gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine with which the amusement of a game can be improved.SOLUTION: A slot machine 10 starts rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R on the basis of an operation of a start lever 41 after a bet operation. Operations of stop switches 42-44 stop a corresponding reel, which can stop a stop pattern of symbols according to a lottery result. A push sequence notification may be carried out in a push sequence combination winning in which a prize result differs depending on an operation sequence of the stop switches 42-44. Based on that a specific condition using an increase number of medals and a game result of a game is satisfied in an advantageous section in which the push sequence notification is carried out, an additional lottery of an AT mode is carried out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Known types of gaming machines include pachinko machines and slot machines, which are known to have a configuration in which an internal lottery is held when predetermined lottery conditions are met, and a bonus is awarded to the player depending on the result of the internal lottery.

[0003] Specifically, in a slot machine, when a start lever is operated while medals as gaming media have been bet, an internal lottery is conducted and the reels start to rotate. If a stop switch is operated while the reels are rotating, the reels stop rotating. If the reels stop as a result of the internal lottery, a bonus according to the result is awarded (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-295707 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, in the gaming machines exemplified above, it is necessary to improve the entertainment value of the game, and there is still room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the circumstances exemplified above, and aims to provide a gaming machine that can increase the enjoyment of the game. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides A plurality of rotating bodies on which a plurality of types of patterns are attached in the circumferential direction; A display unit that allows some of the patterns on each of the rotating bodies to be visible; a start operation means for starting rotation of each of the rotating bodies when operated; a lottery means for holding a lottery to determine whether or not to award a special benefit to a player based on the operation of the start operation means; a stop operation means for stopping the rotation of each of the rotating bodies when operated; a drive control means for starting rotation of each of the rotating bodies when the start operation means is operated and for stopping rotation of each of the rotating bodies when the stop operation means is operated; an awarding means capable of awarding a game value corresponding to a result of the lottery by the lottery means; A gaming machine comprising: The lottery results by the lottery means include a first result that allows a prize to be won when the stop operation means is operated in a first operation mode, and a second result that allows a prize to be won when the stop operation means is operated in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode, a means for executing notification of an operation mode of the stop operation means, The game state includes a predetermined state and a specific state in which the mode notification is more likely to be executed than the predetermined state, As the specific state, a first specific state in which the expected number of game values ​​to be awarded by the awarding means becomes a first expected number as a result of the execution of the mode notification; a second specific state in which the expected number of game values ​​to be awarded by the awarding means becomes a second expected number as a result of the execution of the mode notification; It has the second expected number is greater than the first expected number, A special section is set in which the status notification can be performed, the predetermined state and the specific state are states included in the special section, In one of the special sections, the first specific state may occur after the second specific state, A means for grasping predetermined increase / decrease information including the number of game values ​​awarded in the special section; a means for satisfying a predetermined condition that enables transition to the second specific state when the predetermined increase / decrease information becomes specific information in the first specific state; Equipped with It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the enjoyment of the game. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a slot machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of the slot machine with the front door closed. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of the slot machine with the front door open. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the arrangement of symbols on each reel. [Figure 7] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the symbols visible through the display window and the pay lines. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the symbols visible through the display window and the pay lines. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between winning modes and the benefits to be awarded. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between winning modes and the benefits to be awarded. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between winning modes and the benefits to be awarded. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main control device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing timer interrupt processing by the main control device. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing normal processing by the main control device. [Figure 16]10 is a flowchart showing lottery processing. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for a normal gaming state. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing a reel control process. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the operation sequence of the stop switches and the winning patterns that are achieved. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining reel stop control. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart showing RT state processing. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for the first RT state. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the operation sequence of the stop switches and the winning patterns that are achieved. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for the second RT state. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for the third RT state. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart showing bonus state processing. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the operation sequence of the stop switches and the winning patterns that are achieved. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for a BB state. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the transition relationship between states. [Figure 30] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a display mode. [Figure 31] 10 is a flowchart showing lottery result handling processing. [Figure 32] 10 is a flowchart showing the lottery process for transition to a favorable zone. [Figure 33] 10 is a flowchart showing the AT lottery processing. [Figure 34] 10 is a flowchart showing the AT top-up processing. [Figure 35] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of various transition lottery tables. [Figure 36]A figure showing an example of an additional lottery table and an additional game number lottery table. [Figure 37] This is a diagram to explain the relationship between the actual number of remaining games in the advantageous zone and the displayed number of remaining games. [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an instruction monitor and a section indicator. [Figure 39] An explanatory diagram showing an overview of the push order notification display performed on the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 40] This is a flowchart showing the push order role processing. [Figure 41] 10 is a flowchart showing a winning result response process. [Figure 42] 10 is a flowchart showing a number-of-games management process. [Figure 43] 10 is a flowchart showing a first section display process. [Figure 44] 10 is a flowchart showing a second section display process. [Figure 45] 10 is a flowchart showing MY update processing. [Figure 46] A diagram to explain the relationship between the start game and end game of the advantageous zone and the display on the zone indicator. [Figure 47] 10 is a flowchart showing a performance setting process performed by a sub-side display control device. [Figure 48] 10 is a flowchart showing a start-up effect setting process. [Figure 49] A flowchart showing the process for notifying the order of pressing buttons. [Figure 50] A flowchart showing the setting process for the additional effects. [Figure 51] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting effects at the time of each stop operation. [Figure 52] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting effects when all the devices are stopped. [Figure 53] A diagram showing the relationship between notification timing and additional effects. [Figure 54]10A is a flowchart showing a specific replay navigation mode lottery process, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a navigation mode table. [Figure 55] 10 is a flowchart showing a specific replay navigation lottery process. [Figure 56] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a specific replay navigation lottery table. [Figure 57] 10 is a flowchart showing a navigation mode process. [Figure 58] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 59] A diagram showing the relationship between push order notifications and push order notification effects. [Figure 60] 10 is a flowchart showing the MY high probability processing. [Figure 61] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of acquiring the additional lottery table. [Figure 62] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing an example of a display effect by the auxiliary display unit, and 10(c) is a diagram for explaining the target results of the MY high probability mode. [Figure 63] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 64] 10 is a flowchart showing a bell notification process. [Figure 65] 10 is a flowchart showing a bell notification adjustment process. [Figure 66] This is a diagram to explain the relationship between the display effects by the auxiliary display unit, the push order notification on the instruction monitor, and the game result. [Figure 67] This is a diagram to explain the relationship between the display effects by the auxiliary display unit, the push order notification on the instruction monitor, and the game result. [Figure 68] 10 is a timing chart for explaining the relationship between the MY high probability mode and the navigation mode. [Figure 69] In the first modification, (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the winning modes and the benefits to be awarded, and (b) to (d) are diagrams showing examples of lottery tables for various modes. [Figure 70] 10 is a flowchart showing RT state processing. [Figure 71] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a specific number set in the MY high probability mode in the second modification example. [Figure 72] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a specific number set in the MY high probability mode. [Figure 73] In the third modification, (a) is a flowchart showing the process for setting the mode at the start of the advantageous zone, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of each mode table. [Figure 74] A diagram showing the relationship between the winning probability of a specific Replay Navi lottery and the MY counter in variant example 4. [Figure 75] 10 is a flowchart showing a part of the winning result response process in the second embodiment. [Figure 76] 10 is a flowchart showing a second process for MY high probability. [Figure 77] A diagram showing the relationship between each specific number, the additional winning rate, and the number of additional games. [Figure 78] 10 is a flowchart showing an SMY command response process. [Figure 79] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 80] A flowchart showing the mode setting process at the start of the advantageous zone in variant example 1. [Figure 81] This figure shows the relationship between each specific number, the additional winning rate, and the number of additional games in each mode. [Figure 82] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a mode lottery table. [Figure 83] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 84] 10 is a flowchart showing an SMY command response process in Modification 2. [Figure 85] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 86] 13 is a flowchart showing an SMY command response process in Modification 3. [Figure 87] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a result combination table. [Figure 88] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 89] 13 is a flowchart showing an SMY command response process in Modification 4. [Figure 90] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 91] 13 is a flowchart showing a second process for MY high probability in the third embodiment. [Figure 92] A diagram showing the relationship between each specific number, game result, additional winning rate, and number of additional games. [Figure 93] 10 is a flowchart showing a second process for MY high probability in a modified example. [Figure 94] 10 is a flowchart showing lottery result handling processing. [Figure 95] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for adding specific MY. [Figure 96] A diagram showing the relationship between each specific number, lottery result, additional winning rate, and number of additional games. [Figure 97] 13 is a flowchart showing a part of the number-of-games management process in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 98] 10 is a flowchart showing a second section display process. [Figure 99] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between consecutive wins in AT mode and specific numbers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention, which is applied to a reel-type gaming machine, specifically a slot machine, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a front view of the slot machine 10, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the slot machine 10 with the front door 12 closed, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the slot machine 10 with the front door 12 open, Figure 4 is a rear view of the front door 12, and Figure 5 is a front view of the cabinet 11.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the slot machine 10 has a housing 11 that forms its outer shell. The housing 11 is formed in a box shape with an open front as a whole, and is attached to so-called island equipment by nailing it when installed in an amusement hall.

[0012] A front door 12 is attached to the front side of the housing 11 in an openable and closable manner. A pair of upper and lower support shafts 13a and 13b are provided on the left side of the housing 11 when viewed from the front. The front door 12 is provided with bearings 14a and 14b at positions corresponding to the support shafts 13a and 13b. When the support shafts 13a and 13b are inserted into the bearings 14a and 14b, the front door 12 is rotatably supported relative to the housing 11 about an opening / closing axis extending in the vertical direction connecting the support shafts 13a and 13b. Rotation of the front door 12 allows the front open side of the housing 11 to be opened or closed. The front door 12 is locked and cannot be opened by a locking device 20 provided on its back surface. A key cylinder 21 integrated with the locking device 20 is provided at the upper right end of the front door 12. The locked state is released by operating a predetermined key on the key cylinder 21.

[0013] A game panel 25 that notifies the player of the game status is provided near the upper center of the front door 12. The game panel 25 has three vertically long display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R formed side by side, and the interior of the slot machine 10 can be seen through each of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R. The display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R may be combined into one common display window.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the interior of the housing 11 is divided into two sections, upper and lower, by a partition plate 30, and a reel unit 31 constituting a variable display means is attached to the upper part of the partition plate 30. The reel unit 31 includes a left reel 32L, a center reel 32M, and a right reel 32R, each formed in a cylindrical (annular) shape. Each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is rotatably supported so that its central axis coincides with the axis of rotation of the reel. The axes of rotation of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are arranged on the same axis extending substantially horizontally, and each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R corresponds one-to-one to each display window 26L, 26M, and 26R. Therefore, a portion of the surface of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is visible through the corresponding display window 26L, 26M, and 26R. Furthermore, when the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R rotate forward, the surfaces of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are projected through the respective display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R as if they were moving from top to bottom.

[0015] Here, the configuration of the reel unit 31 will be briefly described.

[0016] Each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is connected to a stepping motor, and each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R can be rotated individually, i.e., independently, by driving each stepping motor. The stepping motor is set to rotate once by applying a drive signal (hereinafter also referred to as an excitation pulse) of, for example, 504 pulses, and this excitation pulse controls the rotational position of the stepping motor, i.e., the rotational position of the reel. Furthermore, the reel unit 31 is provided with a reel index sensor on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R to detect when the reel has rotated once. Each time the reel index sensor detects that the reel has rotated once, it outputs a detection signal to the main control device 101, which will be described later. Therefore, the main control unit 101 can check and correct the angular position of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R for each rotation based on the detection signal of the reel index sensor and the number of excitation pulses output before the detection signal is input.

[0017] On the outer periphery of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R, a plurality of symbols are drawn along the long side (circumference direction) of the reel, serving as identification information. More specifically, 21 symbols are drawn at equal intervals. Therefore, to switch from one symbol to the next symbol at a predetermined position, 24 excitation pulses (= 504 pulses ÷ 21 symbols) must be output. Furthermore, the main control device 101 can determine which symbols are visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, 26R and stop a predetermined symbol at a position visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, 26R based on the number of excitation pulses output after the reel index sensor detection signal is input.

[0018] Next, the symbols depicted on the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R will be described.

[0019] FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of symbols on the left reel 32L, center reel 32M, and right reel 32R. As shown in FIG. 6, 21 symbols are arranged in a row on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Numbers ranging from 0 to 20 are assigned to the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, respectively. However, these numbers are used by the main control device 101 to identify the symbols visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R, and are not actually assigned to the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. However, these numbers will be used in the following explanation.

[0020] There are 11 types of symbols: "Red Bell" symbol (for example, the 7th symbol on the left reel 32L), "White Bell" symbol (for example, the 20th symbol on the left reel 32L), "1st Replay" symbol (for example, the 19th symbol on the left reel 32L), "2nd Replay" symbol (for example, the 6th symbol on the left reel 32L), "Red 7" symbol (for example, the 10th symbol on the left reel 32L), "Watermelon" symbol (for example, the 8th symbol on the left reel 32L), "Cherry" symbol (for example, the 4th symbol on the left reel 32L), "Black BAR" symbol (for example, the 18th symbol on the left reel 32L), "White BAR" symbol (for example, the 17th symbol on the left reel 32L), "LUCKY" symbol (for example, the 5th symbol on the left reel 32L), and "Youth" symbol (for example, the 0th symbol on the left reel 32L). As shown in FIG. 6, the number and arrangement order of the various symbols are completely different on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0021] Each of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R is formed so that only three of the 21 symbols on the corresponding reel are visible in their entirety. Therefore, when each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is stopped, 3 x 3 = 9 symbols are visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R.

