Wagering Game with Randomly Funded Progressive Amounts

• US 20070259711A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomas, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/22
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming system that includes a gaming terminal with a wagering game. The wagering game includes a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome. The wagering game allows the player to be eligible for a plurality of progressive jackpots. A controller is operative to randomly increase the amount of one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots by at least a portion of the wager input. Further, the percentages of the portion that are allocated to each progressive jackpot can be randomly selected as well. Thus, the progressive jackpots are randomly funded, instead of being funded by a predetermined percentage of each wager input.

Claims

1. A method for playing a wagering game on a gaming terminal, the wagering game allowing the player to be eligible for a plurality of progressive jackpots, the method comprising:

conducting a wagering game having a randomly selected outcome;

awarding a player a payout amount in response to the randomly selected outcome being one of a plurality of winning outcomes; and

randomly selecting one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots to be increased.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the randomly selecting is performed in response to the randomly selected outcome being a progressive-jackpot increasing outcome.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount that the selected one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots is increased is a percentage of a wager amount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount that the selected one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots is increased is randomly chosen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount that the selected one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots is increased is a set amount.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a player one of the plurality of progressive jackpots in response to the randomly selected outcome being one of a plurality of progressive-jackpot winning outcomes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the awarding the player one of the plurality of progressive jackpots is done prior to randomly increasing the amount of one of the plurality of progressive jackpots.

10. The method of claim 1, further including indicating to the player the selected one or more of the plurality of progressive jackpots that is to be increased.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

11. A gaming system, comprising:

a gaming terminal having a wagering game with a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game, the wagering game allowing a player to be eligible for a plurality of progressive jackpots; and

a controller coupled to the gaming terminal and operative to randomly select one of the plurality of progressive jackpots that is to be increased in response to the player conducting the wagering game at the gaming terminal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operative to, in response to the randomly selected outcome at the gaming terminal being a progressive-jackpot winning outcome, awarding the player one of the progressive jackpots.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further operative to, in response to the randomly selected outcome at the gaming terminal being a multiple progressive-jackpot winning outcome, awarding the player at least two of the plurality of progressive jackpots.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is operative to randomly select at least two of the plurality of progressive jackpots to be increased in response to the player conducting the wagering game at the gaming terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operative to increase the at least two of the plurality of progressive jackpots by different amounts.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operative to randomly increase the at least two of the plurality of progressive jackpots by the same amount.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is operative to increase the at least two of the plurality of progressive jackpots by different amounts due to a weighted-random funding technique.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the wagering game includes a basic game, the basic game being displayed on a first display of the gaming terminal and the plurality of progressive jackpots being displayed in a matrix on a second display.

18. (canceled)

20-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A gaming terminal comprising:

a wagering game having a basic game, the basic game including a plurality of symbols displayed on a first reel set that indicates a randomly selected outcome of the basic game;

a plurality of progressive jackpots to which the player is eligible, symbols corresponding to the plurality of progressive jackpots being displayed on a second reel set; and

wherein, in response to the randomly selected outcome including a progressive jackpot outcome, the second reel set revealing a progressive jackpot result.

30. The gaming terminal of claim 29, wherein the progressive jackpot result displayed on the second reel set includes a symbol indicating an award of one of the plurality of progressive jackpots.

31. The gaming terminal of claim 29, wherein the progressive jackpot result displayed on the second reel set includes a symbol indicating a crediting of an amount to one of the plurality of progressive jackpots.

34. The gaming terminal of claim 29, wherein the second reel set is initially not visible to a player.

32-33. -33. (canceled)

35-44. -44. (canceled)