A method of gaming in a gaming system comprising: initiating a bonus game comprising a plurality of levels having a defined sequence; determining a group of participants in the bonus game; associating each participant with a level such that each participant is eligible to a bonus win based on the level with which the participant is currently associated; awarding a bonus win to one of the participants; and associating a subsequent level with each of the participants in response to the bonus win such that each participant is eligible to a subsequent bonus win based on the subsequent level associated with the participant.
1. A method of operating a computerized gaming system being in data communication with a plurality of gaming devices and comprising a processor-based bonus controller, the method comprising:
responsive to participation requests received by the bonus controller from gaming devices among the plurality of gaming devices, determining by the bonus controller two or more gaming devices matching to at least one criterion stored in a memory comprised in the bonus controller;
generating by the bonus controller a participation group of gaming devices, the group constituted by gaming devices issued participations requests and determined as matching to the at least one criterion;
associating, using the bonus controller, each gaming device in the group with one of a plurality of sequential bonus levels, and maintaining in the memory a data structure comprising data indicative of associated bonus levels, wherein said associating associates at least one gaming device in the group with a bonus level that is different from the bonus level of at least one other gaming device in the group; and
responsive to receiving from at least one of the gaming devices in the group data indicative of awarding a bonus win in a game running on the at least one gaming device:
updating the data structure by incrementing, for each given gaming device in the group, a bonus level associated with the given gaming device to a respective subsequent bonus level characterized by an increased amount of a bonus win in a game running on the given gaming device; and
communicating, from the bonus controller to each of the gaming devices in the group, data indicative of an updated bonus level of a given gaming device, thereby enabling in the game running on a given gaming device increased amount of the bonus win in accordance with the updated bonus level associated with the given gaming device.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , and fhrther comprising initiating a bonus game in response to said generating the participation group of gaming devices.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein generating the group comprises allowing at least one gaming device to join the group after the bonus game has been initiated.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , and wherein each gaming device of the group initially participates in the bonus game at a first bonus level, such that joining gaming devices will remain behind in the sequence relative to any other gaming devices already on a subsequent bonus level in the sequence.
5. A method as claimed in claim 3 , and fhrther comprising determining whether a new gaming device can join the group in accordance with the currently generated participation group of gaming devices.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a bet criterion.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a threshold number of gaming devices in the group.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising communicating by the bonus controller data indicative of respective bonus levels associated with each gaming device for displaying on one or more displays.
9. A gaming system configured to be in data communication with a plurality of gaming devices each adapted to award bonus win for a game it runs, the gaming system comprising a processor-based bonus controller configured to:
responsive to participation requests received from gaming devices among the plurality of gaming devices, determine two or more gaming devices matching to at least one criterion stored in a memory comprised in the gaming system;
generate a participation group of gaming devices, the group constituted by gaming devices issued participations requests and determined as matching to the at least one criterion;
associate each gaming device in the group with one of a plurality of sequential bonus levels, wherein said associating associates at least one gaming device in the group with a bonus level that is different from the level of at least one other gaming device in the group;
to maintain in the memory a data structure comprising data indicative of associated bonus levels, and
responsive to receiving from at least one of the gaming device in the group data indicative of awarding a bonus win in a game running on the at least one gaming device:
to update the data structure by incrementing, for each given gaming device in the group, a bonus level associated with the given gaming device to a respective subsequent level characterized by an increased amount of a bonus win in a game running on the given gaming device; and
to communicate to each of the gaming device in the group, data indicative of an updated bonus level of a given gaming device, thereby enabling in the game running on the given gaming device increased amount of the bonus win in accordance with the updated bonus level associated with the given gaming device.
10. A gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , and wherein the bonus controller further configured to initiate a bonus game.
11. A gaming system as claimed in claim 10 , and wherein the bonus controller configured to initiate the bonus game in response to said generating the participation group of the gaming devices.
12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the bonus controller is configured to allow at least one gaming device to join the group after the bonus game has been initiated.
13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 12 , and wherein each gaming device in the group initially participates in the bonus game at a first bonus level, such that joining gaming devices will remain behind in the sequence relative to any other gaming devices already on a subsequent bonus level in the sequence.
14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a bet criterion.
15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 9 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a threshold number of gaming devices in the group.
16. A bonus controller for a computerised gaming system being in data communication with a plurality of gaming devices, the bonus game controller comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory, the processor is configured to:
responsive to participation requests received from gaming devices among the plurality of gaming devices determine two or more gaming devices matching to at least one criterion stored in the memory;
generate a participation group of gaming devices, the group constituted by gaming devices issued participations requests and determined as matching to the at least one criterion;
associate each gaming device in the group with one of a plurality of sequential bonus levels, wherein said associating associates at least one gaming device in the group with a bonus level that is different from the bonus level of at least one other gaming device in the group;
maintain a data structure stored in the memory and comprising data indicative of associated bonus levels;
responsive to receiving from at least one of the gaming devices in the group data indicative of awarding a bonus win in a game running on the at least one gaming device:
update the data structure by incrementing, for each given gaming device in the group, a bonus level associated with the given gaming device to a respective subsequent level characterized by an increased amount of a bonus win in a game running by the given gaming device; and
communicate to each of the gaming device in the group, data indicative of an updated bonus level of a given gaming device, thereby enabling in the game running on the given gaming device increased amount of the bonus win in accordance with the updated level associated with the given gaming device.
17. A bonus controller as claimed in claim 16 , and wherein the bonus controller configured to initiate a bonus game in response to said generating the participation group of gaming device.
18. A bonus controller as claimed in claim 17 , and further configured to allow at least one gaming device to join the group after the bonus game has been initiated.
19. A bonus controller as claimed in claim 18 , and wherein each gaming device of the group initially participates in the bonus game at a first level, such that joining gaming device will remain behind in the sequence relative to any other gaming device already on a subsequent level in the sequence.
20. A bonus controller as claimed in claim 16 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a bet criterion.
21. A bonus controller as claimed in claim 16 , and wherein said at least one criterion is a threshold number of gaming devices in the group.