Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided gaming methods and a system that utilize a presentation assembly configured to present a first series of spins of a plurality of reels arranged in an array, the plurality of reels including value-bearing symbols, wherein, when at least a specified number of the value-bearing symbols land in the array, the value-bearing symbols are held in place during a second series of spins of the plurality of reels in which the plurality of reels include advancement symbols. When an advancement symbol lands in the array, an index indicating one of a plurality of modifiers is incremented. At a conclusion of the second series of spins, the values of the held value-bearing symbols are modified according to the currently indexed modifier and a corresponding payout is awarded.

Abstract: A gaming system and method utilize an electronic display device configured to display a plurality of symbol-bearing reels and an array of symbol positions. The array of symbol positions comprises a plurality of rows and columns. The plurality of symbol-bearing reels are spun and stopped to land symbols on the reels in the symbol positions of the array. Payouts are awarded for any winning symbol combinations along horizontal and vertical ways. In response to a triggering event, the array is expanded by expanding one or more of the rows of the array to add one or more symbol positions to each expanded row. The plurality of symbol-bearing reels are again spun and stopped to land symbols on the reels in the symbol positions of the expanded array. Payouts are again awarded for any winning symbol combinations along the horizontal and vertical ways.

Abstract: A bonus game server including game-logic circuitry that monitors a plurality of bonus ticket balances associated with a plurality of players and a bonus jackpot associated with a bonus tournament game, transmits, in response to an amount of the bonus jackpot exceeding an eligibility threshold, participation requests to player devices of eligible players for the bonus tournament game, initiates a participation timer, enters, in response to at least one of the eligible players accepting the participation request, the accepting eligible player into the bonus tournament game, generates, using a random number generator and in response to the participation timer reaching a concluding threshold, one or more random numbers to determine at least one outcome of the bonus tournament game, and awards a bonus game prize from the bonus jackpot to a winning player of the participating players identified at least partially by the determined outcome of the bonus tournament game.

Abstract: A gaming system includes a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine includes a display device configured to display (i) a symbol array comprising a plurality of symbols and (ii) a modifier array comprising a plurality of modifiers. The game-logic circuitry is configured to select, for a plurality of rounds of populating the symbol array with symbols, a subarray of the modifier array. The selected subarray is displayed by the display device. The game-logic circuitry is further configured to generate, using a random-number generator, one or more random numbers to determine an outcome of a round of the plurality of rounds, modify the subarray in response to the outcome of the round including a selection symbol, and apply, in response to a trigger round of the plurality of rounds, the modifiers of the subarray to an outcome associated with the trigger round.

Abstract: A gaming machine comprising a display device and game-logic circuitry that initiates a cycle counter and links a multiplier value to a symbol position. The display device selectively populates the symbol position with a value-bearing symbol including award indicia indicating an award value, updates the award indicia at least partially as a function of the award value and the multiplier value and locks, in response to the symbol position being populated by the value-bearing symbol, the value-bearing symbol within the symbol position and updates the award indicia based on the award value and the multiplier value, updates the cycle counter and the multiplier value in response to the symbol position remaining unpopulated, presents multiplier indicia associated with the updated multiplier value, and presents an award at least partially as a function of an award value indicated by award indicia of any locked value-bearing symbols within a plurality of symbol positions.

Abstract: A gaming machine comprises game-logic circuitry and a display device that presents a plurality of symbol positions and modifier positions. The game-logic circuitry causes the display device to present (i) a modifier outcome by populating one or more modifier positions with modifier symbols, and (ii) an animation of one or more symbol positions being populated with value-bearing symbols having award indicia in response to the modifier outcome including a first modifier symbol at a first modifier position. The game-logic circuitry increases, for a preexisting value-bearing symbol prior to the modifier outcome, the award value of the preexisting value-bearing symbol, wherein the display device presents an updated award indicia based on the increased award value, removes, in response to a termination condition, any locked value-bearing symbols from the symbol positions, and provides an aggregated award as a function of the award values of the locked value-bearing symbols occupying the symbol positions.

Abstract: The present invention is a device embodying a reel-based game. The reel-based game includes a plurality of reels and a plurality of mini-reels. The mini-reels replace one or more of the plurality of reels or may replace one or more symbol-bearing positions of the reels. The added feature of the plurality of mini-reels enables the possible attainment of a greater number of symbol combinations and winning outcomes by replacing standard paylines associated with the reel or reel position with sets of paylines that cover all mini-reel-based outcomes.

Abstract: A gaming system configured to perform operations that include receiving, electronically, a first coded identifier, and providing, for presentation, on a display device of a mobile device, the first coded identifier for detection by a wagering game machine. The operations can further include detecting a second coded identifier presented by the wagering game machine after the detection by the wagering game machine of the first coded identifier. The second coded identifier is captured by an image capture device associated with the gaming system. The operations can further include transmitting, electronically, the second coded identifier.

