System and method for automatically creating and updating a friend database associated with a player

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
• without receiving any inputs from a player:
• access, through a data network, a player account associated with the player such that player friend data is collectable from the accessed player account;
• collect the player friend data from the accessed player account;
• determine, based on the collected player friend data, at least one friend of the player;
• for each determined friend:
• determine whether a stored friend database associated with the player includes that friend;
• and
• responsive to determining that the stored friend database does not already include that friend, update the stored friend database to include that friend;
• and
• responsive to determining that a bonus triggering event occurred in association with a play of a first game by the player and that a friend included in the stored friend database associated with the player initiated a play of a second game on a gaming system within a designated period of the occurrence of the bonus triggering event, cause at least one bonus game to be provided to the player and the friend, wherein the at least one bonus game includes a communal bonus game playable by both the player and the friend.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
• without receiving any inputs from a player:
• access, through a data network, a player account associated with the player such that player friend data is collectable from the accessed player account;
• collect the player friend data from the accessed player account;
• determine, based on the collected player friend data, at least one friend of the player;
• and
• for each determined friend:
• determine whether a stored friend database associated with the player includes that friend;
• and
• responsive to determining that the stored friend database does not already include that friend, update the stored friend database to include that friend;
• responsive to determining that a bonus triggering event occurred in association with a play of a first game by the player and that a friend included in the stored friend database associated with the player initiated a play of a second game on a gaming system within a designated period of the occurrence of the bonus triggering event, cause a benefit to be provided to the player and the friend, wherein the benefit includes a play of a communal game shared by the player and the friend.