System and Method for Tracking System Generated Winnings

An improved system for a casino having a plurality of gaming machines each configured for playing a game of the type producing a winning or losing outcome and for a winning outcome issuing a game award, each gaming machine including one or more game meters, each assuming an inoperative, lock-out condition where a game award or a bonus award exceeds a predetermined amount and each gaming machine connected by a communication network to a back-end system, said system comprising:

• said back-end system including one or more servers (a) to host a system bonus pool from which one or more system bonuses are to be paid, (2) configurable to establish a system bonus prize structure including (i) a system bonus target amount and (ii) length of time until the system bonus is awarded, (b) to determine, based upon said established system bonus prize structure, the issuance of one or more system bonuses of at least portions of said pool to one or more selected gaming machines separate from any game award and at least one bonus award being of an amount sufficient to create a gaming machine lock-out condition and (c) to generate a message to said one or more selected gaming machines containing information related to the issuance of said system bonus;
• a display at said gaming machines for displaying said message;
• and
• external bonus meters associated with said gaming machines in addition to said game meters and in communication with said back-end system and configured to record system-based bonuses issued to the gaming machine and to, where the bonus results in a gaming machine lockout condition, record the bonus amount resulting in the lockout upon gaming machine reset.