Celebration pay

1. A method for awarding a bonus promotion using celebration pay, wherein the celebration pay includes a portion of a bonus pool that is divided among non-winning gaming devices comprising:

identifying, by a bonus controller communicatively coupled to a plurality of gaming machines, a first subset of said plurality of gaming machines eligible to participate in the celebration pay;

selecting by the bonus controller one of the gaming machines within the first subset of gaming machines as a winning gaming machine;

dividing a bonus pool into a winning payout, a reserve, and a remainder, the bonus pool is used to pay bonuses payable according to rules that are independent of the individual gaming machines;

paying the winning gaming machine the winning payout from the bonus pool;

determining a second subset of the gaming machines as celebration machines wherein the second subset of gaming machines is selected from the first subset of gaming machines;

determining a celebration amount by dividing the remainder from the bonus pool among each of the celebration machines;

comparing the celebration amount to a minimum threshold;

determining by each of the celebration machines whether it is still eligible for celebration pay;

returning the celebration amount to the bonus pool for each celebration machine that determines it is no longer eligible to receive celebration pay;

paying the celebration amount to each of the celebration machines that are still eligible for celebration pay and if the celebration amount is above the minimum threshold by sending a first message to each of the celebration machines, the message including the celebration amount; and

receiving a second message from each of the celebration machines indicating that the celebration amount was paid to the celebration machine or returning an excess of a total celebration amount to the bonus pool if the total celebration amount paid is determined to be less than expected.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein receiving a second message includes receiving the second message from one of the celebration machines that the one of the celebration machines was no longer eligible to receive the celebration pay.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein receiving a second message includes receiving the second message from one of the celebration machines that a player did not accept the celebration pay within a specified window of time.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein returning the celebration amount includes returning the celebration amount from the one of the celebration machines to the bonus pool at one time.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein returning the celebration amount includes returning the celebration amount from the one of the celebration machines to the bonus pool gradually over time.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein paying the celebration machines includes adjusting the share of the remainder from the bonus pool to a multiple of a minimum denomination accepted by one of the gaming machines.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein determining a subset of the gaming machines as celebration machines includes selecting for the subset of the gaming machines, all gaming machines being used by carded players around the time the winning gaming machine is selected.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein paying the celebration machines includes paying the celebration machines each the share of the remainder from the bonus pool only if the share of the remainder from the bonus pool exceeds a minimum threshold amount.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein paying the celebration machines includes adjusting the share of the remainder from the bonus pool to a maximum threshold amount if the share of the remainder from the bonus pool exceeds the maximum amount.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein determining a subset of the gaming machines as celebration machines includes determining the subset of the gaming machines as celebration machines at the time the winning gaming machine is selected.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving messages from the celebration machines, each message including an amount paid;

totaling the amount paid from the messages; and

if the amount paid exceeds the remainder from the bonus pool, adjusting a future celebration pay by a difference between the amount paid and the remainder from the bonus pool.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising determining the venue of the winning gaming machine and the celebration machines, wherein the first subset of gaming machines is located within multiple casinos.