AU2013213677A1 - Apparatus, system and method for awarding progressive or jackpot prizes - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract Gaming methods and apparatus are described for providing a plurality of progressive prizes for a gaming system. Separate progressive prizes are maintained for each of a plurality of different wager options for a game playable on the gaming system. The 5 progressive prizes can be maintained so as to reduce the difference in contribution to the expected return to player between the wager options.

Description

1 Apparatus, system and method for awarding progressive or jackpot prizes Field of the invention The present invention generally relates to gaming apparatus and methods of gaming in 5 which a wager is placed on one or more outcomes and a prize is won if a particular outcome results. A particular embodiment of the present invention relates to gaming apparatus and methods of gaming that award a progressive or jackpot prize. Background of the Invention With the increase of gambling at gaming venues has come increased competition 10 between gaming venues to obtain a larger share of the total gambling spend. Gaming venue operators have therefore continuously looked for new variations and types of games in order to attract both new and return customers to their venues. In response to this need, suppliers of gaming devices and systems have attempted to provide the sought after variety, while still developing games that comply with the 15 relevant regulations in the jurisdiction of the gaming venue operator. Suppliers of gaming devices therefore are faced with restrictions on the types of games and gaming apparatus that are allowable, both in terms of the prevailing regulations and in terms of providing a return on investment to the gaming venue operators. In addition, it is important that a player be able to understand the operation of a game 20 quickly so that the player can start to quickly play the game and therefore extract maximum entertainment from the game. One method that has been used with gaming machines is to offer a progressive prize. The progressive prize is contributed to through gaming activity on the gaming machine, for example by taking a percentage of all wagers placed on the gaming machine. The 25 progressive prize is awarded on the occurrence of a progressive prize winning event. Various methods of contribution to a progressive prize and determination of when the progressive prize has been awarded have been developed.

2 A problem with progressive prizes is finding an appropriate method of determining how to award the progressive prize. Taking the example of a gaming machine that implements a spinning reel game, if the progressive prize winning event is the spinning up of a particular combination of symbols on a 5 pay line that has been purchased through the placing of a wager in the form of a number of credits, then this combination can be expected to occur with the same frequency no matter how many credits are wagered on that outcome. For other winning combinations of a pay line, the award may be multiplied by 10 the amount of credits that were wagered on that pay line. However, multiplication of a progressive prize in this manner is not viable. The result is that the contribution to the expected return to player of the progressive prize is higher for players that only wager a single credit per pay line than for players that wager multiple credits per pay line. An ongoing problem faced in the field 15 is how to develop new ways of offering progressive prizes that adequately address variations in the expected return to player. Summary of the Invention 20 According to a first aspect, the invention broadly resides in a method of gaming in a gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising the steps of: providing a jackpot server arranged to maintain a plurality of progressive prizes able to be won, the progressive prizes being contributed to through play 25 of games on the gaming machines; selecting at least one symbol and displaying the selected at least one symbol on a display of a gaming machine of the gaming system, the displayed at least one symbol representing at least one outcome from a plurality of possible outcomes, at least one of which is a progressive winning outcome; 30 determining whether the at least one displayed symbols corresponds to a progressive winning outcome; awarding one of the plurality of progressive prizes to a layer of a gaming machine on the occurrence of a progressive winning outcome at the gaming machine; and, 35 facilitating selection by a player at a gaming machine of any one of a plurality of distinct wager options, the probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome per unit wager being different for each wager 3 option, and wherein each of the distinct wager options is associated with a progressive prize. In one embodiment, the method may comprise forming at least one progressive s pool at the jackpot server for each progressive prize, each wager option being associated with at least one progressive pool and at least one wager option being associated with at least two progressive pools, the method further comprising contributing to each of the progressive pools associated with a wager option when the wager option is made at a gaming machine, the 10 progressive prize associated with a wager option being the sum of the progressive pools that are contributed to when the wager option is made at the gaming machine. The progressive pools contributes to when a wage option is made at a gaming machine may comprise all of the progressive pools contributed to by a wager option having a higher probability of occurrence of the is progressive winning outcome per unit wager. In one