Gaming method for playing a slot game with enhancement of player winning chances, and gaming apparatus for implementing the gaming method

A gaming apparatus comprising:

• an input unit including a confirm button;
• a display unit;
• and
• a control unit including a storage medium storing program instructions for playing a slot game, and a processor coupled to said input unit, said display unit and said storage medium;
• wherein said processor is operable to execute said program instructions so as to randomly generate a game symbol combination at the end of one round of the slot game, control said display unit to display the game symbol combination generated by said processor, determine whether the game symbol combination generated by said processor conforms with a predetermined winning condition, and perform a symbol-changing procedure when the game symbol combination fails to conform with the predetermined winning condition;
• wherein the symbol-changing procedure includes the steps of:
• i) allowing a player to input a confirm command for changing a to-be-changed game symbol in the game symbol combination through said confirm button,
• ii) randomly changing the to-be-changed game symbol in response to the confirm command,
• iii) determining whether a revised game symbol combination that includes the game symbol changed in step ii) conforms with the predetermined winning condition, and
• iv) granting an award to the player and controlling said display unit to notify the player of the grant of the award when the determination made in step iii) is affirmative.