Patent ID: 7713120

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including: at least one gaming device processor; at least one input device; at least one display device; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming device processor, cause the at least one gaming device processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (I) enable a player to place a wager on a play of a game; (II) generate and display one of a plurality of game outcomes for the play of the game, said plurality of game outcomes including at least one designated game outcome and a plurality of winning game outcomes; and (III) if the displayed game outcome is one of the winning game outcomes, provide the player an award associated with said winning game outcome; and at least one central controller configured to communicate with each of the gaming devices and programmed to: (a) maintain a progressive award having a value greater than zero, said progressive award associated with a predetermined quantity of said designated game outcomes, said predetermined quantity being at least two; (b) for each of the gaming devices: (i) for each occurrence of said at least one designated game outcome being displayed, increment a tracked quantity of designated game outcomes for said gaming device; (ii) display an indication of said tracked quantity of designated game outcomes in association with said gaming device; and (iii) if a forfeit event occurs: (A) subtract at least one designated game outcome from the tracked quantity of designated game outcomes for said gaming device, and (B) add said at least one designated game outcome to a tracked quantity of designated game outcomes for a different one of the gaming devices; (c) when the predetermined quantity of said designated game outcomes are displayed: (i) if all of said predetermined quantity of designated game outcomes are displayed in association with only one of the gaming devices, cause said gaming device to provide the maintained progressive award to the player of said gaming device, and (ii) if at least a designated number of said predetermined quantity of displayed designated game outcomes are displayed in association with each of a plurality of the gaming devices, said designated number being at least one, for each gaming device of that plurality of gaming devices: (A) determine a portion of the maintained progressive award, wherein said portion of the maintained progressive award is based on the tracked quantity of designated game outcomes for said gaming device, and wherein said portion of the maintained progressive award is greater than zero, and (B) cause said gaming device to provide the player of said gaming device the determined portion of the maintained progressive award.