Patent ID: 7387570
Filing Date: 2008-06-17
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A gaming machine, the gaming machine comprising: a housing; at least one display device supported by the housing; a matrix of rotatable reels displayed by the display device, the matrix defining a plurality of symbol display positions; a plurality of symbols displayable at the symbol display positions of the matrix wherein, when each of the reels is stopped, a plurality of sets of the symbols are displayed, each one of the sets comprising a plurality of the symbols from a plurality of the reels, each one of the symbol display positions having only one of the symbols displayed thereon when the reels are stopped; at least one designated winning combination comprising a quantity of designated ones of the symbols; an input device operable to receive a wager, the wager being equal to a sum of a plurality of wager portions, each one of the wager portions being individually allocated to a different one of the symbol display positions of the matrix; an award associated with the at least one designated winning combination, the award being based, at least in part, on the wager portions allocated to the symbol display positions of the at least one designated winning combination; and a control unit, in communication with the display device and the input device, the control unit operable to: (a) cause the display device to display each of the reels rotating after a designated event occurs; (b) cause the display device to display each of the reels stopped after another designated event occurs, thereby causing the reels to display the sets of symbols; (c) determine which, if any, of the displayed sets of symbols form the at least one designated winning combination; and (d) cause the award to be available to a player if the at least one designated winning combination is displayed.