Gaming system and method providing balanced paybacks with varying wager amounts

A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

• (a) enabling a player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts on a play of a primary game;
• (b) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to select one of a plurality of different bonus trigger probability levels based on the placed wager amount, each bonus trigger probability level being associated with a probability of occurrence of a bonus trigger event, at least two of the bonus trigger probability levels being associated with different probabilities of occurrence of the bonus trigger event;
• (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to trigger a bonus based on the probability of occurrence of the bonus trigger event associated with the selected bonus trigger probability level;
• and
• (d) if it is determined to trigger the bonus:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display one or more plays of a bonus game;
• (ii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate a quantity of points during said one or more plays of the bonus game;
• and
• (iii) upon conclusion of said one or more plays of the bonus game, if the accumulated quantity of points is at least a designated quantity, providing the player a designated bonus award, wherein a probability of providing the designated bonus award increases as the placed primary game wager amount increases.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• (a) enable a player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts on a play of a primary game;
• (b) select one of a plurality of different bonus trigger probability levels based on the placed wager amount, each bonus trigger probability level being associated with a probability of occurrence of a bonus trigger event, at least two of the bonus trigger probability levels being associated with different probabilities of occurrence of the bonus trigger event;
• (c) determine whether to trigger a bonus based on the probability of occurrence of the bonus trigger event associated with the selected bonus trigger probability level;
• and
• (d) if it is determined to trigger the bonus:
• (i) cause at least one display device to display one or more plays of a bonus game;
• (ii) accumulate a quantity of points during said one or more plays of the bonus game;
• and
• (iii) upon conclusion of said one or more plays of the bonus game, if the accumulated quantity of points is at least a designated quantity, provide the player a designated bonus award, wherein a probability of providing the designated bonus award increases as the placed primary game wager amount increases.