Patent ID: 7094148

Claim:
A gaming device controlled by a processor, said gaming device comprising: a primary game controlled by the processor and operable upon a wager by a player; and a free spin mode controlled by the processor and that is initiated if a triggering event occurs in a play of the primary game, wherein said free spin mode includes: (a) an unlimited number of free spins of a plurality of reels without an additional wager by the player, said reels including a plurality of symbols, said plurality of symbols including at least one locking symbol and at least one terminating symbol, wherein for each free spin, an award is provided to the player for any winning symbol combinations which occur in said free spin, and (b) a free spin mode terminating event triggered upon a generation of at least one of the locking symbols and at least one of the terminating symbols in one of said free spins, wherein in the free spin mode terminating event a finite number of additional free spins of the reels are provided, said finite number being at least one, and for each said additional free spin, at least one locking symbol on the reels is held stationary and the symbols generated in said additional free spin including each held locking symbol are evaluated to determine if any winning symbol combinations occur.