GAMING MACHINE AND METHOD WITH ENHANCED WHEEL FEATURES

1 . A method for controlling operation of a gaming machine, the method including:

responsive to a play input entered through a player input device of the gaming machine and under control of a processing system of the gaming machine, causing a display system of the gaming machine to display a base result representation in a first area of the display system;

responsive to a bonus condition in the base result representation, causing the display system to display a wheel in a second area of the display system including multiple wheel segments for conducting a bonus sequence;

choosing two or more of the multiple wheel segments on which to perform a modification, and performing the modification including adding a graphic directional indicator to the wheel segment pointing at a neighboring wheel segment;

after performing the modification, performing a wheel spin to select a first wheel segment and awarding a first prize associated with the first wheel segment; and

responsive the first wheel segment including one of the graphic directional indicators, performing a nudge of the wheel to rotate the wheel to select a second wheel segment indicated by the graphic directional indicator, and awarding a second prize associated with the second wheel segment.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, responsive to the second wheel segment also including one of the graphic directional indicators, awarding a third prize associated with a wheel segment at which the graphic directional indicator of the second wheel segment points.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, following a subsequent nudge of the wheel, checking whether a nudge limit has been reached, and if so, performing no further nudges.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising, following performing the nudge, removing the graphic directional indicator of first wheel segment.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the modification includes displaying a graphic sequence in which the two or more chosen wheel segments are modified sequentially and visually highlighted during the modification.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the graphic directional indicators include indicators pointing clockwise and indicators pointing counter-clockwise.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising responsive to a graphic directional indicator pointing at a wheel segment for which a prize has already been awarded in the bonus sequence, awarding the prize a second time.

8 . A gaming machine comprising:

a display system, an audio device, a player input device, and a processing system operatively coupled to the display system, the audio device, and the player input device and configured to execute instructions related to a game; and

tangible, non-transitory electronically accessible memory coupled to the processing system and containing program code executable by the processing system for:

responsive to a play input entered through the player input device and under control of the processing system of the gaming causing the display system to display a base result representation in a first area of the display system;

responsive to a bonus condition in the base result representation, causing the display system to display a wheel in a second area of the display system including multiple wheel segments for conducting a bonus sequence;

choosing two or more of the multiple wheel segments on which to perform a modification, and performing the modification including adding a graphic directional indicator to the wheel segment pointing at a neighboring wheel segment;

after performing the modification, performing a wheel spin to select a first wheel segment and awarding a first prize associated with the first wheel segment; and

responsive the first wheel segment including one of the graphic directional indicators, performing a nudge of the wheel to rotate the wheel to select a second wheel segment indicated by the graphic directional indicator, and awarding a second prize associated with the second wheel segment.

9 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processing system for, responsive to the second wheel segment also including one of the graphic directional indicators, awarding a third prize associated with a wheel segment at which the graphic directional indicator of the second wheel segment points.

10 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processing system for, following a subsequent nudge of the wheel, checking whether a nudge limit has been reached, and if so performing no further nudges.

11 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processing system for, following performing the nudge, removing the graphic directional indicator of first wheel segment.

12 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein performing the modification includes displaying a graphic sequence in which the two or more chosen wheel segments are modified sequentially and visually highlighted during the modification.

13 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the graphic directional indicators include indicators pointing clockwise and indicators pointing counter-clockwise.

14 . The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the program code is further executable by the processing system for, responsive to a graphic directional indicator pointing at a wheel segment for which a prize has already been awarded in the bonus sequence, awarding the prize a second time.

15 . Tangible, non-transitory computer readable media holding a program product for execution by a controller of a gaming machine, the program product including machine instruction program code for:

responsive to a play input entered through a player input device of the gaming machine causing a display system of the gaming machine to display a base result representation in a first area of the display system;

responsive to a bonus condition in the base result representation, causing the display system to display a wheel in a second area of the display system including multiple wheel segments for conducting a bonus sequence;

choosing two or more of the multiple wheel segments on which to perform a modification, and performing the modification including adding a graphic directional indicator to the wheel segment pointing at a neighboring wheel segment;

after performing the modification, performing a wheel spin to select a first wheel segment and awarding a first prize associated with the first wheel segment; and

responsive the first wheel segment including one of the graphic directional indicators, performing a nudge of the wheel to rotate the wheel to select a second wheel segment indicated by the graphic directional indicator, and awarding a second prize associated with the second wheel segment.

16 . The media holding a program product of claim 15 wherein the program product is further executable for, responsive to the second wheel segment also including one of the graphic directional indicators, awarding a third prize associated with a wheel segment at which the graphic directional indicator of the second wheel segment points.

17 . The media holding a program product of claim 15 wherein the program product is further executable for, following a subsequent nudge of the wheel, checking whether a nudge limit has been reached, and if so performing no further nudges.

18 . The media holding a program product of claim 15 wherein the program product is further executable for, following performing the nudge, removing the graphic directional indicator of first wheel segment.

19 . The media holding a program product of claim 15 wherein the program product is further executable for performing the modification includes displaying a graphic sequence in which the two or more chosen wheel segments are modified sequentially and visually highlighted during the modification.

20 . The media holding a program product of claim 15 wherein the graphic directional indicators include indicators pointing clockwise and indicators pointing counter-clockwise.