embodiment, a single progressive winning outcome is provided. The probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome may be the same for each game played, regardless of which of the distinct wager options is 20 made. In one embodiment, at least one wager option can be made in the game by a player of the game by making two different value wagers. The method may comprise contributing to the progressive prizes as a whole in proportion to the 25 value of the wager. According to a second aspect, the invention broadly resides in a gaming system for implementing a game, the gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine being arranged to 30 select at least one symbol and display the selected at least one symbol on a display, the displayed at least one symbol representing at least one outcome of a game indicated by the gaming machine from a plurality of possible outcomes, at least one of which is a progressive winning outcome; and, a jackpot server configured to maintain a plurality of progressive prizes as that are able to be won, the progressive prizes being contributed to through implementation of games by the gaming machines; the gaming system being arranged to award one of the plurality of 4 progressive prizes to a player of a gaming machine on the occurrence of a progressive winning outcome at the gaming machine; and, the gaming system being arranged to facilitate selection by a player at a gaming machine of any one of a plurality of distinct wager options, the s probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome per unit wager being different for each wager option, and wherein each of the distinct wager options is associated with a respective progressive prize. 10 5 Further aspects of the present invention and further embodiments of the aspects described above will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings 5 Figure 1: shows diagrammatically, a view of a gaming machine suitable for implementing the invention. Figure 2: shows a block diagram of gaming apparatus suitable for implementing the invention. Figure 3: shows a block diagram of components of the memory of the gaming 10 apparatus represented in Figure 2. Figure 4: shows diagrammatically, a network gaming system suitable for implementing the invention. Figure 5: shows a flow diagram of a process in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 15 Figure 6: shows a flow diagram of a process in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 7: shows a first simplified screen display showing jackpot prize values displayed by a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 20 Figure 8: shows a second simplified screen display showing jackpot prize values displayed by a gaming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, one example of a gaming machine suitable 25 for implementing the present invention is generally referenced by arrow 10.

6 The gaming machine 10 includes a console 12 having a display 14 on which is displayed representations of a game 16, that can be played by a player. A mid-trim 20 of the gaming machine 10 houses a bank of buttons 22 for enabling a player to play the game 16. The mid-trim 20 also houses a credit input mechanism 24 including a coin 5 input chute 24A and a bill collector 24B. A top box 26 may carry artwork 28, including for example, pay tables and details of bonus awards and other information or images relating to the game. Further artwork and/or information may be provided on the front panel 29 of the console 12. A coin tray 30 is mounted beneath the console 12 for cash payouts from the gaming machine 10. 10 The display 14 shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a video display unit, particularly a cathode ray tube screen device. Alternatively, the display 14 may be a liquid crystal display, plasma screen, any other suitable video display unit, or the visible portion of an electromechanical device. The top box 26 may also include a display, for example a video display unit, which may be of the same type as the display 14, or a different type 15 of display. Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a gaming apparatus, generally referenced by arrow 100, suitable for implementing the present invention. The gaming apparatus 100 may, for example, operate as a standalone gaming machine of the type shown in Figure 1. However, the gaming apparatus 100 may alternatively operate as a networked gaming 20 machine, communicating with other network devices, such as one or more servers or other gaming machines. The gaming apparatus 100 may also have distributed hardware and software components that communicate with each other directly or through a network. Accordingly, different reference numerals have been used in Figure 2 from Figure 1 for components that may be equivalent. 25 The gaming apparatus 100 includes a game controller 101, which in the illustrated example includes a computational device 102, which may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device or other suitable device. Instructions and data to control operation of the computational device 102 are stored in a memory 103, which is in data communication with or forms a part of the computational device 102. 