A gaming system includes one or more controllers and one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more controllers, cause the gaming system to initiate a wagering game to be played via a gaming machine and in response to a pause event, temporarily pause the wagering game-in-progress, prior to revealing a final outcome of the wagering game. While the game-in-progress is paused, the one or more controllers allow the gaining machine to participate in a community event along with a plurality of other gaming machines and in response to an end-pause event associated with the community event, reinstate the paused game-in-progress at the gaming machine.