Power winners processing system and method

1. A method of forming a drawing pool for a progressive award, the method comprising:

providing one or more gaming machines connected to a gaming network, each gaming machine including a processor;

adding one drawing identification element to the drawing pool associable with each player card being identified as connected to the gaming network;

associable with each player card, adding an additional drawing identification element for every multiple of a set amount that a player wagers during a specific duration, wherein an amount that the player wagers is divided by the set amount and then rounded to the lowest integer to calculate the number of additional drawing identification elements that will be added to the associable player card; and

progressively increasing the likelihood of selecting a winning element by either reducing the number of non-winning elements or increasing the number of winning elements after each successive selection, and increasing a progressive award independent of wagering activity after each successive selection, wherein an erratic movement enticement factor contributes erratic motion to a growth rate of the progressive award that causes the growth rate to erratically increase and decrease in a +/−5% range.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding one drawing identification element to the drawing pool associable with each player card being identified as connected to a gaming network regardless of any playing activity.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising randomly selecting one or more drawing identification elements from the drawing pool.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising awarding the progressive award to a player account associated with the player card.

5. A method of operating a progressive award system, the method comprising:

providing one or more gaming machines connected to a network, each gaming machine including a processor;

performing a series of periodic random selections from a set of elements including at least one winning element;

progressively increasing the likelihood of selecting a winning element by either reducing the number of non-winning elements or increasing the number of winning elements after each successive selection, and increasing a progressive award independent of wagering activity after each successive selection, wherein an erratic movement enticement factor contributes erratic motion to a growth rate of the progressive award that causes the growth rate to erratically increase and decrease in a +/−5% range;

upon selecting a winning element, polling the network of gaming machines to identify all player cards identified as connected to the network that have not been identified as abandoned cards;

establishing a drawing pool of drawing identification elements by including one drawing identification element for each of the player cards irregardless of playing activity, and including an additional drawing identification element for every multiple of a set amount that a player wagers associated with each player card that occurred over a specific time period prior, wherein an amount that the player wagers is divided by the set amount and then rounded to the lowest integer to calculate the number of additional drawing identification elements;

randomly selecting a winning drawing identification element from the drawing pool;

determining the player card associated with the winning drawing identification element;

awarding the progressive award to the player account associated with the player card; and

sending a message to the network gaming machine associated with the player card to notify the player of the win.