Progressive jackpot incrementing system

Abstract

A gaming system and a method of operating a bonus prize awarding system, the system comprising a plurality of electronic gaming console having a console cabinet 10 including a prize display 12, a coin entry slot 13, a pay out tray 14 and internally mounted game control processor circuits. A video game is provided for play on the console in which images of objects (balls) are dropped through a series of obstacles (pins) and eventually fill a number of containers. Prizes are paid according to either the number of balls which are in each container at the end of the ball drop and/or the manner in which the pins are hit, and bonus prizes are increased progressively upon the occurrence of predetermined game events within the game or external to the game.

1 . A gaming system comprising:
 a plurality of linked gaming machines, each gaming machine having a display and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display;   a jackpot prize having a winnable value for one of said gaming machines to be awarded through a random trigger event randomly occurring at one of said gaming machines during play; and   a progressive jackpot controller arranged to 1) award the jackpot prize to one of said plurality of gaming machines, and 2) increase the value of the jackpot prize when one of a plurality of prize altering events randomly occurs at one of said gaming machines during play;   wherein in response to a prize altering event occurring at one of said gaming machines, the value of the jackpot prize is increased by a respective amount associated with the prize altering event; and   wherein, in response to the triggering event occurring at one of said gaming machines, the progressive jackpot controller awards the value of the jackpot prize amount to said one of said gaming machines on which the trigger event occurs.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said linked gaming machines plays a game selected from the set comprising spinning reel games, card games and ball games. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the value of the jackpot prize is determined by the progressive jackpot controller in response to a predetermined prize altering event occurring from time to time at a gaming machine. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the occurrence of a triggering event is independent of the occurrence of any one of the plurality of predetermined prize altering events. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the triggering event occurs at a gaming machine upon an accumulation of a predefined number of predetermined prize altering events occurring at said gaming machine. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a game is played on said display; and wherein the predetermined prize altering event is independent of the game played on said display. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a game is played on said display; and wherein the occurrence of one of the plurality of predetermined prize altering events is related to the placing of a certain bet in respect of the play of the game.