Patent ID: 8651940

Claim:
A method performed by a video gaming device, the method comprising: a. spinning and stopping an M×N array of virtual reels in an initial game, where M and N are each greater than one, each virtual reel, when stopped, displaying a symbol to generate an M×N array of symbols, the symbols on the virtual reels including a plurality of directional wild symbols, each directional wild symbol representing a plurality of other symbols for use in making symbol combinations, each directional wild symbol being associated with at least one direction, wherein at least one of the directional wild symbols is associated with at least a vertical direction, wherein at least one of the directional wild symbols is associated with at least a horizontal direction, and wherein an appearance of a directional wild symbol in an array of symbols associated with at least the vertical direction causes one or more additional reels along at least the vertical direction to be independently respun to give a player an additional chance to win, and wherein an appearance of a directional wild symbol in an array of symbols associated with at least the horizontal direction causes one or more additional reels along at least the horizontal direction to be independently respun to give the player an additional chance to win; b. when a directional wild symbol appears in the array of symbols in the initial game, then causing the one or more additional reels along the at least one direction associated with that directional wild symbol to be respun and randomly stopped to create new symbol combinations in the M×N array in a respin game; c. when a new directional wild symbol appears in the array of symbols in the respin game, then causing one or more reels along the at least one direction associated with that new directional wild symbol to be respun and randomly stopped to create new symbol combinations in the M×N array in a second respin game; d. repeating step c for subsequent respin games whenever a new directional wild symbol appears after a respin of the reels, and terminating respin games when no new directional wild symbols appear after a respin of the reels; and e. paying an award to a player for any winning combination of symbols in the M×N array at least after all respin games have been played.