Patent ID: 9342962
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: G07F

Claim Text:
1. A method of operating a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a display device displaying a plurality of reels, a user input device for receiving inputs from a player and for accepting physical media indicating a monetary value to establish a credit balance, a database, and a controller including a processor programmed to execute a game program, the method comprising the steps of: allowing the player, through the input device, to make a wager and adjusting the credit balance as a function of the wager; displaying, by the controller on the display device, the plurality of reels including at least one reel including a plurality of symbol positions, the plurality of symbol positions being displayed with a plurality of normal symbol positions and a plurality of consecutive special symbol positions, the normal symbol positions being displayed with a plurality of game symbols; receiving, by the controller, a signal indicating a wager being made by the player via the user input device, randomly generating an outcome of a base game, and spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to display the outcome of the base game; detecting triggering condition appearing in the outcome of the base game and responsively awarding a number of free games as a function of the triggering condition; determining a number of consecutive special symbol positions associated with each of the number of free games, a corresponding number of special symbol positions associated with each free game being determined as a function of the number of free games being awarded, wherein each free game includes a different number of consecutive special symbol positions; initiating, by the controller, a first free game including a first number of consecutive special symbol positions being displayed with the at least one reel in the first free game; selecting a first symbol from the database, the first symbol being displayed in each special symbol position during the first free game; generating an outcome of the first free game and spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to display the outcome of the first free game on the display device including the at least one reel displaying the first symbol in each of the first number of consecutive special symbol positions; initiating a second free game including a second number of consecutive symbol positions, the second number of consecutive special symbol positions being different than the first number of consecutive special symbol positions; selecting a second symbol from the database, the second symbol being displayed in each special symbol position during the second free game; spinning and stopping the plurality of reels to display the second free game including the at least one reel displaying the second symbol in each of the second number of consecutive special symbol positions; and, adjusting the credit balance as a function of the outcome of the first free game or an outcome of the second free game.