30 Typically, the gaming apparatus 100 will include both volatile and non-volatile memory and more than one of each type of memory, with such memories being collectively 7 represented by the memory 103. The instructions to cause the game controller 101 to implement the present invention will be stored in the memory 103. The gaming apparatus may include hardware meters 104 for the purposes of regulatory compliance and also include an input/output (1/O) interface 105 for communicating with 5 the peripheral devices of the gaming apparatus 100. The input/output interface 105 and/or the peripheral devices may be intelligent devices with their own memory for instructions and data. In the example shown in Figure 2, the peripheral devices that communicate with the controller are one or more displays 106, user input devices 107, a card and/or ticket 10 reader 108, a printer 109, a bill acceptor and/or coin input mechanism 110 and a coin output mechanism 111. One or more of the displays 106 may include a touch screen 106A, forming part of the user input devices 107. Additional devices may be included as part of the gaming machine 100, or devices omitted as required for the specific implementation. 15 In addition, the gaming machine 100 may include a communications interface, for example a network card 112. The network card, may for example, send status information, accounting information or other information to a central controller, server or database and receive data or commands from a the central controller, server or database. One or more of the peripheral devices, for example the card/ticket reader 108 20 may be able to communicate directly with the network card 112. The game controller 101 may also include a random number generator 113, which generates a series of random numbers that determine the outcome of a series of random game events played as part of a game on the gaming apparatus 100. As explained in more detail in relation to Figure 4, the computational device 102 may 25 include two or more controllers or processors, which may be local or remote from each other and the displays 106. Figure 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of the main components of the memory 103. The RAM 103A typically temporarily holds program files for execution by the computational controller 102 and related data. The EPROM 103B may hold be a boot 8 ROM device and/or may contain some system or game related code. The mass storage device 103C is typically used to store game programs, the integrity of which may be verified and/or authenticated by the computational controller 102 using protected code from the EPROM 103B or elsewhere. 5 Figure 4 shows a gaming system 200. The gaming system 200 includes a network 201, which for example may be an Ethernet network. Gaming devices 202, shown arranged in three banks 203 of two gaming devices 202 in Figure 4, are connected to the network 201. The gaming devices 202 may be gaming machines 10, as shown in Figure 1 or form part or all of another gaming apparatus 100. Single gaming devices 202 and banks 10 203 containing three or more gaming devices 202 may also be connected to the network 201. One or more displays 204 may also be connected to the network 201. The displays 204 may, for example, be associated with a bank 203 of gaming devices. The displays 204 may be used to display representations associated with game play on the gaming 15 devices 202, and/or used to display other representations, for example promotional or informational material. Servers may also be connected to the network 201. For example, a game server 205 may generate game outcomes for games played on the gaming devices 202, a database management server 206 may manage the storage of game programs and 20 associated data for downloading or access by the gaming devices 202 in a database 206A, and a jackpot server 207 may control one or more jackpots associated with the gaming devices 202. Further servers may be provided to assist in the administration of the gaming system 200, including for example a gaming floor management server 208, and a licensing 25 server 209 to monitor the use of licenses to particular games. An administrator terminal 210 is provided to allow an administrator to run the network 201 and the devices connected to the network.

9 The servers shown in Figure 4 may be separate physical devices. Alternatively, a single physical device may run two or more server processes to implement two or more of the servers shown in Figure 4. The gaming system 200 may communicate with other gaming systems, other local 5 networks, for example a corporate network and/or a wide area network such as the internet through a firewall 211. Figure 5 shows a process flow diagram of a process performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The process may be performed within the network gaming system 200, in which the gaming devices 202 may each comprise part or all of 10 a gaming apparatus 100 and the following description assumes this implementation. The process may also be performed by an individual gaming apparatus 100, including a standalone gaming machine 10. Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that the process shown in Figure 5 (and Figure 6) will also be able to be implemented by other gaming systems. 15 Figure 5 shows a combination of a process to establish a gaming machine or system with progressive prizes and a process to operate the gaming machine or system once it has been established. In step 50, the number of wagers (n) that may be placed that would result in a different return to player of a game played on a gaming device 202 due to the offering of a single 20 progressive prize are identified. Examples of wager options that have this characteristic include: . In a spinning reel game with unchanging reels and in which the game event that results in the award of the progressive prize is the spinning up of a particular combination of symbols in a pay line that has been purchased by the player, with 25 different options of the wager per line. For example, if the game allowed selection of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 25 pay lines and allowed a wager of 1, 2, 5 or 10 credits per line, there are 4 different wager options corresponding to the wagers of 1. 2, 5, 10 credits per line.

