a passive observer of the progressive jackpot. Furthermore, after a progressive jackpot has built up to an extraordinary level and has been awarded to a player, there is a sharp drop off in the stimulus provided to players by these progressive types of machines until the pool of money builds back up.
Wagering games, and especially video wagering games that comprise both a first and second tier of games are also known on stand alone machines or in conjunction with a bank or group of machines. For example, the patent to Marnell, II (U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,057) teaches the use of a poker game or reel game for the primary game and a bingo type game as a secondary game. Certain outcomes from the primary game are reflected inwith a non-comprehensive list of some of those games being set forth below. Other bonus games include an additional game feature contained within a single gaming machine.
The conventional WHEEL OF GOLD® and WHEEL OF FORTUNE® slot casino games incorporate a single play bonusing feature. A rotating wheel is activated by the player depressing a bonus spin button when certain indicia appears on the reels of the slot game and is used to award bonus payouts in a spin of the wheel. A separate multiplier may be used to multiply the bonus payouts. After the bonus spin, play resumes in the underlying gaming machine. These games are commercially available from Anchor Gaming and International Game Technology, respectively and are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874 and 5,848,932.
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