Method and apparatus for providing a personal wide area progressive for gaming apparatus

A gaming apparatus, comprising:

• a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
• a value input device;
• a player tracking card reader;
• a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,
• said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager;
• said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game,
• said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
• said controller being programmed to evaluate an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
• said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being programmed to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• said controller being programmed to increment said credit account for said player by a contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A gaming apparatus, comprising:

• a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
• a value input device;
• a player tracking card reader;
• a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor,
• said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager,
• said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a payline selection,
• said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols,
• said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
• said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols;
• said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being programmed to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• said controller being programmed to add a percentage of a monetary value of said wager to a current monetary value of said personal wide area progressive jackpot if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A gaming method comprising:

• causing a video image to be generated, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,
• said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, and
• said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;
• reading a player tracking card;
• acquiring player tracking data from a player tracking database;
• determining if a player is a personal wide area progressive member that is eligible to win a personal wide area progressive jackpot;
• evaluating an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
• determining if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• resetting said personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• incrementing said credit account by a contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A gaming method comprising:

• causing a video image to be generated, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,
• said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, and
• said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;
• reading a player tracking card;
• acquiring player tracking data from a player tracking database;
• determining if a player is a personal wide area progressive member that is eligible to win a personal wide area progressive jackpot;
• evaluating an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
• determining if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• locking said gaming apparatus and performing a jackpot verification if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• resetting said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• incrementing a current monetary value of said personal wide area progressive jackpot by a percentage of said player's wager if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A memory having a computer program stored therein, said computer program being capable of being used in connection with a gaming apparatus, said memory comprising:

• a first memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to allow a person to make a wager;
• a second memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to cause a video image to be generated on a display unit, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo,
• said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack,
• said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno,
• said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;
• a third memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
• a fourth memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to evaluate an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
• a fifth memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to determine if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• a sixth memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• a seventh memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• an eighth memory portion physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that would cause the gaming apparatus to increment said credit account for said player by a contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A slot machine, comprising:

• a housing;
• a transparent display portion associated with said housing;
• a value input device;
• a player tracking card reader;
• a plurality of mechanically rotatable reels,
• said mechanically rotatable reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols formed thereon;
• said mechanically rotatable reels being disposed in said housing so that said slot machine symbols are visible to a player through said transparent display portion;
• a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable reels, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor;
• said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
• said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols;
• said controller being capable of determining if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being capable of incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said controller being capable of resetting said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• said controller being capable of incrementing said credit account for said player by a contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.

A gaming apparatus, comprising:

• a value input device;
• a player tracking card reader;
• a mechanically rotatable reel,
• said mechanically rotatable reel having a plurality of symbols formed thereon;
• a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable reel, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor;
• said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
• said gaming apparatus being capable of determining a value payout associated with an outcome of a game, said gaming apparatus being capable of determining said outcome of said game based on a configuration of said symbols;
• said gaming apparatus being capable of determining if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said gaming apparatus being capable of incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• said gaming apparatus being capable of resetting said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to an amount correlating to said player's gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
• and
• said gaming apparatus being capable of incrementing said credit account for said player by a contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.