Patent ID: 7690983

Claim:
A gaming device operable under control of a processor, the gaming device comprising: a display device; an input device; and a memory device which stores: (a) data corresponding to: (1) a plurality of game reels, each one of the game reels being positioned adjacent to another one of the game reels, each one of the game reels displaying a plurality of game symbols; (2) a designated reel which displays a plurality of different re-spin symbols, the different re-spin symbols indicating different re-spin quantities; (3) an additional designated reel which displays a plurality of different award modifier symbols, the different award modifier symbols indicating different award modifiers; (4) at least one winning condition associated with one or more of the game symbols; and (5) at least one award associated with the at least one winning condition; and (b) a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to operate with the display device and input device to: (1) receive an input corresponding to a wager; (2) display the game reels, the designated reel, and the additional designated reel; (3) spin the game reels, the designated reel, and the additional designated reel; (4) stop the spinning of the game reels, the designated reel, and the additional designated reel, the stopped game reels displaying a plurality of the game symbols, the stopped designated reel displaying one of the re-spin symbols, the stopped additional designated reel displaying one of the award modifier symbols; (5) determine whether the at least one winning condition occurs based on the game symbols displayed by the stopped game reels; (6) as a result of the occurrence of the at least one winning condition, provide the at least one award associated with the at least one winning condition; (7) determine whether a triggering event occurs based on one or more of the game symbols displayed by the stopped game reels; (8) in response to the occurrence of the triggering event, re-spin the game reels as many times as is specified by the re-spin quantity of the at least one re-spin symbol displayed by the stopped designated reel, the re-spinning occurring without requiring an additional wager; and (9) for each one of the re-spins: (i) stop the re-spinning of the game reels; (ii) determine whether the at least one winning condition occurs based on the game symbols displayed by said stopped game reels; and (iii) as a result of the occurrence of said at least one winning condition: (y) modify the at least one award associated with said at least one winning condition based on the award modifier of the award modifier symbol displayed by the stopped additional designated reel; and (z) provide the modified.