Patent ID: 7997983

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a display device; an input device; a processor; and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and the input device to: (a) display a single maintained progressive award value; (b) enable a player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts, wherein the plurality of different wager amounts includes a designated wager amount; (c) for each placement of one of the wager amounts: (i) display a plurality of randomly generated symbols; (ii) if a designated winning combination of said symbols is displayed and the player placed the designated wager amount, provide the player the single progressive award value; and (iii) if the designated winning combination of said symbols is displayed and the player did not place the designated wager amount: (A) after displaying the plurality of randomly generated symbols, enable a third party to make at least one input, (B) after the third party makes the at least one input, determine a percentage progressive value which is greater than 0% and less than 100%, wherein said determined percentage progressive value is based, at least in part, on the at least one input from the third party, and (C) display and provide the player part of the single progressive award value, wherein any part of the progressive award provided to the player is based on said single progressive award value and the determined percentage progressive value.