Patent ID: 8371931

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: (a) causing at least one controller to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, and (b) at a first point in time: (i) causing the at least one controller to operate with a plurality of gaming devices to determine a quantity of the gaming devices which are being actively played, (ii) if the determined quantity of actively played gaming devices is less than a first quantity, causing at least one display device to display an indication of a first number of the maintained progressive awards which can each be provided at each of the actively played gaming devices, said first quantity being at least two, said first number being based on the determined quantity, (iii) if the determined quantity of actively played gaming devices is at least the first quantity, causing the at least one display device to display an indication of a second number of the maintained progressive awards which can each be provided at each of the actively played gaming devices, said second number being based on the determined quantity and being different than the first number, and (iv) for each of the maintained progressive awards associated with the indicated number of progressive awards, if an award condition associated with said progressive award occurs in association with one of the gaming devices being actively played by any player, causing the at least one controller to operate with the plurality of gaming devices to cause said actively played gaming device to provide said progressive award to the player actively playing said gaming device.