Abstract: There is provided a gaming system, gaming machine, and method that utilize an electronic display device configured to display a plurality of symbol-bearing reels and an array. The reels bear standard symbols, transformable symbols, and a catalyst symbol. Based on a wager tier to which a player's wager belongs, one or more of the transformable symbols are transformed into value-bearing symbols or the catalyst symbol. The reels are then spun and stopped to land symbols in the array. In response to the landed symbols including a catalyst symbol, a payout is awarded based upon values on any value-bearing symbols among the landed symbols.

Abstract: There is provided a gaming system, gaming machine, and method that utilize an electronic display device configured to display a plurality of symbol-bearing reels and a base game array. The base game array has a first configuration. The reels are spun and stopped to populate the base game array with symbols from the stopped reels. In response to the symbols including a combination of bonus-triggering symbols, the display device is configured to display a bonus game array having a second configuration different than the first configuration. The bonus-triggering symbols are randomly redistributed from the base game array to the bonus game array for use in a bonus game.

Abstract: A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine comprises a display device that presents a symbol array. The game-logic circuitry presents a first outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of symbols, locks, in response to the first outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a subset of the array, the value-bearing symbol in the subset, initiates a subset counter associated with the subset in response to the first outcome, presents at least one subsequent outcome by populating the array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, locks any additional value-bearing symbols populating the subset, provides, in response to a number of value-bearing symbols meeting a trigger amount, an award as a function of values indicated by the locked value-bearing symbols, and, in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, removes any locked value-bearing symbols from the subset.

Abstract: There is provided a gaming method and system that utilize a presentation assembly configured to present a series of spins of a plurality of reels arranged in an array, the plurality of reels including value-bearing symbols, wherein any value-bearing symbol that lands in an active subset of the array is collected in a collection area. At a conclusion of the series of spins, a payout based on the values of the collected value-bearing symbols is awarded.

Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes an auxiliary lighting assembly including at least one light-emitting device, a display device, and a display controller in communication with the display device and the auxiliary lighting assembly. The display controller transmits a display pulse signal and display data to the display device to cause the display device to present display content by selectively emitting light based on the display pulse signal that defines an active period of light emission and an inactive period without light emission, generates an auxiliary lighting pulse signal based on one or more signal characteristics of the display pulse signal, synchronizes the auxiliary lighting pulse signal at a phase offset from the display pulse signal, and transmits the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal to the auxiliary lighting assembly to cause the auxiliary lighting assembly to selectively emit light based on the synchronized auxiliary lighting pulse signal.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes at least one image sensor for capturing an image including a player area associated with the gaming machine and logic circuitry in communication with the image sensor. The logic circuitry establishes a facial image mask defining an area of interest within the player area, receives the captured image from the image sensor, applies the facial image mask to the captured image to extract player image data from the captured image data, detects any faces within the player image data, compares, in response to detecting a face of a player within the player image data, the detected face with a player database to identify a player account associated with the player, and links, in response to identifying a matching player account based on the comparison, the matching player account to activities of the player at the gaming machine.

Abstract: There is provided a gaming system, gaming machine, and method that utilize an electronic display device configured to display a plurality of symbol-bearing reels and an indicator bearing a pay multiplier. For each spin outcome, the reels are spun and stopped to land symbols in an array. In response to the landed symbols including a catalyst symbol, the values on any value-bearing symbols in the array are multiplied by the pay multiplier and awarded, and the pay multiplier is then modified for a subsequent spin outcome(s) based on the type, e.g., color, of the catalyst symbol. In response to the landed symbols not including the catalyst symbol, no awards are provided for any value-bearing symbols in the array, and the pay multiplier stays the same for a subsequent spin outcome(s) until a catalyst symbol lands in the array.

Abstract: A wagering game system configured to perform operations to transmit to a mobile device, via a wireless communication device of the gaming system, an offer for presentation via the mobile device in response to detecting that the mobile device is located at a casino. The offer is associated with a wagering game machine within the casino. The operations can further include detecting, via an electronic tracking device associated with the wagering game machine, an electronic identifier provided from the mobile device. For instance, the mobile device can provide the electronic identifier to the wagering game machine. The operations can further include associating, via an electronic processing unit of the gaming system, the offer with the wagering game machine in response to detecting the electronic identifier.

Abstract: A gaming system includes electronic components that implement a value-aggregation procedure for displaying, combining, and awarding credit values in a reel-spinning venue.

Abstract: A natural language processing system includes logic circuitry that receives, from a first user channel, a user query including natural language (NL) input in a colloquial format from an end user, selects a first NLP application from a plurality of NLP applications, transforms, using the first NLP application, the NL input into a plurality of language tokens, extracts a command trigger from the language tokens, determines that the command trigger is linked to a command executable by a first wagering game channel, transmits a command query incorporating the command to the first wagering game channel, receives a command reply including wagering game data associated with the command from the first wagering game channel, generates, using the first NLP application, an NL response that includes the wagering game data and is structured in a colloquial format, and transmits the NL response to the end user via the first user channel.