Gaming system and method with dynamically determined guaranteed awards

A gaming system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event:
• trigger a sequence including a quantity of plays of a game,
• determine a guaranteed award amount,
• cause a display, by a display device, of the determined guaranteed award amount, and
• associate the determined guaranteed award amount with the triggered sequence,
• for each play of the game of the quantity of plays of the game prior to a first occurrence, if any, of a guaranteed award amount modification event, responsive to a determined award amount for that play of the game being less than the determined guaranteed award amount associated with the triggered sequence, replace the determined award amount for that play of the game with the determined guaranteed award amount associated with the triggered sequence, and
• responsive to the first occurrence of the guaranteed award amount modification event:
• modify the determined guaranteed award amount associated with the triggered sequence,
• cause a display, by the display device, of the modified guaranteed award amount,
• associate the modified guaranteed award amount with the triggered sequence, and
• modify the quantity of plays of the game of the triggered sequence.

A method of operating an electronic gaming machine, the method comprising:

• responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event:
• determining, by a processor of the electronic gaming machine, a guaranteed award amount for a first play of a game, and
• displaying, by a display device of the electronic gaming machine, the determined guaranteed award amount for the first play of the game,
• for the first play of the game:
• determining, by the processor, a first game outcome,
• displaying, by the display device, the determined first game outcome,
• determining, by the processor, a first award amount associated with the determined first game outcome, and
• displaying, by the display device, the determined first award amount,
• responsive to the determined first award amount being less than the determined guaranteed award amount, replacing, by the processor and for the first play of the game, the determined first award amount with the determined guaranteed award amount, and
• responsive to the determined first award amount being greater than the determined guaranteed award amount, increasing, by the processor, the determined guaranteed award amount to the determined first award amount for a second play of the game.