10 In a spinning reel game with unchanging reels and in which the game event that results in the award of the progressive prize is the spinning up of a particular combination of symbols anywhere in the displayed symbol positions of the reels (otherwise known as scatter pays) - any wager having a distinct wager value. 5 Using the example described herein above, there are 13 different wager options, corresponding to the wagers of 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50, 125 and 250 credits. . For games that deal one or more "hands" that are evaluated for a winning outcome, such as card games, bingo games, keno games and dice games, in 10 which the progressive is awarded on the occurrence of a particular outcome that occurs with equal probability regardless of the value of the wager per hand - the different options for the wager per hand. For games that have a feature game triggered on a particular event, and in which the progressive is awarded on the occurrence of a particular outcome in the feature game, 15 the wager options will need to be determined for the particular game. The wager options will be the wagers that may be placed that result in different expected win rates for the progressive that are not proportional to the difference between the wagers (including where two different wagers of equal value may be made, but which result in different expected win rates for the progressive). 20 Each wager option may include one or more than one wager. Taking the previously described example of the spinning reel game that pays the progressive on the spinning up of a particular combination in a bought pay line, each wager option includes five different wager values, arising from the different wagers required to play 1, 2, 3, 5 and 25 pay lines. 25 Where the progressive prizes to be established and maintained are linked to one or more gaming devices 202 that each may provide one or more games and any of the games on any of the gaming devices 202 contribute to and can win the progressive prizes, then the different wager options are the collective set of wager options across all games and all gaming devices 202. One way of identifying the wager options is to 30 determine the expected hit rates for the progressive prize in a particular game play for 11 every possible wager in every playable game and divide the hit rates by the value of the wager. The wager options can then be identified as the wagers associated with each distinct quotient. Different wagers that have only a slight variation in expected return to player may be 5 grouped together into a single wager option. In step 51, a plurality of progressive pools are established. The number of progressive pools (p) is determined depending on the requirements for the particular implementation. In the preferred embodiment as presently contemplated there are at least as many pools as there are wager options. 10 In one embodiment where the maximum bet per line or other outcome is ten credits, then ten progressive pools are established, and one associated with each credit value per line. This embodiment may be particularly applicable where gaming machines with different options for the number of credits per line (the maximum being ten credits), are linked. For example, one of the linked gaming machines may allow the wagering of 1, 3, 15 5 and 10 credits per line and another one of the linked gaming machines may allow the wagering of 1, 2, 5 and 10 credits per line. If a gaming machine in the link allows more than 10 credits to be wagered per line, or other outcome if the machine plays a different format game, then in this embodiment the number of pools will equal the maximum number of credits that can be wagered on an outcome. 20 If there is a common divisor other than one of all of the options for wagering per line, then the number of pools may be the maximum number that can be wagered on a line divided by the common divisor. However, for increased flexibility, use of the common divisor one may be used. Where there a more pools than wager options (ie p > n), then at least one wager option 25 is associated with two or more pools. As explained in more detail below, the association of the pools with wager options may be used to determine the contribution to the pools due to game activity and the way in which the value of the progressive prizes are determined, both of which may reduce differences in expected return to player for the wager options.

12 The progressive pools may be established and maintained using the jackpot server 207. In a linked progressive system, the jackpot server 207 receives signals relating to the wagers placed on the linked gaming devices 202 (linked in the sense of contributing to the same progressive prizes) and in response increases the progressive prizes. The 5 jackpot server 207 then either reports the values of the progressive prizes to the gaming devices 202 and/or display 204 so that they may be displayed to players of the gaming devices 202 or takes or has control of a display 106 of the gaming devices 202 and/or the display 204 and causes display of the amounts of the progressive prizes. In step 52, the progressive pools are seeded with a starting value. This starting value 10 may be equal for each pool, or may vary between the pools, depending on the requirements for the particular implementation. Taking into account the expected hit rate for each progressive prize and the corresponding average total amount that would need to be wagered between wins of the progressive prize, the difference in expected return to player may be reduced by increasing the seed values in the pools for the progressive 15 prizes that require a larger average total wager between wins of the progressive prize. The seed value for each of the pools is in one embodiment non-zero. Once the progressive pools have been established and seeded, monitoring of game play on the gaming devices 202 occurs (step 53). In particular, the wagers placed on the gaming devices 202 are monitored so that the amount that the progressive pools 20 are to be increased as a result of game activities can be determined. Also, game play is monitored for the occurrence of a progressive prize winning event. In response to game activity, which may be reported by the gaming devices 202, particularly the game controller 101, to the jackpot server 207, the progressive pools are increased in value (step 55). The method of increase of each pool is determined by the 25 requirements for the particular implementation. However, taking into account the expected hit rate for each progressive prize and the corresponding average total amount that would need to be wagered between wins of the progressive prize, the difference in expected return to player may be reduced by increasing the contribution rate to some pools relative to other pools. The overall increase in value of the 30 progressive prizes is a certain percentage of wagers placed during game play of a game.

