US Patent 7892092 Persistent themed bonus awards for gaming machines

Systems and methods for awarding bonuses associated with gaming machines are disclosed. A bonus system host generates and transmits bonus event information to a gaming machine for display. The bonus system can be associated with a player tracking network including a remote player tracking host and a player tracking device at a gaming machine, which can include a controller and display. Alternatively, no player tracking device exists at the gaming machine, and bonus information is sent to a display on the gaming machine itself. A bonus can be awarded independent of the outcome of play on the gaming machine, and can be a themed bonus. Bonus event results for a specific player can be carried over to a following instance of a game played by that specific player. One form of bonus can be improved pay tables, with odds calculated as a function of player play within the bonus system.