GAMING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GAMING
A gaming system comprising: credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input in the form of a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance; an ante bet selector configured to facilitate selection by a player of an ante bet amount, in accord with said credit balance; a display having a plurality of display position groups, each display position group comprising a plurality of display positions, and the display position groups defining a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the number of rows defined by the display position groups being dependent on the ante bet amount selected by the player; a symbol selector configured to select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for display in the plurality of display position groups; an outcome evaluator configured to determine whether the displayed symbols define a winning outcome; and a prize allocator configured to allocate a prize when a winning outcome is displayed.
1 . A gaming system comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured for player interaction to receive a credit input in the form of a physical item representing a monetary value for establishing a credit balance;
an ante bet selector configured to facilitate selection by a player of an ante bet amount, in accord with said credit balance;
a display having a plurality of display position groups, each display position group comprising a plurality of display positions, and the display position groups defining a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the number of rows defined by the display position groups being dependent on the ante bet amount selected by the player;
a symbol selector configured to select a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for display in the plurality of display position groups;
an outcome evaluator configured to determine whether the displayed symbols define a winning outcome; and
a prize allocator configured to allocate a prize when a winning outcome is displayed.
2 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each display position group is associated with a reel having a plurality of display positions, each reel defining a column of display position groups.
3 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ante bet selected determines the number of win lines that are used in the base game to determine win outcomes.
4 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the number of win lines increases with increasing ante bet amount.
5 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each ante bet selection corresponds to a different return to player (RTP) amount.
6 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a zero ante bet amount corresponds to three rows of display positions, a first ante bet amount corresponds to four rows of display positions, a second ante bet amount that is larger than the first ante bet amount corresponds to five rows of display positions, and a third ante bet amount that is larger than the second ante bet amount corresponds to five rows of display positions.
7 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gaming system is operable in base game mode or special game mode, wherein:
in base game mode, the gaming system implements a base game with the number of rows defined by the display position groups dependent on the ante bet amount selected by the player; and
in special game mode wherein at least one feature game different to the base game is implemented.
8 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the gaming system is configured to commence special game mode when a trigger condition occurs.
9 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the gaming system is configured to commence special game mode in response to player input, based on the amount or type of bet placed, or when a special game is purchased by a player.
10 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the trigger condition is at least one of a display of a particular symbol, and a display of a defined symbol combination during a base game.
11 . A gaming system as claimed m claim 7 , wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable feature games.
12 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the system is configured to randomly select a feature game from the plurality of feature games when the trigger condition occurs.
13 . A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the system is configured to select a feature game from the plurality of feature games based on the trigger condition.
14 . A method of playing a game on a gaming machine having a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, the credit balance being increasable and decreasable based at least on wagering activity, a player interface, a display having a plurality of display position groups, each display position group comprising a plurality of display positions, and the display position groups defining a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and a game controller, the method comprising:
establishing a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving a physical item;
facilitating, via the player interface, a selection of an ante bet amount in accord with said credit balance;
defining, via the game controller, the number of rows in the plurality of display position groups based on the ante bet amount selected;
selecting, via the game controller, a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols for display in the defined number of rows of display positions;
displaying at the defined number of rows of display positions the selected symbols;
determining, via the game controller, whether the displayed symbols define a winning outcome; and
allocating a prize when a winning outcome is displayed.
15 . A tangible computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer to operate in accordance with the gaming system as claimed in claim 1 .