via each gaming machine, a respective casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance, 
 triggering a community event while conducting the respective casino wagering game via each gaming machine, 
 enabling each gaming machine to participate in the community event, 
 selecting without player input, a community game for the community event from a plurality of different types of community games, the selected community game including game play elements shared among the plurality of gaming machines, 
 awarding one or more respective awards from the selected community game to each gaming machine, and 
 receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices of each gaming machine, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. 
   
     
     
         38 . The gaming system of  claim 37 , wherein the one or more respective awards are associated with at least one of the game play elements. 
     
     
         39 . The gaming system of  claim 37 , wherein the means for selecting the community game from the plurality of different types of community games includes means for randomly selecting the community game from the plurality of different types of community games. 
     
     
         40 . The gaming system of  claim 37 , wherein the means for enabling each gaming machine to participate in the community event occurs in response to a random trigger independent of the respective casino wagering games.