Patent ID: 7326113

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play a spinning reel game having a plurality of reels, each reel having a series of symbols, wherein, during the play of the game the reels are spun to cause the symbols to be randomly displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, the gaming machine being characterized in that the game includes one or more special symbols which randomly appear on the display means, each special symbol when it appears, overlying one of the symbols on the reel game, said special symbol, when it appears, having the capacity to alter the results of the game, said at least one special symbol being held in a superimposed representation in that position for at least one further game while at least the reel carrying the, or each, special symbol is re-spun for said at least one further game, wherein said at least one special symbol is held following the occurrence of a predetermined trigger condition, said trigger condition being associated with said at least one special symbol and said trigger condition commencing a series of free games during which all special symbols that are spun up are held.