[0022] In the slot machine 10, the game result of each game is announced using a combination of three symbols, one for each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, among the visible symbols. As described above, 3 × 3 = 9 symbols are visible, and as combinations of these three symbols, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, there are combinations of symbols that stop on an upper line L1 connecting the upper symbols of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, combinations of symbols that stop on a middle line L2 connecting the middle symbols of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, and combinations of symbols that stop on a lower line L3 connecting the lower symbols of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. There are also combinations of symbols that stop on a downward-sloping line L4 connecting the top symbol on the left reel 32L, the middle symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the bottom symbol on the right reel 32R, and combinations of symbols that stop on an upward-sloping line L5 connecting the bottom symbol on the left reel 32L, the middle symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the top symbol on the right reel 32R. There are also combinations of symbols that stop on a curved line L6 connecting the top symbol on the left reel 32L, the middle symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the middle symbol on the right reel 32R. The above lines L1 to L5 are straight lines when the symbols are lined up, while the curved line L6 is a line that bends when the symbols are lined up. There are other combinations of symbols that stop on curved lines besides the curved line L6, but we will not discuss them here.

[0023] Of these lines L1 to L6, some are activated and some are not, depending on the number of medals bet, and when symbols stop in a predetermined combination on an activated line, i.e., an activated line, a win is achieved and a bonus is awarded in which a predetermined number of medals, which are game media, are paid out, or a bonus is awarded in which the game state is changed.On the other hand, when symbols stop in a predetermined combination on an inactivated line, a win is not achieved and the bonus is not awarded.

[0024] In the slot machine 10, there are three cases where only the downward-sloping right line L4 is a valid line, as shown in FIG. 8(a); where two combinations of the bottom line L3 and the downward-sloping right line L4 are valid lines, as shown in FIG. 8(b); and where only the curved line L6 is a valid line, as shown in FIG. 8(c). More specifically, when a game is started with three medals bet, only the downward-sloping right line L4 is a valid line. When a game is started with two medals bet, the bottom line L3 and the downward-sloping right line L4 are valid lines. When a game is started with one medal bet, only the curved line L6 is a valid line. The three combinations of the top line L1, the middle line L2, and the upward-sloping right line L5 are not valid lines. Hereinafter, a game started with three medals bet will be referred to as a three-bet game, a game started with two medals bet, and a one-bet game.

[0025] 9 to 11 are diagrams showing the correspondence between winning symbol combinations and the benefits awarded when a winning symbol combination is obtained.

[0026] The small winning combinations that result in medal payouts include the 1st small winning combination to the 41st small winning combination.

[0027] When the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the first small win is achieved. When the first small win is achieved, 9 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 15 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0028] Although the winning combinations for the 2nd to 26th small prizes are different, in a 3-bet game, the winning pattern is that the ``red bell'' or ``white bell'' pattern on the left reel 32L, the ``white BAR'' pattern, ``red 7'' pattern, ``cherry'' pattern, ``white bell'' pattern or ``LUCKY'' pattern on the middle reel 32M, and the ``white BAR'' pattern, ``young man'' pattern, ``white bell'' pattern, ``red 7'' pattern or ``2nd replay'' pattern on the right reel 32R stop on the top line L1, that is, the ``bell'' patterns on each reel 32L, 32M, 32R stop on the top line L1. For example, if the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol on the left reel 32L stops on the top row, the "cherry" symbol on the middle reel 32M stops on the middle row, and the "white bar" symbol on the right reel 32R stops on the bottom row, the eighth small win will be achieved. As shown in FIG. 6, the "red bell" symbol is located on the middle reel 32M at a position (number 12) adjacent to the "cherry" symbol (number 11) on the upstream side, and the "red bell" symbol is located on the right reel 32R at a position (number 20) one symbol away from the "white bar" symbol (number 18) on the upstream side. Therefore, when the eighth small win is achieved on the downward-sloping right line L4, the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "red bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "red bell" symbol on the right reel 32R will stop on the top line L1. When the 2nd small win to the 26th small win are achieved, 3 medals will be paid out in a 3-bet game, and 14 medals will be paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0029] The 27th minor winning combination is determined by the symbol on the left reel 32L, which is the designated reel among the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Specifically, the 27th minor winning combination is achieved when the "cherry" symbol on the left reel 32L stops in the upper or lower row. In this case, the symbols on the center reel 32M and the right reel 32R do not affect the winning determination. In other words, regardless of the symbols on the center reel 32M and the right reel 32R, the 27th minor winning combination is achieved when the "cherry" symbol on the left reel 32L stops in the upper row or stops, i.e., when the "cherry" symbol or the "second replay" symbol stops on an active line. When the 27th minor winning combination is achieved, two medals are paid out in a three-bet game, and 15 medals are paid out in a two-bet game.

[0030] The 28th minor win occurs when the "cherry" symbol on the left reel 32L stops on the upper or lower row, and the "cherry" symbols stop aligned on the downward-sloping right line L4. More specifically, the 28th minor win occurs when the "cherry" symbol or the "second replay" symbol stops on the left reel 32L, the "red bell" symbol, the "white bell" symbol or the "cherry" symbol stops on the middle reel 32M, and the "cherry" symbol, the "first replay" symbol or the "second replay" symbol stops on the right reel 32R. When the 28th minor win occurs, two medals are paid out in a three-bet game, and 14 medals are paid out in a two-bet game.

[0031] To further explain the relationship between the 27th and 28th small wins, when the "cherry" or "2nd replay" symbol on the left reel 32L stops, the 27th small win is achieved regardless of the symbols stopped on the middle reel 32M and the right reel 32R, but depending on the symbols stopped on the middle reel 32M and the right reel 32R, the 28th small win may be achieved instead of the 27th small win. In other words, although the winning mode for the 27th small win includes the winning mode for the 28th small win, the 27th small win and the 28th small win are clearly distinguished when determining whether they are wins.

[0032] The 29th small win occurs when the "watermelon" symbols on the left reel 32L, the center reel 32M, and the right reel 32R all stop on an active line. In other words, if the sloping right line L4 is the active line, the 29th small win occurs when the "watermelon" symbols all stop sloping right. When the 29th small win occurs, 5 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 14 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0033] The 30th small win occurs when the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the top line L1. More specifically, the 30th small win occurs when the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "red bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "red bell" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line. When the 30th small win occurs, 5 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 14 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0034] If the "Black BAR", "Young Man", "Watermelon" and "First Replay" symbols on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbols on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 31st small win will be achieved. If the 31st small win is achieved, 9 medals will be paid out in a 3-bet game, and 15 medals will be paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0035] For the 32nd to 35th small wins, if they are achieved in a 3-bet game, 2 medals will be paid out, and in a 2-bet game, 14 medals will be paid out.

[0036] The 36th small winning combination occurs when, for example, the player operates the stop switches 42-44 aiming for the "watermelon" symbols on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, and the "watermelon" symbols on the left reel 32L and the center reel 32M, or the left reel 32L and the right reel 32R, stop on an active line, while the "watermelon" symbols on the remaining reels do not stop on an active line, resulting in a so-called "watermelon tenpai miss" winning combination. When the 36th small winning combination is achieved, 5 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 15 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0037] If the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Black BAR", "Watermelon" or "Cherry" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red Bell", "White Bell" or "Youth" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 37th minor win will be achieved. As shown in Figure 6, on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol (No. 7) and the "Second Replay" symbol are located in the adjacent position downstream (No. 6), and the "First Replay" symbols are located in the main "White Bell" symbols (No. 3, No. 12, No. 15, No. 20) and the adjacent positions downstream (No. 2, No. 11, No. 14, No. 19). On the right reel 32R, the "Red Bell" symbols (numbers 2, 5, 12, and 20) are primarily located in adjacent positions upstream (numbers 3, 6, 16, and 0), along with the "First Replay" or "Second Replay" symbols. The "White Bell" symbol (number 10) is located in the adjacent position upstream (number 11). Therefore, when the 37th minor winning combination occurs on the downward-sloping right line L4, the left reel 32L and the right reel 32R are primarily in a "Tenpai" state, while the "Bell" and "Replay" symbols on the center reel 32M are not. This results in a "Double Tenpai" miss. When the 37th minor winning combination occurs, nine medals are paid out in a three-bet game, and 15 medals are paid out in a two-bet game.

[0038] If the "White BAR", "Young Man", "Watermelon" and "First Replay" symbols on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "First Replay", "Watermelon" and "Black BAR" symbols on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 38th small win will be achieved. In a 3-bet game, if the player operates the left stop switch when the number 4 "Cherry" symbol on the left reel 32L reaches the top to bottom row, the 38th small win will be achieved when the "Red Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the middle line L2. If the 38th small prize is won, 9 medals will be paid out in a 3-bet game, and 15 medals will be paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0039] If the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "red bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "black BAR" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 39th small win will be awarded. The 39th small win is a winning mode that can only be achieved in a 3-bet game. When the 39th small win is achieved, 9 medals will be paid out.

[0040] If the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red 7" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 40th small win will be awarded. The 40th small win is a winning mode that can only be achieved in a 3-bet game. When the 40th small win is achieved, 9 medals will be paid out.

[0041] If the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "black BAR" or "cherry" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the 41st small win will be achieved. If the 41st small win is achieved, 5 medals will be paid out in a 3-bet game, and 14 medals will be paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0042] The winning combinations that grant a replay privilege, which allows a player to play the next game without inserting a medal, include the 1st replay winning combination to the 12th replay winning combination. When the 2nd replay winning combination is achieved, the game state transitions to the 1st RT state, when the 3rd replay winning combination is achieved, the game state transitions to the 2nd RT state, and when the 4th or 5th replay winning combination is achieved, the game state transitions to the 3rd RT state.

[0043] The state transition winning events that only result in a transition of the gaming state include the first BB winning event, the second BB winning event, and the CB winning event.

[0044] When the "Red 7" symbol on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R stops on an active line, a 1st BB win is achieved, and the game state transitions to the 1st BB state. Also, when the "White BAR" symbol on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R stops on an active line, a 2nd BB win is achieved, and the game state transitions to the 2nd BB state. When the "Red Bell" symbol or "White Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "Watermelon" symbol, "1st Replay" symbol, and "Black BAR" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, a CB win is achieved. When a CB win is achieved, the game state transitions to the CB state.

[0045] In addition, although it is not a winning combination, there are some symbols that, when stopped, will transition to the 1st RT state, provided that the game state is in the normal game state. Specifically, when the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white bar" symbol, "lucky" symbol, "red 7" symbol, "white bell" symbol, or "cherry" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol or "1st replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the game state will transition to the 1st RT state. In addition, when the "Red Bell" or "White Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Red Bell" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "White BAR" symbol, "Youth" symbol, "White Bell" symbol, "Red 7" symbol, and "Second Replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line, the game state will also transition to the 1st RT state. Hereinafter, the combination of the above symbols will be referred to as the transition result.

[0046] A start lever 41 that is operated to start the rotation of each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is provided on the lower left side of the game panel 25. The start lever 41 constitutes a start operation means or a starting operation means that is operated to start the rotation of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, i.e., to start the variable display of symbols. When the start lever 41 is operated with a predetermined number of medals inserted, each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R starts to rotate.

[0047] Button-like stop switches 42-44 that are operated to individually stop the spinning reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are provided on the right side of the start lever 41. Each stop switch 42-44 is located directly below the display window 26L, 26M, and 26R that corresponds to the reel 32L, 32M, and 32R to be stopped.

[0048] Stop switches 42-44 are connected to stop detection sensors 42a-44a (FIG. 12), respectively, and the stop detection sensors 42a-44a are connected to main control device 101, which will be described later. Main control device 101 determines that stop switches 42-44 have been operated based on the detection signals from the stop detection sensors 42a-44a. Specifically, when stop switches 42-44 have not been operated, stop detection signals of a LOW signal are output from stop detection sensors 42a-44a, and when stop switches 42-44 are operated, the detection signals switch from a LOW signal to a HI signal. Main control device 101 determines that stop switches 42-44 have been operated by detecting this signal switch. When main control device 101 determines that stop switches 42-44 have been operated, it controls the reel corresponding to the operated switch to stop spinning.

[0049] That is, when the left stop switch 42 is operated, the left reel 32L stops spinning, when the center stop switch 43 is operated, the center reel 32M stops spinning, and when the right stop switch 44 is operated, the right reel 32R stops spinning. The stop switches 42 to 44 constitute stop operation means that is operated to stop the variable display of symbols based on the rotation of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0050] A medal insertion slot 45 for inserting medals is provided below and to the right of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R. The medal insertion slot 45 constitutes input means for inputting game media. In addition, considering that the medal insertion slot 45 involves the action of the player directly inserting medals, it can also be said to constitute direct input means for directly inputting game media.

[0051] Medals inserted through the medal insertion slot 45 are guided to either a storage passage 47 or a discharge passage 48 by a selector 46 serving as a passage switching means provided on the back surface of the front door 12. More specifically, the selector 46 is provided with a medal passage switching solenoid 46a, and when the medal passage switching solenoid 46a is not energized, the medals are guided to the discharge passage 48 side, and when the medal passage switching solenoid 46a is energized, the medals are guided to the storage passage 47 side. Medals guided to the storage passage 47 are guided to a hopper device 51 stored inside the housing 11. Meanwhile, medals guided to the discharge passage 48 are guided from a medal discharge port 49 provided at the bottom front of the front door 12 to a medal tray 50 and are returned to the player.

