Patent ID: 8651945

Claim:
A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising: (a) causing at least one display device to display a game including a plurality of symbols, the symbols including at least one designator symbol, the symbols being displayable at a plurality of symbol display areas, (b) causing the at least one display device to display a first random generation of one of the symbols at each of the symbol display areas, (c) for said first random generation: (i) if said displayed symbols include a designated number of the designator symbols, based on said displayed designator symbols, causing the at least one display device to display an indication of a designated amount of the symbol display areas as award modification symbol display areas for a designated quantity of subsequent generations of the symbols, the designated number being at least one, the designated amount being at least one, and the designated quantity being at least one, (ii) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to determine whether any winning symbol combinations are displayed, and (iii) if any winning symbol combinations are displayed, causing the at least one display device to display any awards associated with said displayed winning symbol combinations, (d) causing the at least one display device to display a second random generation of one of the symbols at each of the symbol display areas, the second random generation being one of the designated quantity of subsequent generations, and (e) for said second random generation, if any winning symbol combinations including at least one symbol displayed at one of said award modification symbol display areas are displayed, for at least one of said displayed winning symbol combinations, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify any award associated with said at least one displayed winning symbol combination and display said modified award.