Gaming system and method for enabling a player to select progressive awards to try for and chances of winning progressive awards

• US 7,666,094 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Cohen, Alexdander Casey Naglestad, Ferry, Tonja Marie, Koby, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/830,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player'"'"'s selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller configured to;

(i) maintain a plurality of progressive awards which increment based, at least in part, on a plurality of wagers placed on a plurality of plays of a plurality of primary games, and

(ii) maintain a plurality of supplemental awards, wherein for each one of the supplemental awards, said supplemental award is associated with a different one of the progressive awards; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including;

at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller;

at least one input device;

at least one display device; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor for a play of a secondary game, cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after an occurrence of a triggering event, to;

(i) enable a player of one of said gaming machines to play for one of the plurality of progressive awards,

(ii) determine whether to provide the progressive award to the player,

(iii) if the determination is to provide the progressive award, provide the progressive award and the supplemental award associated with the progressive award to the player,

(iv) if the determination is not to provide the progressive award, for each of a plurality of the other progressive awards which were not played for by the player, modify said progressive award based, at least in part, on the supplemental award associated with said progressive award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein for each one of the progressive awards, said progressive award has a probability of being provided to the player, and wherein at least two of the probabilities are different.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor for the play of the secondary game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after the occurrence of the triggering event, to:

(i) display a plurality of game components in association with the secondary game,

(ii) enable the player to directly select one of the game components and one of the progressive awards,

(iii) enable the player to play for the selected progressive award with the selected game component, and

(iv) determine whether to provide the selected progressive award to the player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the selected game component.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor for the play of the secondary game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after the occurrence of the triggering event, to:

(i) designate the progressive award which the player is currently playing for as an active progressive award, and

(ii) for each of the other progressive awards, designate said progressive award as an inactive progressive award.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor for the play of the secondary game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after the occurrence of the triggering event, to:

(i) if the determination is to provide the active progressive award, provide the active progressive award and the supplemental award associated with said active progressive award to the player, and

(ii) if the determination is not to provide the active progressive award;

(a) modify a plurality of the inactive progressive awards, wherein for each of the modified progressive awards, said modification is based, at least in part, on the supplemental award of said modified progressive award, and

(b) enabling the player to play for one of the modified progressive awards.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is a random triggering event.