Video slot machine and slot machine gaming method therefor

Abstract

A video slot machine includes a display unit having a screen, a game-processing unit performing consecutive steps of a slot machine gaming method, and an input unit allowing input by a player. The slot machine gaming method includes: (a) displaying on the screen a matrix of cells; (b) allowing a player to select a cell number and to make a betting point decision; (c) performing cell selection according to the cell number; (d) consecutively displaying indicia in the cells, and maintaining display of the indicia last appearing in the cells after a predetermined time; (e) determining if the last-appearing indicia comply with winning criteria; and (f) if so, awarding points to the player on the basis of the winning criteria and the betting point decision.

1 . A slot machine gaming method to be implemented using a video slot machine having a screen, said slot machine gaming method comprising: 
 (a) displaying on the screen of the video slot machine a video image including a matrix of cells of (m) columns and (n) rows, where m>1 and n>1;    (b) allowing a player to select a cell number representing the number of the cells the player desires to place a wager on, and allowing the player to make a betting point decision representing the number of betting points the player desires to wager on the cells to be selected;    (c) performing selection of the cells according to the cell number selected by the player;    (d) consecutively displaying in each of the cells a plurality of indicia for a predetermined time interval, and maintaining display of the indicia last appearing in the cells after elapse of the predetermined time interval;    (e) determining if the indicia displayed in the selected cells at the end of the predetermined time interval comply with predetermined winning criteria; and    (f) if it is determined that the indicia displayed in the selected cells at the end of the predetermined time interval comply with the predetermined winning criteria, awarding points to the player on the basis of the predetermined winning criteria and the betting points wagered on the selected cells.    
   
   
       2 . The slot machine gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein, in step (c), the cells are selected randomly from the matrix.  
   
   
       3 . The slot machine gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein the screen of the video slot machine is provided with touchscreen capabilities, and in step (c), control is performed to allow the player to select the cells from the matrix utilizing the touchscreen capabilities of the screen.  
   
   
       4 . The slot machine gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined winning criteria include the display of at least three of the same indicium in the selected cells.  
   
   
       5 . The slot machine gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein, in step (d), each of the columns of the cells is displayed as a virtual reel, in which the reel is displayed undergoing rotation such that the indicia are displayed in a predetermined repeating pattern.  
   
   
       6 . The slot machine gaming method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) further includes displaying the betting points in each of the selected cells according to the betting point decision made by the player.  
   
   
       7 . A video slot machine, comprising: 
 a display unit including a screen;    a game-processing unit connected to said display unit and performing consecutive steps of a slot machine gaming method; and    an input unit connected to said game-processing unit and allowing input by a player;    said slot machine gaming method comprising:    (a) displaying on said screen of said display unit a video image including a matrix of cells of (m) columns and (n) rows, where m>1 and n>1;    (b) allowing a player to select a cell number representing the number of the cells the player desires to place a wager on, and allowing the player to make a betting point decision representing the number of betting points the player desires to wager on the cells to be selected;    (c) performing selection of the cells according to the cell number selected by the player;    (d) consecutively displaying in each of the cells a plurality of indicia for a predetermined time interval, and maintaining display of the indicia last appearing in the cells after elapse of the predetermined time interval;    (e) determining if the indicia displayed in the selected cells at the end of the predetermined time interval comply with predetermined winning criteria; and    (f) if it is determined that the indicia displayed in the selected cells at the end of the predetermined time interval comply with the predetermined winning criteria, awarding points to the player on the basis of the predetermined winning criteria and the betting points wagered on the selected cells.    
   
   
       8 . The video slot machine of  claim 7 , wherein, in step (c), the cells are selected randomly from the matrix.  
   
   
       9 . The video slot machine of  claim 7 , wherein said screen of said display unit is provided with touchscreen capabilities, and, in step (c), control is performed to allow the player to select the cells from the matrix utilizing said touchscreen capabilities of said screen.  
   
   
       10 . The video slot machine of  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined winning criteria include the display of at least three of the same indicium in the selected cells.  
   
   
       11 . The video slot machine of  claim 7 , wherein, in step (d), each of the columns of the cells is displayed as a virtual reel, in which the reel is displayed undergoing rotation such that the indicia are displayed in a predetermined repeating pattern.  
   
   
       12 . The video slot machine of  claim 7 , wherein step (c) further includes displaying the betting points in each of the selected cells according to the betting point decision made by the player.