US 2006/0154718 A1 · Method, apparatus, and program product for providing access to progressive prizes in a gaming system

Abstract

A method employs a database table that contains progressive prize pool status data for each progressive game that may be available in a given gaming system. Additional database tables store definitions for both contributions to the various progressive prize pools and awards to be made from the various progressive prize pools. A given game play request in the gaming system is identified with a particular contribution definition from the applicable database table in order to properly update the applicable progressive prize pool in view of the game play request and the wager associated with that game play request. Also, a given result in a game offered through the gaming system is identified with a particular award definition in order to identify when a progressive prize is to be awarded and to properly award the applicable progressive prize and update the progressive prize pool.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method including:

(a) storing a number of contribution definitions, each respective contribution definition being associated with a respective progressive prize pool included in a number of progressive prize pools;
(b) identifying a first contribution definition included in the number of contribution definitions, the first contribution definition being identified based on a first game play request to which the first contribution definition is correlated;
and
(c) applying the first contribution definition to update the respective progressive prize pool associated with the first contribution definition.

1 more element

A gaming system including:

(a) a number of player stations;
(b) a database system storing a number of progressive prize pool entries and a number of contribution definitions, each contribution definition being associated with a respective one of the progressive prize pool entries;
and
(c) a game processing system for receiving a first game play request from a first player station included in the number of player stations and for interfacing with the database system to identify a first contribution definition included in the number of contribution definitions and to apply the first contribution definition to update the respective progressive prize pool entry associated with the first contribution definition, the first contribution definition being identified based on the first game play request.

1 more element

A program product stored on one or more computer readable media, the program product including:

(a) prize database program code for storing a number of contribution definitions, each respective contribution definition being associated with a respective progressive prize pool included in a number of progressive prize pools;
and
(b) prize manager program code that is executable to identify a first contribution definition included in the number of contribution definitions, and to apply the first contribution definition to update the respective progressive prize pool associated with the first contribution definition, the first contribution definition being identified based on a first game play request with which the first contribution definition is correlated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, apparatus, and program product for providing access to progressive prizes in a gaming system

Life of this patent

Method, apparatus, and program product for providing access to progressive prizes in a gaming system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27