Gaming Method and Apparatus for Facilitating a Game Involving Specialty Functionality

A gaming device comprising:

• a video display device having a grid including a plurality of elements and at least one feature indicator positioned between adjacent elements of the grid;
• a player interface including at least one button, the button configured to generate a signal in response to being activated;
• a wager input device structured to receive currency or currency based tickets;
• a memory storing data related to a plurality of spinning reels each having a plurality of symbols;
• and
• game circuitry operable to:
• receive a signal from the wager input device indicating that a currency or a currency based ticket has been received,
• initiate a game on the display, the game having a wager based at least in part on the identified currency or the currency based ticket from the received signal,
• mark each of the plurality of elements on the display by moving the spinning reels through the grid and stopping the plurality of spinning reels to display symbols from the spinning reels in each of the elements of the grid,
• associate a feature marker with at least one of the plurality of elements,
• re-mark elements that are positionally related to a feature indicator when a correspondingly positioned element relative to the feature indicator is associated with a feature marker, and
• determine an outcome based on one or more combinations of the markings.

A method of operating a gaming device including a video display device having a grid including a plurality of elements and at least one feature indicator positioned between adjacent elements of the grid, a player interface including at least one button, a wager input device structured to receive currency or currency based tickets, a memory storing data related to a plurality of spinning reels each having a plurality of symbols, and a processor, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from the wager input device indicating that a currency or a currency based ticket has been received,
• initiating a game on the display, the game having a wager based at least in part on the identified currency or the currency based ticket from the received signal,
• marking each of the plurality of elements on the display by moving the spinning reels through the grid and stopping the plurality of spinning reels to display symbols from the spinning reels in each of the elements of the grid,
• associating a feature marker with at least one of the plurality of elements,
• re-marking elements that are positionally related to a feature indicator when a correspondingly positioned element relative to the feature indicator is associated with a feature marker, and
• determining an outcome based on one or more combinations of the markings.