Patent ID: 8096869

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: a processor configured to execute a game displaying a matrix of symbol containing elements having a plurality of rows and a plurality columns; at least one column of said matrix comprising a portion of a simulated rotatable reel of a plurality of said symbol containing elements; said simulated rotatable reel comprising sections of symbol containing elements displaying a plurality of symbols that are fixed for each game played on said gaming machine; said simulated rotatable reel including at least one section in which a consecutive run of three or more of said symbol containing elements is populated by an identical symbol so that, as the simulated rotatable reel rotates, a consecutive string of said same identical symbol is sequentially displayed within said consecutive string of symbol containing elements; and said identical symbol is randomly selected anew for each play of said game, wherein said identical symbol is selected by virtually spinning a notional, non-visible, inner reel comprising a subset of said plurality of symbols.