Patent ID: 6960134

Claim:
A method for operating a gaming device, the method comprising: (a) enabling a player to place a wager on a primary game having a plurality of reels, thereby causing a first number of the reels in the primary game to spin; (b) enabling the player to reach an award amount in the primary game according to a plurality of rules of the primary game; (c) when a predetermined event occurs in the primary game: (i) spinning a first one of the reels and a second one of the reels on at least one occasion, the first reel displaying a first symbol indicating a number of spins to be used in a bonus round, the second reel displaying a second symbol indicating at least one multiplication factor; (ii) initiating the bonus round, thereby causing a plurality of the reels to spin as many times as is specified by the number of spins indicated by the first symbol, each of said spins resulting in a display of a plurality of symbols; (iii) determining, for each of said spins, whether an award amount is associated with the display of symbols resulting from said spin in the bonus round; and (iv) applying the indicated multiplication factor to at least one of said determined award amounts, if any; and (d) providing the player with an award including the award amount of the primary game and an amount resulting from the indicated multiplication factor applied to at least one of the determined award amounts of the bonus round.