13 Monitoring of game play and increasing of the progressive pools continues until it is determined that a progressive prize has been won (step 55). When this occurs, the progressive prize associated with the wager option that was made is determined and awarded (step 56) and then the pools that have been extinguished due to the award are 5 seeded (step 57), ready for continued game play. A third variable that may be used to reduce the difference between the expected return to player of different wager options is the way in which the progressive prize is determined. For example, a progressive prize associated with one wager option may be the sum of several pools, whereas the progressive prize associated with another wager option may be the sum of only one or 10 two pools. In practice, the determination of each of the progressive prizes may be constantly updated during game play by summing the pools allocated to that progressive prize, so that the values of the progressive prizes can be displayed in real time or close to real time. The process shown in Figure 5 may be applied to jackpot prizes that are not 15 progressive prizes, with step 54 omitted. The pools are then allocated fixed jackpot prize values when seeded. The value of the pools is selected to reduce differences in the return to player in comparison to if a single jackpot prize was awarded. The value of the fixed jackpot prizes may vary when seeded. For example, while the fixed jackpot prizes do not change once seeded, they may nevertheless have been funded from 20 pools accumulated in the background during the time that the fixed jackpot prizes remain unpaid. When one of the fixed jackpot prizes is won, then the seed value for that jackpot prize may then be set at the accumulated value of the pools associated with that jackpot prize. The association of pools with a jackpot prize may be made in the same manner that the progressives are associated with their pools as described herein. 25 Similar modifications to implement a jackpot prize awarding system can be made to the process shown in Figure 6, which is described herein below. Figure 6 shows a combination of a process to establish a gaming machine or system with progressive prizes and a process to operate the gaming machine or system once it has been established, with details of a particular implementation. Steps 70 and 71 are 30 equivalent to steps 50 and 51 respectively in the flow diagram of Figure 5 and therefore are not explained further.

14 In step 72 an order of the pools is defined, the order may be in decreasing expected return to player, which for many games would correspond to an order of increasing value of associated wager options. Where there are more pools than wager options, intermediary pools are defined and placed in order depending on the particular 5 implementation. The pools are then seeded (step 73), which is similar to the seeding step described in step 52 of Figure 5 and game play is monitored (step 74). For each wager that is placed, the wager value is identified and the total contribution to be made to the progressive pools is determined based on the wager value (eg 10% of the wager value). Also, the wager option is identified (step 75). 10 In step 76 the total contribution to be made to the progressive pools is split between a progressive pool associated with the wager option and each progressive pool associated with wager options with a higher expected return to player and any intermediary pools in the order that may have been provided. The split may be equal, or unequal, depending on the particular implementation. 15 In step 77, the value of each progressive prize associated with a wager option is determined. In this example, the value of the progressive prize for a wager option is the sum of all the progressive pools that are contributed to when that wager option is made. This information is then communicated by the progressive server 207 to the gaming devices 202 and/or display 204 for display (step 78). Steps 79, 80 and 81 involve the 20 determination of a progressive winning event, payment of the appropriate progressive prize depending on the wager option that was made and seeding of the extinguished pools respectively. An example of a specific implementation of the process shown in Figure 6 will now be described in relation to a spinning reel game implemented on a linked gaming device 25 202, each linked gaming device 202 playing the same game. The spinning reel game is a 5 reel game with 20 defined pay lines and with a choice of 5 different wagers per line. The wagers per line, representing the available wager options, are bet 1, bet 2, bet 3, bet 5, bet 10. A progressive jackpot is won when 5 jackpot symbols appear on a pay line that has been purchased by betting at least 1 credit on that pay line. One credit is 30 10 cents.