[0052] The hopper device 51 is composed of a storage tank 52 that stores medals and a payout device 53 that pays out medals to players. The payout device 53 rotates a medal payout rotating plate (not shown) to discharge medals into an opening 48a provided in the discharge passage 48, and then pays out the medals to a medal tray 50 via the discharge passage 48. In addition, a spare tank 54 is provided to the right of the hopper device 51 to prevent more than a predetermined amount of medals from being stored in the storage tank 52. A guide plate 52a is provided inside the storage tank 52 of the hopper device 51 to discharge medals from the storage tank 52 to the spare tank 54. Therefore, if medals are stored above the height at which the guide plate 52a is provided, those medals will be stored in the spare tank 54.

[0053] A button-shaped return switch 55 is provided below the medal insertion slot 45. If the return switch 55 is operated when a medal inserted into the medal insertion slot 45 is stuck in the selector 46, the selector 46 is mechanically linked and operated, and the medal stuck in the selector 46 is returned from the medal discharge slot 49.

[0054] A first credit insertion switch 56 is provided on the left side below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R for inserting three credited virtual medals as gaming media at a time. A second credit insertion switch 57 is provided to the right of the first credit insertion switch 56, and a third credit insertion switch 58 is provided to the left of the first credit insertion switch 56. The second credit insertion switch 57 is for inserting one virtual medal, and the third credit insertion switch 58 is for inserting two virtual medals at a time. The credit insertion switches 56-58, together with the medal insertion slot 45, constitute input means for inputting gaming media. Furthermore, while the medal insertion slot 45 involves the player directly inserting medals, the credit insertion switches 56-58 merely involve the insertion of virtual medals based on stored memory. Considering this, the credit insertion switches 56-58 can also be said to constitute indirect input means for indirectly inputting gaming media.

[0055] An effect switch 66 that is operated when an effect occurs is provided between the first credit insertion switch 56 and the second credit insertion switch 57. That is, the first credit insertion switch 56 and the third credit insertion switch 58 are provided to the left of the effect switch 66, and the second credit insertion switch 57 is provided to the right of the effect switch 66.

[0056] A settlement switch 59 is provided to the left of the start lever 41. That is, the slot machine 10 has a credit function that stores and stores, as virtual medals, any surplus medals inserted up to a predetermined maximum value (equivalent to 50 medals) and medals paid out when a prize is won, and when the settlement switch 59 is operated while virtual medals are stored and stored, the virtual medals are paid out as real medals from the medal outlet 49. In this case, when attention is focused on the function of paying out credited virtual medals as real medals, the settlement switch 59 can also be said to constitute a settlement operation means for actually paying out the stored and stored game media.

[0057] Below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R of the game panel 25, there are provided a credit display section 60 that displays the number of credited virtual medals, a remaining payout number display section 61 that displays the number of medals remaining to be paid out until the BB state ends, and a payout number display section 62 that displays the number of medals paid out when a win occurs. These display sections 60 to 62 are configured with 7-segment displays, but they can of course be replaced with liquid crystal displays or the like.

[0058] Below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R on the gaming panel 25 and to the right of the payout number display unit 62, there is provided an instruction monitor 68 having a push order indicator that notifies the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and an interval indicator that notifies the operation order and indicates an advantageous interval that is an interval in which the win rate of minor winnings can be changed and the game can proceed in an advantageous situation for the player. The instruction monitor 68 will be described in detail later.

[0059] The upper part of the front door 12 is provided with an upper lamp 63 that lights up and flashes as the game progresses, a pair of left and right speakers 64 that play various sound effects as the game progresses and notify the player of the game status, and an auxiliary display unit 65 that provides various information to the player. The auxiliary display unit 65 is used to perform various display effects as the game progresses, and since the game using each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R can be considered to be performed by the main display unit, it is referred to as the auxiliary display unit 65 in this embodiment. A display control device 81 for driving the upper lamp 63, speaker 64, and auxiliary display unit 65 is provided on the back of the auxiliary display unit 65.

[0060] A power supply box 70 is provided inside the housing 11 to the left of the hopper device 51. The power supply box 70 houses a power supply device 91 and is equipped with a power switch 71, a reset switch 72, a setting key insertion hole 73, and the like. The power switch 71 is an activation switch for supplying power to the main control device 101 and other components. The reset switch 72 is a switch for resetting an error state of the slot machine 10. The setting key insertion hole 73 is used by a hall manager or the like to adjust the number of medals dispensed. In other words, a hall manager or the like can set the winning probability (setting value) of the slot machine 10 by inserting a setting key into the setting key insertion hole 73 and turning it ON. The reset switch 72 is operated not only to reset an error state but also to change the winning probability of the slot machine 10.

[0061] Above the reel unit 31, a main control device 101 for controlling the overall game is attached to the cabinet 11.

[0062] The main control device 101 is provided with a hand ratio monitor 77 for indicating the ratio between advantageous and unfavorable game states for the player. The hand ratio monitor 77 is installed on the side of the main control device 101 facing the front of the gaming machine so that it is visible from the front of the gaming machine when the front door 12 is open and invisible from the front of the gaming machine when the front door 12 is closed. More specifically, the hand ratio monitor 77 is housed in a board box that houses the main control device 101 so that the display screen of the hand ratio monitor 77 is visible through the board box. Incidentally, when the front door 12 is closed, the hand ratio monitor 77 is not visible through the gaps between the display windows 26L-26R, etc., and cannot be viewed unless the front door 12 is unlocked by a predetermined key operation on the key cylinder 21 and opened. The hand ratio monitor 77 will be described in detail later.

[0063] Next, the electrical configuration of the slot machine 10 will be described with reference to the block diagrams of FIGS.

[0064] The main control device 101 is equipped with a microcomputer centered around a CPU 102, which is a calculation processing means. In addition to a power supply device 91, the CPU 102 is connected to a clock circuit 103 that outputs a rectangular wave of a predetermined frequency, an input / output port 104, and the like via an internal bus. The main control device 101 functions as a main board built into the slot machine 10.

[0065] The input side of the main control device 101 is provided with the reel unit 31 (more specifically, a reel index sensor that individually detects that each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R has made one rotation), a start detection sensor 41a that detects the operation of the start lever 41, stop detection sensors 42a to 44a that individually detect the operation of each of the stop switches 42 to 44, an inserted medal detection sensor 45a that detects medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 45, a payout detection sensor 51a that detects medals paid out from the hopper device 51, and a first credit insertion detection sensor that individually detects the operation of the first credit insertion switch 56. 56a, a second credit insertion detection sensor 57a that individually detects the operation of the second credit insertion switch 57, a third credit insertion detection sensor 58a that individually detects the operation of the third credit insertion switch 58, a settlement detection sensor 59a that detects the operation of the settlement switch 59, a reset detection sensor 72a that detects the operation of the reset switch 72, and a setting key detection sensor 73a that detects that a setting key has been inserted into the setting key insertion hole 73 and turned ON, and signals from these various sensors are output to the CPU 102 via the input / output port 104.

[0066] Furthermore, a power supply unit 91 is connected to the input side of the main control unit 101 via an input / output port 104. The power supply unit 91 is equipped with a power supply unit 91a that supplies driving power to the main control unit 101 and other electronic devices of the slot machine 10, a power outage monitoring circuit 91b, and the like.

[0067] The power failure monitoring circuit 91b monitors the power supply interruption state and generates a power failure signal not only during a power failure but also when the power is shut off by the power switch 71. Therefore, the power failure monitoring circuit 91b monitors the stabilized drive voltage, which in this example is 12 volts DC, output from the power supply unit 91a, and is configured to output a power failure signal when this drive voltage drops to, for example, less than 10 volts, determining that the power supply has been interrupted. The power failure signal is supplied to both the CPU 102 and the input / output port 104, and the CPU 102 recognizes this power failure signal and executes the power failure processing described below. The power failure signal is also supplied to the display control device 81.

[0068] Power supply unit 91a is configured so that even if the output voltage drops below 10 volts, it outputs a stabilized voltage of 5 volts that is used as a drive voltage in control systems such as main control device 101. The time for which this stabilized voltage is output is long enough for main control device 101 to execute power outage processing.

[0069] The output side of the main control device 101 is connected via input / output port 104 to the reel unit 31 (more specifically, the stepping motor for rotating each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R), the medal passage switching solenoid 46a provided on the selector 46, the hopper device 51, the credit display unit 60, the remaining number of coins to be paid out display unit 61, the number of coins to be paid out display unit 62, the instruction monitor 68, the role ratio monitor 77, the display control device 81, and an external centralized terminal board 121 that can transmit information to a hall management device (not shown), etc.

[0070] The above-mentioned CPU 102 has built-in ROM 105 which stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the CPU 102, and RAM 106 which secures a working area for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in ROM 105, as well as various processing circuits required for the slot machine 10, such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, a data transmission / reception circuit, and various counters, such as a credit counter which counts the number of credits, although not shown. The ROM 105 and RAM 106 form a main memory as storage means, and programs for executing various processes are stored in the above-mentioned ROM 105 as part of the control programs.

[0071] The RAM 106 is configured to be able to retain (back up) data by receiving a backup voltage from the power supply device 91 even after the power supply to the slot machine 10 is cut off. The RAM 106 is provided with a backup area in addition to memories for temporarily storing various data, a win flag storage area 106a for storing the lottery results of winning combinations, a stop information storage area 106b for storing stop information used when controlling the stop of each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, and a status information storage area 106c for storing game statuses such as a BB status.

[0072] The backup area is an area for storing the value of the stack pointer at the time of power cutoff (including power cutoff by operating the power switch 71; the same applies below) when the power is cut off due to a power outage or the like, and when the power outage is resolved (including power on by operating the power switch 71; the same applies below), the state of the slot machine 10 can be restored to the state before power cutoff based on the information in the backup area. Writing to the backup area is performed by the power outage processing (see Figure 14) when power is cut off, and the restoration of each value written to the backup area is performed in the main processing when power is turned on.

[0073] Furthermore, when the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a power outage signal is input from the power outage monitoring circuit 91b to the NMI terminal (non-maskable interrupt terminal) of the CPU 102. When the power supply is cut off, an NMI interrupt process is immediately executed as a power outage flag generation process.

[0074] 13, the display control device 81 is equipped with a microcomputer centered around a CPU 181, which is an arithmetic processing means. The CPU 181 incorporates a ROM 182 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the CPU 181, and a RAM 183 that secures a work area for temporarily storing various data when the control programs stored in the ROM 182 are executed.

[0075] The display control device 81 is provided with an input / output port (not shown), with the main control device 101 connected to the input side and the upper lamp 63, speaker 64, and auxiliary display unit 65 connected to the output side. The display control device 81 drives and controls the upper lamp 63, speaker 64, and auxiliary display unit 65 based on various commands input from the main control device 101. In other words, the display control device 81 is a sub-board that performs auxiliary control in relation to the main control device 101, which is the main board that manages the overall game. In other words, by providing a sub-board for sounds, lamps, and displays indirectly related to the game, the burden on the main board is reduced.

[0076] The effect switch 66 (more specifically, an effect switch detection sensor that detects the operation of the effect switch 66) is connected to the input side of the display control device 81. The various display units 60 to 62, 68 may also be configured to be driven and controlled by the display control device 81.

[0077] Next, we will explain each control process executed by the CPU 102 of the main control device 101. The processes of the CPU 102 can be broadly divided into main processing which is started when the power is turned on, timer interrupt processing which is started periodically (every 1.49 msec in this embodiment), and NMI interrupt processing which is started when a power outage signal is input to the NMI terminal. Below, we will explain the processes related to the progress of the game, i.e., timer interrupt processing, and normal processing performed in the main processing.

[0078] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt process that is periodically executed by the main control device 101, and the CPU 102 of the main control device 101 generates a timer interrupt every 1.49 msec, for example.

[0079] First, in the register save process shown in step S101, the values ​​of all registers in the CPU 102 used in normal processing, which will be described later, are saved to a backup area in the RAM 106. In step S102, it is checked whether the power outage flag is set, and if the power outage flag is set, the process proceeds to step S103, where power outage processing is executed.

[0080] Here, the power outage process will be outlined.

[0081] When the power supply is cut off due to a power outage or the like, a power outage signal is output from the power outage monitoring circuit 91b of the power supply device 91, and the power outage signal is input to the main control device 101 via the NMI terminal. When the power outage signal is input, the main control device 101 immediately executes NMI interrupt processing and sets a power outage flag in a power outage flag storage area provided in the RAM 106.

[0082] In the power outage processing, the system first determines whether command transmission has finished. If transmission has not finished, the system terminates this processing, returns to the timer interrupt processing, and ends command transmission. If command transmission has finished, the value of the stack pointer of the CPU 102 is saved in the backup area of ​​the RAM 106. Then, the output status of the output port of the input / output port 104 is cleared, and all actuators (not shown) are turned off. Then, when the power outage is resolved, a RAM judgment value is calculated to determine whether the data in the RAM 106 is normal and saved in the backup area, thereby prohibiting further RAM access. After the above processing is performed, the system enters an infinite loop in preparation for a complete power outage that would prevent processing from being executed. Note that, in consideration of the possibility that the power outage flag may be erroneously set due to noise, for example, the system checks whether a power outage signal is being output before entering the infinite loop. If the power outage signal is not being output, this indicates that the system has recovered from the power outage, and writing to the RAM 106 is permitted, the power outage flag is reset, and the system returns to the timer interrupt processing. If the power outage signal continues to be output, the system enters the infinite loop. Incidentally, even under an infinite loop, it is checked whether or not a power outage signal is being output, and if the power outage signal is no longer being output, the process proceeds to the main processing.

[0083] Returning to the explanation of the timer interrupt process, if the power outage flag is not set in step S102, various processes from step S104 onwards are carried out.

