Systems, apparatus and methods for slot-style games having a symbol locking feature

1. An online gaming system configured to lock elements of a player interface, the online gaming comprising:

a player interface having an input device and an output device;

a load balancer configured to route communications from the player interface to one or more game application servers of the game server cluster;

a game server cluster comprising a plurality of game application servers configured to provide programming routines of a game play engine;

a game broadcaster server configured to transmit a broadcast feed of graphical game elements for a slot-style game;

a processing device of an application delivery controller in communication with the player interface, the game broadcaster server, and the game server cluster; and

a memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the processing device of the application delivery controller, direct the processing device to:

receive a call from the player interface for play of the slot-style game;

transmit a call to a game application server of the game server cluster, in accordance with the load balancer, to access programming routines of the game play engine;

receive, from the broadcast server, a plurality of graphical game elements for the slot-style game;

determine, based on the plurality of graphical game elements received from the broadcast server, a first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game, each reel position comprising a primary symbol;

determine a subset of the first matrix of reel positions, the subset comprising at least a first reel position comprising a first primary symbol and a first secondary symbol, and a second reel position comprising a second primary symbol and a second secondary symbol;

determine, based on the game play engine, a winning outcome for the slot-style game comprising the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol;

determine, based on the game play engine, to maintain the first reel position having the first primary symbol and the second reel position having the second primary symbol based on the first secondary symbol, the second secondary symbol, and the winning outcome comprising the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol;

cause, based on the determination to maintain the first reel position having the first primary symbol and the second reel position having the second primary symbol, the first reel position and the second reel position to be locked for at least one subsequent determination of reel positions for the slot-style game;

determine, based on the game play engine, a second matrix of reel positions comprising (i) the locked first reel position comprising the first primary symbol and (ii) the locked second reel position comprising the second primary symbol;

determine, based on the game play engine, a second winning outcome for the slot-style game comprising at least one of the first primary symbol at the locked first reel position and the second primary symbol at the locked second reel position; and

provide, at the player interface, a payout based on the second winning outcome for the slot-style game.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine to maintain the first reel position and the second reel position direct the processing device to:

determine that the first secondary symbol matches the second secondary symbol.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol are depicted as locking subsymbols.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine the winning outcome for the slot-style game direct the processing device to:

determine that the first primary symbol matches the second primary symbol.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine the winning outcome for the slot-style game direct the processing device to determine the winning outcome for the slot-style game prior to causing the first reel position and the second reel position to be locked for at least one subsequent determination of reel positions for the slot-style game.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, respective locations of the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol before determining the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol before revealing the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol of the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol after determining the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol after revealing the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol of the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol after determining the winning outcome for the slot-style game.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol before determining to maintain the first reel position and the second reel position.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol after causing the first reel position and the second reel position to be locked for at least one subsequent determination of reel positions for the slot-style game.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further direct the processing device to:

reveal, via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol after determining the winning outcome for the slot-style game.

14. A method for locking elements of a player interface, the online gaming comprising:

receiving, by an application delivery controller, a call from a player interface for play of the slot-style game, the player interface having an input device and an output device, and wherein the application delivery controller further is in communication with:

a game server cluster comprising a plurality of game application servers configured to provide programming routines of a game play engine, and

a game broadcaster server configured to transmit a broadcast feed of graphical game elements for a slot-style game;

transmitting a call to a game application server of the game server cluster, in accordance with a load balancer configured to route communications from the player interface to one or more game application servers of the game server cluster, to access programming routines of the game play engine;

receiving, from the broadcast server, a plurality of graphical game elements for the slot-style game;

determining, based on the plurality of graphical game elements received from the broadcast server, a first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game, each reel position comprising a primary symbol;

determining a subset of the first matrix of reel positions, the subset comprising at least a first reel position comprising a first primary symbol and a first secondary symbol, and a second reel position comprising a second primary symbol and a second secondary symbol;

determining, based on the game play engine, a winning outcome for the slot-style game comprising the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol;

determining, based on the game play engine, to maintain the first reel position having the first primary symbol and the second reel position having the second primary symbol based on the first secondary symbol, the second secondary symbol, and the winning outcome comprising the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol;

causing, based on the determination to maintain the first reel position and the second reel position, the first reel position having the first primary symbol and the second reel position having the second primary symbol to be locked for at least one subsequent determination of reel positions for the slot-style game;

determining, based on the game play engine, a second matrix of reel positions comprising (i) the locked first reel position comprising the first primary symbol and (ii) the locked second reel position comprising the second primary symbol;

determining, based on the game play engine, a second winning outcome for the slot-style game comprising at least one of the first primary symbol at the locked first reel position and the second primary symbol at the locked second reel position; and

providing, at the player interface, a payout based on the second winning outcome for the slot-style game.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining to maintain the first reel position and the second reel position comprises:

determining that the first secondary symbol matches the second secondary symbol.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol are depicted as locking subsymbols.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the winning outcome for the slot-style game comprises:

determining that the first primary symbol matches the second primary symbol.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the winning outcome for the slot-style game is conducted prior to causing the first reel position and the second reel position to be locked for at least one subsequent determination of reel positions for the slot-style game.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

revealing, by the processing device via the player interface, respective locations of the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol before determining the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

revealing, by the processing device via the player interface, the first secondary symbol and the second secondary symbol before revealing the first primary symbol and the second primary symbol of the first matrix of reel positions for the slot-style game.