15 Ten progressive pools have been established numbered one to ten. The first progressive pool is associated with bet 1, the second with bet 2, the third with bet 3, the fifth with bet five and the tenth with bet 10, being in order of decreasing expected return to player. There are five intermediary pools included to control the value of the 5 progressive prizes associated with each wager option. Each progressive pool has a start up of $100 and an increment of 10%. The jackpot server 207 has accounting meters which, for example, may show that the current values of the progressive pools are: Pool # Value 1 $128.24 2 $126.92 3 $133.52 4 $143.06 5 $113.80 6 $125.78 7 $135.78 8 $111.56 9 $135.74 10 $127.26 10 The value in the pool 2 is less than the value in the "underlying jackpot" 1. This arises because the number of games played at 2 or more credits per line was less than the number of games played at 1 credit per line since their respective meters were last reset. The jackpots for each wager option are displayed as set out in the following table: Wager Jackpot option value 1 $128.24 2 $255.16 3 $388.68 5 $645.54 16 10 i281.66 Figure 7 shows a simplified representation of a screen display that may, for example, be displayed on the display 204 and/or on a screen display of a gaming device 202 that is able to win the jackpots. At the gaming device 202, the jackpot that the player is eligible 5 to win by placing their current wager option may be highlighted, with Figure 8 showing an example of this, the 3 credit wager option (the player wagering 3 credits per outcome of the game) being highlighted. Alternatively, particularly where all jackpots are displayed on the display 204 and that display is visible from a particular gaming device 202, then the gaming device 202 may only display the jackpot that is eligible to be won 10 with the currently selected wager option or the wager option selected for the previous game play if a current wager option has not yet been selected. The value displayed for wager option 2 is the sum of the pools for wager options 1 and 2. The value displayed for wager option 3 is the sum of the pools for wager options 1, 2 and 3. The value displayed for wager option 5 is the sum of the pools for wager options 15 1, 2, 3 and 5, together with intermediary pool 4. The value for wager option 10 is the sum of all the progressive pools. The player then bets 3 credits on 20 lines, forming a total wager of 60 credits or $6.00. The pool I increments by one-third of 10% of $6.00 = 20c, pool 2 increments by one third of 10% of $6.00 = 20c, and pool 3 increments by one-third of 10% of $6.00 = 20c. 20 Pools 4 to 10 do not change since the multiplier bet was 3. The pools 1 to 10 are now: Pool # Value 1 $128.44 2 $127.12 3 $133.72 4 $143.06 5 $113.80 6 $125.78 7 $135.78 8 $111.56 9 $135.74 17 The displayed jackpots are now: Wager Jackpot option value 1 $128.44 2 $255.56 3 $389.28 5 $646.14 10 $1282.26 The displayed jackpot for the I bet wager option has incremented by 20c, the displayed 5 jackpot for the 2 bet wager option has incremented by 40c, and all other displayed jackpots have incremented by 60c. This increase in increment of the jackpots associated with wager options with lower expected return to player therefore acts to reduce the difference in expected return to player. The reels spin and stop with 5 jackpot symbols on a pay line. The player is entitled to be 10 paid the jackpot. The player is paid $389.28 and the pools, 1, 2 and 3 are reset to their seed value of $100. The pools are now: Pool # Value 1 $100 2 $100 3 $100 4 $143.06 5 $113.80 6 $125.78 7 $135.78 a $111.56 9 $135.74 10 $127.26 18 The displayed jackpots now read: Wager Jackpot option value 1 $100 2 $200 3 $300 5 $556.86 10 $1192.98 5 The pools described herein are incremented based on game play of a game. The independent variable used to increment the pools may be the coin-in or turnover on the gaming machine(s). However, other independent variables may be used, for example, particular game outcomes. While the foregoing description has been provided by way of example of the preferred 10 embodiments of the present invention as presently contemplated, which utilise gaming apparatus and machines, those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that the present invention also may have application to internet gaming and/or have application to gaming over a telecommunications network, where handsets are used to display game outcomes and receive player inputs. 15 Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers having known equivalents, then those equivalents are hereby incorporated herein as if individually set forth. Those skilled in the relevant arts will appreciate that modifications and additions to the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of 20 the present invention. