Patent ID: 9483900
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: G07F

Claim Text:
1. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including one or more controllers and a gaming machine, the gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display and one or more electronic input devices, the method comprising: detecting, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; initiating the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance; in response to the initiating, displaying, on at least one of the one or more electronic display devices, a base array of symbol positions arranged in a plurality of columns; randomly distributing a plurality of symbols such that each of the symbol positions in the base array of symbol positions is associated with one of the plurality of symbols; expanding the base array of symbol positions into an expanded array of symbol positions by expanding one of the columns to include one or more additional symbol positions; distributing a duplicated symbol associated with one of the symbol positions into the one or more additional symbol positions such that the expanded column contains a clump of the duplicated symbol; displaying, on at least one of the one or more electronic display devices, the expanded array of symbol positions; and receiving, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a payout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.