Gaming device having a scatter pay symbol

Abstract

A gaming device including a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols. The gaming device provides an award to a player when a triggering event occurs in a game. In one embodiment, the triggering event includes the occurrence of one or more predetermined symbols on the reels If at least one of the predetermined symbols occurs on the reels, the gaming device provides an award to the player for a winning symbol combination occurring in any position on the reels. In one embodiment, the gaming device provides an award for a winning symbol combination including the scatter pay symbols. In another embodiment, the gaming device provides the largest award to the player when multiple symbols combinations occur on the reels. Therefore, the scatter pay symbols enable a player to obtain larger awards and more awards in the game.

The invention is claimed as follows:  
     
         1 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a game;    a plurality of reels included in the game, said reels including a plurality of symbols;    a triggering event in the game including at least one predetermined symbol on the reels;    an award associated with one or more designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels in the game; and    a processor which controls the reels in the game and provides the award to the player when both the triggering event occurs in the game and said designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         2 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering event includes a plurality of predetermined symbols occurring on the reels.  
     
     
         3 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes at least one payline associated with the reels.  
     
     
         4 . The gaming device of  claim 3 , wherein the triggering event includes said predetermined symbol occurring on the payline.  
     
     
         5 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a display device, wherein the reels are displayed by the display device.  
     
     
         6 . The gaming device of  claim 5 , wherein the display device includes a video monitor.  
     
     
         7 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the award is associated with a plurality of designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels.  
     
     
         8 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , which includes a plurality of awards, each of the awards based on at least two designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels, wherein the processor provides a largest of the awards to the player associated with the symbols occurring on the reels.  
     
     
         9 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined symbol is a scatter pay symbol.  
     
     
         10 . The gaming device of  claim 1 , wherein the award is at least one of the awards selected from the group consisting of: values, free spins of the reels, free games and multipliers.  
     
     
         11 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a game;    a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols in the game;    a payline associated with the reels in the game;    a triggering event including at least one predetermined symbol occurring on the payline in the game;    an award associated with one or more designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels in the game; and    a processor which controls the reels in the game and provides the award to the player when both the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         12 . The gaming device of  claim 11 , which includes a plurality of paylines associated with the reels.  
     
     
         13 . The gaming device of  claim 12 , wherein the triggering event includes at least one predetermined symbol occurring on any one of said paylines.  
     
     
         14 . The gaming device of  claim 12 , wherein the triggering event includes a plurality of predetermined symbols occurring on one of said paylines.  
     
     
         15 . The gaming device of  claim 11 , wherein the award is associated with a plurality of designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels in the game.  
     
     
         16 . The gaming device of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined symbol is a scatter pay symbol.  
     
     
         17 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a game;    a plurality of reels included in the game, said reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a scatter pay symbol;    a triggering event including the scatter pay symbol occurring on the reels in the game;    an award associated with one or more designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels in the game; and    a processor which controls the reels in the game and provides the award to the player when both the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         18 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , which includes a payline associated with the reels in the game.  
     
     
         19 . The gaming device of  claim 18 , wherein the triggering event includes the scatter pay symbol occurring on the payline in the game.  
     
     
         20 . The gaming device of  claim 17 , wherein the symbols include a plurality of scatter pay symbols.  
     
     
         21 . The gaming device of  claim 20 , wherein the triggering event includes the plurality of scatter pay symbols occurring on the reels in the game.  
     
     
         22 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a game;    a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols in the game;    a payline associated with the reels in the game;    a triggering event including at least one predetermined symbol occurring on the payline in the game;    an award associated with one or more designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels; and    a processor which controls the reels in the game and provides the award to the player when both the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbol or symbols occur in any position on the reels in a subsequent game.    
     
     
         23 . The gaming device of  claim 22 , wherein the subsequent game is one of a limited number of subsequent games.  
     
     
         24 . A gaming device comprising: 
 a game;    a plurality of reels included in the game, said reels including a plurality of symbols, said symbols including a scatter pay symbol;    a triggering event including the scatter pay symbol occurring on the reels in the game;    an award associated with one or more designated symbols occurring in any position on the reels; and    a processor which controls the reels in the game and provides the award to the player when both the triggering event occurs in the game and the designed symbol or symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game or a subsequent games.    
     
     
         25 . The gaming device of  claim 24 , wherein the subsequent game is one of a limited number of subsequent game.  
     
     
         26 . A method for operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) randomly generating a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels in a game;    (b) determining if a triggering event occurs on the reels in the game;    (c) determining if one or more designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game when the triggering event occurs in the game; and    (d) providing an award to a player when the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of determining if the triggering event occurs on the reels includes determining if at least one predetermined symbol occurs on the reels in the game.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of determining if the triggering event occurs on the reels includes determining if a plurality of predetermined symbols occur on the reels in the game.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of determining if the triggering event occurs on the reels includes determining if at least one predetermined symbol occurs on a payline associated with the reels in the game.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , which includes the step of displaying the plurality of reels on a display device in the game.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to the player through a data network.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the data network is an internet.  
     
     
         33 . A method for operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) randomly generating a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels in a game;    (b) determining if a predetermined symbol occurs on the reels in the game;    (c) determining if a designated combination of symbols occurs in any position on the reels when the predetermined symbol occurs on the reels in the game; and    (d) providing an award to a player when the predetermined symbol occurs on the reels in the game and the designated combination of symbols occurs on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of determining if the predetermined symbol occurs on the reels includes determining if the predetermined symbol occurs on a payline associated with the reels.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to the player through a data network.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the data network is an internet.  
     
     
         37 . A method for operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) randomly generating a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels in a game, wherein the symbols include at least one scatter pay symbol;    (b) determining if a triggering event occurs in the game, wherein the triggering event includes at least one scatter pay symbol occurring on the reels in the game;    (c) determining if one or more designated symbols occur in any position on the reels when the triggering event occurs in the game; and    (d) providing an award to a player when the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the game.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the step of determining if the triggering event occurs in the game includes determining if at least one scatter pay symbol occurs on a payline associated with the reels in the game.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to the player through a data network.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the data network is an internet.  
     
     
         41 . A method for operating a gaming device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) randomly generating a plurality of symbols on a plurality of reels in a game;    (b) determining if a triggering event occurs on the reels in the game;    (c) determining if one or more designated symbols occur in any position on the reels when the triggering event occurs in a subsequent game; and    (d) providing an award to a player when the triggering event occurs in the game and the designated symbols occur in any position on the reels in the subsequent game.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the steps (a) to (d) are provided to the player through a data network.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the data network is an internet.