Gaming system and method which provides players an opportunity to win a progressive award

Abstract

A gaming system is provided that includes a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The gaming system includes a progressive award adapted to be provided to a designated winning player of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system designates the winning player when the progressive award reaches a player threshold value. In such an embodiment, the gaming system provides the progressive award to the designated winning player when the progressive award reaches an award threshold value. In one embodiment, each player who contributes to the progressive award is eligible to win that progressive award, even if that player is not playing one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. The gaming system provides the progressive award to the designated winning player or causes a notification of being provided the progressive award to the winning player. Accordingly, the gaming system stores the progressive award until one of the players of one of the gaming machines is designated.

1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a central controller;   a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine including:
 (a) a primary game operable upon a wager by a player, 
 (b) at least one display device configured to display the primary game, and 
 (c) a processor operable to communicate with the central controller; and 
   a progressive award maintained by the central controller, the progressive award associated with a first triggering event and a second triggering event, the second triggering event being different than the first triggering event, wherein the central controller is programmed to:
 (i) designate one of the players of one of the gaming machines as a winning player when the first triggering event occurs while the player is playing one of the primary games of one of the gaming machines, and 
 (ii) cause the progressive award to be provided to the winning player when the second triggering event occurs regardless of whether the winning player is playing one of the gaming machines. 
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the progressive award is funded, at least in part, based on the wagers placed on the primary games of the gaming machines. 
   
   
       3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second triggering events are different types of triggering events. 
   
   
       4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the progressive award is an accumulated value progressive award associated with a player threshold value and an award threshold value. 
   
   
       5 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the first triggering event occurs if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the player threshold value. 
   
   
       6 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the second triggering event occurs if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the award threshold value. 
   
   
       7 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the player threshold value is less than or equal to the award threshold value. 
   
   
       8 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the player threshold value is associated with a range of values which define a minimum value and a maximum value of the accumulated value progressive award. 
   
   
       9 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein the award threshold value is associated with a range of values which define a minimum value and a maximum value of the accumulated value progressive award. 
   
   
       10 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central controller is programmed to store information associated with the winning player prior to the second triggering event. 
   
   
       11 . The gaming system of  claim 10 , which includes a player tracking system operable with the central controller to store the information associated with the winning player. 
   
   
       12 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central controller causes a notification to be sent to the winning player of at least one of:
 (a) being designated as the winning player; and   (b) being provided the progressive award.   
   
   
       13 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the second triggering event occurs independently of the first triggering event. 
   
   
       14 . A gaming device operable under control of a processor, the gaming device comprising:
 a primary game, each play of the primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;   a display device operable to display each play of the primary game; and   a progressive award maintained by the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to:
 record the wagers for one or more players during a designated period of time, 
 designate which of the players to provide with the progressive award, wherein the designation occurs when the progressive award has a first value, 
 determine when to provide the progressive award to one of the players who played the primary game, wherein the determination occurs when the progressive award has a different, second value, and 
 provide the progressive award to the designated player or players. 
   
   
   
       15 . The gaming device of  claim 14 , wherein the progressive award is funded, at least in part, based on the wagers placed on the primary game. 
   
   
       16 . The gaming device of  claim 14 , wherein the progressive award increments to the first value before incrementing to the second value. 
   
   
       17 . The gaming device of  claim 14 , wherein the progressive award is an accumulated value progressive award associated with a first triggering event and a different, second triggering event. 
   
   
       18 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the first triggering event occurs if the accumulated value progressive award increments to the first value. 
   
   
       19 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the second triggering event occurs if the accumulated value progressive award increments to the second value. 
   
   
       20 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the second triggering event occurs independently of the first triggering event. 
   
   
       21 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the first triggering event occurs prior to the second triggering event. 
   
   
       22 . The gaming device of  claim 14 , wherein each player who contributed to the progressive award prior to the progressive award incrementing to the second value is eligible to win the progressive award. 
   
   
       23 . The gaming device of  claim 14 , wherein the designated player is the player who places the wager on the primary game that causes the progressive award to increment to the first value. 
   
   
       24 . A gaming system comprising:
 a central controller;   a plurality of gaming machines in communication with the central controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;   a progressive award maintained by the central controller;   a first determination of which player to provide with the progressive award while the player is playing one of the primary games of one of the gaming machines, wherein upon the occurrence of the first determination, the progressive award has a first value;   a second subsequent determination of when to provide the progressive award to the player regardless of whether the player is playing one of the primary games of one of the gaming machines, wherein upon the occurrence of the second determination, the progressive award has a different second value; and   the central controller causing the progressive award to be provided to the player determined by the first determination.   
   
