Gaming system and method for enabling a player to select progressive awards to try for and chances of winning progressive awards

A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising:

• at least one display device;
• at least one input device;
• and
• at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor after an occurrence of a random triggering event, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to:
• (a) cause the at least one display device to display a plurality of game components,
• (b) maintain a plurality of supplemental awards, each of the supplemental awards being greater than zero,
• (c) for each one of a plurality of progressive awards, associate said progressive award with a separate one of the maintained supplemental awards, wherein the progressive awards increment based, at least in part, on a plurality of wagers placed on a plurality of plays of a plurality of wagering games,
• (d) for each of a plurality of the maintained supplemental awards, associating said supplemental award with one of a plurality of the game components,
• (e) cause a selection of one of the game components and one of the progressive awards,
• (f) determine whether to provide the selected progressive award to a player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the selected game component,
• (g) if the determination is to provide the selected progressive award, provide the selected progressive award and the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award to the player,
• (h) if the determination is not to provide the selected progressive award, modify the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award, wherein said modification is based on the supplemental award associated with the selected game component,
• (i) determine whether an ending condition occurs,
• (j) if the ending condition does not occur, repeat (e) to (i) until the ending condition occurs, and
• (k) after the occurrence of the ending condition, for each one of the progressive awards which were not previously provided, increase said progressive award based on the supplemental award associated with said progressive award when the ending condition occurs.

A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller in communication with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, said method comprising:

• (a) after an occurrence of a random triggering event:
• (i) cause at least one display device to display an indication of a plurality of progressive awards and a plurality of game components, the progressive awards being incremented based, at least in part, on the wagers placed on plays of the primary games;
• (ii) maintaining a plurality of supplemental awards, each of the supplemental awards being greater than zero;
• (iii) for each one of the progressive awards;
• associating said progressive award with a separate one of the maintained supplemental awards;
• (iv) for each of a plurality of the maintained supplemental awards, associating said supplemental award with one of a plurality of the game components;
• (v) causing a selection of one of the progressive awards and one of the game components;
• (vi) determining whether to provide the selected progressive award to a player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the selected game component;
• (vii) if the determination is to provide the selected progressive award, providing the selected progressive award and the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award to the player;
• (viii) if the determination is not to provide the selected progressive award, modifying the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award, wherein said modification is based on the supplemental award associated with the selected game component;
• (ix) determining whether an ending condition occurs;
• and
• (x) if the ending condition does not occur, repeating (v) to (ix) until the ending condition occurs.

A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

• (a) after an occurrence of a random triggering event:
• (i) causing at least one display device to display a plurality of game components;
• (ii) maintaining a plurality of supplemental awards, each of the supplemental awards being greater than zero;
• (iii) for each one of a plurality of progressive awards, associating said progressive award with a separate one of the maintained supplemental awards, wherein the progressive awards increment based, at least in part, on a plurality of wagers placed on a plurality of plays of a plurality of wagering games;
• (iv) for each of a plurality of the maintained supplemental awards, associating said supplemental award with one of a plurality of the game components;
• (v) causing a selection of one of the game components and one of the progressive awards;
• (vi) determining whether to provide the selected progressive award to a player, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the selected game component;
• (vii) if the determination is to provide the selected progressive award, providing the selected progressive award and the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award to the player;
• (viii) if the determination is not to provide the selected progressive award, modifying the supplemental award associated with the selected progressive award, wherein said modification is based on the supplemental award associated with the selected game component;
• (ix) determining whether an ending condition occurs;
• (x) if the ending condition does not occur, repeating (v) to (ix) until the ending condition occurs;
• and
• (xi) after the occurrence of the ending condition, for each one of the progressive awards which were not previously provided, increasing said progressive award based on the supplemental award associated with said progressive award when the ending condition occurs.