System and method of allowing a player to play gaming machines having reel overlays

1. A game machine, comprising:

a bill acceptor that accepts a physical item associated with a monetary value;

an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player;

a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance;

a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance;

a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and

a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller and configured to:

initiate a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;

establish a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;

randomly shift the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;

combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;

assign the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;

award a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;

increase the credit balance based on the awarded prize; and

reduce the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.

2. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the game machine further includes a plurality of second reel layouts and the controller further configured to select one second reel layout from the plurality of second reel layouts.

3. The game machine, as in claim 2 , wherein each second reel layout has a different identical symbol.

4. The game machine, as in claim 2 , wherein each second reel layout has a different number of consecutive symbol positions.

5. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein each blank symbol is configured to cover the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

6. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein each blank symbol is configured to show the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

7. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one identical symbol within the second reel layout is selected from a subset of available symbols.

8. The game machine, as in claim 7 , wherein each available symbol within the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

9. The game machine, as in claim 2 , wherein each second reel layout is assigned a probability of selection and the controller is configured to select a second reel layout as a function of the probability.

10. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the grid is comprised of five columns and three rows of cells.

11. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the left-most reel strip includes a first reel layout.

12. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the other reel strips includes a first reel layout.

13. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a trigger condition and combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout in response to the trigger condition.

14. The game machine, as in claim 13 , wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on the left most reel strip.

15. The game machine, as in claim 13 , wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on at least one other reel strip.

16. The game machine, as claim 1 , wherein the controller selects at least one potential win symbol from each column within the grid.

17. The game machine, as in claim 16 , wherein a prize is awarded to a player of a game on the game machine if a predetermined arrangement of potential win symbols is displayed on a pre-defined payline on the grid at the end of a game.

18. The game machine, as in claim 13 , wherein the trigger condition for a particular reel is based on the reel layout of the leftwardly preceding reel in the grid.

19. The game machine, as in claim 13 , wherein the combination of reel layouts within a reel strip constitutes a trigger condition for the subsequent reel strip.

20. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the game machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines linked to a progressive jackpot controller.

21. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein the game machine is a single display stand-alone gaming machine.

22. The game machine, as in claim 21 , wherein the game machine further includes an upper secondary display.

23. The game machine, as in claim 1 , wherein each symbol is an N-sided symbol; where N is a variable and values of N include N=1.

24. A method of implementing a game machine including a bill acceptor configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value, an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player, a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance, a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller, the method including the steps of:

accepting a physical item associated with a monetary value by the bill acceptor;

receiving an input representative of a wager from a player using the input device;

initiating a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;

establishing a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;

randomly shifting the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;

combining the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;

assigning the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;

awarding a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;

increasing the credit balance based on the awarded prize;

initiating a payout of the credit balance in response to an input of the player using the payout device; and

reducing the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.

25. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein the game machine further includes a plurality of second reel layouts and further includes the step of selecting one second reel layout from the plurality of second reel layouts.

26. The method, as in claim 25 , wherein each second reel layout has a different identical symbol.

27. The method, as in claim 25 , wherein each second reel layout has a different number of consecutive symbol positions.

28. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein each blank symbol is configured to cover the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

29. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein each blank symbol is configured to show the corresponding symbol positions of the first reel layout after creating the combined reel layout.

30. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein the at least one identical symbol within the second reel layout is selected from a subset of available symbols.

31. The method, as in claim 30 , wherein each available symbol within the subset of symbols is assigned a probability of selection.

32. The method, as in claim 25 , wherein each second reel layout is assigned a probability of selection and further including the step of selecting a second reel layout as a function of the probability.

33. The method, as in claim 25 , wherein the grid is comprised of five columns and three rows of cells.

34. The method, as in claim 25 , wherein the left-most reel strip includes a first reel layout.

35. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein at least one of the other reel strips includes a first reel layout.

36. The method, as in claim 24 , further including the steps of:

detecting a trigger condition, and

combining the second reel layout with the first reel layout in response to the trigger condition.

37. The method, as in claim 36 , wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on the left most reel strip.

38. The method, as in claim 36 , wherein the first reel layout is combined with the second reel layout on at least one other reel strip.

39. The method, as claim 24 , further including the step of selecting at least one potential win symbol from each column within the grid.

40. The method, as in claim 39 , wherein a prize is awarded to a player of a game on the game machine if a predetermined arrangement of potential win symbols is displayed on a pre-defined payline on the grid at the end of a game.

41. The method, as in claim 37 , wherein the trigger condition for a particular reel is based on the reel layout of the leftwardly preceding reel strip.

42. The method, as in claim 41 , wherein the combination of reel layouts within a reel strip constitutes a trigger condition for the subsequent reel strip.

43. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein the game machine is one of a plurality of gaming machines linked to a progressive jackpot controller.

44. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein the game machine is a single display stand-alone gaming machine.

45. The method, as in claim 44 , wherein the game machine further includes an upper secondary display.

46. The method, as in claim 24 , wherein each symbol is an N-sided symbol;

where N is a variable and values of N include N=1.

47. A non-transitory information recording medium on which a computer readable program is recorded that causes a computer to function as a game machine, comprising:

a bill acceptor that accepts a physical item associated with a monetary value;

an input device configured to receive an input representative of a wager from a player;

a credit controller configured to establish a credit balance associated with the monetary value and register the input of the wager by the player, wherein the wager is deducted from the credit balance;

a payout device configured to enable the player to initiate a payout of the credit balance;

a display in communication with the credit controller and configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns, each column having an associated reel, each reel having an associated reel strip, each reel strip including a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol cells in a predetermined order, and

a controller coupled to the display and the credit controller and configured to:

initiate a game in response to the registered wager by the credit controller;

establish a first reel layout and a second reel layout, the second reel layout having a blank symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions and at least one identical symbol in a plurality of consecutive symbol positions;

randomly shift the second reel layout by a number of symbol positions in relation to the first reel layout;

combine the second reel layout with the first reel layout to create a combined reel layout;

assign the combined reel layout to one of the reel strips;

award a prize based on one or more of the game symbols displayed in the symbol cells of the associated reels;

increase the credit balance based on the awarded prize; and

reduce the credit balance in response to the player initiating the payout of the credit balance.