SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE PROGRESSIVE AWARDS

• US 20080020834A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Benbrahim, Jamal, Breckner, Robert, Bansemer, Mark, Vasquez, James, Baerlocher, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The central server includes a plurality of progressive modules. Each progressive module maintains one or more progressive awards and is associated with zero, one or more of the gaming machines in the gaming system. Upon a determination that a designated one of the progressive awards will be provided, one of the gaming machines associated with the progressive module which maintains the designated progressive award provides the designated progressive award to the player of such gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising

a controller including a plurality of progressive modules;

a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a game, wherein the game includes a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability; and

a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;

wherein the controller is programmed to;

(a) select one of the progressive awards;

(b) determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award; and

(c) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;

(i) select one of said gaming machines which includes at least one of said outcomes with one of the outcome probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award,

(ii) associate the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award,

(iii) select the outcome associated with the determined outcome probability that is substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award,

(iv) associate the selected outcome with the selected progressive award, and

(v) if the selected outcome is generated by the selected gaming machine, cause the selected gaming machine to provide the selected progressive award to a player.