CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to AU Application No. 2019200462, filed Jan. 23, 2019, and titled “A GAMING SYSTEM”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present application relates to a gaming system and to a method of gaming.

BACKGROUND

Electronic gaming machines (“EGMs”) or gaming devices provide a variety of wagering games such as slot games, video poker games, video blackjack games, roulette games, video bingo games, keno games and other types of games that are frequently offered at casinos and other locations. Play on EGMs typically involves a player establishing a credit balance by inputting money, or another form of monetary credit, and placing a monetary wager (from the credit balance) on one or more outcomes of an instance (or single play) of a primary or base game. In many games, a player may qualify for secondary games or bonus rounds by attaining a certain winning combination or triggering event in the base game. Secondary games provide an opportunity to win additional game instances, credits, awards, jackpots, progressives, etc. Awards from any winning outcomes are typically added back to the credit balance and can be provided to the player upon completion of a gaming session or when the player wants to “cash out.”

“Slot” type games are often displayed to the player in the form of various symbols arrayed in a row-by-column grid or matrix. Specific matching combinations of symbols along predetermined paths (or paylines) through the matrix indicate the outcome of the game. The display typically highlights winning combinations/outcomes for ready identification by the player. Matching combinations and their corresponding awards are usually shown in a “pay-table” which is available to the player for reference. Often, the player may vary his/her wager to include differing numbers of paylines and/or the amount bet on each line. By varying the wager, the player may sometimes alter the frequency or number of winning combinations, frequency or number of secondary games, and/or the amount awarded.

Typical games use a random number generator (RNG) to randomly determine the outcome of each game. The game is designed to return a certain percentage of the amount wagered back to the player (RTP=return to player) over the course of many plays or instances of the game. The RTP and randomness of the RNG are critical to ensuring the fairness of the games and are therefore highly regulated. Upon initiation of play, the RNG randomly determines a game outcome and symbols are then selected which correspond to that outcome. Notably, some games may include an element of skill on the part of the player and are therefore not entirely random.

SUMMARY

A described gaming system implements a game that provides the player with a feature wherein prize indicia that may include cash indicia and jackpot indicia are displayed and a symbol array is displayed in front of the prize indicia. The symbol array and prize indicia move relative to each other and as this occurs the game provides the player with the impression that at least one prize is awarded to the symbol array by moving at least one displayed prize indicium to the symbol array. After the or each prize indicium is added to the symbol array, a prize symbol is displayed at a selected symbol position. The added prize symbol corresponds to a spot prize and is also used to determine a game outcome.

A gaming system is described that comprises at least one display, a game controller that includes at least one processor and at least one memory device. The at least one processor, the at least one memory device, and the at least one display are operably connected. The at least one memory device stores computer-readable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to cause prize indicia to be displayed on the at least one display, each prize indicium corresponding to a spot prize awardable to a player. The processor is also controlled to cause a symbol array to be selected and displayed on the at least one display such that the symbol array and the prize indicia move relative to each other. The processor is also controlled to select at least one spot prize corresponding to at least one prize indicium, add at least one prize symbol corresponding to the respective selected at least one spot prize to the symbol array, allocate a Wild function to the at least one added prize symbol, and award the spot prize corresponding to the at least one added prize symbol. The processor is also controlled to determine whether the symbol array corresponds to a winning outcome, and award a winning outcome prize if a winning outcome is determined to exist.

A method of gaming is described that comprises displaying prize indicia on at least one display, each prize indicium corresponding to a spot prize awardable to a player, and selecting and displaying a symbol array on the at least one display such that the symbol array and the prize indicia move relative to each other. The method also comprises selecting at least one spot prize corresponding to at least one prize indicium, adding at least one prize symbol corresponding to the respective selected at least one spot prize to the symbol array, and allocating a Wild function to the at least one added prize symbol. The method also comprises awarding the spot prize corresponding to the at least one added prize symbol, determining whether the symbol array corresponds to a winning outcome, and awarding a winning outcome prize if a winning outcome is determined to exist.

