# US 2026/0065751 A1 · Selectable persistent upgrades systems and methods in electronic gaming > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0065751 A1 - Document ID: US20260065751A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/309,143 - Filed: 2025-08-25 - Published: 2026-03-05 - Earliest claimed: 2024-08-30 - Applicants: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Nicholas Farina; Scott Hopkins; Erick Ching; Jennifer Mizzi; Rogelio Decasa, JR.; Steven Richardson; Ginette McKay; Hanna Sanborn; Nathan Warms; Zachary Smith; Kelly Lockheed; Carlyn Albright; Deanna Hickox - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260065751A1 ## CPC - G07F 17/3267: {Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games} - G07F 17/3213: {Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members} - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract An electronic gaming system is provided. The electronic gaming system may include at least one memory storing a plurality of sets of reel strips and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to, in response to a bonus game being triggered, cause a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of a plurality of upgrade types, receive a selection of a first upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types, randomly determine a first upgrade based on the first upgrade type, determine a first state based on the first upgrade type or the first upgrade, select a first set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the first state, and generate and display in a game matrix a first game outcome based on the first set of reel strips and the first upgrade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic gaming system comprising: at least one memory storing a plurality of sets of reel strips; and at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to: in response to a bonus game being triggered, cause a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of a plurality of upgrade types; receive a selection of a first upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determine a first upgrade based on the first upgrade type; determine a first state based on the first upgrade type or the first upgrade; select a first set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the first state; and generate and cause the display device to display in a game matrix a first game outcome based on the first set of reel strips and the first upgrade. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: in response to displaying the first game outcome, cause a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; receive a selection of a second upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determine a second upgrade based on the second upgrade type; determine a second state based on the first state and on the second upgrade type or the second upgrade; select a second set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the second state; and generate and cause the display device to display in the game matrix a second game outcome based on the second set of reel strips and the second upgrade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic gaming system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upgrade types include floating wilds, adding rows, and a multiplier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic gaming system of claim 3, wherein the first upgrade type is floating wilds, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the at least one processor is configured to: randomly determine a number of floating wilds to display; and randomly determine positions within the game matrix to display the floating wilds. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The electronic gaming system of claim 3, wherein the first upgrade type is adding rows, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the at least one processor is configured to randomly determine a number of rows to add to the game matrix. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The electronic gaming system of claim 3, wherein the first upgrade type is a multiplier, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the at least one processor is configured to randomly determine a number by which to increment the multiplier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to determining the first upgrade, cause the display device to display a wheel animation associated with the first upgrade. ### Claim 8 A method for providing user-selectable persistent upgrades in a bonus game, the method performed by at least one processor in communication with at least one memory storing a plurality of sets of reels strips, the method comprising: in response to a bonus game being triggered, causing a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of a plurality of upgrade types; receiving a selection of a first upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determining a first upgrade based on the first upgrade type; determining a first state based on the first upgrade type or the first upgrade; selecting a first set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the first state; and generating and causing the display device to display in a game matrix a first game outcome based on the first set of reel strips and the first upgrade. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: in response to displaying the first game outcome, causing a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; receiving a selection of a second upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determining a second upgrade based on the second upgrade type; determining a second state based on the first state and on the second upgrade type or the second upgrade; selecting a second set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the second state; and generating and causing the display device to display in the game matrix a second game outcome based on the second set of reel strips and the second upgrade. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of upgrade types include floating wilds, adding rows, and a multiplier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first upgrade type is floating wilds, and wherein randomly determining the first upgrade comprises: randomly determining a number of floating wilds to display; and randomly determine positions within the game matrix to display the floating wilds. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first upgrade type is adding rows, and wherein randomly determining the first upgrade comprises randomly determining a number of rows to add to the game matrix. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first upgrade type is a multiplier, and wherein randomly determining the first upgrade comprises randomly determining a number by which to increment the multiplier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to determining the first upgrade, causing the display device to display a wheel animation associated with the first upgrade. ### Claim 15 At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor in communication with at least one memory storing a plurality of sets of reels strips, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to: in response to a bonus game being triggered, cause a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of a plurality of upgrade types; receive a selection of a first upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determine a first upgrade based on the first upgrade type; determine a first state based on the first upgrade type or the first upgrade; select a first set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the first state; and generate and cause the display device to display in a game matrix a first game outcome based on the first set of reel strips and the first upgrade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to: in response to displaying the first game outcome, cause a display device to prompt selection of an upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; receive a selection of a second upgrade type of the plurality of upgrade types; randomly determine a second upgrade based on the second upgrade type; determine a second state based on the first state and on the second upgrade type or the second upgrade; select a second set of reel strips of the plurality of sets of reel strips based on the second state; and generate and cause the display device to display in the game matrix a second game outcome based on the second set of reel strips and the second upgrade. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of upgrade types include floating wilds, adding rows, and a multiplier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first upgrade type is floating wilds, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to: randomly determine a number of floating wilds to display; and randomly determine positions within the game matrix to display the floating wilds. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first upgrade type is adding rows, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to randomly determine a number of rows to add to the game matrix. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first upgrade type is a multiplier, and wherein to randomly determine the first upgrade, the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to randomly determine a number by which to increment the multiplier.