[0084] That is, in step S104, a watchdog timer clearing process is performed to initialize the value of the watchdog timer for monitoring for malfunctions. In step S105, an interrupt end declaration process is performed to enable the CPU 102 itself to set the next timer interrupt. In step S106, a stepping motor control process is performed to drive the stepping motors that are the reel drive motors for spinning each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. In step S107, a sensor monitoring process is performed to read the status of various sensors (see FIG. 12) such as the stop detection sensors 42a to 44a, the inserted medal detection sensor 45a, and the payout detection sensor 51a connected to the input / output port 104, and to monitor whether the read results are normal. In step S108, a timer calculation process is performed to subtract values ​​from each counter and timer. In step S109, a counter process is performed to count the number of medals bet and the number of medals paid out and output the counted results to the external centralized terminal board 121.

[0085] In step S110, a command output process is performed to send various commands, such as a lottery result command (described later), to the display control device 81. In step S111, a segment data setting process is performed to set the segment data to be displayed in the credit display unit 60, the remaining payout number display unit 61, and the payout number display unit 62. In step S112, a segment data display process is performed to supply the segment data set in the segment data setting process to each display unit 60-62, 68 and display the corresponding numbers, symbols, etc. In step S113, a port output process is performed to output data corresponding to the I / O device from the input / output port 104. In step S114, the values ​​of each register saved to the backup area in the previous step S101 are restored to the corresponding register in the CPU 102. Thereafter, in step S115, an interrupt enable process is performed to enable the next timer interrupt, and this series of timer interrupt processes is terminated.

[0086] Next, the normal processing for carrying out main control relating to the game will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0087] First, in step S201, an interrupt permission process is performed to permit the next timer interrupt. In step S202, a pre-start process is performed to enable a game. In the pre-start process, the process waits until the display control device 81 and the like have completed initialization. When the initialization of the display control device 81 and the like has completed, a game management process shown in steps S203 to S214 is performed.

[0088] As part of the game management process, in step S203, data such as various game information (for example, random number values ​​used in the previous game) stored in the RAM 106 is cleared. Thereafter, in step S204, a start waiting process is performed.

[0089] In the start waiting process, it is determined whether any replay winnings were achieved in the previous game. If any replay winnings were achieved, an automatic insertion process is performed to automatically insert virtual medals in the same number as the previous bet number, and the start waiting process is terminated. Specifically, for example, if a replay winning is achieved in a 3-bet game, a process to automatically insert three virtual medals is performed, and if a replay winning is achieved in a 1-bet game, a process to automatically insert one virtual medal is performed.

[0090] In the automatic insertion process, virtual medals are inserted without reducing the number of virtual medals displayed on the credit display unit 60. In other words, if any replay wins were achieved in the previous game, the player can play the current game without reducing the number of medals owned or inserting any more medals. If no replay wins were achieved, a sensor abnormality confirmation process is performed to check whether any abnormalities have occurred in the sensor reading results obtained in the sensor monitoring process step S107 of the timer interrupt process. If an abnormality has occurred, an abnormality occurrence process is performed to place the slot machine 10 in an error state and notify the user of the occurrence of the error. This error state is maintained until the reset switch 72 is operated. If the sensor reading results are normal, a determination is made as to whether the settlement switch 59 has been operated. If the settlement switch 59 has been operated, a medal return process is performed to pay out the same number of medals as the credited virtual medals.

[0091] After the medal return process is completed or if the settlement switch 59 has not been operated, it is determined whether medals have been inserted or the credit insertion switches 56-58 have been operated between the previous start waiting process and the current start waiting process, and if either has been done, a medal insertion process is carried out to change the number of bets, etc., and the start waiting process is terminated. Also, if neither medals have been inserted nor the credit insertion switches 56-58 have been operated between the previous start waiting process and the current start waiting process, the start waiting process is terminated.

[0092] After the start waiting process is completed, in step S205, it is determined whether the number of medals bet has reached a specified number. In this slot machine 10, the specified number in the CB state is set to "2," and the specified numbers in gaming states other than the CB state (specifically, the normal gaming state, the first RT state, the second RT state, the third RT state, and the BB state) are set to "1" and "3." That is, in the CB state, a positive determination is made in step S205 on the condition that the number of medals bet is "2," and in states other than the CB state, a positive determination is made in step S205 on the condition that the number of medals bet is "1" or "3." In other words, in a gaming state other than the CB state, if no medals have been bet, or if the number of medals bet is "2," a negative determination is made in step S205. If the number of medals has not reached the specified number, the process returns to the start waiting process in step S204, and the processes from the sensor abnormality confirmation process onward are performed.

[0093] If the number of bets has reached the specified number, the process proceeds to step S206. In step S206, a bet command including information on the number of bets for which a positive determination was made in step S205 is set as an output target to the display control device 81, which serves as a sub-side control device. The command set here is output to the display control device 81 in step S110 in the timer interrupt processing. The processing of the display control device 81 that has received the bet command will be described in detail later.

[0094] After executing the process of step S206, it is determined in step S207 whether or not the start lever 41 has been operated. If the start lever 41 has not been operated, the process returns to the start waiting process of step S204, and the processes from the sensor abnormality confirmation process onwards are performed.

[0095] On the other hand, if the start lever 41 is operated, this means that a start command has been issued to start the game, since the game can be started by operating the start lever 41 when a specified number of medals have been bet. In this case, in step S208, a valid line setting process is performed to set the combination of lines corresponding to the number of bets as the valid line. That is, in a 3-bet game, only the downward-sloping line L4 is set as the valid line, and in a 2-bet game, the downward-sloping line L3 and the downward-sloping line L4 are set as the valid lines. In addition, in a 1-bet game, the bent line L6 is set as the valid line. In step S209, the medal path switching solenoid 46a is switched to a non-excited state to prohibit bet acceptance. Thereafter, the lottery process in step S210, the reel control process in step S211, the medal payout process in step S212, the RT state process in step S213, and the bonus state process in step S214 are executed in this order, and then the process returns to step S203.

[0096] Next, the lottery process in step S210 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0097] In step S301, a random number is acquired to be used when determining whether a winning combination has been achieved. In this slot machine 10, when the start lever 41 is operated, the hardware circuitry latches the value of the free-run counter at that time. The free-run counter generates a random number between 0 and 65535, and after the CPU 102 confirms the operation of the start lever 41, it stores the value latched by the hardware circuitry in the RAM 106. This configuration makes it possible to quickly acquire a random number when the start lever 41 is operated, thereby avoiding problems such as synchronization. The hardware circuitry of this slot machine 10 latches the value of the free-run counter each time the start lever 41 is operated.

[0098] After obtaining the random number, in step S302, a lottery table is selected to determine whether the winning combination has been achieved. The slot machine 10 has six game states, broadly categorized as a normal game state, a first RT state, a second RT state, a third RT state, a BB state, and a CB state, and a lottery table is set for each game state.

[0099] That is, in step S302, the current gaming state of the slot machine 10 is determined based on the number of bets and the setting flag set in the state information storage area 106c, and a lottery table corresponding to the number of bets and the gaming state is selected. For example, if the number of bets is "3" and the setting flag is not set in the state information storage area 106c, the current gaming state is determined to be the normal gaming state, and a lottery table for the normal gaming state is selected. In addition, the slot machine 10 has six levels of winning probability, from "Setting 1" to "Setting 6," and by inserting a setting key into the setting key insertion hole and turning it ON and performing a predetermined operation, it is possible to set which winning probability the internal processing will be based on. In step S302, when the setting state is "Setting 1," a lottery table with the lowest expected value of medal payout is selected, and when the setting state is "Setting 6," a lottery table with the highest expected value of medal payout is selected.

[0100] Here, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the process for setting the winning probability.

[0101] The winning probability setting process is executed in the main process launched by the main control device 101 when the power is turned on. More specifically, the winning probability setting process is launched after the initialization process when the power is turned on while the setting key detection sensor 73a detects that the setting key is inserted into the setting key insertion hole and turned ON. In the winning probability setting process, the setting value is updated by one each time the start lever 41 is operated. For example, each time the start lever 41 is operated, the setting value is updated as follows: "Setting 1" → "Setting 2" → "Setting 3" → "Setting 4" → "Setting 5" → "Setting 6" → "Setting 1." Each setting value is displayed, for example, on the credit display unit 60, and the display is updated each time the setting value is updated. Then, operating the start lever 41 while the setting key detection sensor 73a is turned OFF is considered to be the setting value confirmation operation, and the setting value at that time is set as the current setting value, and the winning probability setting process is terminated. Upon completion of the winning probability setting process, the display on the credit display unit 60 also terminates. The setting values ​​set in the process of setting the winning probability are stored and held in RAM 106 until the next process of setting the winning probability is started. In step S302, a process of selecting a lottery table is performed based on the stored setting values.

[0102] The lottery table will be briefly explained. Fig. 17 shows the lottery table for the normal game mode selected in the normal game mode of "Setting 3." The lottery table has index values ​​IV set therein, and each index value IV is uniquely associated with a winning combination and also has a point value PV set therein.

[0103] After selecting a lottery table, in step S303, the index value IV is set to 1, and in the following step S304, a judgment value DV to be used when determining whether a winning combination has been achieved is set. In this judgment value setting process, a point value PV corresponding to the current index value IV is added to the current judgment value DV to set a new judgment value DV. Note that in the first judgment value setting process, the random number value acquired in step S301 is set as the current judgment value DV, and the point value PV corresponding to the current index value IV, which is 1, is added to this random number value to set a new judgment value DV.

[0104] Thereafter, in step S305, a win / loss determination is made for the combination corresponding to the index value IV. In the combination win / loss determination, it is determined whether the determination value DV exceeds 65535. If it exceeds 65535, it is determined in step S306 whether the first BB, second BB, or CB has been won. Specifically, it is determined whether a positive determination was made in step S305 for an index value IV (IV = 34 to 58) including any of the first BB, second BB, or CB. If a positive determination is made in step S306, a process is performed in which the corresponding bonus win flag (first BB win flag, second BB win flag, CB win flag) is set in the win flag storage area 106a in step S307. If a negative determination is made in step S306, or after the process of step S307 has been performed, a process is performed in step S308 in which the win flag of each minor combination corresponding to the index value IV determined to be positive in step S305 is set in the win flag storage area 106a. For example, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=34, the 1st BB winning flag is set in step S307, and the 28th small win flag, the 33rd small win flag, and the 35th small win flag are set in step S308. Also, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=17, winning flags indicating that the 30th small win and the 41st small win have been won are set in the winning flag storage area 106a in step S308.

[0105] Incidentally, if the set winning flag is not a winning flag indicating that the first BB has been won (first BB winning flag) or a winning flag indicating that the second BB has been won (second BB winning flag), the winning flag set in the winning flag storage area 106a is reset after the game in which the corresponding winning flag was set ends (see S203 of the normal processing). On the other hand, if the winning flag is a first BB winning flag or a second BB winning flag, these winning flags are reset on the condition that the corresponding winning is achieved. In other words, the first BB winning flag and the second BB winning flag may be valid over multiple games.

[0106] In addition, in steps S306 to S308 when the 1st BB winning flag or the 2nd BB winning flag is carried over, if a winning combination other than the 1st BB, 2nd BB, or CB is won, the corresponding winning flag is set, and if a winning combination other than the 1st BB, 2nd BB, or CB is not won, the corresponding winning flag is not set.

[0107] That is, for example, in a state where the first BB winning flag is carried over, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when the index value IV=34, the first BB winning flag is not set, and the 28th small role winning flag, the 33rd small role winning flag, and the 35th small role winning flag are set. Also, in a state where the first BB winning flag is carried over, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when the index value IV=35, the second BB winning flag is not set, and the 28th small role winning flag, the 33rd small role winning flag, and the 35th small role winning flag are set.

[0108] In addition, a lottery table for when the first BB winning flag or the second BB winning flag is carried over may be separately prepared, and when the first BB winning flag or the second BB winning flag is carried over, the lottery process may be performed using the separately prepared lottery table. In this case, in the separately prepared lottery table, it is preferable to set each index value IV and point value PV so as not to win the first BB, second BB, or CB.

