Three dimensional image display systems and methods for gaming machines

A method of developing a gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, the method comprising:

• designing artwork for said gaming machine, said artwork including a plurality of designed visual images;
• generating one or more digital files containing one or more visual images from said plurality of designed visual images;
• previewing at least one of said one or more digital files;
• modeling one or more visual images from said plurality of designed visual images during a computer assisted simulation to estimate the appearance of said one or more modeled visual images after a real application;
• implementing at least two images from said plurality of designed visual images onto a first physical medium via a lenticular process to form one or more multi-image sheets having a plurality of lenticular layers, wherein at least one resulting multi-image sheet contains one or more regions of overlapping images, such that a first overlapping image at a first region is visually predominant at a first viewing angle while a second overlapping image at said first region is visually predominant at a second viewing angle distinct from said first viewing angle;
• attaching at least a portion of said one or more multi-image sheets to a movable base;
• and
• installing said movable base to said gaming machine such that said movable base is adapted to be moved from a first position to a second position, wherein such movement enables a viewer at a stationary location outside said gaming machine to view said first overlapping image at said first viewing angle and said second overlapping image at said second viewing angle without moving.

A gaming machine adapted for accepting a wager, playing a game based on the wager and granting a payout based on the result of the game, comprising:

• an exterior housing arranged to contain a plurality of internal gaming machine components therein;
• a master gaming controller in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal gaming machine components and adapted to control one or more aspects of said game;
• and
• one or more gaming reels adapted to be controlled at least in part by said master gaming controller and having at least one multi-image reel strip attached thereto, said at least one multi-image reel strip having a plurality of visual images implemented thereon via a multi-layered lenticular process to form one or more regions of overlapping images, such that a first overlapping image at a first region is visually predominant at a first viewing angle while a second overlapping image at said first region is visually predominant at a second viewing angle distinct from said first viewing angle, and wherein at least one of said one or more gaming reels is adapted to be moved from a first position to a second position to enable a viewer at a stationary location outside said gaming machine to view said first overlapping image at said first viewing angle and said second overlapping image at said second viewing angle without moving,
• wherein said first region comprises a reel stop,
• wherein at least one of said visual images comprises a reel symbol,
• wherein at least a portion of said one or more gaming reels is transparent or translucent,
• and wherein at least a portion of one or more images on said multi-image reel strip is also transparent or translucent;
• and
• a backlight behind said transparent or translucent portion of said one or more gaming reels, wherein use of said backlight causes said one or more transparent or translucent images on said multi-image reel strip attached to said gaming reel to be illuminated by light passing therethrough.