Granted Patent B2

US 8,591,324 · App. 12/863,155 · Granted Nov 26, 2013

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method of operating a wagering game comprising:

displaying on at least one display device the wagering game and at least one progressive award;

in response to an input via at least one input device, receiving a wager to play the wagering game;

upon an occurrence of a first triggering event, offering, by one or more processors, a player an option to accept or reject the at least one progressive award;

determining, by at least one of the one or more processors, whether or not the at least one progressive award has been accepted by the player;

if the at least one progressive award has not been accepted by the player,

(i) banking a progressive enhancement, and

(ii) in response to another wager and then upon an occurrence of a second triggering event, applying, by at least one of the one or more processors, the progressive enhancement to the at least one progressive award; and

if the at least one progressive award has been accepted by the player, awarding, by at least one of the one or more processors, the at least one progressive award to the player.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a total number of progressive enhancements that may be banked is limited to a predetermined number.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the banked progressive enhancement may be played in a later gaming session.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one progressive award is randomly selected from a plurality of progressive awards.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one progressive award includes at least a first level and a second level, the first level being a subsequently higher level than the second level.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein in response to applying the progressive enhancement to the at least one progressive award, the second level of the at least one progressive award is awarded, by at least one of the one or more processors, to the player.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one progressive award is revealed after determining whether or not the at least one progressive award has been accepted by the player.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one progressive award is selected from a group consisting of a monetary award, a number of free spins, and an opportunity to play another progressive game.

9. A method of operating a wagering game comprising:

displaying on at least one display device the wagering game;

in response to an input via at least one input device, receiving a wager to play the wagering game;

upon an occurrence of a first triggering event, offering, by one or more processors, a player choice of accepting or rejecting at least one progressive award;

in response to the at least one progressive award being accepted by the player, awarding the at least one progressive award to the player;

in response to the at least one progressive award being rejected by the player, banking a token associated with at least one progressive enhancement; and

in response to another wager and then upon an occurrence of a second triggering event, redeeming the token and in response thereto applying, via at least one of the one or more processors, the at least one progressive enhancement to the at least one progressive award.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the token may be redeemed in a later gaming session.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the progressive enhancement comprises an upgrade to a subsequently higher level of a progressive award.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising storing the token visually on the at least one display device.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying on the at least one display device (a) a number of accumulated tokens and (b) a visual representation of the token.

14. A gaming system comprising:

a wager input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game;

at least one display for displaying the wagering game; and

at least one controller to:

(i) upon an occurrence of a first triggering event, offering a player choice of accepting or rejecting at least one progressive jackpot;

(ii) in response to the at least one progressive jackpot being accepted by the player, awarding the at least one progressive jackpot to the player;

(iii) in response to the at least one progressive jackpot being rejected by the player, banking a token associated with at least one progressive enhancement; and

(iv) in response to another wager and then upon an occurrence of a second triggering event and in response to banking the token, redeeming the token and in response thereto applying the at least one progressive enhancement to the at least one progressive jackpot.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the token may be redeemed in a later gaming session.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first triggering event is a predetermined outcome of the wagering game.

Assignments (12)