Patent ID: 9378627
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: G07F

Claim Text:
1. A method of gaming for use with a gaming system having a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, a payout mechanism configured to cause a payout associated with the credit balance, a plurality of symbol display positions, a base symbol set having a plurality of first symbols, a bonus symbol set having a plurality of second symbols, and a controller, the method comprising: establishing a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving the physical item; in accord with having established the credit balance via the credit input mechanism receiving the physical item, selecting via the controller, symbols for a first game round for display at each of the plurality of symbol display positions from the base symbol set; determining via the controller whether the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol display positions in said first game round result in a trigger event; selecting via the controller, in response to said determining that a trigger event has occurred in said first game round, a symbol display position as a bonus reel having the plurality of second symbols; applying via the controller the bonus symbol set to the selected said symbol display position for a second game round; selecting and displaying via the controller a symbol from the bonus symbol set at said bonus reel in a second game round; selecting and displaying via the controller symbols for display at the remaining symbol display positions from said base symbol set independently of the selection of the symbol from the bonus symbol set; and determining via the controller the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol display positions to determine whether to make an award for the second game round.