Systems and methods providing a spinning reel indicator symbol trigger mechanism associated with a display position

1. A gaming system comprising:

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

a display device; and

a game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed, cause the game controller to at least:

in response to initiating a game:

visually identify, for the game, a single display position from a plurality of display positions of the display device by displaying an indicator symbol on the display device at the single display position; and

randomly select, for the game, symbols from a set of symbols;

after visually identifying the single display position with the indicator symbol, retain the indicator symbol at the single display position while displaying the selected symbols for the game on the display device with at least one of the selected symbols placed in each of the plurality of display positions including the single display position;

evaluate only the single display position to determine a game function triggered by the selected symbol displayed with the indicator symbol at the single display position;

perform the game function triggered by the selected symbol displayed at the single display position; and

allocate an award based on at least one of the displayed selected symbols.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to select the single display position from the plurality of display positions.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to randomly select the single display position from the plurality of display positions.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to change at least one of the selected symbols displayed in the plurality of display positions to another symbol, based on the selected symbol displayed in the single display position.

5. The gaming system of claim 4 , wherein the another symbol is a WILD symbol.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to allocate the award after the game function has been performed.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to award a jackpot prize when the selected symbol displayed in the single display position is a jackpot symbol.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to, in response to the selected symbol displayed in the single display position being a WILD symbol:

lock the WILD symbol in the single display position;

select a second plurality of symbols from the set of symbols; and

display the second plurality of symbols in the plurality of display positions while retaining the WILD symbol and the symbol indicator at the single display position.

9. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of display positions are configured in an array of columns and rows.

10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to present each column of the plurality of display positions as a spinning reel which stops to display the selected symbols in the plurality of display positions of the column.

11. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the indicator symbol comprises a circular component that surrounds a portion of the single display position and allows the selected symbol displayed in the single display position to be visible through the circular component.

12. The gaming system of claim 11 , wherein the indicator symbol further includes an animated character symbol holding the circular component.

13. The gaming system of claim 12 , wherein the character symbol moves the circular component onto the single display position and thereafter the character symbol moves off of the display device leaving the circular component at the single display position.

14. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to select the single display position from the plurality of display positions in a weighted manner that results in certain display positions of the plurality of display positions being more likely to be selected than other display positions of the plurality of display positions.

15. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to trigger a bonus game of a plurality of free games in response to the selected symbol displayed in the single display position identified with the indicator symbol being a predetermined trigger symbol.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein:

the predetermined trigger symbol is a WILD symbol; and

execution of the instructions by the game controller, further cause the game controller to lock the WILD symbol displayed in the single display position to retain the WILD symbol at the single display position for all of the plurality of free games.

17. A gaming system, comprising:

a display device; and

a game controller configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed, cause the game controller to at least:

in response to initiating a game,

randomly select, for the game, a single display position from a plurality of display positions of the display device;

display an indicator symbol at the single display position selected, for the game, from the plurality of display positions to visually identify the single display position;

randomly select, for the game, symbols from a set of a plurality of symbols;

display the selected symbols for the game in each of the plurality of display positions while continuing to display the indicator symbol at the single display position; and

perform a game function based on the selected symbol displayed with the indicator symbol at the single display position.

18. The gaming system of claim 17 , wherein the indicator symbol surrounds at least a portion of the single display position and allows the selected symbol displayed in the single display position to be visible through the indicator symbol.

19. A gaming system, comprising:

a display device; and

a game controller that, in response to executing instructions stored in a memory, at least:

randomly selects a single display position from a plurality of display positions of the display device;

displays an indicator symbol at the single display position selected from the plurality of display positions to visually identify the single display position as a trigger position;

while continuing to display the indicator symbol at the single display position,

spin a plurality of reels that present symbols scrolling through the plurality of display positions including the single display position identified by the indicator symbol; and

stop the plurality of reels to present a game outcome comprising a plurality of symbols at the plurality of display positions; and

trigger a game function in response to determining that the game outcome includes a predetermined symbol at the trigger position identified by the indicator symbol.

20. The game system of claim 19 , wherein the game controller, in response to executing the instructions, triggers an award of a jackpot prize in response to determining that the game outcome includes a jackpot symbol at the trigger position identified by the indicator symbol.