Gaming system and method for redeeming a winning ticket and/or a plurality of non-winning tickets having corresponding symbols for an award

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device to:

(a) receive one or more tickets, each received ticket being associated with one of a plurality of different symbols;

(b) determine whether each received ticket is a winning ticket or a non-winning ticket;

(c) for each of any received winning tickets, display at least one free play of a first game; and

(d) if a plurality of the received tickets are non-winning tickets:

(i) determine whether the symbols associated with a designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, said designated number being at least two; and

(ii) if the symbols associated with the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, display a designated quantity of at least one free play of a second game, wherein if the symbols associated with a first quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of free plays of the second game is a first quantity of at least one free play of the second game, and if the symbols associated with a second greater quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of at least one free play of the second game is a second greater quantity of free plays of the second game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first game and the second game are the same.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the symbols of the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another when said symbols have a designated relationship with one another.

4. The gaming system of claim 3 , wherein matching symbols have the designated relationship with one another.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to receive the one or more tickets by receiving an input from a player requesting redemption of the one or more tickets.

6. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with at least one input device to receive one or more tickets, each received ticket being associated with one of a plurality of different symbols;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether each received ticket is a winning ticket or a non-winning ticket;

(c) for each of any received winning tickets, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display at least one free play of a first game; and

(d) if a plurality of the received tickets are non-winning tickets:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the symbols associated with a designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, said designated number being at least two; and

(ii) if the symbols associated with the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display a designated quantity of at least one free play of a second game, wherein if the symbols associated with a first quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of free plays of the second game is a first quantity of at least one free play of the second game, and if the symbols associated with a second greater quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of at least one free play of the second game is a second greater quantity of free plays of the second game.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first game and the second game are the same.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the symbols of the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another when said symbols have a designated relationship with one another.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein matching symbols have the designated relationship with one another.

10. The method of claim 6 , which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one input device to receive the one or more tickets by receiving an input from a player requesting redemption of the one or more tickets.

11. The method of claim 6 , which is provided through a data network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data network is an internet.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) operate with at least one input device to receive one or more tickets, each received ticket being associated with one of a plurality of different symbols;

(b) determine whether each received ticket is a winning ticket or a non-winning ticket;

(c) for each of any received winning tickets, cause at least one display device to display at least one free play of a first game; and

(d) if a plurality of the received tickets are non-winning tickets:

(i) determine whether the symbols associated with a designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, said designated number being at least two; and

(ii) if the symbols associated with the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, cause the at least one display device to display a designated quantity of at least one free play of a second game, wherein if the symbols associated with a first quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of free plays of the second game is a first quantity of at least one free play of the second game, and if the symbols associated with a second greater quantity of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another, the designated quantity of at least one free play of the second game is a second greater quantity of free plays of the second game.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first game and the second game are the same.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the symbols of the designated number of the received non-winning tickets correspond to one another when said symbols have a designated relationship with one another.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein matching symbols have the designated relationship with one another.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with at least one input device to receive the one or more tickets by receiving an input from a player requesting redemption of the one or more tickets.