Gaming method and device involving progressive wagers

Abstract

A method of gaming is disclosed wherein progressive award values may be increased in response to certain pre-established game outcomes, wager amounts or random events. The increased progressive award values may be based on a primary game or secondary game outcome. Another innovation is the resetting of progressive awards upon completion of a bonus event whether or not award actually won in said bonus event. Player tracking systems permit progressive award values to be linked to a particular player such that the progressive award values remain personal to the player. Re-setting increased progressive award values is also disclosed.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A gaming system comprising:
 at least one input device;   at least one display device;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with said at least one display device and said at least one input device to:
 (a) display a plurality of reels, 
 (b) receive a wager amount placed on a play of a game, and 
 (c) for the wagered on play of the game:
 (i) cause each of the plurality of reels to display at least one randomly determined symbol, wherein for each of at least one payline, the randomly determined symbols displayed along said payline form one of a plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (ii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, increase an award value associated with one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and do not include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, not increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iv) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels and do not include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels, not increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, and 
 (v) for each formed symbol combination:
 (A) determine any award values associated with said formed symbol combination, and 
 (B) display any determined award values associated with said formed symbol combination. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, increase at least two award values associated with at least two of the different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the second, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a third, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase an award value associated with another one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 4 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the third, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase the award value associated with the other one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reels includes five reels. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the wager amount and at least one of the award values are selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 1 , which includes a housing, and a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including (i) an acceptor, and (ii) a cashout device, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to operate with the plurality of input devices to: if a physical item is received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance. 
     
     
         9 . A gaming system server comprising;
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 (a) cause at least one display device to display a plurality of reels, 
 (b) receive data associated with a wager amount placed on a play of a game, and 
 (c) for the wagered on play of the game:
 (i) cause each of the plurality of reels to display at least one randomly determined symbol, wherein for each of at least one payline, the randomly determined symbols displayed along said payline form one of a plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (ii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, increase an award value associated with one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and do not include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, not increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iv) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels and do not include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels, not increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, and 
 (v) for each formed symbol combination:
 (A) determine any award values associated with said formed symbol combination, and 
 (B) cause the at least one display device to display any determined award values associated with said formed symbol combination. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, increase at least two award values associated with at least two of the different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the second, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a third, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase an award value associated with another one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming system server of  claim 12 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor for the wagered on play of the game, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the third, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, increase the award value associated with the other one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of reels includes five reels. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the wager amount and at least one of the award values are selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , wherein any determined award values causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming system server of  claim 9 , which transmits and receives data over a data network. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming system server of  claim 17 , wherein the data network is an internet. 
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
 (a) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of reels,   (b) receiving a wager amount placed on a play of a game, and   (c) for the wagered on play of the game:
 (i) causing each of the plurality of reels to display at least one randomly determined symbol, wherein for each of at least one payline, the randomly determined symbols displayed along said payline form one of a plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (ii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to increase an award value associated with one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iii) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and do not include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, not increasing the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, 
 (iv) if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels and do not include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels, not increasing the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations, and 
 (v) for each formed symbol combination:
 (A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine any award values associated with said formed symbol combination, and 
 (B) causing the at least one display device to display any determined award values associated with said formed symbol combination. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , which includes, for the wagered on play of the game, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include a first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a second, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with a different one of the reels, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase at least two award values associated with at least two of the different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , which includes, for the wagered on play of the game, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the second, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the award value associated with the one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , which includes, for the wagered on play of the game, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with one of the reels and a third, different designated symbol displayed at any symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase an award value associated with another one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , which includes, for the wagered on play of the game, if the displayed randomly determined symbols include the first designated symbol displayed at a first symbol display position associated with one of the reels and the third, different designated symbol displayed at a second, different symbol display position associated with the different one of the reels, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increase the award value associated with the other one of the plurality of different symbol combinations. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of reels includes five reels. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the wager amount and at least one of the award values are selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, and a quantity of player tracking points. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein any determined award values causes an increase of a credit balance which is increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , which is executed through a data network. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the data network is an internet.