Progressive jackpot communication techniques
View Patent ↗A gaming system ( 10 ) includes gaming machine groups (GR 1 -GR 16 ) arranged to receive input data and to generate output progressive jackpot data relating to two or more progressive jackpots. A central database ( 26 ) stores the input data relating to the progressive jackpots. A monitoring computer ( 40 ) includes a local database ( 46 ). The computer ( 40 ) obtains and temporarily stores the progressive jackpot output data.
1. In a gaming system, a method of processing a first progressive jackpot in a first state and a second progressive jackpot in a second state different from the first state by using a communication network comprising:
generating first jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a first progressive jackpot at a first gaming facility in a first location in the first state;
generating second jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a second progressive jackpot at the first gaming facility, wherein the second progressive jackpot is different from and coexisting with the first progressive jackpot;
generating third jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the first progressive jackpot at a second gaming facility in a second location in the second state;
generating fourth jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the second progressive jackpot at the second gaming facility;
calculating at a third location different from at least one of the first location and the second location the amount of the first progressive jackpot and calculating at a fourth location the amount of the second progressive jackpot;
transmitting via the communication network the first jackpot data, the second jackpot data, the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data;
storing the first jackpot data and the second jackpot data before calculation of the first and second jackpot amount; and
storing the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data before calculation of the first and second jackpot amount.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of calculating is performed in a fifth location different from the first location and the second location.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing the first jackpot data and the second jackpot data is performed in the first location and wherein the step of storing the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data is performed in the second location.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the step of transmitting is performed with TCP/IP protocol.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least at portion of the step of transmitting is performed with a digital subscriber line.
6. A gaming system for processing a first progressive jackpot in a first state and a second progressive jackpot in a second state different from the first state, the gaming system comprising:
a first plurality of gaming machines of a first gaming facility in a first location in the first state configured
(1) to generate first jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a first progressive jackpot, and
(2) to generate second jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a second progressive jackpot, wherein the second progressive jackpot is different from and coexisting with the first progressive jackpot;
a second plurality of gaming machines of a second gaming facility in a second location in the second state configured
(1) to generate third jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the first progressive jackpot, and
(2) to generate fourth jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the second progressive jackpot;
a first jackpot controller at a third location different from at least one of the first location and the second location configured to calculate the amount of the first progressive jackpot;
a second jackpot controller at a fourth location configured to calculate the amount of the second progressive jackpot;
a communication network configured to transmit the first jackpot data, the second jackpot data, the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data;
a first memory configured to store the first jackpot data and the second jackpot data before calculation of the amount of the first progressive jackpot and the amount of the second progressive jackpot; and
a second memory configured to store the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data before calculation of the amount of the first progressive jackpot and the amount of the second progressive jackpot.
7. The system of claim 6 , and further comprising a controller at a fifth location different from the first location and the second location configured to calculate the first and second jackpot amounts.
8. The system of claim 6 , and wherein the first memory is at the first location, and the second memory is at the second location.
9. The system of claim 6 , and wherein the communication network transmits with TCP/IP protocol.
10. The system of claim 6 , and wherein the communication network transmits with a digital subscriber line.