[0109] If the judgment value DV does not exceed 65535 in step S305, this means that the hand corresponding to the index value IV has not been obtained. In this case, in step S309, the index value IV is incremented by 1, and in the following step S310, it is determined whether or not there is a hand corresponding to the index value IV, i.e., whether or not there is a target for judgment of whether or not there is a winning or losing combination. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the index value IV incremented by 1 exceeds the maximum value of the index value IV set in the lottery table. If there is a target for judgment of whether or not there is a winning or losing combination, the process returns to step S304, and the judgment of whether or not the hand is a winning or losing combination continues. At this time, in step S304, the point value PV corresponding to the current index value IV is added to the judgment value DV used to judge whether or not the previous hand is a winning or losing combination (i.e., the current judgment value DV) to obtain a new judgment value DV, and in step S305, the winning or losing combination is judged based on the judgment value DV. When using the lottery table shown in Figure 17 to determine whether a winning combination is a winning combination, the probability of winning a normal replay (when IV = 1) is approximately 1 in 7.3, the probability of winning a strong cherry (when IV = 15) is approximately 1 in 300, and the probability of winning a weak cherry (when IV = 16) is approximately 1 in 183. The probability of winning a strong watermelon (when IV = 17) is approximately 1 in 300, the probability of winning a weak watermelon (when IV = 18) is approximately 1 in 218, the probability of winning Chance A (when IV = 19) is approximately 1 in 252, and the probability of winning Chance B (when IV = 20) is approximately 1 in 252. The probability of winning a middle bell (when IV = 21) is approximately 1 in 32,800, and the probability of winning a no-question bell (when IV = 22) is approximately 1 in 65,500. The probability of winning the forward push bell 1, forward push bell 2, pinch push bell 1, and pinch push bell 2 (probability of winning when IV = 23 to 26) is approximately 1 in 37.4, and the probability of winning the middle push bell 1, middle push bell 2, right push bell 1, and right push bell 2 (probability of winning when IV = 27 to 30) is approximately 1 in 18.7.The probability of winning a Strong Cherry Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV=34) is approximately 1 in 21,800, the probability of winning a Strong Cherry Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV=35) is approximately 1 in 21,800, the probability of winning a Weak Cherry Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV=36) is approximately 1 in 32,800, and the probability of winning a Weak Cherry Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV=37) is approximately 1 in 32,800. The probability of winning a Strong Watermelon Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV=38) is approximately 1 in 32,800, and the probability of winning a Strong Watermelon Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV=39) is approximately 1 in 32,800. The probability of winning a Weak Watermelon Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV=40) is approximately 1 in 65,500, and the probability of winning a Weak Watermelon Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV=41) is approximately 1 in 65,500. The probability of winning Chance A Duplicate 1, Chance A Duplicate 2, Chance B Duplicate 1, and Chance B Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV = 42-45) is approximately 1 in 32,800. The probability of winning Middle Bell Duplicate 1 and Middle Bell Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV = 46, 47) is approximately 1 in 21,800. The probability of winning Special Reply A Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV = 48) is approximately 1 in 1,010, and the probability of winning Special Reply A Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV = 49) is approximately 1 in 1,310. The probability of winning Special Reply AB Duplicate 1 (probability of winning when IV = 50) is approximately 1 in 1,010, and the probability of winning Special Reply AB Duplicate 2 (probability of winning when IV = 51) is approximately 1 in 1,310. The probability of winning 1st BB and 2nd BB alone (probability of winning when IV = 52, 53) is approximately 1 in 32,800. The probability of winning CB (the probability of winning when IV=54) is approximately 1 in 19.9. Also, the probability of not winning any role is approximately 1 in 2.14.

[0110] In the lottery table for the normal gaming state, 0 is set for the point values ​​PV of IV=2 to 14, 31 to 33, and 55 to 58. Therefore, in the normal gaming state, these index values ​​IV do not result in a win.

[0111] After the winning flag is set in step S308, or if it is determined in step S310 that there is no target to be determined as a winning combination, it means that the winning combination determination has been completed. In such a case, the process proceeds to step S311, and a freeze lottery process is performed to determine whether or not to execute a freeze effect that disables the operation of the stop switches 42 to 44 for a predetermined period of time.

[0112] In the following step S312, a lottery result response process is performed. In the lottery result response process, a process of whether to shift the gaming state or not depending on the result of the lottery in steps S301 to S311, a process of notifying the push order combination, etc. are performed. The lottery result response process will be described in detail later.

[0113] After executing the processing of step S312, a lottery result command is set in step S313. Here, the lottery result command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to let the user know the result of the winning / losing role determination. However, in normal processing, various commands such as the lottery result command are simply set in the ring buffer, and no command is sent to the display control device 81. The command is sent to the display control device 81 in the command output processing (step S110) of the timer interrupt processing described above.

[0114] Then, in step S314, a stop information setting process is executed to set symbols that can be stopped on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R based on the lottery results of this game. In the stop information setting process, stop symbol information corresponding to the possible winning combinations is set based on the win flags set in steps S306 to S308. For example, if a strong cherry is won (won when IV=15) and the strong cherry win flag is set, stop symbol information is set so that symbols corresponding to the 28th small combination, the 32nd small combination, and the 35th small combination can be stopped on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Also, if a strong cherry overlap 1 is won (won when IV=34) and the strong cherry win flag and the first BB win flag are set, stop symbol information is set so that symbols corresponding to the 28th small combination, the 33rd small combination, the 35th small combination, and the first BB can be stopped on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0115] In the following step S315, when multiple pieces of stoppable symbol information are set in step S314, a priority setting process is executed to set their priorities. For example, when multiple types of roles among small role, replay, and bonus are won, the following priorities are set. When small role and bonus are won, the priority is set so that the small role win is given priority, and when the small role win cannot be won, the bonus win is won. When replay and bonus are won, the priority is set so that the replay win is given priority.

[0116] For example, if Strong Cherry Duplicate 1 is won and stop symbol information corresponding to the 28th, 33rd, and 35th small wins and the first BB win is set, the priority is set so that the 28th, 33rd, and 35th small wins take priority over the first BB win. Also, if Special Replay A Duplicate 1 is won and stop symbol information corresponding to the 9th replay and the first BB win is set, the priority is set so that the 9th replay win takes priority over the first BB win. And, for example, if a first BB win is carried over and a normal replay is won and stop symbol information corresponding to the 1st BB win and the first replay win is set, the priority is set so that the first replay win takes priority over the first BB win.

[0117] Here, when a replay is won, the winning symbol combination is set so that one of the winning replays will always win. In other words, when a replay is won, a replay win is always achieved, and no misses occur. Therefore, when the stop symbol information for the replay and the bonus is set, one of the set replay wins is always achieved, and no bonus win is achieved.

[0118] Furthermore, when multiple small wins or multiple replays overlap to form a winning combination, the symbol corresponding to which small win or replay will stop on the pay line will depend on the timing of the stop operation. For example, if a strong watermelon is won and the stop symbol information corresponding to the 30th and 41st small wins is set, as described above, the target symbol on the left reel 32L for the 30th and 41st small wins is the same, a "watermelon." Therefore, the timing of the stop operation on the left reel 32L does not determine which small win will be formed. On the other hand, the target symbols on the center reel 32M and right reel 32R for the 30th small win are both "red bell" symbols, and for the 41st small win, the center reel 32M is a "cherry" symbol and a "black BAR" symbol, and the right reel 32R is a "watermelon" symbol. For example, in a 3-bet game, if the center stop switch 43 is operated to stop the 32M center reel when the 4th "watermelon" symbol through the 7th "red bell" symbol reach the middle row, both the 7th "red bell" symbol, which is the target symbol for the 30th minor win, and the "black bar" symbol, which is the target symbol for the 41st minor win, can be stopped in the middle row on the active line. In this case, in this embodiment, the stop symbol information is set so that symbols with fewer slips are stopped first. As a result, in the above case, the stop drive control is performed so that the "red bell" symbol stops in the middle row, preventing the 41st minor win and allowing the 30th minor win.

[0119] On the other hand, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated to stop when the 8th "black bar" symbol to the 12th "red bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M reach the middle row, it becomes possible to stop the 8th "black bar" symbol and the 11th "cherry" symbol, which are the target symbols for the 41st minor combination, and the 12th "red bell" symbol, which is the target symbol for the 30th minor combination, in the middle row. In this case, the stop symbol information is set so that symbols with fewer slips are given priority, so the 8th "black bar" symbol or the 11th "cherry" symbol stops in the middle row, the 30th minor combination does not win, and the 41st minor combination becomes winnable.

[0120] The same is true for the right reel 32R, and depending on the timing at which the right stop switch 44 is stopped, the stop symbol information is set so that the symbol with the least number of slips between the "red bell" symbol, which is the target symbol for the 30th minor combination, and the "watermelon" symbol, which is the target symbol for the 41st minor combination, stops on the lower row, which is the active line. Note that, on the right reel 32R, if the right stop switch 44 is stopped at the timing at which the 6th "first replay" symbol and the 7th "black BAR" symbol reach the active position, neither the "watermelon" symbol nor the "red bell" symbol can be stopped, and in this case, neither of the minor combinations will be won, resulting in a so-called missed win.

[0121] After executing the process of step S315, the first section display process is executed in step S316, and then the lottery process is terminated. The first section display process is a process related to the display control of the instruction monitor 68 and the role ratio monitor 77, and this process will be explained in detail later.

[0122] Next, the reel control process in step S211 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0123] In the reel control process, first, in step S401, a spin effect process is performed. The spin effect process is a process for performing an effect using reel control during an invalid period, based on the result of the freeze lottery process performed in step S311, etc. In the following step S402, a spin start process is performed to start the rotation of each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0124] In the spin start process, the system checks whether a predetermined wait time (e.g., 4.1 seconds) has elapsed since the reels started spinning in the previous game. If not, the system waits until the wait time has elapsed. If the wait time has elapsed, the system resets the wait time for the next game and performs a motor control initialization process to set spin start information in a motor control storage area in RAM 106. This process initiates a stepping motor acceleration process in the stepping motor control process (step S106) of the timer interrupt process, causing each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R to start spinning. Therefore, even if a player bets a specified number of medals and operates the start lever 41, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R may not immediately start spinning. The system then waits until each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R spins at a predetermined constant speed, and the spin start process ends. In addition, when the rotation speed of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R reaches a constant speed, the CPU 102 notifies the player, etc. that it is now possible to issue a stop command by lighting up the lamps (not shown) of each stop switch 42 to 44.

[0125] Following the spin start process, in step S403, it is determined whether any of the stop switches 42 to 44 has been operated. If none of the stop switches 42 to 44 has been operated, the process waits until one of the stop switches 42 to 44 is operated. If it is determined that one of the stop switches 42 to 44 has been operated, the process proceeds to step S404, where it is determined whether the stop switch corresponding to the spinning reel has been operated, i.e., whether a stop command has been issued. If a stop command has not been issued, the process returns to step S403, where it waits until one of the stop switches 42 to 44 is operated. If a stop command has been issued, a stop command command is set in step S405. Here, the stop command command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to indicate which stop switch was operated to issue the stop command. If a stop command command has been set, the stop control process shown in steps S406 to S412 is performed to stop the spinning reel.

[0126] In step S406, the symbol number of the reaching symbol that has reached the base position (the lower position in this embodiment) at the time the stop switch is operated is confirmed. Specifically, the symbol number of the reaching symbol that has reached the base position is confirmed based on the number of excitation pulses output from the time the detection signal of the reel index sensor is input. In the following step S407, the number of reel slides to be stopped this time is calculated based on the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b. In this slot machine 10, five stop modes are available for stopping each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R when the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated: a stop mode in which the reaching symbol that has reached the base position is stopped as is, a stop mode in which the corresponding reel slides by one symbol, a stop mode in which the corresponding reel slides by two symbols, a stop mode in which the corresponding reel slides by three symbols, and a stop mode in which the corresponding reel slides by four symbols. Therefore, in step S407, a value between 0 and 4 is calculated as the number of slips based on the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b. Then, in step S408, the calculated number of slips is added to the symbol number of the reached symbol to determine the symbol number of the stop symbol that will actually stop at the base position. In step S409, it is determined whether the symbol number of the reached symbol on the reel to be stopped this time and the symbol number of the stop symbol are equal. If they are equal, a reel stop process is performed in step S410 to stop the reel rotation. Then, in step S411, it is determined whether all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped. If all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have not stopped, a second stop information setting process is performed in step S412, and the process returns to step S403.

[0127] Here, the second stop information setting process is a process of changing the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b of the RAM 106 after the reels have stopped. In the second stop information setting process, the stop information is changed based on the set win flag and the stop outcome of the stopped reels. In the slot machine 10, for example, when a win occurs when IV=23 to 30, that is, when a win occurs on the forward push bell 1, the forward push bell 2, the pinch push bell 1, the pinch push bell 2, the center push bell 1, the center push bell 2, the right push bell 1, and the right push bell 2 (hereinafter, these are also collectively referred to as "push order bells") (see FIG. 17), the second stop information setting process is performed to change the winning mode established by the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 that generated the stop command.

[0128] 19 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between winning combinations, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning patterns that are achieved. For example, when the center push bell 1 is won, if the left stop switch 42 is operated first, the stop information is set so that the second small win, the seventh small win, or the ninth small win is achieved, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, the stop information is set so that the first small win is achieved, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated first, the stop information is set so that the second small win, the seventh small win, or the ninth small win is achieved. However, even if the stop information is set in this way, the corresponding win may not be achieved depending on the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0129] The symbol arrangement on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R will be briefly described. In the slot machine 10, in a game mode other than the CB mode (3-bet game), the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R can slide up to four symbols from the timing of operating the stop switches 42 to 44 before stopping, and only the downward-sloping right line L4 is set as the active line. Therefore, when symbols of the same type are arranged on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R with a spacing of four symbols or less, the winning symbol can be stopped on the active line regardless of the timing of operating the stop switch 43. On the other hand, when symbols are arranged so that they form a section spaced five symbols or more apart, the player must operate the stop switches 42 to 44 while aiming at the symbol to stop it on the active line.

[0130] An example will be described in which the center push bell 1 is won and the left stop switch 42, the center stop switch 43, and the right stop switch 44 are operated in this order. In such a case, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped to achieve the second small win, the seventh small win, or the ninth small win.

[0131] The second small win symbols on the left reel 32L are the "red bell" symbol and the "white bell" symbol. The "red bell" and "white bell" symbols also function as the seventh and ninth small win symbols. The second small win symbols (the seventh and ninth small win symbols) on the left reel 32L are arranged so that the interval between each other is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the left stop switch 42 is operated first, the "red bell" symbol or the "white bell" symbol stops on the top row regardless of the timing of the operation. For example, if the left stop switch 42 is operated when the number 4 "cherry" symbol on the left reel 32L has reached the middle row, the number 7 "red bell" symbol stops on the top row, as shown in Figure 20(a). As a result, there is room for the second, seventh, or ninth small win to be achieved on the downward-sloping right line L4.

[0132] The second small win symbol on the middle reel 32M is a "white bar" symbol. On the middle reel 32M, the "white bar" symbol is located only at position 18. Also, the seventh small win symbol on the middle reel 32M is a "red 7" symbol. On the middle reel 32M, the "red 7" symbol is located only at position 14. And the ninth small win symbol on the middle reel 32M is a "cherry" symbol. On the middle reel 32M, the "cherry" symbol is located only at position 11. Therefore, depending on the operation timing of the middle stop switch 43, the second small win symbol, the seventh small win symbol, or the ninth small win symbol may stop on an active line, or none of the second small win symbol, the seventh small win symbol, or the ninth small win symbol may stop on an active line.

[0133] Specifically, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated when any of the "First Replay" symbols (numbered 13 through 17) reach the bottom row, the "White BAR" symbol, which is the second small win symbol, will stop in the middle row. As a result, there will be room for the second small win symbol to be established on the downward-sloping right line L4. If the middle stop switch 43 is operated when any of the "Second Replay" symbols (numbered 9 through 13) reach the bottom row, the "Red 7" symbol, which is the seventh small win symbol, will stop in the middle row, as shown in FIG. 20(b). As a result, there will be room for the seventh small win symbol to be established on the downward-sloping right line L4. If the middle stop switch 43 is operated when any of the "White Bell" symbols (numbered 6 through 10) reach the bottom row, the "Cherry" symbol, which is the ninth small win symbol, will stop in the middle row. If the middle stop switch 43 is operated at any other time, the second, seventh and ninth small win symbols cannot be stopped in the middle row even if the middle reel 32M is stopped after sliding four symbols. If the middle stop switch 43 is operated at such a time, the No. 2 "LUCKY" symbol or the No. 6 "white bell" symbol will stop in the middle row.

[0134] When the 7th small winning symbol of the center reel 32M stops in the middle row, the stop information second setting process changes the stop information so that the 7th small winning symbol can be achieved.

[0135] The seventh small win symbol on the right reel 32R is a "white bell" symbol. The "white bell" symbol is located only at the number 10 position on the right reel 32R. Therefore, depending on the timing of operation of the right stop switch 44, the seventh small win symbol may or may not stop on the active line. Specifically, if the right stop switch 44 is operated when any of the "first replay" symbols (number 6) through the "white bell" symbol (number 10) has reached the bottom row, the "white bell" symbol, which is the seventh small win symbol, stops on the bottom row, as shown in Figure 20(c). As a result, a seventh small win symbol is established on the downward-sloping right line L4. In this case, three medals are paid out as a bonus corresponding to the seventh small win symbol in the three-bet game. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at any other time, the "watermelon" symbol or the "first replay" symbol stops on the bottom row. For example, if the right stop switch 44 is operated at the timing when the No. 3 "Second Replay" symbol has reached the bottom row, the No. 4 "Watermelon" symbol will stop in the bottom row, as shown in FIG. 20(d). The combination of the "Red Bell" symbol, the "Red 7" symbol, and the "Watermelon" symbol from the left is a transition result, as shown in FIG. 11. However, since the transition result does not correspond to a winning combination, when the transition result stops, none of the corresponding minor combinations will win a winning combination. In this case, the corresponding bonus is not awarded, so no medals are paid out (0 medals are paid out).

[0136] When the 9th small winning symbol of the center reel 32M stops in the middle row, the stop information second setting process changes the stop information so that the 9th small winning symbol can be achieved.

[0137] The 9th minor winning symbol on the right reel 32R is a "Youth" symbol. The "Youth" symbol is located at position 15 on the right reel 32R. Therefore, depending on the timing of operation of the right stop switch 44, the 9th minor winning symbol may or may not stop on the active line. Specifically, if the right stop switch 44 is operated when any of the "First Replay" symbols (number 11) through the "Youth" symbol (number 15) has reached the bottom row, the "Youth" symbol, which is the 9th minor winning symbol, stops on the bottom row. As a result, the 9th minor winning symbol is established on the downward-sloping right line L4. In this case, three medals are paid out as a bonus corresponding to the 9th minor winning symbol in the 3-bet game. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at any other time, the "Watermelon" symbol or the "First Replay" symbol stops on the bottom row. The combination of the "white bell" symbol ("red bell" symbol), "cherry" symbol, and "watermelon" symbol ("first replay" symbol) from the left is a transition result as shown in Figure 11. However, as mentioned above, the transition result does not correspond to a winning combination, so if the transition result stops, none of the corresponding minor combinations will result in a winning combination. In this case, the corresponding bonus is not awarded, so no medals are paid out (0 medals are paid out).

[0138] When the second small winning symbol of the center reel 32M stops in the middle row, the stop information second setting process changes the stop information so that the second small winning symbol can be achieved.

[0139] The second small win symbol on the right reel 32R is a "white bar" symbol. The "white bar" symbol is located at the 18th position on the right reel 32R. Therefore, depending on the timing of operation of the right stop switch 44, the second small win symbol may or may not stop on the active line. Specifically, if the right stop switch 44 is operated when any of the "watermelon" symbol (number 14) through the "white bar" symbol (number 18) has reached the bottom row, the "white bar" symbol, which is the second small win symbol, stops on the bottom row. As a result, the second small win symbol is established on the downward-sloping right line L4. In this case, three medals are paid out as a bonus corresponding to the second small win symbol in the 3-bet game. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at any other time, the "watermelon" symbol or the "first replay" symbol stops on the bottom row. The combination of the "white bell" symbol ("red bell" symbol), "white BAR" symbol, and "watermelon" symbol ("first replay" symbol) from the left is a transition result as shown in Figure 11. However, as mentioned above, the transition result does not correspond to a winning combination, so if the transition result stops, none of the corresponding small combinations will result in a winning combination. In this case, the corresponding bonus is not awarded, so no medals are paid out (0 medals are paid out).

[0140] If the second, seventh and ninth small win symbols on the middle reel 32M do not stop in the middle row, i.e., if the "LUCKY" symbol or the "white bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M stops in the middle row, the second stop information setting process changes the stop information so that the "watermelon" symbol or the "first replay" symbol stops in the bottom row.

[0141] The "watermelon" and "first replay" symbols are arranged on the right reel 32R so that the interval between each "watermelon" and "first replay" symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the right stop switch 44 is operated, the "watermelon" or "first replay" symbol stops on the bottom row regardless of the timing of the operation. The combination of the "white bell" symbol ("red bell" symbol), the "lucky" symbol ("white bell" symbol), and the "watermelon" symbol ("first replay" symbol) from left to right is a transition result, as shown in Figure 11. However, as described above, the transition result does not correspond to a winning combination, and therefore, when the transition result stops, none of the corresponding minor combinations will win a winning combination. In this case, the corresponding bonus is not awarded, so no medals are paid out (0 medals are paid out).

[0142] In this way, if the middle push bell 1 is won and the left stop switch 42 → middle stop switch 43 → right stop switch 44 are operated in that order, the second small win will be made, the seventh small win will be made, the ninth small win will be made, or the transition result will stop and no small win will be made, resulting in a miss.

[0143] Next, we will explain an example in which the center push bell 1 is won and the center stop switch 43 → left stop switch 42 → right stop switch 44 are operated in this order. In this case, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped to achieve the first small win.

[0144] On the center reel 32M, the "red bell" symbols, which are the first minor winning symbols, are arranged so that the interval between each "red bell" symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the center stop switch 43 is operated first, the "red bell" symbols will stop in the middle row regardless of the operation timing.

[0145] On the left reel 32L, the first minor winning symbols, "red bell" and "white bell," are arranged so that the interval between each first minor winning symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the left stop switch 42 is operated second, the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol will stop on the top row regardless of the timing of the operation.

[0146] On the right reel 32R, the first minor winning symbols, "red bell" and "white bell," are arranged so that the interval between each first minor winning symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the right stop switch 44 is operated third, the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol will stop on the bottom row regardless of the timing of the operation.

[0147] As described above, if the center push bell 1 is won and the center stop switch 43 → left stop switch 42 → right stop switch 44 are operated in this order, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the operation timing. In this case, nine medals will be paid out as a bonus corresponding to the first small win in the 3-bet game.

[0148] When the push order bell is won, if the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in one or two predetermined operation sequences, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the operation timing, and if the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a different operation sequence, depending on the operation timing, the small win will be achieved, or the transition result will stop on the active line and result in a miss. Incidentally, when the middle bell is won, the 38th small win will be achieved regardless of the operation sequence and operation timing, and when the no-question bell is won, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the operation sequence and operation timing.

[0149] Returning to the explanation of the reel control process, if it is determined in step S411 that all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped, a payout determination process is performed in step S413. The payout determination process is a process for setting the number of medals to be paid out, with one of the conditions being that a winning combination of symbols is aligned on an active line. In the payout determination process, a combination of symbols formed on an active line is derived from the symbol numbers of the symbols that have stopped on the lower rows of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R, and it is determined whether a winning combination has been achieved on the active line. If a winning combination has been achieved, it is further determined whether the winning combination corresponds to a winning flag set in the win flag storage area 106a. If the winning combination corresponds to a winning flag, the winning combination and the payout amount corresponding to the winning combination are set in a payout information storage area provided in RAM 106. On the other hand, if the winning combination does not correspond to the winning flag, the slot machine 10 is put into an error state and an error occurrence notification process is performed. This error state is maintained until the reset switch 72 is operated.

[0150] After the payout determination process, a winning result process is performed in step S414. The winning result process includes processes such as transitioning the gaming state based on the winning result. The winning result process will be described in detail later.

[0151] After the winning result processing is performed, a second interval display processing is executed in step S415. The second interval display processing is processing related to display control of the instruction monitor 68, and this processing will be explained in detail later. Thereafter, in step S416, a winning result command is set so that the display control device 81 knows the winning combination in the current game, and the reel control processing is terminated.

[0152] Next, the medal payout process in step S212 will be outlined.

[0153] In the medal payout process, it is determined whether the payout number set in the payout information storage area is 0. If the payout number is 0, it means that it was determined in the previous payout determination process that no small winning combination was achieved. In such a case, it is determined whether any of the first to eighth replay winning combinations has been achieved, based on the winning combinations set in the payout determination process. If none of the replay winning combinations has been achieved, the medal payout process is terminated as is, and if any of the replay winning combinations has been achieved, a replay setting process is performed to change the game state to a replay state, and the medal payout process is terminated. Note that in the start waiting process (step S204) described earlier, if it is determined that the current game state is a replay state, an automatic insertion process is performed.

[0154] On the other hand, if the payout number set in the payout information storage area is not 0, medals equal to the payout number are paid out, and the medal payout process is terminated. Specifically, regarding the payout of medals, if the count value of the credit counter has not reached its upper limit (50 medals stored), the payout number is added to the count value of the credit counter, and the value after the addition is displayed on the credit display unit 60. If the count value of the credit counter has reached its upper limit, or if the count value reaches its upper limit during the addition of the payout number, the medal payout rotating plate is driven, and medals are paid out from the hopper device 51 to the medal tray 50 via the medal discharge port 49. The medal payout process also involves changing the payout number displayed on the payout number display unit 62 in accordance with the payout of medals. If the current game state is the BB state, the payout number is subtracted from the value of the remaining payout number counter (described later), and the remaining payout number displayed on the remaining payout number display unit 61 is subtracted.

[0155] Next, the RT state processing in step S213 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0156] In step S501, it is determined whether the transitional roll has stopped on an active line. If the transitional roll has stopped, the process proceeds to step S502, where it is determined whether the current gaming state is a normal gaming state. If the current gaming state is a normal gaming state, in step S503, a first RT setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c of RAM 106. Thereafter, this process ends. If it is determined in step S502 that the gaming state in which the transitional roll has stopped is not a normal gaming state, the RT state ends as is. In this case, even if the transitional roll has stopped, no transition of the gaming state occurs.

[0157] If it is determined in step S501 that the transition result is not on an active line, the process proceeds to step S504, where it is determined whether or not a second re-game win has been achieved based on the winning combination set in the previous payout determination process. If a second re-game win has been achieved, the RT setting flag set in the status information storage area 106c is cleared in step S505, and the first RT setting flag is set in step S503. Then, this process ends.

[0158] If the first RT setting flag is set in step S503, the game state transitions to the first RT state. Then, in step S302 of the lottery process, it is determined that the current game state is the first RT state based on the fact that the first RT setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c, and a lottery table for the first RT state is selected.

[0159] Figure 22 is a lottery table for the first RT state selected in the first RT state of "setting 3." When compared with the lottery table for the normal gaming state (see Figure 17), the lottery table for the first RT state has different point values ​​PV for IV = 1 to 5, and the same point values ​​PV are set for the other index values ​​IV. Therefore, when determining whether a winning combination is achieved using this lottery table, the probability of winning when IV = 6 to 58 is equal to the respective winning probabilities in the normal gaming state, and the probability of winning when IV = 1 is approximately 1 in 67.0, and the probability of winning when IV = 2 to 5 is approximately 1 in 32.8. The probability of losing, i.e., not winning any combination, is approximately 1 in 2.14.

[0160] As shown in FIG. 22, if a win occurs when IV=1, it results in a normal replay win; if a win occurs when IV=2, it results in a first promotion replay 1 win; if a win occurs when IV=3, it results in a first promotion replay 2 win; if a win occurs when IV=4, it results in a first promotion replay 3 win; and if a win occurs when IV=5, it results in a first promotion replay 4 win. The probability of winning when IV=1 to 5 is approximately 1 in 7.30. The probability of winning a normal replay under normal gaming mode is also approximately 1 in 7.30. In other words, when the gaming mode transitions to the first RT mode, the winning probability for each of the small combination, replay, and bonus combinations is the same as in the normal gaming mode, but the winning pattern for awarding the replay bonus changes to one different from that under normal gaming mode. More specifically, in the normal game state, only the first replay win, which does not result in a transition to the game state, is achieved, and in the first RT state, in addition to the first replay win, a third replay win, which results in a transition to the second RT state, is achieved.

