Patent ID: 9098982
Filing Date: 2015-08-04
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A gaming system primarily dedicated to conducting a wagering game, the gaming system comprising: an electronic slot machine with a gaming cabinet configured to house electronic components operable for conducting the wagering game, one or more electronic input devices coupled to the gaming cabinet and configured to receive physical inputs from a player to play the wagering game and transform the physical inputs into electronic data signals, and one or more electronic display devices coupled to the gaming cabinet and configured to display outcomes of the wagering game; one or more electronic random element generators configured to generate one or more random elements associated with play of the wagering game; one or more processors; and one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the gaming system to: receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical input from the player as an indication of a wager to play the wagering game, the wagering game including a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, each of the symbol-bearing reels having a plurality of distinct reel positions populated by a plurality of symbols, at least one of the symbol-bearing reels bearing a symbol clump occupying two or more immediately adjacent ones of the distinct reel positions on the at least one reel; initiate the wagering game in response to an electronic data signal generated by the at least one of the one or more electronic input devices responsive to the physical input from the player; determine an outcome of the wagering game based, at least in part, on at least one of the one or more random elements generated by the one or more electronic random element generators; direct at least one of the one or more electronic display devices to display the outcome of the wagering game, the displayed outcome being randomly determined from a plurality of wagering-game outcomes, each of the wagering-game outcomes including predetermined ones of the symbols occupying a plurality of distinct array positions arranged in an array displayed on the at least one display device; and transmit an indication of an award to the player in response to the randomly determined outcome of the wagering game meeting at least one predetermined award criterion, wherein one or more of the reel positions on the at least one reel has a corresponding weighted probability of occupying corresponding ones of the array positions in the displayed array, the weighted probabilities being configured such that the symbol clump, when part of one of the wagering-game outcomes, can only land in its entirety in the array.