Patent ID: 7654898

Claim:
A method for operating a casino slot machine, the method comprising the steps of: randomly displaying a matrix of symbols for a plurality of paylines in a touch screen display as the spin outcome in response to receiving a wager from a player, the casino slot machine having a pay table with winning symbol combinations and corresponding awards; alerting the player when a player selectable wild feature for the aforesaid spin outcome occurs during the operation of the casino slot machine; the player selectable wild feature providing the player with at least one touch input on at least one of the displayed symbols in the matrix of symbols of the aforesaid spin outcome on the touch screen display so as to obtain any winning symbol combinations having higher corresponding awards based on the pay table than winning combinations found in the aforesaid spin outcome, receiving the at least one touch input from the player on the at least one symbol in the matrix of symbols on the touch screen display for the aforesaid spin outcome in response to alerting the player; converting the aforesaid at least one touched symbol to a wild symbol in the displayed matrix of symbols for the aforesaid spin outcome on the touch screen display in response to receiving the at least one touch input; awarding the player awards corresponding to any winning symbol combinations on the plurality of pay lines based on the pay table and in response to converting the at least one touched symbol to the wild symbol in the matrix of symbols of the aforesaid spin outcome.