System for trade-in bonus

1. A bonus controller coupled to an electronic gaming device that has a paytable having winning outcomes and losing outcomes as a set of randomly determined symbols shown on a display; an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity; a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; an actuator configured to apply a wager amount placed for play of a game, the wager amount decreasing the credit balance; an actuator configured to generate the input to cause initiation of the payout via the cashout device; and an actuator for initiating the game played on the electronic gaming device, the bonus controller comprising:

a bonus-controller input coupled to the electronic gaming device and structured to receive information related to game play on the electronic gaming device; and

a computer processor programmed to:

track one or more of the set of randomly determined symbols traded in by a player of the game on the electronic gaming device after the randomly determined outcome is displayed;

determine when at least two symbols of the set of randomly determined symbols are traded in by the player;

determine if the at least two symbols comprise one of a plurality of winning outcomes in the paytable;

add bonus points to a bonus point total if it is determined that the at least two symbols comprise one of the plurality of winning outcomes in the paytable; and

provide a bonus to the player of the electronic gaming device when the bonus point total exceeds a predefined threshold to earn the bonus.

2. The bonus controller of claim 1 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to provide the bonus to the player by spinning a wheel.

3. The bonus controller of claim 1 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to provide the bonus as a bonus symbol stored in a bonus symbol accumulator.

4. The bonus controller of claim 3 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to periodically draw a symbol and compare it to at least one bonus symbol stored in the bonus symbol accumulator.

5. The bonus controller of claim 4 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to award a second bonus to a player who holds a bonus symbol in the bonus symbol accumulator that matches the drawn symbol.

6. The bonus controller of claim 1 wherein the set of symbols appear on playing cards.

7. The bonus controller of claim 1 wherein the electronic gaming device is a slot machine.

8. A bonus controller coupled to an electronic gaming device that has a paytable having winning outcomes and losing outcomes as a set of randomly determined symbols shown on a display; an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity; a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; an actuator configured to apply a wager amount placed for play of a game, the wager amount decreasing the credit balance; an actuator configured to generate the input to cause initiation of the payout via the cashout device; and an actuator for initiating the game played on the electronic gaming device, the bonus controller comprising:

a bonus-controller input coupled to the electronic gaming device and structured to receive information related to game play on the electronic gaming device; and

a computer processor programmed to:

offer to a player of the game on the electronic gaming device to surrender only a portion of the interim holding after a first stage, wherein the portion includes a quantity of symbols less than a total quantity of symbols in the set;

provide an opportunity for a bonus award in exchange for surrender by the player if the surrendered portion has at least two symbols comprising one of a plurality of winning outcomes in the paytable, wherein the bonus award comprises one or more bonus points added to a bonus point total for the player; and

provide at least one award, if any, after completion of the game, according to the paytable when the player elects not to surrender any of the interim holding.

9. The bonus controller of claim 8 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to allocate at least in part a cost of a bonus award savings from not paying on the surrendered interim holding.

10. The bonus controller of claim of claim 8 in which the bonus award is a plurality of bonus points.

11. The bonus controller of claim 10 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to initiate a bonus eligibility session after the bonus exceeds a pre-defined number of bonus points.

12. The bonus controller of claim 8 wherein the set of symbols appear on playing cards.

13. The bonus controller of claim 8 wherein the electronic gaming device is a slot machine.

14. A bonus controller coupled to an electronic gaming device that has a paytable having winning outcomes and losing outcomes as a set of randomly determined symbols shown on a display; an accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, the monetary value establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity; a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance; an actuator configured to apply a wager amount placed for play of a game, the wager amount decreasing the credit balance; an actuator configured to generate the input to cause initiation of the payout via the cashout device; and an actuator for initiating the game played on the electronic gaming device, the bonus controller comprising:

a bonus-controller input coupled to the electronic gaming device and structured to receive information related to game play on the electronic gaming device; and

a computer processor programmed to:

display the set of randomly determined symbols after a plurality of reels stop spinning;

accept only a portion of the displayed set of randomly determined symbols as discards selected by a player of a game played on the electronic gaming device, wherein the portion comprises at least two symbols and less than a total quantity of symbols in the set of randomly determined symbols;

compare the accepted discards to a plurality of winning outcomes of the paytable; and

generate an award for the player when the accepted discards match one of the plurality of winning outcomes of the paytable, wherein the award comprises one or more bonus points to be added to a bonus point total for the player.

15. The bonus controller of claim 14 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to award at least one bonus point for accepting a discard of any two dissimilar symbols.

16. The bonus controller of claim 14 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to award at least two bonus points for accepting a discard of any pair of symbols having a first value.

17. The bonus controller of claim 16 , wherein the computer processor is further programmed to award at least three bonus points for accepting a discard of any pair of symbols having a second value, greater than the first value.

18. The bonus controller of claim 14 wherein the electronic gaming device is a slot machine.

19. The bonus controller of claim 14 wherein the randomly determined symbols appear on playing cards.