Patent ID: 8137183

Claim:
A method for providing animation on a gaming machine having one or more mechanical reels, comprising: spinning at least one mechanical reel, wherein the mechanical reel comprises symbols located at a plurality of symbol positions around an outer circumference of the mechanical reel; selecting an animation sequence to present during the spinning of the mechanical reel, the animation sequence comprising at least a first symbol and a second symbol; illuminating the first symbol of the animation sequence, wherein the first symbol is located on the spinning mechanical reel and a lighting system directs light onto the first symbol for a designated amount of time while the mechanical reel is spinning; illuminating the second symbol in the animation sequence, wherein the second symbol is located on the spinning mechanical reel and the lighting system directs light onto the second symbol for a designated amount of time while the mechanical reel is spinning, and wherein a combined effect of illuminating the first and second symbols while the mechanical reel is spinning is to produce an appearance of movement or motion across multiple symbol positions on the mechanical reel.