Wagering Game System With Progressive-Award Denomination Selection Feature

1 . A method for establishing a progressive-award denomination for a progressive jackpot in a gaming system having a plurality of gaming terminals with different payout denominations, each of said gaming terminals allowing a player to be eligible for said progressive jackpot, said method comprising:

receiving signals from said plurality of gaming terminals indicating a payout denomination at each of said plurality of gaming terminals;

establishing a maximum payout denomination that is available at one or more of said plurality of gaming terminals;

determining whether each of said payout denominations from said plurality of gaming terminals is equally divisible into said maximum payout denomination; and

if the answer to said determining step is positive, setting said progressive-award denomination at a value that is equal to said maximum payout denomination.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further including, if the answer to said determining step is negative, establishing a modified maximum payout denomination that is equal to an increment of the value of said maximum payout denomination, and

evaluating whether each of said payout denominations from said plurality of gaming terminals is equally divisible into a modified maximum payout denomination; and

if the answer to said evaluating step is positive, setting said progressive award payout at a value that is equal to said modified maximum payout denomination.

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5 . The method of claim 1 ,

including operating said progressive game by receiving wager inputs from players at said plurality of gaming terminals and awarding said progressive jackpot to a player at one of said plurality of gaming terminals in response to said player achieving a progressive-jackpot outcome at said one of said plurality of gaming terminals, said progressive jackpot being paid in a denomination equal to said progressive-award denomination,

wherein said one of said plurality of gaming terminals has a payout denomination that is less than progressive-award denomination, and further including rounding-up an actual value of said progressive jackpot to a next increment of said progressive-award denomination by utilizing at least a portion of an escrow pool.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said escrow pool is established by a portion of said wager inputs at said plurality of gaming terminals that is used for funding said progressive jackpot.

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8 . The method of claim 1 , further including prior to said receiving step, sending a signal from said progressive-game controller to said plurality of gaming terminals requesting each of said gaming terminals to send payout denomination information.

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10 . A gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals each of which has a wagering game with a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome selected from a plurality of outcomes, said wagering game allowing a player to be eligible for a progressive jackpot, said plurality of gaming terminals including gaming terminals having different payout denominations; and

a progressive-game controller coupled to said plurality of gaming terminals and operative to:

receive information from each of said plurality of gaming terminals, said information including said payout denominations that are available at said plurality of gaming terminals; and

determine a progressive-award denomination based on said information received from said plurality of gaming terminals.

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14 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein said progressive-game controller is further operative to conduct said progressive game by receiving a portion of wager inputs received at said plurality of gaming terminals;

wherein said progressive-game controller is further operative to award a progressive jackpot to a player at one of said plurality of gaming terminals in response to said player achieving a progressive-jackpot outcome in said wagering game, an award value of said progressive jackpot being in an increment of said progressive-award denomination; and

wherein said controller is further operative to create an escrow pool from a portion of said wager inputs and to use said escrow pool when said award value of said progressive jackpot is greater than an actual value of said progressive jackpot.

15 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is further operative to create an escrow pool from a portion of said wager inputs and to use said escrow pool when an award value of said progressive jackpot is greater than an actual value of said progressive jackpot.

16 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is further operative to send a signal to each of said plurality of gaming terminals instructing said gaming terminals to provide said information.

17 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein said progressive-award denomination is equal to a maximum payout denomination of said payout denominations that is available at one or more of said plurality of gaming terminals.

18 . The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein said progressive-award denomination is equal to an increment of a maximum payout denomination of said payout denominations that is available at one or more of said plurality of gaming terminals.

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21 . A method for playing a progressive game at a plurality of gaming terminals, said wagering game allowing a player to be eligible for a progressive jackpot, said method comprising:

prior to conducting said progressive game, receiving information from said plurality of gaming terminals indicating a payout denomination at each of said plurality of gaming terminals, said plurality of gaming terminals including gaming terminals having different payout denominations;

based on said information, establishing a progressive-award denomination;

conducting said wagering games at said plurality of gaming terminals in response to receiving wager inputs from players; and

in response to a player at one of said gaming terminals achieving a progressive award outcome, awarding said progressive jackpot to said player.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said establishing includes determining whether each of said payout denominations from said plurality of gaming terminals is equally divisible into a maximum payout denomination of said payout denominations and, if the answer to said determining step is positive, setting said progressive-award denomination for each of said gaming terminals at a value that is equal to said maximum payout denomination.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further including establishing an escrow pool from a portion of said wager inputs at said plurality of gaming terminals.

24 . The method of claim 23 wherein said escrow pool is equal to said maximum payout denomination.

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26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein said escrow pool is equal to said progressive-award denomination.

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31 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said progressive-award denomination is the same for each of said plurality of gaming terminal.

32 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said progressive-award denomination is greater than a lowest value of said payout denominations.

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44 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the escrow pool is used to assist in paying said progressive jackpot if said progressive jackpot has an award value greater than an actual value of said progressive jackpot