Patent ID: 7297059

Claim:
A method for paying a current progressive jackpot in a system having a progressive controller linked to a plurality of gaming terminals, the current progressive jackpot awarded when a maximum wager for play of a casino game of chance in one of the plurality of gaming terminals is made and when a progressive event occurs in the play of the casino game of chance, the method comprising: funding, at the progressive controller, the current progressive jackpot amount for the maximum wager with a portion of any wager received at the plurality of gaming terminals; broadcasting the current progressive jackpot amount from the progressive controller into the system; receiving in each of the plurality of gaming terminals in the system, the broadcast current progressive jackpot amount from the progressive controller; receiving a wager less than the maximum wager for play of the casino game of chance from a player at one of the plurality of gaming terminals, all received wagers in each of the plurality of gaming terminals being eligible for at least a portion of the progressive jackpot amount for the maximum wager; determining, in the aforesaid one gaming terminal receiving the wager, based upon at least said received broadcast current progressive jackpot amount for the maximum wager and said received wager, at least one fractional progressive jackpot amount that is won by the player when the progressive event occurs in the casino game of chance played in response to the received wager; when the progressive event occurs, delivering the determined at least one fractional progressive jackpot amount that has been won by the player from the aforesaid one gaming terminal to the progressive controller; when the progressive event occurs, awarding the determined at least one fractional progressive jackpot amount to the player; deducting the delivered at least one fractional progressive amount from the current progressive jackpot amount in the progressive controller prior to a next broadcast from the progressive controller.