Mechanical wheels for game machines

An electronic gaming machine comprising:

• a cabinet;
• a first display coupled to the cabinet;
• a wheel assembly coupled to the cabinet, the wheel assembly comprising:
• an annular ring guide stationarily coupled to the cabinet,
• a first annular ring coupled to the annular ring guide, the first annular ring positioned concentrically with respect to and rotatable with respect to the annular ring guide about a center axis of the wheel assembly,
• a second annular ring coupled to the annular ring guide, the second annular ring positioned concentrically with respect to and rotatable with respect to the annular ring guide about the center axis of the wheel assembly,
• a plurality of wheel segments, each wheel segment generally wedge shaped having two relatively long straight sides separated by an acute angle having a common end at an inner apex, each wheel segment having first and second attachment points at an outer portion of each wheel segment, the first attachment point of each wheel segment coupled to the first annular ring, the second attachment point of each wheel segment coupled to the second annular ring, and
• an activation mechanism;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the first display, and the activation mechanism, wherein the processor is configured to provide game play of a wager based game to a player, display gaming information to the player through the first display, detect a trigger event during game play of the wager-based game, and instruct the activation mechanism to move the plurality of wheel segments;
• wherein the activation mechanism is configured to move the plurality of wheel segments relative to each other between a closed orientation, in which the first annular ring and the second annular ring have a first angular relationship such that the inner apexes of the plurality of wheel segments are colocated about the center axis, and an open orientation, in which the first annular ring and the second annular ring have a second angular relationship, different than the first angular relationship, such that the inner apexes of the plurality of wheel segments are spaced apart from each other along a circle about the central axis;
• and
• wherein the activation mechanism is configured to rotate the plurality of wheel segments about a central axis.