Patent attributes
A reel spinning gaming device 10 includes a plurality of selectable reels 20 each having game symbols 30 located thereon, a selection system 40, an actuating system 50, and a prize controller 60. Each reel displays an outcome symbol 30 after having been spun. The number of selectable reels 20 included in the gaming device 10 is larger than that utilized for an individual game. In this regard, the selection system 40 designates a subset of the selectable reels as the initial active reels 70 for the initial game. The actuating system 50 then spins the initial active reels 70, after which the prize controller 60 determines whether or not a prize is to be awarded dependent upon the combination of the outcome symbols 30 from the initial active reels 70. The selection system 40 (or a reselection system 80 in some preferred embodiments) then designates of a new subset of the selectable reels 20 as the active reels 70 for each subsequent consecutive game by substituting a non-active reel from the previous game with an active reel from the previous game. Specifically, the active reels 70 for the subsequent consecutive game include the newly substituted active reel and the remaining active reels from the previous game. The actuating system 50 spins the newly substituted active reel, but does not spin the remaining active reels from the previous game. The prize controller 60 then determines whether or not a prize is to be awarded dependent upon the combination of the outcome symbol 30 from the newly substituted active reel and the outcome symbols of the remaining active reels from the previous game. This process is repeated until all of the games purchased by the player (or otherwise entitled to the player) have been exhausted.