[0161] In the second stop information setting process (step S409), in addition to when the above-mentioned push order bell is won, when the first promotion replay 1 to first promotion replay 4 are won, stop information is set to change the winning pattern that is achieved depending on the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 that generated the stop command.

[0162] FIG. 23(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between winning combinations, the operation sequence of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning patterns that are achieved. When the first promotion replay 1 to first promotion replay 4 are won, unlike when the push order bell is won, the first replay win or the third replay win is always achieved regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44. For the first promotion replay 1 to first promotion replay 4, one of six operation sequences is associated with the third replay, and the other operation sequences are associated with the first replay.

[0163] In the first promotion replays 2 to 4, in addition to the first replay and the third replay, the sixth replay, the seventh replay, and the eighth replay are also allocated as winning combinations. However, these sixth replay to eighth replay are not associated with any of the six operation sequences described above. Therefore, even if the sixth replay to eighth replay are winning combinations in the first promotion replays 2 to 4, they will not win regardless of the operation sequence of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0164] More specifically, for the first promotion replays 1 to 4, the first promotion replay 1 is assigned the first replay and the third replay, the first promotion replay 2 is assigned the sixth replay in addition to the first replay and the third replay, the first promotion replay 3 is assigned the seventh replay in addition to the first replay and the third replay, and the first promotion replay 4 is assigned the eighth replay in addition to the first replay and the third replay, but for any of the first promotion replays 1 to 4, the winning replay is either the first replay or the third replay. This is to make it difficult to understand the operation sequence that results in the third replay winning. That is, for example, if there is one type of first promotion replay, the operation sequence corresponding to the third replay winning will also be one type, and when the first promotion replay is won, it may be possible to intentionally establish the third replay winning. Note that this relationship is not limited to the relationship between the first promotion replays 1 to 4, but the same can be said for other overlapping roles.

[0165] Returning to the explanation of the RT state processing, if it is determined in step S504 that the second re-game winning has not been achieved, the process proceeds to step S506, where it is determined whether or not the third re-game winning has been achieved, based on the winning combination set in the previous payout determination process. If the third re-game winning has been achieved, the RT setting flag set in the state information storage area 106c is cleared in step S507, and the second RT setting flag is set in step S508, and this process ends.

[0166] If the second RT setting flag is set in step S508, the game state transitions to the second RT state. Then, in step S302 of the lottery process, it is determined that the current game state is the second RT state based on the fact that the second RT setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c, and a lottery table for the second RT state is selected.

[0167] FIG. 24 shows a lottery table for the second RT state selected in the second RT state of "Setting 3." Compared with the lottery table for the first RT state (see FIG. 22), the lottery table for the second RT state has different point values ​​PV for IV = 1 to 10, and the same point values ​​PV are set for the other index values ​​IV. Therefore, when determining whether a winning combination is a winning combination using this lottery table, the probability of winning when IV = 11 to 58 is equal to the respective winning probabilities in the first RT state. The probability of winning when IV = 1 is approximately 1 in 26.2, the probability of not winning when IV = 2 to 5, the probability of winning when IV = 6 to 8 are approximately 1 in 32.8, and the probability of winning when IV = 9 and 10 are approximately 1 in 18.2. The probability of losing, i.e., not winning any combination, is approximately 1 in 2.74. In other words, when transitioning to the second RT state, the probability of losing is lower than in the normal gaming state and the first RT state, which is advantageous for the player. In addition, in the second RT state, in addition to the first re-play winning event that does not result in a transition to the game state, the second re-play winning event that results in a transition to the first RT state, and the fourth and fifth re-play winning events that result in a transition to the third RT state are achieved.

[0168] In the second stop information setting process (step S409), in addition to when the above-mentioned first promotion replay 1 to first promotion replay 4 are won, stop information is set so as to change the winning pattern that is achieved depending on the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 that generated the stop command, even when the fall replay 1 to fall replay 3, second promotion replay 1, or second promotion replay 2 is won.

[0169] FIG. 23(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between winning combinations, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning patterns that are achieved. When Fall Replay 1 to Fall Replay 3 are won, the first replay win or the second replay win is always achieved, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44. When Second Promotion Replay 1 is won, either the first replay win, the fourth replay win, or the fifth replay win is always achieved, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44. When Second Promotion Replay 2 is won, either the first replay win or the fourth replay win is always achieved, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0170] In addition, when the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in the operating sequence corresponding to the 4th replay winning and the 1st replay winning, or when the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in the operating sequence corresponding to the 5th replay winning and the 1st replay winning, stop control is basically performed so that the 4th replay winning or the 5th replay winning is achieved, and when the 4th replay winning or the 5th replay winning cannot be achieved, stop control is performed so that the 1st replay winning is achieved.

[0171] Returning to the explanation of the RT state processing, if it is determined in step S506 that the third re-play winning has not been achieved, the process proceeds to step S509, where it is determined whether the fourth re-play winning or the fifth re-play winning has been achieved based on the winning combination set in the previous payout determination process. If the fourth re-play winning or the fifth re-play winning has been achieved, the RT setting flag set in the state information storage area 106c is cleared in step S510, and the third RT setting flag is set in step S511, and this processing ends. Also, if it is determined in step S509 that neither the fourth re-play winning nor the fifth re-play winning has been achieved, this processing ends as is.

[0172] If the third RT setting flag is set in step S511, the game state transitions to the third RT state. Then, in step S302 of the lottery process, it is determined that the current game state is the third RT state based on the fact that the third RT setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c, and a lottery table for the third RT state is selected.

[0173] Figure 25 shows a lottery table for the third RT state selected in the third RT state of "Setting 3." Compared to the lottery table for the second RT state (see Figure 24), the lottery table for the third RT state has different point values ​​PV for IV = 1, 6 to 14, and the same point values ​​PV are set for the other index values ​​IV. Therefore, when determining whether a winning combination is achieved using this lottery table, the probability of winning when IV = 1 is approximately 1 in 11.0, the probability of winning when IV = 6 to 8 is approximately 1 in 15.4, and the probability of winning when IV = 9 and 10 is approximately 1 in 19.5. Furthermore, in the third RT state, it is possible to win specific replay 1 and specific replay 2 when IV = 14 and 15, and the probability of winning when IV = 14 and 15 is approximately 1 in 20.0. The probability of losing, i.e., not winning any combination, is approximately 1 in 140. In other words, when the gaming state transitions to the third RT state, the probability of a loss is lower compared to the normal gaming state, the first RT state, and even the second RT state, which is advantageous to the player. Furthermore, when the gaming state transitions to the third RT state, the winning mode for granting a replay bonus changes to one different from that in the second RT state. More specifically, in the third RT state, in addition to the first replay winning mode, which does not transition the gaming state, and the second replay winning mode, which transitions to the first RT state, the sixth replay winning mode, the seventh replay winning mode, and the eighth replay winning mode, which do not transition the gaming state, the third replay winning mode, which transitions to the second RT state, the eleventh replay winning mode, which is a cherry replay, and the twelfth replay winning mode, which is a watermelon replay, are realized.

[0174] In the second stop information setting process (step S409), even if BAR Replay 1, BAR Replay 2, Specific Replay 1, or Specific Replay 2 is won, stop information is set to change the winning pattern that is achieved depending on the operation order of stop switches 42 to 44 that generated the stop command.

[0175] 23(c) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence relationship between winning combinations, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning patterns that are achieved. When BAR Replay 1 is won, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44, one of the first replay winning, the seventh replay winning, or the eighth replay winning is always achieved. When BAR Replay 2 is won, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44, one of the first replay winning, the sixth replay winning, or the eighth replay winning is always achieved.

[0176] 23(d) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence relationship between winning combinations, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning modes that are achieved. When specific replay 1 and specific replay 2 are won, any of the first replay win, eleventh replay win, and twelfth replay win is always achieved for any specific replay, regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44. In this embodiment, the third replay win, for which the win flag is set when specific replay 2 is won, is not associated with the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and when specific replay 2 is won, the third replay win is not achieved regardless of the operation order. Regarding the associated operation sequence, in more detail, when specific replay 1 is won, if the left stop switch 42 is operated first, an 11th replay win, which is a cherry replay, is achieved, if the center stop switch 43 is operated first, a 12th replay win, which is a watermelon replay, is achieved, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated first, a 1st replay win is achieved. On the other hand, when specific replay 2 is won, the operation sequence associated with the 11th replay win and the 12th replay win is reversed from that of specific replay 1, so that if the left stop switch 42 is operated first, a 12th replay win is achieved, if the center stop switch 43 is operated first, an 11th replay win is achieved, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated first, a 1st replay win is achieved.

[0177] Next, the bonus state processing in step S214 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0178] First, in step S601, it is determined whether the current gaming state is a bonus state, that is, whether the current gaming state is a BB state or a CB state. If it is not a bonus state, the bonus determination process shown in steps S602 to S613 is performed.

[0179] In the bonus determination process, in step S602, it is determined whether any of the first BB win flag, second BB win flag, and CB win flag is set. If any of the win flags is set, the process proceeds to step S603, where it is determined whether a CB win has been achieved based on the winning combination set in the previous payout determination process. If a CB win has been achieved, in step S604, a CB setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c. In step S605, a remaining payout number counter, which is provided in the state information storage area 106c and is used to count the number of medals remaining that can be paid out during the bonus state, is set to 15. By performing the processes of steps S604 to S605, the gaming state transitions to the CB state.

[0180] Here, a brief explanation will be given of CB and the CB state.

[0181] A CB win occurs when the "red bell" or "white bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "red bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon", "first replay" or "black bar" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on an active line. The CB symbols are arranged on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R so that the interval between each CB symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, if a CB win occurs, the CB win occurs regardless of the operation order and timing of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0182] When the CB setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c, the main control device 101 determines that the gaming state is the CB state. Then, in step S205 of the normal processing, it determines whether the number of medals bet has reached "2" instead of "3", and in the activated line setting processing (step S209), it sets the lower line L3 and the right-downward line L4 as activated lines.

[0183] In step S302 of the lottery process, a lottery table for the CB state is selected. Although the illustration of the lottery table for the CB state is omitted, in the lottery table for the CB state, "0" is set as the point value PV for IV = 1 to 52, and "16384" is set as the point value for IV = 55 to 58 (see FIG. 17 etc. for the correspondence between IV and winning roles). Therefore, in the CB state, the probability of winning CB small / medium role 1 (the probability of winning when IV = 55) is approximately 1 in 4.00, the probability of winning CB small / medium role 2 (the probability of winning when IV = 56) is approximately 1 in 4.00, the probability of winning CB small / medium role 3 (the probability of winning when IV = 57) is approximately 1 in 4.00, and the probability of winning CB small / medium role 4 (the probability of winning when IV = 58) is approximately 1 in 4.00. No losing events occur.

[0184] FIG. 27(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between winning combinations, the operation order of the stop switches 42-44, and the winning patterns that are achieved. Although detailed explanations are omitted, regardless of the order and timing of operation of the stop switches 42-44, regardless of which of the CB small / medium combinations 1 to 4 is won, some small combination will always be achieved. Since the CB state is a two-bet game, when the first small combination, the 27th small combination, the 31st small combination, the 36th small combination, and the 38th small combination are achieved, 15 medals are paid out. When the second small combination, the 26th small combination, the 28th small combination, the 30th small combination, and the 32nd small combination, the 35th small combination, and the 36th small combination are achieved, 14 medals are paid out. In other words, when the game transitions to the CB state, 14 or 15 medals are always paid out.

[0185] In addition, instead of or in addition to CB as a winning role and the CB state as a game state, a single bonus (SB) that allows one game (JAC game) to be played as a winning role, and an SB state to which transition is made based on winning the single bonus (winning), may be provided.

[0186] Returning to the explanation of the bonus state processing, if it is determined in step S603 that the CB win has not been achieved, it means that a bonus win flag other than the CB has been set. In such a case, the RT setting flag set in the state information storage area 106c is cleared in step S608, and it is determined in step S609 whether the first BB win or the second BB win has been achieved.

[0187] If any of the BB wins is achieved, the BB win flag set in the win flag storage area 106a of the RAM 106 is cleared in step S610, and a BB setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c in step S611. After that, in step S612, the remaining payout number counter is set to 216, and processing is performed to display 216 in the remaining payout number display unit 61. The value set in step S612 is a value corresponding to the upper limit payout number in the BB state, and the BB state is ended on the condition that medals equal to or greater than this value have been paid out in the BB state.

[0188] By performing the processing of steps S610 to S612, the gaming state transitions to the BB state. Then, in step S302 of the lottery processing, it is determined that the current gaming state is the BB state based on the fact that the BB setting flag is set in the state information storage area 106c, and a corresponding lottery table for the BB state is selected.

[0189] 28 shows a lottery table for the first BB state selected in the first BB state to which a transition occurs due to a first BB win, and a lottery table for the second BB state selected in the second BB state to which a transition occurs due to a second BB win. In the lottery table for the first BB state and the second BB state, the point value PV for IV=1 to 14, 22 to 30, 34 to 58 is set to "0". Therefore, in either the first BB state or the second BB state, these IV=1 to 14, 22 to 30, 34 to 58 do not result in a win. In addition, in the lottery table for the first BB state and the lottery table for the second BB state, the point values ​​for IV=19-21, 31-33 are set to the same point values ​​in both lottery tables, and in both the first BB state and the second BB state, the probability of winning Chance A with IV=19 is approximately 1 in 65.5, the probability of winning Chance B with IV=20 is approximately 1 in 65.5, the probability of winning the middle bell with IV=21 is approximately 1 in 1310, the probability of winning the first role in BB with IV=31 is approximately 1 in 2.12, the probability of winning the second role in BB with IV=32 is approximately 1 in 13.1, and the probability of winning the third role in BB with IV=33 is approximately 1 in 13.1.

