Patent attributes
An embodiment may involve selecting a first bonus set of symbols associated with respective positions of each of a plurality of reels as a first bonus outcome event of the bonus game. The embodiment may further involve incrementing a bonus counter by a number of instances of a predetermined symbol, in the bonus symbol set, that do not contribute to any winning combination. The embodiment may also involve determining that the bonus counter is at least equal to a threshold number. The embodiment may additionally involve selecting a second bonus set of symbols associated with respective positions of each of the reels as a second bonus outcome event of the bonus game, where the second bonus set of symbols includes at least the threshold number of instances of the predetermined symbol, and where the second bonus set of symbols includes a winning combination.
