Method of gaming and a gaming system

Abstract

A method of gaming including: initiating a jackpot feature game including a plurality of winnable jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded; receiving an instruction from a player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game; and conducting the jackpot feature game in response to receipt of the instruction from the player, the jackpot feature game including: initiating a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and providing, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected jackpot before completion of the determination.

1 . A method of gaming comprising:
 initiating a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of winnable jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded;   receiving an instruction from a player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game; and   conducting the jackpot feature game in response to receipt of the instruction from the player, the jackpot feature game including:
 initiating a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and 
 providing, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected jackpot before completion of the determination. 
   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the option to accept the award of lesser value is provided to the player if at least one condition is met. 
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one condition is a probability threshold derived from the respective probabilities of the corresponding jackpots being awarded. 
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of jackpots can be awarded if respective sets of symbols are completed. 
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the award of lesser value is a jackpot of lesser value and the option to accept the award of lesser value is provided to the player without completion of the respective set of symbols for the award of the jackpot of lesser value. 
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the jackpot feature game comprises a number of game rounds in which the determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots is made. 
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the option to accept the award of lesser
 value is provided to the player at the completion of any game round before completion of the determination.   
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the option to accept the award of lesser value is provided to the player at the completion of at least one predetermined game round before completion of the determination. 
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the number of game rounds is  15 . 
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of jackpots having different values include a grand, major and minor jackpot corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded. 
   
   
       11 . A gaming system comprising:
 a game play mechanism operable by a player to make a selection; and   a game controller arranged to:
 initiate a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of winnable jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded; 
 receive an instruction from the player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game; 
 initiate a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and 
 provide, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected before completion of the determination. 
   
   
   
       12 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the game controller is further arranged to provide the option to accept the award of lesser value to the player if at least one condition is met. 
   
   
       13 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one condition is a probability threshold derived from the respective probabilities of the corresponding jackpots being awarded. 
   
   
       14 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of jackpots can be awarded if respective sets of symbols are completed. 
   
   
       15 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the award of lesser value is a jackpot of lesser value and the game controller is further arranged to provide the option to accept the award of lesser value to the player without completion of the respective set of symbols for the award of the jackpot of lesser value. 
   
   
       16 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the jackpot feature game comprises a number of game rounds in which the determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots is made. 
   
   
       17 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the game controller is further arranged to provide the option to accept the award of lesser value to the player at the completion of any game round before completion of the determination. 
   
   
       18 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the game controller is further arranged to provide the option to accept the award of lesser value to the player at the completion of at least one predetermined game round before completion of the determination. 
   
   
       19 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the number of game rounds is  15 . 
   
   
       20 . A gaming system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of jackpots having different values comprise a grand, major and minor jackpot corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded. 
   
   
       21 . A game controller for a gaming system, the game controller arranged to:
 initiate a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded;   receive an instruction from the player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game;   initiate a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and   provide, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected before completion of the determination.   
   
   
       22 . A gaming system comprising:
 means for initiating a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded;   means for receiving an instruction from the player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game;   means for initiating a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and   means for providing, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected before completion of the determination.   
   
   
       23 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one electronic gaming machine comprising a cabinet, a display mounted within the cabinet, and a game play mechanism mounted to the cabinet incorporating at least one input device, the game play mechanism operable by a player to make a selection, and a game controller disposed within the cabinet comprising a processor and a memory storing game control instructions which enable the game controller to operate in response to operation of the game play mechanism, the game controller arranged to:
 initiate a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of winnable jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded; 
 receive an instruction from the game play mechanism selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game; 
 initiate a determination with the processor of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and 
 provide, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected before completion of the determination. 
   
   
   
       24 . A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to implement a method of gaming comprising:
 initiating a jackpot feature game comprising a plurality of winnable jackpots having different values corresponding to respective probabilities of each jackpot being awarded;   receiving an instruction from a player selecting at least one of the plurality of jackpots to play for in the jackpot feature game; and   conducting the jackpot feature game in response to receipt of the instruction from the player, the jackpot feature game including:
 initiating a determination of whether to award at least one of the selected jackpots; and 
 providing, in at least some jackpot feature games, an option to the player to accept an award of lesser value than at least the highest value selected jackpot before completion of the determination.