Abstract: Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for promotional or bonus awards in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments provide, in a gaming system having one or more gaming devices for play by players, a method for awarding promotional awards. The method includes detecting an award at a gaming device in the gaming system. The method also includes determining satisfaction of one or more promotional criterion by the award. The method further includes initiating, upon satisfaction of the one or more promotional criterion, a promotional award to a group of one or more players satisfying one or more eligibility criterion.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for sweepstakes awards in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments provide a method including accumulating sweepstakes entries for a player based on at least one sweepstakes entry criterion and randomly selecting a winner from the pool of sweepstakes entries. The sweepstakes entries are associated with the player and incorporated in a pool of sweepstakes entries. In certain embodiments, the at least one sweepstakes entry criterion comprises at least one of one entry per player, accumulating points based on play, accumulating points based on machine outcome, and coin in. In certain embodiments, the method further includes determining eligibility of a player for the sweepstakes. In certain embodiments, eligibility is determined based on at least one of a player group, a machine group, a machine denomination, a machine type, a machine manufacturer, a game manufacturer, a game theme and a game title, for example.