Abstract: A method and apparatus for awarding bonuses over a gaming network having a plurality of gaming machines, such as slot machines, interconnected by a network. Play is allowed to occur on a plurality of gaming machines as the bonus pool, common to the gaming machines over the network is incremented responsive to play on the plurality of gaming machines. The total number of eligible gaming machines is detected responsive to play on each of the plurality of gaming machines. A first threshold value is set in consideration of the total number of eligible gaming machines detected. A bonus period would be initiated when the bonus pool satisfies the first threshold value. Accordingly, the threshold necessary to start the bonus period would be low if few players are detected, and high if many players are detected. Bonus amounts are paid from the bonus pool to the eligible gaming machines after which time the bonus period would end.

Abstract: An accumulator for a multiple jackpot gaming system wherein the accumulator has the facility for date stamping jackpot-wins, recording the identification of devices and changes being made by such devices to its data and/or programming, allocating coins-in to one or more jackpot groups and/or to one or more increment rates assigned to a particular jackpot group, operate its jackpot stack so as to clear stack positions immediately upon clearing a jackpot, and control jackpot handling from its main programming loop.