Patent ID: 6869360

Claim:
An electronic apparatus for playing a casino game comprising: a video display; a data structure storing data corresponding to the display of game symbols, at least one of which is designated a bonus trigger; a processor to control the display and an input device to prompt the processor for each play of successive hands, when prompted said processor configured to select and assign game symbol data from said data structure to each coordinate in a displayed X by Y game matrix and to display the corresponding game symbol, said game matrix defining one or more pay lines; a wager input device for a player to wager on and activate one or more pay lines; said processor controlling said display to display for each hand of play an active border at the margin of the game matrix including a no action indicator and at least one of a multiplier or a bonus activating indicator and for each hand of play selecting at said active border from said no action indicator or said at least one of a multiplier or a bonus activating indicator, wherein said selection is independent of said game symbol data selected and displayed in said game matrix; and if said multiplier is selected, said processor comparing combinations of selected game symbols assigned into the game matrix along each activated pay line to determine winning or losing pay line game symbol combinations and to issue an award for each predetermine winning game symbol combination on an activated pay line, increasing at least a portion of the award by said multiplier; if a bonus activator indicator is selected, said processor comparing the selected game symbols to determine if said bonus has been triggered and if said bonus is triggered, issuing a bonus; and if a no action indicator is selected, said processor issuing a base award without either increasing the award or issuing a bonus.