Multi-player bingo game with progressive jackpots

A method for conducting at least one wagering game and an associated progressive jackpot over a gaming network having a plurality of operatively coupled gaming units at which a player may be awarded a progressive jackpot award from the progressive jackpot, wherein at least two of the gaming units have different maximum wager amounts that a player may wager on an occurrence of the at least one wagering game, the method comprising:

• receiving a deposit of an amount of a medium of currency by a player at a gaming unit;
• adding the deposited amount of currency to the player's available credit at the gaming unit;
• displaying the player's available credit at the gaming unit, wherein the player's available credit is displayed as a number of credits, each credit having a corresponding monetary credit denomination such that the displayed number of credits multiplied by the credit denomination is equal to the monetary value of the player's available credit;
• receiving input for a player's wager on an occurrence of a wagering game at an input device of the gaming unit, wherein the input for the player's wager on an occurrence of the wagering game is a number of wagered credits, and wherein the amount of the player's wager is equal to the number of wagered credits multiplied by the credit denomination;
• subtracting the amount of the player's wager on the occurrence of the wagering game from the player's available credit at the gaming unit in response to receiving the input for the player's wager;
• determining an outcome for the player for the occurrence of the wagering game;
• and
• awarding a progressive jackpot award to the player in response to determining that the player's outcome for the occurrence of the wagering game is a predetermined progressive jackpot winning outcome, wherein the progressive jackpot award is equal to at least a portion of a progressive jackpot pool multiplied by the ratio of the player's wager on the occurrence of the wagering game to the product of a gaming network maximum credit denomination that may be wagered on an occurrence of one of the at least one wagering game at a gaming unit of the gaming network and a gaming network maximum number of credits that may be wagered on an occurrence of one of the at least one wagering game at a gaming unit of the gaming network.

A method for conducting a wagering game and an associated progressive jackpot over a gaming network, comprising:

• providing a progressive jackpot pool having a main pool and a reserve pool;
• receiving a deposit of an amount of a medium of currency by a player at a gaming unit of the gaming network;
• receiving input for a player's wager on an occurrence of the wagering game at an input device of the gaming unit;
• calculating a predetermined portion of the player's wager to be added to the progressive jackpot pool;
• automatically calculating a main pool funding amount, wherein the main pool funding amount is equal to a percentage of the predetermined portion of the player's wager, wherein the percentage of the predetermined portion is determined based on the current main pool amount, and wherein the percentage is determined automatically by the gaming network;
• adding the main pool funding amount to the main pool amount;
• and
• adding the predetermined portion of the player's wager minus the main pool funding amount to the reserve pool amount.

A progressive jackpot network computer for providing a progressive jackpot in a gaming network having a plurality of operatively coupled gaming units configured to provide at least one wagering game, comprising:

• a network computer memory device;
• and
• a network computer controller operatively coupled to the network computer memory device and the gaming units,
• the network computer controller being programmed to cause the network computer memory device to store a progressive jackpot pool having a main pool and a reserve pool,
• the network computer controller being configured to receive player wager information transmitted by the gaming units on the gaming network,
• the network computer controller being programmed to determine a predetermined portion of the player's wager to be added to the progressive jackpot pool based on the received player wager information,
• the network computer controller being programmed to calculate a main pool funding amount, wherein the main pool funding amount is equal to a percentage of the predetermined portion of the player's wager, and wherein the percentage of the predetermined portion is determined by the network computer controller based on the current main pool amount stored at the network computer memory device,
• the network computer controller being programmed to add the main pool funding amount to the main pool amount,
• the network computer controller being programmed to add the predetermined portion of the player's wager minus the main pool funding amount to the reserve pool amount, and
• the network computer controller being programmed to cause the network computer memory device to store the updated main pool amount and reserve pool amount.

A method for reseeding a progressive jackpot having a main pool and a reserve pool when a player of a wagering game has a progressive jackpot winning outcome for an occurrence of the wagering game, the method comprising:

• awarding the player a progressive jackpot award, wherein the progressive jackpot award amount is equal to a first main pool amount multiplied by a proration ratio, and wherein the proration ratio is a number less than or equal to one;
• calculating a second main pool amount equal to the first main pool amount minus the progressive jackpot award amount;
• calculating a transfer amount equal to a first reserve pool amount multiplied by the proration ratio;
• calculating a third main pool amount equal the second main pool amount plus the transfer amount;
• and
• calculating a second reserve pool amount equal to the first reserve pool amount minus the transfer amount.

A method for reseeding a progressive jackpot having a main pool and a reserve pool when a player of a wagering game has a progressive jackpot winning outcome for an occurrence of the wagering game, the method comprising:

• awarding the player a progressive jackpot award, wherein the progressive jackpot award amount is equal to a main pool amount multiplied by a proration ratio, and wherein the proration ratio is a number less than or equal to one;
• subtracting the progressive jackpot award amount from the main pool amount;
• calculating a transfer amount equal to a reserve pool amount multiplied by the proration ratio;
• adding the transfer amount to the main pool amount;
• and
• adding the transfer amount to the reserve pool amount.

A progressive jackpot network computer for providing a progressive jackpot in a gaming network having a plurality of operatively coupled gaming units configured to provide at least one wagering game, comprising:

• a network computer memory device;
• and
• a network computer controller operatively coupled to the network computer memory device and the gaming units,
• the network computer controller being programmed to cause the network computer memory device to store a progressive jackpot pool having a main pool and a reserve pool,
• the network computer controller being configured to receive player progressive jackpot win information transmitted by the gaming units on the gaming network,
• the network computer controller being programmed to determine a progressive jackpot award, wherein the progressive jackpot award amount is equal to the main pool amount multiplied by a proration ratio, wherein the proration ratio is a number less than or equal to one, and wherein the proration ratio is determined based on the transmitted player progressive jackpot win information,
• the network computer controller being programmed to subtract the progressive jackpot award amount from the main pool amount,
• the network computer controller being programmed to calculate a transfer amount equal to the reserve pool amount multiplied by the proration ratio,
• the network computer controller being programmed to add the transfer amount to the main pool amount,
• the network computer controller being programmed to add the transfer amount to the reserve pool amount, and
• the network computer controller being programmed to cause the network computer memory device to store the updated main pool amount and reserve pool amount.