Electronic gaming device having expanding reel
A gaming device that incorporates an expanding mechanic on one reel of a slot-type game. The expanding reel is one example of an enhanced payout reel. Generally, although not necessarily, the expanding wild reel is a middle reel that is positioned between non-expanding slot reels. Typically, an equal number of non-expanding reels are positioned on either side of the expanding wild reel. In some embodiments, a pair of non-expanding reels may be positioned on either side of the expanding wild reel. Generally, each reel in a pair of non-expanding reels are identical. In other embodiments, multiple wild reels may be used with multiple non-expanding reels, such that the expanding reels are surrounded by, or next to, non-expanding reels.
1 . A gaming device, comprising:
a housing;
a processor within the housing and operative to:
determine, using a random number generator:
a first set of symbols chosen from a first reel strip;
a second set of symbols chosen from an expanding reel strip; and
a third set of symbols chosen from a third reel strip;
control a display to display:
the first set of symbols in a first column and a second column of a playing field;
the second set of symbols in a third column of the playing field; and
the third set of symbols in a fourth and a fifth column of the playing field, the third column being positioned between either the first and the second column or the fourth and the fifth column;
determine if any of the second set of symbols is a special symbol; and
in the event any of the second set of symbols is the special symbol:
replace all symbols displayed in the third column with an expanded special symbol;
temporarily insert a sixth column into the playing field; and
control the display to display the expanded special symbol in the sixth column.
2 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the special symbol is a wild symbol.
3 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein a total number of positions in the third column is greater than a total number of positions in at least one other column.
4 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and the second columns are to a left of the third column; or
the fourth and the fifth columns are to a right of the third column.
5 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the gaming device uses a payline with diagonal elements.
6 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further operative to determine, using the random number generator, a fourth set of symbols chosen from an additional expanding reel strip; and
the processor is further operative to control the display to display the fourth set of symbols in the sixth column of the playing field.
7 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the sixth column is adjacent to the third column.
8 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the expanded special symbol expands from the special symbol through an animation, thereby replacing all symbols displayed in the third column and in the sixth column.
9 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a component of the gaming device.
10 . The gaming device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a component of an electronic device that communicates with the gaming device.
11 . A method for operating a slot type game, comprising:
determining, by a processor using a random number generator:
a first set of symbols chosen from a first non-expanding reel strip;
a second set of symbols chosen from an expanding reel strip; and
a third set of symbols chosen from a second non-expanding reel strip;
displaying, on a display of an electronic gaming device:
the first set of symbols in a first column and a second column of a playing field;
the second set of symbols in a third column of the playing field;
the third set of symbols in a fourth column and a fifth column of the playing field, the third column being positioned between either the first and the second column or the fourth and the fifth column;
determining, by the processor, whether any of the second set of symbols is a special symbol; and
in the event the processor determines that any of the second set of symbols is the special symbol:
expanding a wild symbol to occupy all positions of the third column;
temporarily inserting a sixth column into the playing field; and
controlling the display to display the expanded special symbol in the sixth column.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the symbols shown in the first column and the second column are identical.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the expanding reel strip is selected from a group of expanding reel strips.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein only the expanding reel strip includes the wild symbol.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sixth column is adjacent to the third column.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the special symbol is a multiplier.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, when the wild symbol expands to occupy all positions of the third column, it displaces at least one picture symbol.
18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of one or more servers, cause the one or more processors to:
initiate a playing field on a gaming device, by using a random number generator to assign a set of reels to the playing field;
randomly determine, using the random number generator, when the set of reels is to be stopped, thereby determining a set of symbols to be shown on the playing field;
determine whether a wild symbol is shown on the playing field;
in the event the wild symbol is shown on the playing field, replacing at least one symbol in a column containing the wild symbol with an expanded wild symbol;
wherein:
the playing field is formed from multiple columns including a first pair of columns, a second pair of columns, and the column;
the column is positioned between either the first pair of columns or the second pair of columns;
a temporary column is inserted into the playing field; and
at least one symbol in the temporary column is replaced with the expanded wild symbol.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the temporary column is adjacent to the column.
20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein each wild symbol of the column is surrounded by symbols that have higher values than other symbols on the first pair of columns.