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features 19 mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A method of gaming in a gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising the steps of: 5 providing a jackpot server arranged to maintain a plurality of progressive prizes able to be won, the progressive prizes being contributed to through play of games on the gaming machines; selecting at least one symbol and displaying the selected at least one symbol on a display of a gaming machine of the gaming system, the displayed 10 at least one symbol representing at least one outcome from a plurality of possible outcomes, at least one of which is a progressive winning outcome; determining whether the at least one displayed symbols corresponds to a progressive winning outcome; awarding one of the plurality of progressive prizes to a player of a is gaming machine on the occurrence of a progressive winning outcome at the gaming machine; and, facilitating selection by a player at a gaming machine of any one of a plurality of distinct wager options, the probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome per unit wager being different for each wager 20 option, and wherein each of the distinct wager options is associated with a progressive prize.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising forming at least one progressive pool at the jackpot server for each progressive prize, each wager option being 25 associated with at least one progressive pool and at least one wager option being associated with at least two progressive pools, the method further comprising contributing to each of the progressive pools associated with a wager option when the wager option is made at a gaming machine, the progressive prize associated with a wager option being the sum of the 30 progressive pools that are contributed to when the wager option is made at the gaming machine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the progressive pools contributed to when a wager option made at a gaming machine comprises all the progressive 35 pools contributed to by a wager option having a higher probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome per unit wager. 3IkI 14Ch tE l iManasl'3M2AUL... 21

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a single progressive winning outcome is provided.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the probability of occurrence of the s progressive winning outcome is the same for each game played, regardless of which of the distinct wager options is made.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one wager option can be made in the game by a player of the game by making two 10 different value wagers.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising contribution to the progressive prizes as a whole in proportion to the value of the wager. is 8. A gaming system for implementing a game, the gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine being arranged to select at least one symbol and display the selected at least one symbol on a display, the displayed at least one symbol representing at least one outcome of 20 a game indicated by the gaming machine from a plurality of possible outcomes, at least one of which is a progressive winning outcome; and, a jackpot server configured to maintain a plurality of progressive prizes that are able to be won, the progressive prizes being contributed to through implementation of games by the gaming machines; 25 the gaming system being arranged to award one of the plurality of progressive prizes to a player of a gaming machine on the occurrence of a progressive winning outcome at the gaming machine; and, the gaming system being arranged to facilitate selection by a player at a gaming machine of any one of a plurality of distinct wager options, the 30 probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome per unit wager being different for each wager option, and wherein each of the distinct wager options is associated with a respective progressive prize.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein the jackpot server is arranged to 3s maintain at least one progressive pool for each progressive prize, each wager option being associated with at least one progressive pool and at least one wager option being associated with at least two progressive pools, and each

31.101 I UIIsirn l262.AU.I 22 gaming machine is arranged to contribute to each of the progressive pools associated with a wager option when the wager option is made at the gaming machine, the progressive prize associated with a wager option being the sum of the progressive pools that are contributed to when that wager option is made at s the gaming machine. 10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the progressive pools contributed to when a wager option is made comprises all the progressive pools contributed to by a wager option having a higher probability of occurrence of the 10 progressive winning outcome per unit wager. 11. The gaming system of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the game has a single progressive winning outcome. is 12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the probability of occurrence of the progressive winning outcome is the same for each said game play, regardless of which of the distinct wager options is made. 13. The gaming system of any one of claim 8 to 12, wherein at least one 20 wager option can be made in the game by a player of the game by making two different value wagers. 14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein at least one gaming machine is arranged to contribute to the progressive prizes as a whole in proportion to the 25 value of the wager. 15. A method of providing a game on a gaming system substantially as herein described. 30 16. A gaming system substantially as herein described. 35 ,It|LI 1(GH-nr)PUQ A -2-1