Method for Establishing Promotional Progressive Jackpot Pools from a User Selectable Subgroup of a Plurality Gaming Machines

Abstract

A system and method for establishing a promotional progressive jackpot and hidden pools includes a plurality of gaming machines usable by a plurality of players and a host computer operatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines. The host computer allowing a system user to select a subset of the plurality of gaming machines, allows at least one or more players to use the subset of the plurality of gaming machines, responsively establishing at least one incremental value in response thereto, and adds the at least one incremental value to the promotional progressive jackpot pool. The host computer further awards at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool to a winning one of the players in response to an occurrence of predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions.

1 . A method for establishing a promotional progressive jackpot pool, the method including the steps of:
 providing a plurality of gaming machines usable by a plurality of players;   providing a host computer operatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines such that each of the gaming machines may be configured to contribute to the promotional progressive pool;   allowing a system administrator to dynamically select a subset of the plurality of gaming machines from the plurality of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   allowing at least one or more players to use the subset of the plurality of gaming machines and responsively establishing at least one incremental value in response thereto, wherein the at least one incremental value is based on at least one factor relating to play of the subset of gaming machines;   adding the at least one incremental value to the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   providing an occurrence of a predetermined advance incentive jackpot condition; and   awarding at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool to a winning one of the players in response to the occurrence of predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions.   
   
   
       2 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , the method including the steps of:
 allowing the system administrator to select a second subset of the plurality of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   allowing another at least one or more players to use the second subset of the plurality of gaming machines and responsively establishing at least one second incremental value in response thereto, wherein the at least one second incremental value is based on at least one factor relating to play of the second subset of gaming machines;   adding at least one second incremental value to a second promotional progressive jackpot pool;   providing an occurrence of a second predetermined advance incentive jackpot condition; and,   awarding at least a portion of the second promotional progressive jackpot pool to a second winning one of the players in response to the occurrence of second predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions.   
   
   
       3 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the gaming machines may be one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device. 
   
   
       4 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gaming machines includes first and second gaming machines, the first gaming machine being one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device and the second gamine machine being a different one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device. 
   
   
       5 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a first of the plurality of gaming machines has a first predetermined theoretical hold representing an estimated revenue provided by the first of the plurality of gaming machines and a second of the plurality of gaming machines has a second predetermined theoretical hold representing an estimated revenue provided by the second of the plurality of gaming machines, the first and second theoretical holds being different. 
   
   
       6 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one incremental value is a function of one or more of: a transaction value related to a player's use of a selected gaming machine, a predetermined theoretical hold value representing an estimated revenue provided by the selected gaming machine, and a historical composite value. 
   
   
       7 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , including the steps of:
 determining a second incremental value and adding the second incremental value to a hidden pool;   establishing a maximum value for the hidden pool and accumulating the second incremental value until the hidden pool reaches the maximum value; and,   transferring the hidden pool into the promotional progressive jackpot pool after the at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool has been awarded.   
   
   
       8 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gamine machines are operatively connected to a host computer, the system administrator being able to dynamically select from the plurality of gaming machines to define the subgroup of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool. 
   
   
       9 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of gaming machines are wagering gaming machines physically positioned in a plurality of banks, each bank have a number of gaming machines, wherein the subgroup of gaming machines includes at least one machine from two different banks of gaming machines. 
   
   
       10 . A method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first incremental value is established as a function of a historical composite value multiplied by a wagered amount. 
   
   
       11 . A method for establishing a promotional progressive jackpot pool, the method including the steps of:
 providing a plurality of gaming machines playable by a plurality of players;   providing a host computer operatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines such that each of the gaming machines may be configured to contribute to the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   allowing a system administrator to dynamically select a subset of the plurality of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   opening a data session on the host computer in response to usage of one of the gaming machines by one of the players;   recording information, in the data session on the host computer, related to the player's play of the selected one of the gaming machines during the data session;   allowing at least one or more players to use the subset of the plurality of gaming machines and responsively establishing at least one incremental value in response thereto, wherein the at least one incremental value is based on at least one factor relating to play of the subset of gaming machines;   adding the at least one incremental value to the promotional progressive jackpot pool;   providing an occurrence of a predetermined advance incentive jackpot condition; and   awarding at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool to a winning one of the players in response to the occurrence of predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions.   
   
   
       12 . A system for establishing a promotional progressive jackpot pool, comprising:
 a plurality of gaming machines usable by a plurality of players;   a host computer operatively coupled to the plurality of gaming machines such that each of the gaming machines may be configured to contribute to the promotional progressive jack pot pool, the host computer for allowing a system administrator to select a subset of the plurality of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool, for allowing at least one or more players to use the subset of the plurality of gaming machines, responsively establishing at least one incremental value in response thereto, wherein the at least one incremental value is based on at least one factor relating to play of the subset of gaming machines, and adding the at least one incremental value to the promotional progressive jackpot pool, and for awarding at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool to a winning one of the players in response to an occurrence of predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions.   
   
   
       13 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , the host computer for allowing the system administrator to select a second subset of the plurality of gaming machines to be included in the promotional progressive jackpot pool, for allowing another at least one or more players to use the second subset of the plurality of gaming machines, responsively establishing at least one second incremental value in response thereto, and adding at least one second incremental value to a second promotional progressive jackpot pool, and for awarding at least a portion of the second promotional progressive jackpot pool to a second winning one of the players in response to an occurrence of second predetermined promotional progressive jackpot conditions. 
   
   
       14 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein each of the gaming machines may be one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device. 
   
   
       15 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of gaming machines includes first and second gaming machines, the first gaming machine being one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device and the second gamine machine being a different one of a mechanical reel slot machine, a video slot machine, a video poker machine, video arcade games, virtual gaming machines, internet or online gaming machine, an interface to a table management system for table games, online bingo, online keno, point of sale terminals, online hotel folios, kiosk devices, any other device connected to the host computer and/or other revenue generating device. 
   
   
       16 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein a first of the plurality of gaming machines has a first predetermined theoretical hold representing an estimated revenue provided by the first of the plurality of gaming machines and a second of the plurality of gaming machines has a second predetermined theoretical hold representing an estimated revenue provided by the first of the plurality of gaming machines, the first and second theoretical holds being different. 
   
   
       17 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one incremental value is established as a function of one or more of: a transaction value related to a player's use of a selected gaming machine, a predetermined theoretical hold value representing an estimated revenue provided by the selected gaming machine, and a historical composite value. 
   
   
       18 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , the host computer for determining a second incremental value and adding the second incremental value to a hidden pool, for establishing a maximum value for the hidden pool and accumulating the second incremental value until the hidden pool reaches the maximum value, and for transferring the hidden pool into the promotional progressive jackpot pool after the at least a portion of the promotional progressive jackpot pool has been awarded. 
   
   
       19 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , the system administrator being able to dynamically select from the plurality of gaming machines to define the subgroup of gaming machines. 
   
   
       20 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein at least some of the plurality of gaming machines are wagering gaming machines physically positioned in a plurality of banks, each bank have a number of gaming machines, wherein the subgroup of gaming machines includes at least one machine from two different banks of gaming machines. 
   
   
       21 . A system, as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the first incremental value is established as a function of a historical composite value multiplied by a wagered amount.