Patent ID: 8608545

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 storing 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, for a play of a game, to: (a) generate and display one of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of adjacently displayed symbol display areas; (b) determine any awards associated with the displayed symbols; (c) if a triggering event occurs: (i) determine a set of at least one of the displayed symbols; (ii) for each displayed symbol of the set of the displayed symbols, remove said displayed symbol, each removed symbol resulting in an empty symbol display area; (iii) for each empty symbol display area: (A) reposition one of the other displayed symbols to create a second empty symbol display area; and (B) cause said repositioned symbol to be a wild symbol; (v) generate and display one of the plurality of symbols in each of any second empty symbol display areas; and (vi) determine any additional awards associated with the displayed symbols; and (d) provide any determined awards and any determined additional awards.