Patent ID: 11972655
Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 17:
18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of one or more servers, cause the one or more processors to:
initiate a playing field on a gaming device, by using a random number generator or a lookup table to assign a set of reels to the playing field;
randomly determine, using a random number generator or a lookup table, when the set of reels is to be stopped, thereby determining a set of symbols to be shown on the playing field;
determine whether a wild symbol is shown on the playing field;
in the event the wild symbol is shown on the playing field, replacing at least one symbol that has a higher value than another symbol on the set of reels in a column containing the wild symbol with an expanded wild symbol; wherein:
the playing field is formed from multiple columns;
at least one of the set of reels is an expanding reel;
the expanding reel comprises:
the wild symbol; and
the at least one symbol adjacent the wild symbol;

a first reel of the set of reels is assigned to a first pair of columns;
a second reel of the set of reels is assigned to a second pair of columns; and
the expanding reel is assigned to a column positioned between either the first pair of columns or the second pair of columns.