Gaming system and method having progressive awards with meter increase events

A gaming system comprising:

• a dedicated electronic gaming device including:
• a dedicated electronic gaming device housing,
• at least one dedicated electronic gaming device display device supported by the dedicated electronic gaming device housing,
• a plurality of dedicated electronic gaming device input devices supported by the dedicated electronic gaming device housing, said plurality of dedicated electronic gaming device input devices including a payment acceptor, and a cashout device,
• at least one dedicated electronic gaming device processor, and
• at least one dedicated electronic gaming device memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one dedicated electronic gaming device processor, cause the at least one dedicated electronic gaming device processor to:
• responsive to a physical item being received via the payment acceptor and said physical item being validated as authentic, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and validated physical item, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of:
• a valid ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency,
• receive, via at least one of the dedicated electronic gaming device input devices, at least one wager placed on at least one play of at least one primary game, wherein said credit balance is decreasable based on said received at least one wager placed, and
• responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance;
• a progressive award controller including a progressive award controller processor, and a progressive award controller memory device which stores a plurality of progressive award controller instructions, which when executed by the progressive award controller processor, cause the progressive award controller processor to:
• (a) maintain a progressive award,
• (b) communicate data which results in the at least one dedicated electronic gaming device display device displaying the progressive award,
• (c) responsive to receiving, from the dedicated electronic gaming device, data associated with the at least one wager placed on the at least one play of the at least one primary game at the dedicated electronic gaming device, increment said displayed progressive award based on the at least one wager placed on the at least one play of the at least one primary game at the dedicated electronic gaming device,
• (d) determine an increment rate of the progressive award over a period of time,
• (e) responsive to the determined increment rate of the progressive award being different from a designated progressive award increment rate over the period of time:
• (i) determine any supplemental amount to modify the progressive award, said determination being based on the determined increment rate and the designated progressive award increment rate over the period of time,
• (ii) modify the progressive award by any determined supplemental amount, and
• (iii) communicate data which results in the at least one dedicated electronic gaming device display device displaying the modified progressive award, and
• (f) responsive to a progressive award triggering event occurring, communicate data which results in the at least one dedicated electronic gaming device display device displaying an indication that the progressive award is to be provided.