Methods and systems for electronic gaming

1. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including an electronic gaming machine having a processor primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game on a game display, the electronic gaming machine further including an electronic display device and at least one input device, the method comprising:

detecting, via the at least one input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

displaying an electronic reel simulation of a wagering game on the game display, the electronic reel simulation including a multiple reel array;

accepting a user input, via the at least one input device, indicating a selected play option from a plurality of play options based on a wager amount, wherein all play options of the plurality of play options enable all displayed positions of the multiple reel array to be considered in winning outcomes;

initiating the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

determining, by the processor, a game outcome and causing the game outcome to be presented on the game display, the game outcome comprising a plurality of game symbols for the displayed positions of the multiple reel array;

determining, by the processor, if one or more winning combinations of the game symbols is presented on the game display, wherein a number of possible winning combinations is fixed across all play options;

determining, by the processor, a payout responsive to the one or more winning combinations and an appearance of a substitute multiplier symbol as one of the plurality of game symbols, wherein the substitute multiplier symbol includes a multiplier having a multiplier value correlated to the selected play option such that the multiplier value increases as the wager amount increases for the selected play option;

multiplying, by the processor, the payout by the multiplier value for winning combinations in which the substitute multiplier symbol is present; and

receiving, via the at least one input device a cashout input that initiates the payout from the credit balance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substitute multiplier symbol further comprises a wild symbol to be considered in the one or more winning combinations.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the multiplier multiplies the payout by the multiplier value only for winning combinations of the one or more winning combinations that include the substitute multiplier symbol as the wild symbol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substitute multiplier symbol defines the multiplier value between one and five depending on the selected play option.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the processor, the one or more winning combinations of the game symbols where at least two combinations of three or more matching game symbols appear on three or more adjacent reels and the at least two combinations include at least one matching game symbol that is not shared by the other combination.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more winning combinations includes between three and five matching symbols appearing in displayed positions on a corresponding number of adjacent reels.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

including at least one scatter symbol in the game symbols; and

awarding one or more free plays when three or more scatter symbols appear on any three or more adjacent reels.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each play option of the plurality of play options has a corresponding set of possible bonus prizes associated therewith and further comprising:

triggering a bonus event responsive to a wild symbol appearing on at least one of the displayed positions; and

determining a jackpot prize responsive to the bonus event when the set of possible bonus prizes associated with the selected play option includes a single bonus prize.

9. An electronic gaming machine primarily dedicated to playing at least one casino wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet;

at least one input device coupled to the gaming cabinet;

a game display coupled to the gaming cabinet; and

a processor disposed within the gaming cabinet, and operably coupled to the at least one input device and the game display, wherein the processor is configured to execute computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to:

detect, via the at least one input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;

display an electronic reel simulation of the wagering game on the game display, the electronic reel simulation including a multiple reel array;

accept a user input, via the at least one input device, indicating a selected play option from a plurality of play options, wherein all play options of the plurality enable all displayed positions of the multiple reel array to be considered in winning outcomes;

initiate the casino wagering game in response to an input indicative of a wager covered by the credit balance;

determine a game outcome and cause the game outcome to be presented on the game display, the game outcome comprising a plurality of game symbols for the displayed positions of the multiple reel array;

determine if one or more winning combinations of the game symbols is presented on the game display, wherein a number of possible winning combinations is fixed across all play options;

determine a payout responsive to determining that the one or more winning combinations is presented on the game display, wherein the payout is multiplied by a multiplier value correlated to the selected play option when a substitute multiplier symbol is displayed as one of the plurality of game symbols such that the multiplier value increases as a wager amount increases corresponding to the selected play option; and

receive, via the at least one input device, a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance.

10. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to determine the one or more winning combinations of the game symbols where the substitute multiplier symbol further comprises a wild symbol to be considered in determining the one or more winning combinations.

11. The electronic gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to determine the payout only for winning combinations of the one or more winning combinations that include the substitute multiplier symbol as the wild symbol.

12. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the substitute multiplier symbol defines the multiplier value to be between one and five depending on the selected play option.

13. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to determine the one or more winning combinations of the game symbols where at least two combinations of three or more matching game symbols appear on three or more adjacent reels and the at least two combinations include at least one matching game symbol that is not shared by the other combination.

14. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to determine the one or more winning combinations of the game symbols where each of the one or more winning combinations includes between three and five matching symbols appearing in displayed positions on a corresponding number of adjacent reels.

15. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to:

include at least one scatter symbol in the game symbols; and

award one or more free plays when three or more scatter symbols appear on any three or more adjacent reels.

16. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein each play option of the plurality of play options has a corresponding set of possible bonus prizes associated therewith and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computing instructions to cause the electronic gaming machine to:

trigger a bonus event responsive to a wild symbol appearing on at least one of the displayed positions; and

determine a jackpot prize responsive to the bonus event when the set of possible bonus prizes associated with the selected play option includes a single bonus prize.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more winning combinations are based on a payline structure.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more winning combinations are based on an all ways structure.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein each winning combination comprises:

three or more matching game symbols appearing in the displayed positions on each of three or more adjacent reels; and

at least one of the three or more matching game symbols is not used in another winning combination.

20. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the one or more winning combinations are based on a payline structure.

21. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the one or more winning combinations are based on an all ways structure.

22. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein each winning combination comprises:

three or more matching game symbols appearing in the displayed positions on each of three or more adjacent reels; and

at least one of the three or more matching game symbols is not used in another winning combination.

23. The electronic gaming machine of claim 9 , wherein the at least one input device includes:

a credit input device coupled to the gaming cabinet, and configured to detect the physical item; and

a player input device coupled to the gaming cabinet, and configured to accept the user inputs.

24. The electronic gaming machine of claim 23 , wherein the player input device is selected from the group consisting of one or more player input buttons, a touch screen interface, or a combination thereof.