Gaming machine

Abstract

A gaming machine includes: a display; an operation unit that allows a player to input commands for playing a game; and a processor that operates to: control the display to perform a variable display of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of variable display sections that are arranged in matrix, when a start command is input through the operation unit; perform a lottery to determine stop symbols to be displayed stopped in the variable display sections; control the display to display the stop symbols in the variable display sections after performing the variable display; determine whether or not a symbol combination of the stop symbols satisfies a winning combination; provide an award to the player when determined that the symbol combination of the stop symbols satisfies the winning combination; assign at least one of the variable display sections as a special variable display section; provide a special award to the player based on the special variable display section, the special award being advantageous to the player.

1 . A gaming machine comprising:
 a display;   an operation unit that allows a player to input commands for playing a game; and   a processor that operates to:
 control the display to perform a variable display of a plurality of symbols in each of a plurality of variable display sections that are arranged in matrix, when a start command is input through the operation unit; 
 perform a lottery to determine stop symbols to be displayed stopped in the variable display sections; 
 control the display to display the stop symbols in the variable display sections after performing the variable display; 
 determine whether or not a symbol combination of the stop symbols satisfies a winning combination; 
 provide an award to the player when determined that the symbol combination of the stop symbols satisfies the winning combination; 
 assign at least one of the variable display sections as a special variable display section; 
 provide a special award to the player based on the special variable display section, the special award being advantageous to the player. 
   
   
   
       2 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor operates to:
 provide the special award by controlling the display to replace the stop symbol displayed in the special variable display section into a predetermined symbol; and   determine whether or not the symbol combination includes the winning combination, the symbol combination of the stop symbols being displayed stopped in the variable display section and the predetermined symbol being replaced in the special variable display section.   
   
   
       3 . The gaming machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined symbol is an almighty symbol that is treated as a substitute for all the other symbols. 
   
   
       4 . The gaming machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor further operates to select the predetermined symbol from among the plurality of symbols. 
   
   
       5 . The gaming machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor further operates to allow the player to select the predetermined symbol from among the plurality of symbols. 
   
   
       6 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor provides the special award when the stop symbol displayed in the special variable display section is included in the symbol combination determined to satisfy the winning combination. 
   
   
       7 . The gaming machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the processor operates to:
 determine whether or not a symbol combination of the stop symbols located on a pay line satisfies a winning combination; and   provide the special award when the stop symbol displayed in the special variable display section is included in the pay line determined to satisfy the winning combination.   
   
   
       8 . The gaming machine according to  claim 7 , wherein the processor operates to:
 assign a plurality of the variable display sections as the special variable display section;   determine a number of special variable display sections included in the pay line determined to satisfy the winning combination; and   provide the special award having larger advantage to the player as the number of the special variable display sections included in the pay line determined to satisfy the winning combination increases.   
   
   
       9 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor operates to provide the special award when a stop state of the variable display sections including the special variable display section satisfies a predetermined condition. 
   
   
       10 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the processor operates to perform, as the special award, a re-lottery to determine stop symbols to be displayed stopped in the variable display sections. 
   
   
       11 . The gaming machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor operates to perform the re-lottery for the variable display sections excluding the special display section. 
   
   
       12 . The gaming machine according to  claim 9 , wherein the processor operates to provide the special award when a stop sequence of the variable display sections including the special variable display section satisfies a predetermined condition. 
   
   
       13 . The gaming machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor operates to:
 assign a plurality of the variable display sections as the special variable display section; and   provide the special award when the special variable display sections satisfy a predetermined positional relationship with one another.   
   
   
       14 . The gaming machine according to  claim 13 , wherein the processor provides the special award by activating a special pay line that is different from a pay line. 
   
   
       15 . A gaming machine comprising:
 a plurality of variable display sections that display stop symbols after variably displaying a plurality of symbols;   a lottery means for performing a lottery for determining the stop symbols to be displayed on the plurality of variable display sections;   a determination means for determining whether or not the stop symbols displayed on the plurality of variable display sections include a symbol combination forming a winning combination on the basis of the stop symbols determined by the lottery performed by the lottery means;   an award providing means for providing an award corresponding to the winning combination when the determination means determines that the stop symbols displayed on the plurality of variable display sections include the symbol combination forming the winning combination;   an assignment means for assigning at least one of the plurality of variable display sections as a special variable display section; and   a special advantage awarding means for providing a special advantage that is advantageous to a player on the basis of the special variable display section assigned by the assignment means.   
   
   
       16 . The gaming machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the special advantage awarding means replaces the stop symbol of the special variable display section with a predetermined symbol, and
 wherein the determination means determines whether or not the predetermined symbol and the stop symbols of the plurality of variable display sections include the symbol combination forming the winning combination on the basis of the predetermined symbol and the stop symbols of the plurality of variable display sections.   
   
   
       17 . The gaming machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined symbol is selected by the player. 
   
   
       18 . The gaming machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the special advantage awarding means provides the special advantage when the stop symbol displayed on the special variable display section is included in the symbol combination forming the winning combination, in a case where the determination means determines that the stop symbols displayed in the plurality of variable display sections include the symbol combination forming the winning combination. 
   
   
       19 . The gaming machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the special advantage awarding means controls the lottery means to perform a re-lottery of the stop symbols when a symbol stop state of the plurality of variable display sections including the special variable display sections satisfies a predetermined condition. 
   
   
       20 . The gaming machine according to  claim 19 , wherein the lottery means performs the re-lottery of the stop symbols by using only the stop symbols of the plurality of variable display sections excluding the special variable display section. 
   
   
       21 . The gaming machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the special advantage awarding means provides the special advantage when the assignment means assigns a plurality of the special variable display sections and a plurality of the special variable display sections that are assigned are in a predetermined positional relationship. 
   
   
       22 . The gaming machine according to  claim 21 , wherein the special advantage awarding means provides the special advantage by providing a special pay line that is different form a pay line.