GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH DYNAMIC JACKPOT SORTING

1 . A method of operating a gaming machine, the method comprising the operations of:

presenting, on a presentation assembly, a plurality of reels, an array, and a ladder, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the ladder including a plurality of levels, the plurality of levels including a top level and a bottom level, the plurality of levels bearing respective jackpots of a plurality of jackpots, the plurality of jackpots including a first set of scalable jackpots and a second set of at least one progressive jackpot, the plurality of jackpots being sorted in descending order with a highest jackpot at the top level of the ladder and a lowest jackpot at the bottom level of the ladder;

detecting, via a value input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a monetary balance;

receiving, via at least one of one or more electronic input devices, a wager input indicative of a wager drawn from the monetary balance;

scaling, by game-logic circuitry, the scalable jackpots, but not the progressive jackpot, according to an amount of the wager;

if the plurality of jackpots would not be in descending order after the scaling, animating, on the presentation assembly, animating, on the presentation assembly, a sorting of the jackpots into descending order by shifting the progressive jackpot from its current level to a different level in the ladder and entering a scaled jackpot at the current level vacated by the progressive jackpot;

animating, on the presentation assembly, one or more spins of the plurality of the reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array; and

receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the monetary balance.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the scaling includes scaling the scalable jackpots in proportion to the amount of the wager.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the progressive jackpot increments as wagers are placed, and wherein the scalable jackpots do not increment as wagers are placed.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to a triggering event, awarding at least one of the jackpots in the ladder.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the triggering event includes a predetermined number or combination of special symbols within the landed symbols.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined number may be accumulated over the one or more spins.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaming machine is regulatorily approved and primarily dedicated to playing a wagering game.

8 . A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine including:

a value input device configured to detect a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a monetary balance;

one or more electronic input devices configured to receive a wager input indicative of a wager drawn from the monetary balance and to receive a cashout input that initiates a payout from the monetary balance; and

a presentation assembly configured to present a plurality of reels, an array, and a ladder, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the ladder including a plurality of levels, the plurality of levels including a top level and a bottom level, the plurality of levels bearing respective jackpots of a plurality of jackpots, the plurality of jackpots including a first set of scalable jackpots and a second set of at least one progressive jackpot, the plurality of jackpots being sorted in descending order with a highest jackpot at the top level of the ladder and a lowest jackpot at the bottom level of the ladder; and

game-logic circuitry configured to perform the operations of:

scaling the scalable jackpots, but not the progressive jackpot, according to an amount of the wager;

if the plurality of jackpots would not be in descending order after the scaling, animating, on the presentation assembly, a sorting of the jackpots into descending order by shifting the progressive jackpot from its current level to a different level in the ladder and entering a scaled jackpot at the current level vacated by the progressive jackpot; and

animating, on the presentation assembly, one or more spins of the plurality of the reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the scaling includes scaling the scalable jackpots in proportion to the amount of the wager.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the progressive jackpot increments as wagers are placed, and wherein the scalable jackpots do not increment as wagers are placed.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein in response to a triggering event, the game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operation of awarding at least one of the jackpots in the ladder.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the triggering event includes a predetermined number or combination of special symbols within the landed symbols.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined number may be accumulated over the one or more spins.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the gaming machine is regulatorily approved and primarily dedicated to playing a wagering game.

15 . A regulatorily-approved gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing a wagering game, the machine comprising:

a value input device configured to detect a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a monetary balance;

one or more electronic input devices configured to receive a wager input indicative of a wager drawn from the monetary balance and to receive a cashout input that initiates a payout from the monetary balance;

a presentation assembly configured to present a plurality of reels, an array, and a ladder, the plurality of reels bearing a plurality of symbols, the ladder including a plurality of levels, the plurality of levels including a top level and a bottom level, the plurality of levels bearing respective jackpots of a plurality of jackpots, the plurality of jackpots including a first set of scalable jackpots and a second set of at least one progressive jackpot, the plurality of jackpots being sorted in descending order with a highest jackpot at the top level of the ladder and a lowest jackpot at the bottom level of the ladder; and

game-logic circuitry configured to perform the operations of:

scaling the scalable jackpots, but not the progressive jackpot, according to an amount of the wager;

if the plurality of jackpots would not be in descending order after the scaling, animating, on the presentation assembly, a sorting of the jackpots into descending order by shifting the progressive jackpot from its current level to a different level in the ladder and entering a scaled jackpot at the current level vacated by the progressive jackpot; and

animating, on the presentation assembly, one or more spins of the plurality of the reels to land symbols from the plurality of symbols in the array.

16 . The machine of claim 15 , wherein the scaling includes scaling the scalable jackpots in proportion to the amount of the wager.

17 . The machine of claim 15 , wherein the progressive jackpot increments as wagers are placed, and wherein the scalable jackpots do not increment as wagers are placed.

18 . The machine of claim 15 , wherein in response to a triggering event, the game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operation of awarding at least one of the jackpots in the ladder.

19 . The machine of claim 18 , wherein the triggering event includes a predetermined number or combination of special symbols within the landed symbols.

20 . The machine of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined number may be accumulated over the one or more spins.