Patent ID: 9082264
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A wagering machine, comprising: a housing or cabinet; a display on which a plurality of symbols can be displayed in a matrix arrangement of rows and columns after initially appearing symbols have been caused to be rearranged; a controller; a value-addition mechanism by which currency or other gaming value to be bet can be added to the gaming machine and credited to a player's available-betting-amount account; a bet-placing mechanism by which the player can bet an amount of gaming value on the outcome of a game to be played; and a pay-out mechanism by which currency or other gaming value can be paid out to the player or credited to the player's available-betting-amount account under control of the controller and in accordance with a final outcome of the game once it has been played; wherein the controller is programmed to execute the steps, as a result of the player having wagered value, of (A1) determining by a random number-based process the final outcome of the game, including a final, rearranged matrix arrangement of symbols; (A2) determining by a random number-based process whether one or more wild symbols are to appear as part of the final, rearranged matrix arrangement of symbols; (A3) causing the symbols to be rearranged and displayed on the display in accordance with the final outcome of the game determined in step (A1); and (A4) for each time a wild symbol is to appear as part of the final, rearranged matrix arrangement of symbols as determined in step (A2), 1) causing a character to appear at a position located near one side of the display and traverse, in a sequential order, all columns in the matrix while moving toward a position located near an opposite side of the display, and 2) causing a wild symbol to appear at a predetermined position in one of the columns in the matrix as the character traverses said one of the columns in the matrix; (B) causing a payout-out to be made, if any, via the pay-out mechanism and in accordance with the final outcome of the game.