Slot machine having multiple progressive jackpots
View Patent ↗A progressive jackpot slot machine, or group of slot machines, is described herein. A plurality of progressive jackpots are accumulated as the slot machine is played. In one preferred embodiment, a first progressive jackpot is accumulated at a first rate, and a second progressive jackpot is accumulated at a rate higher than the first rate. Additional jackpots accumulate at higher rates. The betting of additional monetary amounts enables the player to win additional jackpots. This provides added incentive for the player to bet additional monetary amounts.
1. A gaming machine for a gaming system providing a first progressive jackpot and a second progressive jackpot, the first progressive jackpot being funded by a first percentage of each wager placed in the gaming system and the second progressive jackpot being funded by a second percentage of each wager placed in the gaming system, the gaming machine including:
(a) a player interface system operative to enable a player to enter a wager and initiate a play of a game;
(b) a display device operative to display a result for the play of the game;
(c) a payout device operative to make payouts based on the result for the game play; and
(d) a processing device associated with at least one memory device, the at least one memory device storing program instructions executable by the processing device to:
(i) in the event the result is a winning result which is not a winning progressive jackpot result, cause the payout device to make a payout based on a pay-table which correlates the result of the game play with payout amount,
(ii) cause the player to be awarded the first progressive jackpot if the game result is a winning progressive jackpot result and if the wager was at least a first wager amount, and
(iii) cause the player to be awarded the second progressive jackpot if the game result is the winning progressive jackpot result and if the wager was at least a second wager amount, the second wager amount being larger than the first wager amount.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the player to be additionally awarded the first progressive jackpot if the wager was at least the second wager amount and the gaming result is the winning progressive jackpot result.
3. The gaming system of claim 1 wherein the winning progressive jackpot result is a result across a single payline defined through an array of reel symbol locations.
4. The gaming system of claim 3 wherein the winning progressive jackpot result is a result across any one of a number of paylines defined through an array of reel symbol locations.
5. A gaming system providing a first progressive jackpot and a second progressive jackpot available to be won across a plurality of gaming machines linked on a network, the system comprising:
a central processor programmed to communicate with the plurality of gaming machines and to calculate jackpots by contributing to a first progressive jackpot with a first percentage of a qualifying wager placed in the gaming system, and contributing to a second progressive jackpot with a second percentage of the qualifying wager;
wherein the gaming machines include:
(a) a player interface system operative to enable a player to enter a player's wager and initiate a play of a game;
(b) a display device operative to display a result for the play of the game;
(c) a payout device operative to make payouts based on the result for the game play; and
(d) a processing device associated with at least one memory device, the at least one memory device storing program instructions executable by the processing device to:
(i) in the event the result is a winning result which is not a winning progressive jackpot result, cause the payout device to make a payout based on a pay-table which correlates the result of the game play with a payout amount,
(ii) cause the player to be awarded the first progressive jackpot if the game result is a winning progressive jackpot result and if the player's wager was at least a first wager amount, and
(iii) cause the player to be awarded the second progressive jackpot if the game result is the winning progressive jackpot result and if the player's wager was at least a second wager amount, the second wager amount being larger than the first wager amount.
6. The gaming system of claim 5 , in which the processing device is further programmed for paying both the first and second progressive jackpots if the gaming result is the winning progressive jackpot result and if the player's wager was at least the second wager amount.
7. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein:
displaying the gaming result to the player further comprises displaying a number of game display elements, the number of game display elements having a plurality of possible states corresponding to different possible available outcomes of the gaming result, and
wherein the plurality of possible states includes one or more winning states, and wherein the same number of winning states are made possible if the wager is of an amount qualifying for the second progressive jackpot as are made possible if the wager is of an amount qualifying for the first progressive jackpot but not for the second progressive jackpot.
8. The gaming system of claim 5 wherein the program instructions are executable to cause the player to be additionally awarded the first progressive jackpot if the player's wager was at least the second wager amount and the gaming result is the winning progressive jackpot result.
9. The gaming system of claim 5 wherein the winning progressive jackpot result is a result across a single payline defined through an array of reel symbol locations.
10. The gaming system of claim 9 wherein the winning progressive jackpot result is a result across any one of a number of paylines defined through an array of reel symbol locations.
11. A gaming method for a gaming system comprising one or more gaming machines, the gaming method comprising:
providing a first progressive jackpot and a second progressive jackpot for a gaming system,
contributing to the first progressive jackpot with a first percentage of a qualifying wager placed through the gaming system, and contributing to the second progressive jackpot with a second percentage of a qualifying wager placed through the gaming system;
receiving a respective player wager in the gaming system;
after receiving the respective player wager, displaying a gaming result to a player;
paying the first progressive jackpot in response to the gaming result and the respective player wager qualifying for the first progressive jackpot prize;
paying the second progressive jackpot in response to the gaming result and the respective player wager qualifying for the second progressive jackpot prize;
awarding a non-jackpot prize if the gaming result is a winning result but the gaming result and respective player wager do not qualify for any jackpot prize;
wherein the gaming system comprises a plurality of linked gaming machines configured to participate in both the first and second progressive jackpots, and the first and the second progressive jackpots are common to all linked gaming machines so configured.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein displaying the gaming result to the player further comprises displaying a number of game display elements, the number of game display elements having a plurality of possible states corresponding to different possible available outcomes of the gaming result.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of possible states includes one or more winning states, and wherein a higher number of winning states are made possible if the wager is of a type qualifying for the second progressive jackpot than are made possible if the wager is of a type qualifying for the first progressive jackpot but not for the second progressive jackpot.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the number of game display elements includes a number of reel symbols displayed on a video display showing a video version of rotating reels.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the winning states include winning patterns of reel symbols present along a defined set of paylines through the number of reel symbols.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of possible states includes one or more winning states, and wherein the same number of winning states are made possible if the wager is of a type qualifying for the second progressive jackpot as are made possible if the wager is of a type qualifying for the first progressive jackpot but not for the second progressive jackpot.