Patent ID: 8608556

Claim:
A gaming apparatus for play by a player making a wager comprising: a display; a controller configured to control the display to display randomly selected symbols defining a base game outcome and if a predetermined winning outcome is displayed pay a prize to the player and if a predetermined triggering outcome is displayed to provide a plurality of free game plays to the player as a bonus event, said controller configured to, during said bonus event and for each free game play, display randomly selected symbols from a first set of symbols that includes at least one special symbol; and input sensors configured to receive a selection of displayed special symbols at the display, wherein said controller is configured to reveal a special symbol outcome in response to the selection, the special symbol outcome being revealed from a second set of special symbol outcomes; and wherein the controller being further configured to select the second set of special symbol outcomes from a plurality of second sets, each second set defining a pathway of special symbol pathways, wherein each defined pathway provides a predefined sequence of prize values, wherein a pathway is selected on the basis of a value of the wager and each pathway is associated with a respective value of the wager, and wherein an average return to player contributed by all of the prizes in the predefined sequence of prizes across all the pathways is the same for every possible value of the wager.