Gaming system, gaming device and method providing tiered progressive bonusing system
First Claim
1. A gaming system comprising:
- at least one gaming device including;
a housing,a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;
(i) an acceptor, and(ii) a cashout device, andat least one processor configured to operate with the plurality of input devices to;
(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establishing a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and(b) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance; and
at least one display device; and
at least one controller configured to operate with each of said at least one gaming device and said at least one display device to;
(a) maintain, via the at least one controller, a plurality of progressive awards,(b) display, via the at least one display device, the maintained plurality of progressive awards, and(c) after an occurrence of a triggering event;
(i) determine, via the at least one controller and based on a progressive award probability for a player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, the progressive award probability being based, at least in part, on a wagering activity of the player, and(ii) if the determination is to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards,(A) assign, via the at least one controller, the player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on at least one parameter associated with the player, each one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier,(B) randomly select, via the at least one controller, at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and(C) cause the randomly selected at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards to be provided to the player.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player'"'"'s probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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at least one gaming device including; a housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including; (i) an acceptor, and (ii) a cashout device, and at least one processor configured to operate with the plurality of input devices to; (a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establishing a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and(b) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance; and at least one display device; and at least one controller configured to operate with each of said at least one gaming device and said at least one display device to; (a) maintain, via the at least one controller, a plurality of progressive awards, (b) display, via the at least one display device, the maintained plurality of progressive awards, and (c) after an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) determine, via the at least one controller and based on a progressive award probability for a player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, the progressive award probability being based, at least in part, on a wagering activity of the player, and (ii) if the determination is to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, (A) assign, via the at least one controller, the player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on at least one parameter associated with the player, each one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier, (B) randomly select, via the at least one controller, at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and (C) cause the randomly selected at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards to be provided to the player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing at least one controller to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, and (b) after an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine, based on a progressive award probability for a player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, the progressive award probability being based, at least in part, on a wagering activity of the player, said wagering activity of the player being based on at least one wager deducted from a credit balance, said credit balance being; (A) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and(B) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and (ii) if the determination is to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, (A) causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to assign the player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on at least one parameter associated with the player, each one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier, (B) causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and (C) causing the randomly selected at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards to be provided to the player. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A gaming system server comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause; (a) the at least one processor to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, and (b) after an occurrence of a triggering event; (i) the at least one processor to determine, based on a progressive award probability for a player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, the progressive award probability being based, at least in part, on a wagering activity of the player, said wagering activity of the player being based on at least one wager deducted from a credit balance, said credit balance being; (A) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;
a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and(B) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance, and (ii) if the determination is to provide the player one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards, (A) the at least one processor to assign the player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on at least one parameter associated with the player, each one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier, (B) the at least one processor to randomly select at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and (C) cause the randomly selected at least one of the maintained plurality of progressive awards to be provided to the player. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification