Slot machine providing payout which increases player's expectation and playing method thereof

The present application claims priority from a U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/045,535, which was filed on Apr. 16, 2008, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a slot machine providing a payout which increases player\'s expectation and playing method thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventionally, in facilities having slot machines or the like placed therein, a variety of game media such as coins or cash are inserted into a slot machine to play a game.

Each slot machine is structured to award a payout according to a winning state resulting from a game played (result of a game).

In such a slot machine, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,999, or U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0065124, a predetermined number of game media are paid out when symbols stopped on a winning line correspond to a predetermined combination. Further, irrespective of a winning line, a predetermined payout is paid out according to the number of symbols which are called scatter symbols displayed on a display.

However, due to such a payout according to the symbol combination and the number of scatter symbols, payouts are all paid out in a similar manner. This has limited the player\'s expectation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a slot machine having an entertainment characteristic unobtainable from a conventional art, and a playing method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a slot machine which increases player\'s expectation for a payout, and a playing method thereof.

A slot machine of the present invention includes:

a display having a matrix of arrangement areas, which is structured to arrange, in the arrangement areas, plural kinds of scatter symbols including one or more symbol-scrolling cells each scrolling therein plural kinds of symbols;

a controller which is programmed to execute the steps of:

(a1) rearranging scatter symbols in the arrangement areas;

(a2) giving a payout according to the number of each kind of the scatter symbols rearranged;

(a3) when a predetermined number of symbol-scrolling cells are rearranged as a result of (a1), causing the one or more symbol-scrolling cells rearranged to stop scrolling;

(a4) awarding a special payout according to a symbol presented by each of the one or more symbol-scrolling cells rearranged.

In the above structure, when a predetermined number of symbol-scrolling cells are rearranged, the one or more symbol-scrolling cells rearranged stop scrolling, and a special payout is awarded according to a symbol presented by each of the one or more symbol-scrolling cells. This variation of special payout according to a symbol presented by each of the one or more symbol-scrolling cells diversifies the form of awarding a payout to a player. Thus, player\'s expectation for a payout is improved.