Progressive jackpot communication techniques

Abstract

A gaming system ( 10 ) includes gaming machine groups (GR 1 -GR 16 ) arranged to receive input data and to generate output progressive jackpot data relating to two or more progressive jackpots. A central database ( 26 ) stores the input data relating to the progressive jackpots. A monitoring computer ( 40 ) includes a local database ( 46 ). The computer ( 40 ) obtains and temporarily stores the progressive jackpot output data.

1 . In a gaming system with a first and second legal entity, a first and second plurality of gaming machines and a progressive jackpot server, a method of processing a plurality of progressive jackpots comprising:
 controlling the first plurality of gaming machines, wherein the step of controlling the first plurality of gaming machines is performed by the first legal entity;   controlling the second plurality of gaming machines, wherein the step of controlling the second plurality of gaming machines is performed by the second legal entity;   generating first progressive jackpot data based at least in part on game play of the first plurality of gaming machines;   generating second progressive jackpot data based at least in part on game play of the second plurality of gaming machines, wherein the second progressive jackpot data is different from and coexisting with the first progressive jackpot data;   transmitting the first and second progressive jackpot data to the progressive jackpot server; and   calculating a progressive jackpot value based at least in part on the first and second progressive jackpot data, wherein the step of calculating the progressive jackpot value is performed by the progressive jackpot server.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first legal entity comprises a first corporation and the second legal entity comprises a second corporation. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of transmitting the first and second progressive jackpot data is performed at least in part via a network. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the progressive jackpot server is located at a site remote from the first and second plurality of gaming machines. 
   
   
       5 . In a gaming system, a method of processing a first progressive jackpot and a second progressive jackpot by using a communication network comprising:
 generating first jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a first progressive jackpot at a first gaming facility in a first location;   generating second jackpot data used at least in part to calculate a second progressive jackpot at the first gaming facility, wherein the second progressive jackpot is different from and coexisting with the first progressive jackpot;   generating third jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the first progressive jackpot at a second gaming facility in a second location different from the first location;   generating fourth jackpot data used at least in part to calculate the second progressive jackpot at the second gaming facility;   calculating at a location different from at least one of the first location and the second location the amount of the first progressive jackpot and the amount of the second progressive jackpot;   transmitting via the communication network the first jackpot data, the second jackpot data, the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data;   storing the first jackpot data and the second jackpot data before calculation of the first and second jackpot amount; and   storing the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data before calculation of the first and second jackpot amount.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of calculating is performed in a third location different from the first location and the second location. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of storing the first jackpot data and the second jackpot data is performed in the first location and wherein the step of storing the third jackpot data and the fourth jackpot data is performed in the second location. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein at least a portion of the step of transmitting is performed with TCP/IP protocol. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein at least at portion of the step of transmitting is performed with a digital subscriber line.