Patent ID: 8113943

Claim:
A gaming system 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) enable a player to make a wager on a play of a game, said game having a plurality of reels including a plurality of symbols, each of said reels including at least one of said symbols; and (b) for said play of the game: (i) display a first series of free spins of the reels, wherein a first symbol of the plurality of symbols functions as a wild symbol for said first series of free spins of the reels, such that said first symbol functions as at least one other symbol of the plurality of symbols for said first series of free spins of the reels, and wherein the free spins of the reels of the first series are sequentially displayed until said first symbol in combination with other generated symbols results in one of a plurality of awards for the player a predetermined number of times, said predetermined number being at least one, (ii) for each free spin sequentially displayed in the first series of free spins of the reels, provide one of said plurality of awards for each winning symbol combination which occurs in said free spin, regardless of whether or not said winning symbol combination includes the first symbol, and (iii) after said first symbol in combination with other generated symbols results in one of the plurality of awards for the player the predetermined number of times, automatically display a second series of at least one free spin of the reels, wherein a second different symbol of the plurality of symbols functions as a wild symbol for said second series of at least one free spin of the reels, such that said second different symbol functions as at least one other symbol of the plurality of symbols for said second series of at least one free spin of the reels.