Systems, apparatuses and methods for identifying positions of card hands that will be accorded some heightened value or enrichment on a future hand(s) of the game. In one embodiment, a player of a poker game may be notified in connection with a current hand that some preset progress or other partial progress is made towards a potentially favorable result, where that progress is made known to the player so that the player knows it is coming on a subsequent poker game.

There is provided a gaming system, gaming machine, and method that presents a plurality of symbols in an array corresponding to a plurality of symbol-bearing reels. Game-logic circuitry positions a persistent symbol at a first symbol position in the array. Using a random number generator, the game logic-circuitry spins and stops the reels. Concurrently with the moving of the reels, the game-logic circuitry moves the persistent symbol from the first symbol position in the array to a second symbol position in the array. The game-logic circuitry moves the persistent symbol in a direction toward a win zone outside of the array. The game-logic circuitry further determines whether a catalyst symbol appears in the win zone. In response to determining that the catalyst symbol appears in the win zone, the game-logic circuitry awards a value associated with the persistent symbol.

An electronic gaming machine (EGM) is provided. The EGM includes a processor circuit and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to perform operations. Operations include displaying, by a display device of a gaming device, a graphical interface for a wagering game including multiple reels, multiple prize disks and an unlock symbol that includes a first unlock symbol that corresponds to an unlock function of one of the prize disks. Operations include determining that the unlock symbol comprises the first unlock symbol that causes one of the prize disks to become unlocked, determining that one of the primary game symbols includes a secondary game symbol that corresponds to user access to the secondary game, and awarding the user with a bonus game award based on a combination of corresponding bonus game symbols.

A gaming system comprises game-logic circuitry and a display device that presents a wagering game having a plurality of states, where each state has substantially the same expected value, the same set of available outcomes, and a respective unique set of weight parameters associated with the set of available outcomes. The game-logic circuitry selects a first state for a first duration that has a first set of weight parameters, generates at least one game outcome from the available outcomes based on the first set of weight parameters and one or more random values, causes the display device to present the generated at least one game outcome, randomly selects a state for a second duration following the first duration, and generates one or more game outcomes through the second duration based on the respective set of weight parameters associated with the randomly selected state and one or more random values.

An electronic gaming machine architecture is provided in which a gaming platform application and wagering game applications are executed in separate processes but may share access to common display windows; such display windows may be caused to be generated by the gaming platform application, which may then assign specific display windows to the various wagering game applications, along with window handles usable to direct graphical content thereto. The wagering game applications may then direct graphical content to the display windows, while the gaming platform application may retain control over the size, position, transparency, and/or z-order of the display windows.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to communication methods in gaming networks using portable devices. In some networks portable devices communicate information about the status of particular gaming machines on the gaming network. In other networks portable devices are used as a secondary display for the gaming device. In yet other networks bonus games may be played on the portable devices. Further embodiments include a portable device that operates to match a current state of a game to a pre-defined state or states.

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related playing a progressive game, In some embodiments, at least one request may be received from a player to play a first game associated with a first prize pool. Play of the first game may be facilitated on at least one networked terminal based at least in part on receiving the at least one request from the, player to play the first game. Play of a second game associated with a second prize pool on the at least one networked terminal may be initiated, The second game may be initiated in response to the second prize pool reaching a predetermined amount.

In an electronic gaming device, a linked reel strip mechanism uses one or more data structures for multiple reel strips of a reel strip group. Each of the reel strips is logically linked, in the data structure(s), with one or more other reel strips of the reel strip group. User input is received that indicates a start to a re-spin series, and the linked reel strip mechanism is initialized. As part of backend processing, in each of one or more iterations of the re-spin series, for a current reel strip selected by traversing the data structure(s), a spin result is determined for a spin that uses the current reel strip, and an outcome associated with the spin result is determined. In corresponding frontend processing, the current reel strip is displayed as spinning in a reel area on a display screen, and an indicator of the outcome is displayed.

A method for providing a persistent feature in an electronic game includes: (A) simulates spinning of a plurality of reels; (B) generating a first spin result; (C) triggering a value feature based on the occurrence of at least one feature symbol appearing on the first reel and at least one feature symbol appearing on the second reel in first spin result, causing the electronic game to award value feature symbols that appear on the other reels; (D) during a second spin, displaying an animation of moving the first and second feature symbols one or more positions of the reel upon; (E) overlaying the moved feature symbols during the second spin of the plurality of reels; and (F) triggering the value feature for the second spin when at least one feature symbol appears on both the first reel and on the second reel.

Systems and methods which modify one or more triggering conditions of an event based on a quantity of occurrences of one or more tracked elements.