Patent ID: 7789747

Claim:
A gaming device operable under control of at least one processor, said gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; and said at least one processor programmed to operate with said at least one display device and said at least one input device to: (a) enable a player to activate a play of a primary game upon a wager, the primary game including a plurality of symbols displayable by the at least one display device, a plurality of winning symbol combinations of the symbols, and a plurality of awards associated with the winning symbol combinations; (b) determine if any of the winning symbol combinations occur in said play of the primary game, and display any of the awards associated with any determined winning symbol combinations which occur in said play of the primary game; (c) determine if a triggering event occurs in said play of the primary game; and (d) if said triggering event occurs in said play of the primary game, display a designated quantity of free plays of a secondary game, said designated quantity being at least two, and for said designated quantity of free plays of the secondary game: (i) determine if any of the winning symbol combinations occur in said free plays of the secondary game, and display any of the awards associated with any of the determined winning symbol combinations which occur in said free plays of the secondary game, (ii) accumulate any designated symbols which occur in said free plays of the secondary game, wherein each designated symbol which occurs in said free plays of the secondary game is accumulated into a total number of accumulated designated symbols without regard to where the designated symbol is displayed in the free play of the secondary game in which said designated symbol occurs, and (iii) at a determined point, if said total number of accumulated designated symbols reaches a designated level over at least two of the free plays of the secondary game, display an additional award to the player, wherein the additional award is in addition to awards displayed in association with any of the determined winning symbol combinations in said free plays of the secondary game.