Multiple pay combination gaming apparatus

Abstract

A gaming machine is disclosed that provides a game in which a player of the gaming machine stakes a wager on one or more outcomes of the game that are represented as symbols arranged in an array of symbol display positions. The player controls the number of outcomes on which a wager is staked by operating a user interface. During play of the game the gaming machine causes a display to display indicia representative of the total number of outcomes selected but not display indicia representative of every available outcome and not display indicia of every selected outcome. Indicia representative of an individual outcome is displayed when that outcome defines a winning combination. A method of providing a graphical user interface for a gaming machine is also disclosed.

1 . A gaming machine comprising a display and a user interface in communication with a game controller, the gaming machine providing a game in which: 
 a player of the gaming machine stakes a wager on one or more outcomes of the game, which are represented on the display as a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol display positions;    the player controls the number of outcomes on which a wager is staked by operating the user interface;    the number of outcomes on which the player stakes a wager is displayed on at least one gauge that is displayed adjacent to the array of symbol display positions;    if a winning combination of symbols occurs in at least one of the outcomes on which the player has staked a wager, the gaming machine awards an award associated with that winning combination and displays on the display an outcome indicator that indicates the outcome in which the winning combination of symbols occurred.    
   
   
       2 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein an outcome indicator for a said outcome is only displayed during play of the game if a winning combination of symbols occurs in that outcome.  
   
   
       3 . The gaming machine of  claim 2 , wherein an outcome indicator is displayed for an outcome in which a winning combination of symbols has occurred, whether or not the player has staked a wager on the outcome and wherein the outcome indicator is displayed differently depending on whether the player has staked a wager on that outcome.  
   
   
       4 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outcome indicator for a said outcome is only displayed during play of the game if the player has staked a wager on that outcome and a winning combination of symbols occurs in that outcome.  
   
   
       5 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the player is constrained to select from a selection of groups of said outcomes on which to stake a wager, each group having a different number of outcomes in it and all including the outcomes of each group that has a lesser number of outcomes in it, and wherein during a play of the game the gauge displays indicia showing the number of outcomes in at least the group that has been selected for that game play.  
   
   
       6 . The gaming machine of  claim 5 , wherein the gauge is displayed to the side of the array of symbol display positions and the gauge displays indicia representing the groups in order of size along the side of the array, and wherein the outcomes in a group are predominantly displayed so that the first symbol display position in the outcome is proximate the indicia on the gauge for that group.  
   
   
       7 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outcomes are numbered and wherein the outcomes are predominantly displayed so that the first symbol display position in the outcome is located towards the top of the array for lower numbered outcomes and towards the bottom of the array for higher numbered outcomes.  
   
   
       8 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outcomes are numbered and wherein the outcomes are predominantly displayed so that the first symbol display position in the outcome is located towards the bottom of the array for lower numbered outcomes and towards the top of the array for higher numbered outcomes.  
   
   
       9 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen over the display and wherein the player touches operates the portion of the touch screen located over the gauge to place wagers on different numbers of outcomes.  
   
   
       10 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the gaming machine provides the game so that the player of the gaming machine can stake as part of the wager any of a plurality of different bets on the one or more outcomes, and wherein the bet that the player stakes is displayed on at least one further gauge that is also displayed on the display.  
   
   
       11 . The gaming machine of  claim 10 , wherein there is one said gauge and one said further gauge that are displayed on opposite sides of the array of symbol display positions.  
   
   
       12 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum number of outcomes on which a player can select to stake a wager by operating the user interface is at least 50.  
   
   
       13 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum number of outcomes on which a player can select to stake a wager by operating the user interface is at least 100.  
   
   
       14 . The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outcomes are pay lines defined across a plurality of spinning reels.  
   
   
       15 . A gaming machine comprising a display and a user interface in communication with a game controller, the gaming machine providing a game in which a player of the gaming machine stakes a wager on one or more outcomes of the game, which are represented on the display as a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol display positions, and the player controls the number of outcomes on which a wager is staked by operating the user interface, and if a winning combination of symbols occurs in at least one of the outcomes the gaming machine awards an award, wherein during play of the game the game controller causes the display to display indicia representative of the total number of outcomes selected but not display indicia individually indicating every available outcome and not display indicia individually indicating every selected outcome.  
   
