US Patent 7771266 Gaming device having a multiple accumulated symbols game

A gaming device including a display device having a plurality of award groups and an indicator generator. Each of the award groups includes at least one indicator and at least one award. The indicator generator generates a number of indicators for each of the award groups. The gaming device then indicates the corresponding number of indicators in each of the award columns based on the number of indicators associated with those award columns by the indicator generator. When all of the indicators are accumulated in one or more of the award columns, the gaming device provides the awards associated with those award columns to the player and determines whether to end the game. If the gaming device determines not to end the game, the gaming device resets the indicators in the award columns including the provided wards and enables the player to continue playing the game.