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

• US 9,558,630 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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, Alexander C., Ferry, Tonja M., Koby, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/799,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

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 display device;

at least one input device;

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 the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) display a plurality of progressive awards, each progressive award having a progressive award value,

(b) for a play of a game;

(i) randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) display the randomly determined game outcome,

(iii) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) display any determined award, and

(c) if a triggering event occurs in association with the play of the game;

(i) randomly determine whether to provide a player one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on a probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and said determination of whether to provide the player one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any randomly determined game outcomes of any play of the game,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide the player one of the progressive awards, cause said one of the progressive awards to be provided to the player, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide the player one of the progressive awards, increase the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event occurs if the randomly determined game outcome includes a designated symbol.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to display three progressive awards.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device to:

(i) display at least a first number in association with the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and

(ii) display at least a second, lower number in association with the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if another triggering event occurs in association with another play of the game:

(i) randomly determine whether to provide one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide one of the progressive awards, cause said one of the progressive awards to be provided, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide one of the progressive awards, increase the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a housing, and a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including (i) an acceptor, and (ii) a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to:

if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of any determined award and any of the progressive awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

8. A gaming system server comprising:

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 the at least one processor to;

(a) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards, each progressive award having a progressive award value, (b) for a play of a game;

(i) randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display the randomly determined game outcome,

(iii) determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award, and

(c) if a triggering event occurs in association with the play of the game;

(i) randomly determine whether to provide a player one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on a probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and said determination of whether to provide the player one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any randomly determined game outcomes of any play of the game,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide the player one of the progressive awards, cause said one of the progressive awards to be provided to the player, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide the player one of the progressive awards, increase the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the triggering event occurs if the randomly determined game outcome includes a designated symbol.

10. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause the at least one display device to display three progressive awards.

11. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) cause the at least one display device to display at least a first number in association with the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and

(ii) cause the at least one display device to display at least a second, lower number in association with the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards.

12. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if another triggering event occurs in association with another play of the game:

(i) randomly determine whether to provide one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide one of the progressive awards, cause said one of the progressive awards to be provided, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide one of the progressive awards, increase the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

13. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

14. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein at least one of any determined award and any of the progressive awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

15. The gaming system server of claim 8, which transmits data through a data network.

16. The gaming system server of claim 15, wherein the data network is an internet.

17. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards, each progressive award having a progressive award value,

(b) for a play of a game;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to randomly determine a game outcome,

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the randomly determined game outcome,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award associated with the randomly determined game outcome, and

(iv) causing the at least one display device to display any determined award, and

(c) if a triggering event occurs in association with the play of the game;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine whether to provide a player one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on a probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and said determination of whether to provide the player one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any randomly determined game outcomes of any play of the game,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide the player one of the progressive awards, causing said one of the progressive awards to be provided to the player, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide the player one of the progressive awards, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the triggering event occurs if the randomly determined game outcome includes a designated symbol.

19. The method of claim 17, which includes causing the at least one display device to display three progressive awards.

20. The method of claim 17, which includes:

(i) causing the at least one display device to display at least a first number in association with the probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, and

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display at least a second, lower number in association with the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards.

21. The method of claim 17, which includes, if another triggering event occurs in association with another play of the game:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly determine whether to provide one of the progressive awards, wherein said determination is based on the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards,

(ii) if the random determination is to provide one of the progressive awards, causing said one of the progressive awards to be provided, and

(iii) if the random determination is to not provide one of the progressive awards, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards, wherein said increase of the increased probability of obtaining one of the progressive awards occurs independent of any of the progressive award values of any of the progressive awards.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein any determined award associated with the randomly determined game outcome causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of any determined award and any of the progressive awards include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

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.