Patent ID: 7677972

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one central controller configured to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, each of the progressive awards having an initial value, each of the progressive awards associated with an initial probability of being provided; and a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor after an occurrence of a random triggering event, cause the at least one gaming machine processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for a play of a secondary game, to: (i) enable a player to make a first input to select and play for one of the plurality of progressive awards during the play of the secondary game, (ii) determine whether to provide the selected one of the progressive awards to the player, (iii) if the determination is to provide the selected one of the progressive awards, provide the selected one of the progressive awards to the player, (iv) if the determination is not to provide the selected one of the progressive awards: (a) modify the probability associated with the selected one of the progressive awards, wherein the modification is independent of a total value of any wager placed by the player on any play of any primary game, and (b) for the same play of the secondary game, enable the player to make a second, different input to select and play for another one of the plurality of progressive awards including the selected one of the progressive awards (v) determine whether an ending condition occurs, and (vi) if the ending condition does not occur, repeat (ii) to (vi).