Gaming system and method with wager variability
AssigneeAristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
InventorGregory Leigh Plowman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaming machine that provides a wagering game, including a user interface in communication with a game controller, through the operation of which a player selects one of a plurality of wager options that determine a number of symbols to be active and inactive in the wagering game. For at least one said wager option at least one, but not all of the plurality of symbols that define a possible said winning combination are rendered inactive for forming the winning combination.
Claims16
A method of providing a game on a gaming machine having a credit input operable to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance, a display device providing a plurality of symbol display positions, a user interface operable to receive at least one of a plurality of gaming options, a game controller having (i) a processor, (ii) a random number generator, and (iii) a memory storing at least instructions and data indicative of a plurality of symbols, when executed, the instructions cause the game controller to at least play the game including presenting a plurality of the symbols on the display device to form at least one outcome which is evaluated for a winning outcome, the method comprising:
- establishing the credit balance by the credit input receiving the physical item;
- receiving from a user interface one of the plurality of gaming options for game play of the game;
- determining, by the game controller, which one of the plurality of gaming options has been received at the user interface for game play of the game;
- in accord with having established the credit balance, selecting, by the game controller, at least two symbols, each of the at least two symbols being of a different class of symbols, dependent on the determined said one of the plurality of gaming options that has been placed, and rendering inactive the at least two symbols to form the winning outcome;
- selecting, by the game controller, in a random selection process symbols for display in the plurality of symbol display positions to form the at least one outcome, including selecting, by the random number generator, from a combined set including both active symbols and the at least two symbols rendered inactive, wherein the display on the display device of an active or inactive symbol in one or more of the plurality of symbol display positions is randomly determined;
- and
- controlling, by the game controller, the display device to display an increase of the credit balance for the winning outcome that occurs, which is defined by symbols that are active and not by any symbols that have been rendered inactive.
A method of providing a spinning reel game on a gaming machine comprising a credit input operable to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value to establish a credit balance, a plurality of reels, each reel having a plurality of symbol positions, a display device having a plurality of symbol display positions, a user interface operable to receive at least one of a plurality of gaming options, a game controller having (i) a processor, (ii) a random number generator, and (iii) a memory storing at least instructions and data indicative of a plurality of symbols, when executed, the instructions cause the game controller to at least play the spinning reel game including presenting on the display device a plurality of the symbol positions on the plurality of reels to represent as symbols of one or more outcomes of the spinning reel game from the memory, the method comprising:
- establishing the credit balance by the credit input receiving the physical item;
- receiving, from the user interface, at least one of the plurality of gaming options for game play of the spinning reel game;
- determining, by the game controller, which one of the plurality of gaming options has been received at the user interface for game play of the spinning reel game;
- in accord with having established the credit balance, controlling the display device to render, by the game controller, symbols inactive in a variable number of the symbol positions for forming a winning outcome, including selecting the variable number of the symbol positions in which symbols are rendered inactive depending on at least one of the plurality of gaming options for game play received at the user interface;
- during game play, presenting on the display device, by the game controller, the plurality of reels so that inactive symbols and active symbols are distinguishable;
- playing, by the game controller, the spinning reel game;
- and
- paying an award for winning outcomes that do not include one or more inactive symbols.
A gaming system including a gaming machine operable for play of a game comprising:
- a credit input operable to receive a physical item representing a monetary value to establish a credit balance;
- a display device operable to display the game in which a plurality of symbols is displayed to represent at least one outcome;
- a user interface operable to select one or more of a plurality of gaming options;
- and
- a game controller comprising (i) a processor, and (ii) a memory storing at least instructions and data indicative of the plurality of symbols, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the game controller to at least:
- control play of the game,
- communicate with the display device,
- receive, from the user interface, at least one of the plurality of gaming options,
- select, in accord with having established the credit balance, a number of symbols from the data of the memory to be active and inactive in the game, wherein, for at least one of the plurality of gaming options, at least one, but not all of the plurality of symbols that define a possible winning combination are rendered inactive in forming a winning combination, and
- display, for at least one of the plurality of gaming options, one or more of the plurality of symbols on the display device to represent at least one outcome that includes at least one symbol of the plurality of symbols rendered inactive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.