Patent ID: 7690987

Claim:
A gaming device comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores 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 to: (a) display a play of a primary game upon a wager by a player; (b) upon an occurrence of a triggering event in said play of the primary game, display a free activation mode, wherein said free activation mode includes: (i) an unlimited number of free activations of a plurality of reels without an additional wager by the player, said plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols including at least one locking symbol and at least one terminating symbol, said reels associated with at least one payline, and (ii) an award provided to the player for each winning symbol combination which occurs in each said free activation of the free activation mode; and (c) when at least one of the locking symbols and at least one of the terminating symbols are generated on a same one of the paylines in one of said free activations of the free activation mode, display a free activation mode terminating event, wherein the free activation mode terminating event includes a designated number of additional free activations of said plurality of reels, said designated number being at least one, wherein at least one locking symbol is held stationary for each said additional free activation of the free activation mode terminating event.