Method of gaming, a gaming system and a game controller

1. An electronic method of gaming for use with a gaming machine having a credit input mechanism operable to receive a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, hardware meters operable to monitor the credit balance, a memory storing a plurality of symbols, a symbol display having a plurality of symbol display positions, a payout mechanism, and a game controller, the method comprising:

forming a game outcome, said forming including selecting, via the game controller, in accord with the established credit balance, a plurality of symbols from the memory for display;

displaying the selected symbols of the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display;

evaluating, via the game controller, the game outcome to determine whether to a) make an award in respect of the selected symbols, and b) remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display that results in making the award;

removing the at least one of the selected symbols from the plurality of symbol display positions in response to said evaluating that results in making the award;

making, via the game controller, an additional award in response to the removal of the at least one of the selected symbols, said making including increasing the credit balance; and

providing a payout via the payout mechanism based on the credit balance.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a designated symbol.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a symbol from a designated symbol display position.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additional award is one or more game events.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the one or more game events comprise a plurality of game rounds.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additional award is a credit value.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additional award is a jackpot prize.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein evaluating the game outcome to determine whether to remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions that results in making the award comprises the game controller:

determining whether the symbol display includes a designated winning symbol combination; and

upon the displayed symbols including a designated winning symbol combination removing at least symbols of the designated winning symbol combination.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the game controller selecting one or more replacement symbols and forming a second game outcome from the remaining symbols and the one or more replacement symbols.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , comprising the game controller selecting replacement symbols for each of the removed symbols.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein there are a plurality of designated winning combinations.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic game controller only makes the additional award when an ante bet has been wagered.

13. An electronic game controller for a gaming machine having a credit input mechanism operable to receive a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, hardware meters operable to monitor the credit balance, a memory storing a plurality of symbols, a symbol display having a plurality of symbol display positions, a payout mechanism, the game controller configured to:

form a game outcome said forming including selecting, in accord with the established credit balance, a plurality of symbols from the memory for display;

cause the display to display the selected symbols of the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display;

evaluate the game outcome to determine whether to a) make an award in respect of the selected symbols, and b) remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display that results in making the award;

remove the at least one of the selected symbols from the plurality of symbol display positions in response to said evaluating that results in making the award;

make an additional award in response to the removal of the at least one of the selected symbols, said making including increasing the credit balance; and

cause a payout to be provided via the payout mechanism based on the credit balance.

14. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a designated symbol.

15. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a symbol from a designated symbol display position.

16. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the additional award is one or more game events.

17. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the one or more game events comprise a plurality of game rounds.

18. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the additional award is a credit value.

19. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the additional award is a jackpot prize.

20. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the game controller evaluates the game outcome to determine whether to remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions that results in making the award by determining whether the symbol display includes a designated winning symbol combination; and

upon the displayed symbols including a designated winning symbol combination, the game controller removes at least symbols of the designated winning symbol combination.

21. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , arranged to select one or more replacement symbols and form a second game outcome from the remaining symbols and the one or more replacement symbols.

22. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 21 , arranged to select replacement symbols for each of the removed symbols.

23. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 20 , wherein there are a plurality of designated winning combinations.

24. An electronic game controller as claimed in claim 13 , arranged to only make the additional award when an ante bet has been wagered.

25. An electronic gaming machine comprising:

a credit input mechanism operable to receive a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity;

hardware meters operable to monitor the credit balance;

a memory storing a plurality of symbols, a symbol display having a plurality of symbol display positions, a payout mechanism;

a game outcome generator configured to, in accord with the established credit balance, form a game outcome said forming including selecting a plurality of symbols for display from the memory;

a display controller configured to causes the display to display the selected symbols of the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display;

a game outcome evaluator configured to evaluate the game outcome to determine whether to a) make an award in respect of the selected symbols, and b) remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions of the symbol display that results in making the award;

a symbol remover configured to remove the at least one of the selected symbols from the plurality of symbol display positions in response to said evaluating that results in making the award; and

a symbol removal evaluator configured to make an additional award in response to the removal of the at least one of the selected symbols, said making including increasing the credit balance; and

a payout mechanism configured to provide a payout based on the credit balance.

26. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a designated symbol.

27. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the removing of the at least one of the selected symbols corresponds to a removal outcome, the removal outcome is a removal of a symbol from a designated symbol display position.

28. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the additional award is one or more game events.

29. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 28 , wherein the one or more game events comprise a plurality of game rounds.

30. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the additional award is a credit value.

31. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the additional award is a jackpot prize.

32. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the game outcome evaluator evaluates the game outcome to determine whether to remove at least one of the selected symbols from the game outcome at the plurality of symbol display positions by determining whether the symbol display includes a designated winning symbol combination; and

upon the displayed symbols including a designated winning symbol combination, a symbol remover removes at least symbols of the designated winning symbol combination.

33. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the game outcome generator is arranged to select one or more replacement symbols and form a second game outcome from the remaining symbols and the one or more replacement symbols.

34. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 33 , wherein the game outcome generator is arranged to select replacement symbols for each of the removed symbols.

35. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 32 , wherein there are a plurality of designated winning combinations.

36. An electronic gaming system as claimed in claim 25 , arranged to only make the additional award when an ante bet has been wagered.