   
       25 . The gaming device of  claim 24 , wherein the progressive award is funded, at least in part, based on the wagers placed on the primary game. 
   
   
       26 . The gaming device of  claim 24 , wherein the progressive award increments to the first value before incrementing to the second value. 
   
   
       27 . The gaming device of  claim 24 , wherein the first determination occurs independently of the second subsequent determination. 
   
   
       28 . The gaming system of  claim 24 , wherein the second value is greater than the first value. 
   
   
       29 . A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a primary game on each gaming machine, the primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;   (b) maintaining a progressive award;   (c) associating the progressive award with a first triggering event;   (d) designating the player of one of the gaming machines as a winning player while the player is playing one of the primary games of the gaming machine when the first triggering event occurs; and   (e) providing the progressive award to the winning player when a second triggering event occurs regardless of whether the winning player is player one of the primary games on one of the gaming machines, wherein the first triggering event is different than and occurs subsequent to the second triggering event.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , which includes funding, at least in part, the progressive award based on the wagers placed on the primary games of the gaming machines. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the progressive award is an accumulated value progressive award associated with a player threshold value and an award threshold value. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , which includes causing the first triggering event to occur if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the player threshold value. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , which includes causing the second triggering event to occur if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the award threshold value. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31 , which includes associating the player threshold value with a range of values which define a minimum value and a maximum value of the accumulated value progressive award. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 31 , which includes associating the award threshold value with a range of values which define a minimum value and a maximum value of the accumulated value progressive award. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 29 , which includes storing information associated with the winning player prior to the second triggering event. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , which includes storing the information associated with the winning player in association with a player tracking system. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 29 , which includes causing a notification to be sent to the winning player of at least one of:
 (a) being designated as the winning player; and   (b) being provided the progressive award.   
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the player threshold value is less than or equal to the award threshold value. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 29 , which includes causing the second triggering event to occur independently of the first triggering event. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second triggering events are different types of triggering events. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 29 , which includes operating the gaming system through a data network. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the data network is an internet. 
   
   
       44 . A method of operating a gaming device operable under control of a processor, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a primary game, each play of the primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player;   (b) displaying each play of the primary game;   (c) maintaining a progressive award;   (d) recording the wagers for one or more players during a designated period of time;   (e) designating which of the players to provide with the progressive award, wherein the designation occurs when the progressive award has a first value;   (f) determining when to provide the progressive award to one of the players who played the primary game, wherein the determination occurs when the progressive award has a different, second value; and   (g) providing the progressive award to the designated player or players.   
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , which includes funding, at least in part, the progressive award based on the wagers placed on the primary games. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the progressive award is an accumulated value progressive award associated with a first triggering event and a different, second triggering event. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , which includes causing the first triggering event to occur if the accumulated value progressive award increments to the first value. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , which includes causing the second triggering event to occur if the accumulated value progressive award increments to the second value. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the second triggering event occurs independently of the first triggering event. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first triggering event occurs prior to the second triggering event. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 44 , enabling each player who contributed to the progressive award prior to the progressive award incrementing to the second value to win the progressive award. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the designated player is the player who places the wager on the primary game that causes the progressive award to increment to the first value. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 46 , which includes operating the gaming device through a data network. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the data network is an internet. 
   
   
       55 . A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a primary game on each gaming machine, the primary operable upon a wager placed by a player;   (b) maintaining a progressive award;   (c) determining which player to provide with the progressive award while the player is playing one of the primary games of one of the gaming machines, wherein upon the occurrence of the determination, the progressive award has a first value;   (d) subsequently determining when to provide the progressive award to the determined player regardless of whether the determined player is playing one of the primary games of one of the gaming machines, wherein upon the occurrence of the subsequent determination, the progressive award has a different second value; and   (e) causing the progressive award to be provided to the determined player or players.   
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the progressive award is funded, at least in part, based on the wagers placed on the primary game. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the progressive award increments to the first value before incrementing to the second value. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the first determination occurs independently of the second subsequent determination. 
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the second value is greater than the first value. 
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 55 , which includes operating the gaming system through a data network. 
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the data network is an internet.