Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a conventional gaming system. Such gaming systems typically have player tracking systems which have databases storing player profile fields for either a sponsoring player or a recruited player. The invented method works with a typical gaming system, but adds an additional field which stores the identity of the recruit's sponsor. Information regarding the recruit is then used to populate the recruit's profile with, among other things, information identifying the sponsor. Criteria are then set, which if met by the recruit, result in the recruit being accepted by the system. The sponsor and recruits gaming activity is then collected by the system into each player's profile, and ongoing, typically complementary, benefits are afforded to the sponsor based on the gaming activity of the recruit. Once the recruit is accepted into the system, he or she is able to become a sponsor with respect to new recruits.