Wagering game with multi-level progressive game

• US 8,851,982 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Englman, Allon G., Gomez, Benjamin T., Mastropietro, Michael W., Rose, Bradley A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/913,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 485 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27, 463/28, 463/21
• 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

Abstract

A method for playing a wagering game allows an opportunity to achieve a progressive award. A wager input is received from a player for playing the wagering game. A triggered progressive game includes player-selectable elements, each of the player-selectable elements being capable of association with a progressive-winning outcome. An outcome is assigned to each of the player-selectable elements, wherein a probability that the outcome is a progressive-winning outcome depends upon an amount of the wager input. The player-selectable elements are displayed.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least one input device and at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving, via the at least one input device, a selection of either a first wager amount or a second wager amount to initiate a primary game, the second wager amount being greater than the first wager amount;

triggering a secondary game during play of the primary game, the secondary game including a first progressive sub-game associated with a first progressive award, the first progressive sub-game having a likelihood of being triggered during play of the secondary game that is the same for both the first and second wager amount;

triggering the first progressive sub-game during play of the secondary game;

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game after having received the selection of the first wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with a first award probability of awarding the first progressive award; and

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game after having received the selection of the second wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with a second award probability of awarding the first progressive award, the second award probability being greater than the first award probability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wager amount is X times greater than the first wager amount and the second award probability is X times greater than the first award probability.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary game further includes a second progressive sub-game associated with a second progressive award, the second progressive sub-game having a different likelihood of being triggered during play of the secondary game than the first progressive sub-game, wherein the second progressive sub-game has a first and a second award probability of awarding the second progressive award.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second award probability of awarding the second progressive award is the same as the second award probability of awarding the first progressive award.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a total probability of triggering the secondary game during the primary game, triggering the second progressive sub-game during the secondary game, and awarding the second progressive award is less than a total probability of triggering the secondary game during the primary game, triggering the second progressive sub-game during the secondary game, and awarding the first progressive award.

6. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming system with at least one input device and at least one processor, the wagering game including randomly selecting a game outcome from a plurality of possible game outcomes, the method comprising:

receiving, via the at least one input device, a selection of a first wager amount or a second wager amount to initiate a play of the primary game, the first wager amount being associated with a first award probability and the second wager amount being associated with a second award probability, wherein the second wager amount is larger than the first wager amount and the second award probability is larger than the first award probability;

triggering a secondary game during play of the primary game, the secondary game having a likelihood of being triggered during play of the primary game that is independent of both the first and the second wager amount, wherein the secondary game includes a first progressive sub-game associated with a first progressive award;

triggering, via at least one of the one or more processors, the first progressive sub-game during play of the secondary game;

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game during play of the secondary game after receiving the selection of the first wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with the first award probability of awarding the first progressive award; and

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game during play of the secondary game after receiving the selection of the second wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with the second award probability of awarding the first progressive award.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first progressive sub-game includes selecting an item from a plurality of selectable items, and wherein a probability of the selected item being associated with the first progressive award is equal to either the first award probability or the second progressive award probability.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first progressive sub-game includes selecting an item from a plurality of selectable items, and wherein a probability that one of the plurality of selectable items is associated with the first progressive award is dependent on a number of credits in the selected first or second wager amount.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

awarding the first progressive award during a play of the first progressive sub-game;

in response to awarding the first progressive award, resetting the first progressive award to a base level value;

re-triggering a subsequent play of the first progressive sub-game during the secondary game; and

re-awarding the first progressive award during the subsequent play of the first progressive sub-game.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the secondary game includes spinning a plurality of symbol-bearing reels to display a symbol combination, and wherein the first progressive sub-game is triggered in response to a certain symbol combination being displayed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the secondary game includes a two or more spins of the plurality of symbol-bearing reels.

12. A gaming system configured to conduct a wagering game, the gaming system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one display device;

one or more processors; and

at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to;

receive, via the at least one input device, a selection of a first wager amount or a second wager amount, the second wager amount being greater than the first wager amount;

display a primary game including spinning a plurality of primary reels to display a game outcome randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes that includes a special event triggering outcome;

in response to the randomly selected game outcome including the special event triggering outcome, initiate a secondary game including a first progressive sub-game, the first progressive sub-game having a likelihood of being triggered during play of the secondary game that is the same for both the first and second wager amount;

trigger the first progressive sub-game during the secondary game;

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game after receiving the selection of the first wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with a first award probability of awarding the first progressive award; and

in response to triggering the first progressive sub-game after receiving the selection of the second wager amount, initiating the first progressive sub-game with a second award probability of awarding the first progressive award, the second award probability being greater than the first award probability.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the second wager amount is X times greater than the first wager amount and the second award probability is X times greater than the first award probability.

14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the secondary game further includes a second progressive sub-game associated with a second progressive award, the second progressive sub-game having a different likelihood of being triggered during play of the secondary game than the first progressive sub-game, wherein the second progressive sub-game has a first and a second award probability of awarding the second progressive award.

15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the second award probability of awarding the second progressive award is the same as the second award probability of awarding the first progressive award.

16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein a total probability of triggering the secondary game during the primary game, triggering the second progressive sub-game during the secondary game, and awarding the second progressive award is less than a total probability of triggering the secondary game during the primary game, triggering the second progressive sub-game during the secondary game, and awarding the first progressive award.

17. A method of conducting a wagering game with variable probabilities, the method comprising:

receiving, via an input device, a selection of a wager amount to initiate a primary game, the wager amount selected from a plurality of different wager amounts, each wager amount of the plurality of different wager amounts corresponding to a different award probability;

triggering, via at least one of the one or more processors during the primary game, a free spin feature including one or more spins of a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, a likelihood of triggering the free spin feature during the primary game being independent of the selected wager amount;

displaying, via at least one display device during the free spin feature, a symbol combination on the plurality of reels that triggers a first progressive sub-game having the award probability of awarding a first progressive award that corresponds to the selected wager amount; and

initiating, via at least one of the one or more processors, the first progressive sub-game with the corresponding award probability.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first progressive sub-game includes selecting an item from a plurality of selectable items, wherein more than one item of the plurality of selectable items is associated with the first progressive award.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the first award probability includes a probability that one selectable item of a plurality of selectable items is associated with the progressive award multiplied by a probability of selecting the one selectable item associated with the first progressive award from the plurality of selectable items.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein the second wager amount is X times greater than the first wager amount and the second award probability is X times greater than the first award probability.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first progressive sub-game includes selecting more than one items from a plurality of selectable items, wherein one or more items of the plurality of selectable items is associated with the first progressive award.

22. A gaming system configured to conduct a wagering game including a first and a second progressive award, the gaming system comprising;

an input device;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to;

receive a selection of either a first wager amount or a second wager amount to initiate a primary game, wherein the second wager amount is larger than the first wager amount;

trigger a free-spin game during play of the primary game, wherein a likelihood of triggering the free-spin game during the primary game is the same for both the first wager amount and the second wager amount;

in response to displaying a progressive sub-game symbol combination during the free-spin game after the first wager amount is selected, initiate the first progressive sub-game with a first award probability of awarding a progressive award; and

in response to displaying a progressive sub-game symbol combination during the free-spin game after the second wager amount is selected, initiate the first progressive sub-game with a second award probability of awarding the progressive award, wherein the second award probability is greater than the first award probability.