Gaming system, gaming device and method providing tiered progressive bonusing system

• US 8,602,883 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cuddy, Ryan W., Saffari, Mohammed A., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US13/686,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 463 26- 27, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/27
• 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 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

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.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming device, each gaming device including at least one input device;

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 a plurality of progressive awards,

(b) if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for a player, and

(c) after an occurrence of a triggering event;

(i) determine, based on a progressive award probability for the player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained 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 progressive awards,

(A) assign the player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the player, each one of the maintained progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier,

(B) randomly select at least one of the progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and

(C) cause the at least one randomly selected progressive award to be provided to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of progressive awards are arranged as a multi-level progressive award.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each one of the progressive awards is associated with a probability of being provided for each of the plurality of progressive event tiers.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein each one of the progressive event tiers is associated with a different range of progressive event points, each of the ranges including a minimum progressive event point value and a maximum progressive event point value.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate to determine whether the point accumulation event has occurred in association with a game being played at the at least one gaming device.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of gaming devices and wherein the wagering activity of the player is based on an amount of wagers placed by the player relative to the amount of wagers placed by other players at other gaming devices.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, which includes a plurality of gaming devices and wherein the wagering activity of the player is based on an amount of wagers placed by the player during a designated period of time relative to the amount of wagers placed by other players at other gaming devices during the designated period of time.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wager and at least one of the maintained progressive awards is selected from the group consisting of:

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

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

(a) causing at least one controller to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of progressive awards,

(b) if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for a player, and

(c) 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 the player, whether to provide the player one of the maintained 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 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 the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the player, each one of the maintained 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 progressive awards based on the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and

(C) causing the at least one randomly selected progressive award to be provided to the player.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of progressive awards are arranged as a multi-level progressive award.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each one of the progressive awards is associated with a probability of being provided for each of the plurality of progressive event tiers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each one of the progressive event tiers is associated with a different range of progressive event points, each of the ranges including a minimum progressive event point value and a maximum progressive event point value.

15. The method of claim 10, which includes causing the at least one controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether the point accumulation event has occurred in association with a game being played at the at least one gaming device.

16. The method of claim 10, which includes a plurality of gaming devices and wherein the wagering activity of the player is based on an amount of wagers placed by the player relative to the amount of wagers placed by other players at other gaming devices.

17. The method of claim 10, which includes a plurality of gaming devices and wherein the wagering activity of the player is based on an amount of wagers placed by the player during a designated period of time relative to the amount of wagers placed by other players at other gaming devices during the designated period of time.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the wager and at least one of the maintained progressive awards is selected from the group consisting of:

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

19. The method of claim 10, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.