Patent ID: 7837555

Claim:
Apparatus for determining an award of a plurality of prizes between an upper limit value and a lower limit value, the upper limit value being greater than the lower limit value, including: memory for storing data indicative of a current prize value, the upper limit value, and the lower limit value; an input device responsive to input signals from a plurality of gaming terminals for providing an increment signal; a controller configured to define the current prize value, the controller being additionally configured to be responsive to the increment signal for incrementing an accumulated value toward the current prize value; and a comparator that compares the current prize value and the accumulated value to determine, for a first prize determination process, if the current prize value is to be awarded and, if so, generates an award signal; wherein the controller is configured to, following a determination that the current prize value is to be awarded, reset the accumulated value to either the upper limit value or the lower limit value, such that for consecutive prize determination processes the controller alternates between resetting the accumulated value to the upper limit value and resetting the accumulated value to the lower limit value, and define a new current prize value for a subsequent prize determination process.