GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD HAVING MULTI-LEVEL MYSTERY TRIGGERED PROGRESSIVE AWARDS

• US 20080090651A1
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The gaming system includes at least one and preferably a plurality of progressive awards wherein upon a suitable initiating event, a wager amount or value is randomly generated from at least one predetermined range of wager amounts or values. Upon a suitable triggering event, such as an accumulated wager pool incrementing to the randomly generated wager amount or value, a designated award, such as a progressive award, is provided to a player. In one such embodiment, upon the occurrence of the triggering event, an independent determination occurs regarding which one of the plurality of progressive awards will be provided to a player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of gaming machines operable to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;

an accumulated wager pool maintained by the controller;

a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the controller; and

a plurality of different value ranges, wherein a plurality of the value ranges each include a range of different values;

wherein said controller is programmed to;

(a) select one of the plurality of value ranges;

(b) randomly select one of the values from the selected value range;

(c) during a bonus event accumulation period, increment said accumulated wager pool based on at least a portion of the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines; and

(d) if the accumulated wager pool increments to the randomly selected value, cause a bonus event to occur;

wherein at least one of said progressive awards may be provided to one of the players of one of the gaming machines in said bonus event, wherein if one of said progressive awards is provided to one of the players, which progressive award that is provided is based on at least one determination independent of the accumulated wager pool incrementing to the randomly selected value.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the occurrence of a previous triggering event and ends at the occurrence of the triggering event.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the issuance of a previous progressive award and ends at the issuance of said progressive award.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if one of said progressive awards is provided to one of the players, the bonus event includes a secondary game, wherein a play of the secondary game determines which progressive award is provided.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to increment said accumulated wager pool during the bonus event accumulation period based on the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly select one of the plurality of value ranges.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the values in a first one of the value ranges are different than each of the values in a second one of the value ranges.

8. A gaming system comprising:

a controller;

a plurality of gaming machines operable to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;

an accumulated pool maintained by the controller;

a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the controller; and

a plurality of different value ranges, wherein a plurality of the value ranges each include a range of different values;

wherein said controller is programmed to;

(a) select one of the plurality of value ranges;

(b) randomly select one of the values from the selected value range;

(c) during a bonus event accumulation period, increment said accumulated pool; and

(d) if the accumulated pool increments to the randomly selected value, cause a bonus event to occur;

wherein at least one of said progressive awards may be provided to one of the players of one of the gaming machines in said bonus event, wherein if one of said progressive awards is provided to one of the players, which progressive award that is provided is based on at least one determination independent of the accumulated pool incrementing to the randomly selected value.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the accumulated pool is one of the progressive awards.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the controller is programmed to increment said accumulated pool based on at least a portion of the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines.

11. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the controller is programmed to increment said accumulated pool based on time.

12. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the occurrence of a previous triggering event and ends at the occurrence of the triggering event.

13. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the issuance of a previous progressive award and ends at the issuance of said progressive award.

14. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein if one of said progressive awards is provided to one of the players, the bonus event includes a secondary game, wherein a play of the secondary game determines which progressive award is provided.

15. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein said controller is programmed to randomly select one of the plurality of value ranges.

16. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein each of the values in a first one of the value ranges are different than each of the values in a second one of the value ranges.

17. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller in communication with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, said method comprising:

(a) maintaining a plurality of progressive awards;

(b) selecting one of a plurality of value ranges, wherein a plurality of the value ranges each include a range of different values;

(c) randomly selecting one of the values from the selected value range;

(d) during a bonus event accumulation period, incrementing an accumulated wager pool based on at least a portion of the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines;

(e) if the accumulated wager pool increments to the randomly selected value, causing a bonus event to occur; and

(f) determining whether to provide at least one of said progressive awards to one of the players of one of the gaming machines in the bonus event, wherein if the determination is to provide one of said progressive awards, which progressive award that is provided is determined independent of the accumulated wager pool incrementing to the randomly selected value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the occurrence of a previous triggering event and ends at the occurrence of the triggering event.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the issuance of a previous progressive award and ends at the issuance of said progressive award.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein if the determination is to provide one of said progressive awards, the bonus event includes a secondary game, wherein a play of the secondary game determines which progressive award is provided.

21. The method of claim 17, which includes incrementing said accumulated wager pool during the bonus event accumulation period based on the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines.

22. The method of claim 17, which includes randomly selecting one of the plurality of value ranges.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the values in a first one of the value ranges are different than each of the values in a second one of the value ranges.

24. The method of claim 17, which is provided through a data network.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data network is an internet.

26. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller in communication with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, said method comprising:

(a) maintaining a plurality of progressive awards;

(b) selecting one of a plurality of value ranges, wherein a plurality of the value ranges each include a range of different values;

(c) randomly selecting one of the values from the selected value range;

(d) during a bonus event accumulation period, incrementing an accumulated pool;

(e) if the accumulated pool increments to the randomly selected value, causing a bonus event to occur; and

(f) determining whether to provide at least one of said progressive awards to one of the players of one of the gaming machines in the bonus event, wherein if the determination is to provide one of said progressive awards, which progressive award that is provided is determined independent of the accumulated wager pool incrementing to the randomly selected value

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the accumulated pool is one of the progressive awards.

28. The method of claim 27, which includes incrementing said accumulated pool based on at least a portion of the wagers placed by the players at the gaming machines.

29. The method of claim 26, which includes incrementing said accumulated pool based on time.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the occurrence of a previous triggering event and ends at the occurrence of the triggering event.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the bonus event accumulation period begins at the issuance of a previous progressive award and ends at the issuance of said progressive award.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein if the determination is to provide one of said progressive awards, the bonus event includes a secondary game, wherein a play of the secondary game determines which progressive award is provided.

33. The method of claim 26, which includes randomly selecting one of the plurality of value ranges.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein each of the values in a first one of the value ranges are different than each of the values in a second one of the value ranges.

35. The method of claim 26, which is provided through a data network.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the data network is an internet.