Gaming system and method for providing awards based on selective activation of persistent features

1. A gaming system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause a display, by a display device, of a first quantity of at least two persistent features, wherein said at least two persistent features are displayed independent of any play of any game and said at least two persistent features are randomly selected to be displayed from a second, greater quantity of a plurality of persistent features, and

after an occurrence of a game triggering event:

for a play of a game:

determine a game outcome, and

cause a display, by the display device, of the game outcome, and responsive to an occurrence of a persistent feature activation event:

randomly select a persistent feature from the displayed at least two persistent features,

activate the randomly selected persistent feature,

responsive to the activated randomly selected persistent feature being associated with a game outcome modification:

 modify, based on the activated randomly selected persistent feature, the displayed game outcome,

 determine an award associated with the modified displayed game outcome, and

 cause a display, by the display device, of the determined award, and

responsive to the activated randomly selected persistent feature being associated with an additional award opportunity:

 determine an award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

 cause a display, by the display device, of the determined award,

 determine, based on the activated randomly selected persistent feature, an additional award, and

 cause a display, by the display device, of the determined additional award.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the persistent feature activation event occurs based on the displayed game outcome.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor after activating the randomly selected persistent feature, cause the processor to:

cease the display, by the display device, of the activated randomly selected persistent feature,

select another persistent feature from the plurality of persistent features, and

cause a display, by the display device, of the other selected persistent feature.

4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the displayed game outcome comprises a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of symbol display positions and the modification of the displayed game outcome comprises displaying at least one designated symbol replacing at least one of the plurality of symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol display positions.

5. The gaming system of claim 4 , wherein the designated symbol is selected from the group consisting of: a wild symbol, and a bonus game triggering symbol.

6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the additional award is selected from the group consisting of: a progressive award, a bonus game award randomly determined in association with a play of a bonus game.

7. The gaming system of claim 1 , further comprising an acceptor, wherein when executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions cause the processor to, responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based on a monetary value associated with the received physical item, and responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises part of a mobile device.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to communicate with the mobile device via a wireless network.

10. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

causing a display, by a display device, of a first quantity of at least two persistent features, wherein said at least two persistent features are displayed independent of any play of any game and said at least two persistent features are randomly selected to be displayed from a second, greater quantity of a plurality of persistent features, and

after an occurrence of a game triggering event:

for a play of a game:

determining, by a processor, a game outcome, and

causing a display, by the display device, of the game outcome, and responsive to an occurrence of a persistent feature activation event:

randomly selecting, by the processor, a persistent feature from the displayed at least two persistent features,

activating, by the processor, the randomly selected persistent feature,

responsive to the activated randomly selected persistent feature being associated with a game outcome modification:

modifying, by the processor and based on the activated randomly selected persistent feature, the displayed game outcome,

determining, by the processor, an award associated with the modified displayed game outcome, and

causing a display, by the display device, of the determined award, and

responsive to the activated randomly selected persistent feature being associated with an additional award opportunity:

determining, by the processor, an award associated with the displayed game outcome, and

causing a display, by the display device, of the determined award,

determining, by the processor and based on the activated randomly selected persistent feature, an additional award, and

causing a display, by the display device, of the determined additional award.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the persistent feature activation event occurs based on the displayed game outcome.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, after activating the randomly selected persistent feature:

ceasing the display, by the display device, of the activated randomly selected persistent feature,

selecting, by the processor, another persistent feature from the plurality of persistent features, and

causing a display, by the display device, of the other selected persistent feature.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the displayed game outcome comprises a plurality of symbols displayed at a plurality of symbol display positions and the modification of the displayed game outcome comprises displaying at least one designated symbol replacing at least one of the plurality of symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol display positions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the designated symbol is selected from the group consisting of: a wild symbol, and a bonus game triggering symbol.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additional award is selected from the group consisting of: a progressive award, a bonus game award randomly determined in association with a play of a bonus game.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein a credit balance is increasable based on any of the displayed awards, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable responsive to a cashout input.

17. The method of claim 10 , which is provided through a data network.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the data network is selected from the group consisting of: an internet and a wireless data network.