Patent ID: 8801520

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one input device; at least one display device; at least one 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 said at least one display device, and said at least one input device to: (a) maintain a plurality of progressive awards, (b) display a plurality of reels, wherein each of the plurality of reels are separately associated with a different one of the maintained progressive awards, (c) enable a player to place a wager amount on a play of a game, and (d) for the wagered on play of the game: (i) cause each of the plurality of reels to display one of a plurality of symbols, wherein the symbols displayed by the plurality of reels form a symbol combination, (ii) determine any awards associated with the formed symbol combination, (iii) display any determined awards associated with the formed symbol combination, and (iv) for each of the reels, if the symbol displayed by said reel is a designated symbol associated with said reel, increase the maintained progressive award associated with said reel.