   
       16 . The gaming machine of  claim 15 , wherein the indicia representative of the total number of outcomes selected comprises an integer displayed on the display, the integer indicating the number of outcomes selected.  
   
   
       17 . The gaming machine of  claim 15 , wherein the game controller causes the display to display indicia representative of a plurality of options of groups of outcomes available to be selected using the user interface.  
   
   
       18 . The gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the game controller also causes the display to highlight or display indicia that indicates the total number of outcomes that are selected using the user interface.  
   
   
       19 . The gaming machine of  claim 17 , wherein the user interface has a corresponding number of buttons to the plurality of options and the buttons are marked with corresponding indicia to the indicia displayed on the display.  
   
   
       20 . The gaming machine of any  claim 15 , wherein the indicia comprises a graduated scale and the game controller causes the display to highlight a position on the scale depending on the number of outcomes selected using the user interface in comparison to the total number of outcomes available to be selected.  
   
   
       21 . The gaming machine of  claim 15 , wherein if one or more of the outcomes selected using the interface is a winning combination, the game controller further causes the display to display indicia representative of the winning outcome or outcomes.  
   
   
       22 . The gaming machine of  claim 15 , wherein if a plurality of winning outcomes occurs during play of the game, each winning outcome is displayed sequentially.  
   
   
       23 . A gaming machine comprising a display and a user interface in communication with a game controller, the gaming machine providing a game in which a player of the gaming machine stakes a wager on one or more outcomes of the game, which are represented on the display as a plurality of symbols arranged in an array of symbol display positions, and the player controls the number of outcomes on which a wager is staked by operating the user interface, and if a winning combination of symbols occurs in at least one of the outcomes the gaming machine awards an award, wherein the game controller causes the display to only display indicia of an individual outcome in the array during play of the game when that outcome defines a winning combination.  
   
   
       24 . The gaming machine of  claim 23 , wherein the game controller causes the display to display the total number of outcomes selected using the user interface.  
   
   
       25 . The gaming machine of  claim 24 , wherein the game controller also causes the display to display a number showing the total number of outcomes that are available to be selected.  
   
   
       26 . The gaming machine of  claim 23 , wherein the game controller also causes the display to display a graphic representation of the proportion of the number of outcomes selected using the user interface in comparison to the maximum number of outcomes that can be selected.  
   
   
       27 . A method of providing a graphical user interface on a display of a gaming machine which provides a game in which a player has control over the number of outcomes purchased in the game, the method comprising displaying on the display a plurality of playing elements from which the outcomes are defined and only displaying indicia showing a particular outcome within the playing elements when that particular outcome defines a winning combination.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising displaying indicia representative of the number of outcomes purchased.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising displaying the total number of outcomes available to be purchased.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising displaying a representation of the proportion of outcomes purchased relative to the total number of outcomes available to be purchased.  
   
   
       31 . A gaming machine comprising: 
 credit input means to receive credit for wagering on game plays of a game playable on the gaming machine;    display means comprising one or more displays;    one or more input devices that allow the player to specify a wager to stake on a variable number of the outcomes before the outcomes are displayed on the display means;    a game controller that receives inputs from the one or more input devices, determines from the inputs the number of outcomes on which a wager has been staked, reduces a balance of credit that has been received by the credit input means, and randomly selects outcomes for the game, wherein the game controller further controls the display means to display representations of the game and display an indicator of the determined number of outcomes on which a wager has been staked as a gauge and display an outcome indicator that indicates any outcomes that are associated with the wager that has been staked and the number of outcomes represented by the gauge that result in a winning combination; and    prize payment means controlled by the game controller to pay a prize for any said winning combination that occurs in at least one of the outcomes on which the player has staked a wager and which are represented by the gauge.