Progressive jackpot for deals of instant game ticket where winning progressive jackpot instant ticket is randomly selected from unplayed tickets after progressive jackpot amount for the deals of instant tickets reaches predetermined value

A gaming system for selecting a winning progressive jackpot ticket from a deal of instant tickets that are played across a network of gaming machines that dispense instant tickets that are available for purchase, the gaming system comprising:

• (a) a first random number generator (RNG) configured to randomly select upon initiation of a progressive jackpot, a first progressive jackpot value that falls within a predetermined range of progressive jackpot values, the lower value in the range being a non-zero value;
• (b) a server connected to the network of gaming machines, the server being configured to:
• (i) track a second progressive jackpot value for the network of gaming machines,
• (ii) track played and unplayed instant tickets, each of the instant tickets having a unique identification number, and
• (iii) detect when the second jackpot value is reached as a result of a jackpot funding contribution from a purchase of an instant ticket at one of the gaming machines;
• and
• (c) a second RNG configured to randomly select the winning progressive jackpot ticket from all of the unplayed instant tickets, or from the next n number of unplayed instant tickets, when the second jackpot value is detected as reaching the first jackpot value that was randomly selected by the first RNG, and
• the server being further configured to:
• (iv) award a current progressive jackpot amount to a player who purchases the winning progressive jackpot ticket,
• wherein unplayed instant tickets are instant tickets which have not yet been purchased, and played instant tickets are instant tickets that have been purchased, and
• wherein the current progressive jackpot amount is the progressive jackpot amount at the time of purchase of the winning progressive jackpot ticket.