Patent ID: 7419430

Claim:
A gaming system allowing players to be eligible for a progressive jackpot, comprising: a plurality of linked gaming machines for playing one or more wagering games having a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of said wagering games, each of said gaming machines including at least one wager-input device for receiving a first type of wager and a second type of wager, said first type of wager allowing said player to play said wagering game without allowing said player to be eligible for said progressive jackpot, said second type of wager being an optional wager made in addition to said first wager for allowing said player to be eligible for said progressive jackpot while playing said wagering game, said second type of wager being unassociated with said play of said wagering game; and a controller coupled to said plurality of gaming machines and operative to determine a first cumulative value of said first type of wagers, determine a second cumulative value of said second type of wagers, and determine a distributable wager pool that is derived from a portion of said first cumulative value and a portion of said second cumulative value, wherein said distributable wager pool is derived from a first percentage of said first cumulative value and a second percentage of said second cumulative value, said first percentage being different from said second percentage said controller further operative to determine a second distributable wager pool that is derived from a second portion of said first cumulative value and a second portion of said second cumulative value.