Patent ID: 7905778

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including at least one display device, at least one input device, at least one gaming device processor, and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a game; and at least one controller configured to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to: (a) identify a plurality of players of a plurality of said gaming devices, wherein each identified player is ranked at one of a plurality of different player tracking levels; (b) for each single identified player of a plurality of said identified players at a plurality of said gaming devices: (i) maintain a personal progressive incremental value for the single identified player, and (ii) increment the maintained personal progressive incremental value at an increment rate, wherein said increment rate is based on the player tracking level of said single identified player and the personal progressive incremental values maintained for different players ranked at different player tracking levels increment at different increment rates; (c) maintain a group progressive incremental value; and (d) if a triggering event occurs, at least in part, in association with one of the gaming devices, cause a progressive award to be displayed and provided to the single identified player of said gaming device, wherein the progressive award includes the group progressive incremental value and the personal progressive incremental value maintained for the single identified player at said gaming device.