Patent ID: 8496522

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) for each of a plurality of symbol positions, cause a random determination and display of a symbol from a first plurality of different symbols, said plurality of symbol positions forming at least three columns and at least three rows, said at least three rows including a first row, a second row positioned adjacent to the first row and a third row positioned adjacent to the second row; (b) for at least one of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols: (i) display any award associated with the winning symbol combination, (ii) provide any displayed award associated with the winning symbol combination, (iii) remove at least one of the displayed symbols which forms said winning symbol combination, (iv) for each of any symbols removed from the first row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position, and (v) for each of any symbols removed from the second row of the symbol positions, reposition at least one of the displayed symbols to another one of the symbol positions to create at least one empty symbol position; (c) if at least one empty symbol position is created: (i) thereafter, cause a different random determination of whether any predetermined designated symbols will be displayed in any of the created empty symbol positions, wherein the different random determination is: (A) independent of any formed winning symbol combinations, and (B) independent of any generation of any symbols; (ii) if the different random determination is that at least one predetermined designated symbol will be displayed in at least one of the created empty symbol positions, generate and display at least one predetermined designated symbol in at least one of the empty symbol positions, wherein the at least one predetermined designated symbol is generated independent of each of the symbols of the first plurality of symbols; and (d) for each of any winning symbol combinations formed by said displayed symbols: (i) display any award associated with said winning symbol combination, and (ii) provide any displayed award associated with said winning symbol combination.