Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that maintain a progressive award associated with a guaranteed minimum quantity of generations of a designated symbol, certain of which are associated with an additional award.

Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that for a play of a game randomly determine an award set associated with each specific triggering symbol and displays the award set in association with that triggering symbol. In various embodiments, the different triggering symbols are associated with different types of awards and different sets of awards. In various embodiments, the different triggering symbols include a first triggering symbol associated only with a plurality of different static awards, a second triggering symbol associated only with a plurality of different variable awards, and a third triggering symbol associated with the plurality of different static awards and the plurality of different variable awards.