Systems, apparatuses and methods for awarding gaming payouts

A gaming device comprising:

• a game display configured to show a grid of symbol locations;
• a memory configured to store a credit amount, data related to at least one modifying symbol, and data related to a plurality of game reels, each game reel being associated with an arrangement of symbols from a plurality of game symbols, where at least one symbol from the plurality of game symbols is a predetermined symbol having a plurality of different appearances each associated with a different characteristic;
• a wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values;
• and
• a processor operable to:
• receive a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
• increase the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value of the received physical item;
• receive a signal initiating a gaming event on the gaming device with a wager amount, where the credit amount stored in the memory is decreased based on the wager amount;
• initiate a reelspin where the game reels are spun through the grid of symbol locations on the game display;
• move the at least one modifying symbol to a new symbol location during the reelspin;
• end the reelspin;
• determine whether a resulting symbol located in the new symbol location as a result of the reelspin is a predetermined symbol;
• and
• replace the resulting symbol in the new symbol location when the resulting symbol is determined to be the predetermined symbol, wherein the predetermined symbol and a random number of additional symbols are replaced with the modifying symbol in response to the predetermined symbol having a first characteristic.

A method of operating a gaming device including a game display configured to show a grid of symbol locations, a memory configured to store a credit amount and store data related to at least one modifying symbol and related to a plurality of game reels having arrangements of symbols from a plurality of game symbols, a wager input device structured to receive physical items associated with currency values, and a processor, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from the wager input device indicating receipt of a physical item associated with a currency value;
• increasing the credit amount stored in the memory based on the currency value of the received physical item;
• receiving a signal initiating a gaming event on the gaming device with a wager amount, where the credit amount stored in the memory is decreased based on the wager amount;
• initiating a reelspin where the game reels are spun through the grid of symbol locations on the game display;
• during the reelspin, moving a modifying symbol overlying the grid from a first position on the game display to a designated symbol location in the grid;
• ending the reelspin so that game symbols from the game reels appear in the symbol locations of the grid on the game display;
• determining whether the game symbol that appears at the ending of the reelspin in the designated symbol location on the grid associated with the modifying symbol is a predetermined symbol having at one of a plurality of different appearances, where each of the different appearances is associated with a different characteristic;
• when a predetermined symbol is determined to appear in the designated symbol location associated the modifying symbol, determining a characteristic of the predetermined symbol based on which of the different appearances is associated with the predetermined symbol appearing in the designated symbol location;
• modifying at least the predetermined symbol in the designated symbol location based on the determined characteristic of the predetermined symbol and the modifying symbol;
• evaluating the grid of symbol locations for winning combinations of game symbols based on a paytable;
• and
• providing awards based on the evaluation, where the credit amount in the memory is increased based on the provided awards.