[0190] On the other hand, in the lottery table for the 1st BB state and the lottery table for the 2nd BB state, different point values ​​are set for IV=15 to 18, and the probability of winning a strong cherry with IV=15 is approximately 1 in 21.8 in the 1st BB state, while it is approximately 1 in 93.6 in the 2nd BB state, making it easier to win a strong cherry in the 1st BB state than in the 2nd BB state. Also, the probability of winning a weak cherry with IV=16 is approximately 1 in 6.56 in the 1st BB state, while it is approximately 1 in 26.2 in the 2nd BB state, making it easier to win a weak cherry in the 1st BB state than in the 2nd BB state.

[0191] The probability of winning a strong watermelon with IV=17 is approximately 1 in 93.6 in the 1st BB state, while it is approximately 1 in 21.8 in the 2nd BB state, making it easier to win a strong watermelon in the 2nd BB state than in the 1st BB state. Also, the probability of winning a weak cherry with IV=18 is approximately 1 in 26.2 in the 1st BB state, while it is approximately 1 in 6.56 in the 2nd BB state, making it easier to win a weak watermelon in the 2nd BB state than in the 1st BB state.

[0192] That is, in the 1st BB state and the 2nd BB state, the probability of winning the lottery result that is called a rare combination such as a strong cherry or a strong watermelon is higher than in the normal game state or other states such as the 1st RT state to the 3rd RT state. Also, when comparing the 1st BB state and the 2nd BB state, it is set so that it is easier to win a strong cherry or a weak cherry in the 1st BB state than in the 2nd BB state, and it is easier to win a strong watermelon or a weak watermelon in the 2nd BB state than in the 1st BB state.

[0193] In addition, strong cherries, weak cherries, strong watermelons, weak watermelons, etc. are won depending on the timing of operation of the stop switches 42 to 44, and if they are operated at a timing that does not correspond to a win, the win will not be achieved and the win will be missed.

[0194] 27(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence relationship between winning combinations, the operation sequence of the stop switches 42 to 44, and the winning modes that are achieved. As described above, the first small combination is a winning mode that can be achieved regardless of the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44. Therefore, when the first combination in BB is won, regardless of the operation sequence and operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44, one of the first small combination, the 39th small combination, or the 40th small combination will always be achieved. In contrast, for the second combination in BB and the third combination in BB, the first small combination is associated with four of the six operation sequences, and the 40th and 41st small combinations are associated with two of the six operation sequences. In other words, for the second or third role in BB, if the operation order of stop switches 42-44 matches the first small role, the first small role win is achieved, and if the operation order matches the 40th or 41st small role, the 40th or 41st small role win is achieved instead of the first small role. In a 3-bet game in BB state, if the first or 40th small role win is achieved, 9 medals are paid out, and if the 41st small role win is achieved, 3 medals are paid out. In other words, if the first role in BB is won, the first small role win is achieved regardless of the operation order, and 9 medals are paid out, and if the second role in BB is won, the first or 40th small role win is achieved depending on the operation order, and 9 medals are paid out. When the third role in BB is won, the first or the 41st small role is won depending on the operation order, and when the first small role is won, nine medals are paid out, and when the 41st small role is won, three medals are paid out. In other words, for the third role in BB, the number of medals paid out varies depending on the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0195] If the determination in step S609 is negative and any BB winning has been achieved, a carry-over command is set in step S613. The carry-over command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to inform the display control device 81 that the bonus winning has not been achieved in the bonus winning game and that a so-called carry-over state has occurred, and this carry-over command is output to the display control device 81 in the command output process (step S110) of the timer interrupt process.

[0196] As already explained, in a game played in the carryover state, winning of other bonuses is restricted. More specifically, in the lottery table for the normal gaming state (FIG. 17), if a combination of IV=34 to 51 with the bonus (first BB, second BB, CB) is won, the winning flags corresponding to these bonuses are not set. Therefore, for example, if a combination of IV=34 to 51 with each small combination or replay is won, the winning flags for these small combinations and replay are set, but the winning flags corresponding to the bonuses are not set, and only the winning of the small combination is valid. In other words, the carryover state can be said to be a state in which the bonus lottery is restricted.

[0197] If the gaming state has shifted to the CB state or the BB state, an affirmative determination is made in step S601, and an end determination process is performed in step S614. In the end determination process, it is determined whether the value of the remaining payout counter has reached 0, and if it has reached 0, a process is performed to clear the CB setting flag or the BB setting flag. Furthermore, in the end determination process, if the BB setting flag is cleared, an end flag is set which indicates that the BB state has ended in this game.

[0198] As shown in steps S602 to S614, when a CB win occurs and a CB win is established, the CB setting flag is set without clearing the RT setting flag. Therefore, when the CB setting flag is cleared, i.e., when the CB state ends, the game returns to the gaming state when the CB win was established. For example, when a CB win is established during the normal gaming state, the game returns to the normal gaming state after the CB state ends. When a CB win is established during the third RT state, the game returns to the third RT state after the CB state ends. On the other hand, when the first BB or second BB win occurs, the RT setting flag is cleared in step S608 regardless of whether the corresponding BB win is established. Therefore, when the BB setting flag is cleared, i.e., when the BB state ends, the game returns to the normal gaming state even if a first BB win is established during the second RT state. When the game transitions to the CB state, the player can expect to gain 13 (= 15 - 2) or 25 (= 14 - 2 + 15 - 2) medals before the CB state ends. When the game shifts to the BB state, the player can expect to receive a maximum of 144 (=9×24−3×24) medals until the BB state ends.

[0199] As described above, if a strong cherry or strong watermelon is won in the BB state, the winning combination may not be achieved depending on the timing of operation of the stop switches 42-44. If the winning combination is not achieved, no medals will be paid out in that game. Also, if the third combination is won during the BB, either nine or three medals will be paid out depending on the operation sequence of the stop switches 42-44. In other words, if the upper limit payout number is set (216) in the BB state and nine medals are paid out per game, a maximum increase of 144 medals can be expected as described above, and the BB state ends after 24 games. However, depending on the lottery results of each game in the BB state and the timing and operation sequence of the stop switches 42-44 for that game, the number of medals increased when the upper limit payout number is reached may be less than the maximum number, or the number of games until the upper limit payout number is reached may be increased.

[0200] If none of the first BB winning flag, second BB winning flag, and CB winning flag is set (if step S602 is NO), if none of the first BB winning, second BB winning, and CB winning is achieved and a carryover command is set (if the processing of step S613 is executed), if a predetermined value is set in the remaining payout counter in steps S605 and S612, or if an end determination process is performed in step S614, the process proceeds to step S606 and a status command is set. Here, the status command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to allow the player to grasp the game status at the end of the game (i.e., the game status of the next game). In step S606, a status command corresponding to the setting flag set in the status information storage area 106c is set. After setting the status command, in step S607, an external signal setting process is performed to set an external signal to be output from the external centralized terminal board 121 to the outside of the slot machine 10. Then, this process ends.

[0201] <Overview of game state transitions and display modes> Here, the transition of the gaming state will be explained using Figure 29. Note that the CB state is not shown in the figure.

[0202] When the game state is the BB state, if the number of medals paid out in the BB state reaches 216, the BB state ends and the game state transitions to the normal game state.

[0203] When the gaming state is the normal gaming state, the gaming state transitions to the first RT state when the transition result stops on an active line, and the gaming state transitions to the BB state when a BB win is achieved. The transition result stops on an active line when a miss occurs in a game in which the push order bell is won. In the lottery process using the lottery table for the normal gaming state, the first promotion replays 1 to 4, which trigger a transition to the second RT state, and the second promotion replays 1 and 2, which trigger a transition to the third RT state, are not won, so the normal gaming state does not transition to the second RT state or the third RT state (see Figure 17).

[0204] When the gaming state is in the first RT state, the gaming state transitions to the second RT state by the establishment of a third replay win. The third replay win is established when one of the first promotion replays 1 to 4 is won and the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a predetermined operation sequence (see FIG. 23(a)). In the lottery process using the lottery table for the first RT state, the second promotion replays 1 and 2, which trigger the transition to the third RT state, are not won, so the first RT state does not transition to the third RT state. Also, in the first RT state, if a corresponding BB win is not established in a game in which each BB win flag is set, that is, if the BB win flag is carried over, the gaming state transitions to the normal gaming state, and if a corresponding BB win is established in a game in which each 1 BB win flag is set, the gaming state transitions to the BB state. In addition, in the first RT state, even if a miss occurs in a game in which the push order bell is won and the transition result stops, the game state will not transition.

[0205] When the gaming state is in the second RT state, the gaming state transitions to the third RT state by the establishment of the fourth replay win or the fifth replay win. Furthermore, when the second replay win is established, the gaming state transitions to the first RT state. The fourth replay win and the fifth replay win are established when the second promotion replay 1 or the second promotion replay 2 is won and the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a predetermined order (see FIG. 23(b)). The second replay win is established when one of the fall replays 1 to 3 is won and the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a predetermined order (see FIG. 23(b)). Additionally, when a corresponding BB win is not established in a game in which a BB win flag is set, i.e., when the BB win flag is carried over, the gaming state transitions to the normal gaming state. When a corresponding BB win is established in a game in which a BB win flag is set, the gaming state transitions to the BB state. In addition, in the second RT state, even if a miss occurs in a game in which the push order bell is won and the transition result stops, the game state will not transition.

[0206] When the gaming state is in the third RT state, if the second replay win is achieved, the gaming state will transition to the first RT state. The second replay win is achieved when one of Fall Replay 1 to Fall Replay 3 is won and the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a predetermined operation sequence (see Figure 23(b)). In addition, if the corresponding BB win is not achieved in the game in which each win flag is set, that is, if the BB win flag is carried over, the gaming state will transition to the normal gaming state, and if the corresponding BB win is achieved in the game in which each BB win flag is set, the gaming state will transition to the BB state. Note that in the third RT state, even if a miss occurs in the game in which the push order bell is won and the transition result stops, the gaming state will not transition.

[0207] In this slot machine 10, the main control unit 101 manages six types of game states: normal game state, first RT state, second RT state, third RT state, BB state, and CB state, and also manages four types of display modes, broadly classified as normal mode, CZ mode (chance zone mode), AT mode (assist time mode), and BB mode.

[0208] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing transitions between display modes.

[0209] The BB mode is a display mode that is entered when the first BB win or the second BB win is achieved, and ends when the BB state ends. In other words, the BB mode is a display mode that corresponds to the BB state. Therefore, when the mode is entered, the player can expect an increase of up to 144 medals.

[0210] When transitioning from normal mode to BB mode, a lottery to transition to AT mode may be held in that BB mode. If the lottery to transition to AT mode is won, the game will transition to AT mode after BB mode ends. If the lottery to transition to AT mode is not won, the game will transition to normal mode after BB mode ends. When transitioning from AT mode to BB mode, the game will return to AT mode after BB mode ends.

[0211] Normal mode is a display mode in which the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 is not announced when the push order bell is won, or when 1st promotion replay 1 to 1st promotion replay 4, fall replay 1 to fall replay 3, 2nd promotion replay 1, 2nd promotion replay 2, BAR replay 1, BAR replay 2, specific replay 1, specific replay 2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "push order replays") are won. In normal mode, a lottery is held to transition to CZ mode or AT mode. If the lottery to transition to CZ mode or AT mode is won, the mode will transition from normal mode to CZ mode or AT mode. When transitioning to AT mode, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 will be announced when the push order bell or push order replay is won.

[0212] The normal mode corresponds to each of the game states: normal game state, first RT state, second RT state, third RT state, and CB state. However, in normal mode, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 is not notified when the push order bell or push order replay is won, so transition from the second RT state to the third RT state is rare, and the game generally corresponds to the normal game state or the first RT state. In normal mode, if the game state at that time is the normal game state or the first RT state, you can expect to lose about 0.92 medals per game; if the game state at that time is the second RT state, you can expect to lose about 0.61 medals per game; and if the game state at that time is the third RT state, you can expect to gain about 0.45 medals per game.

[0213] CZ mode is a so-called chance zone mode in which the probability of winning the lottery for transitioning to AT mode is higher than in normal mode. CZ mode corresponds to each of the following game states: normal game state, first RT state, second RT state, third RT state, and CB state. However, in CZ mode, the operation order of the stop switches 42-44 is not notified when the push order bell or push order replay is won, so transition to the second RT state or the third RT state is rare, and the game almost always corresponds to the normal game state or the first RT state. The expected number of medals per game in CZ mode is the same as in normal mode. In normal game state or first RT state, you can expect to lose approximately 0.92 medals per game. In second RT state, you can expect to lose approximately 0.61 medals per game. In third RT state, you can expect to gain approximately 0.45 medals per game. In addition, in the CZ mode, the operation sequence of the stop switches 42 to 44 may be notified when the push order bell or push order replay is won, and in this case, the frequency of the operation sequence notification, such as the number of times the operation sequence is notified and the probability of winning the notification lottery, may be set to be lower in the CZ mode than in the AT mode. As a configuration for notifying the operation sequence in the CZ mode, for example, the operation sequence may be notified a predetermined number of times (once) when the push order bell is won during the stay, but the operation sequence may not be notified when the push order bell is won thereafter.

[0214] The AT mode is a display mode in which the operation sequence of the stop switches 42 to 44 is notified when the push order bell is won or when the push order replay is won. The AT mode is a mode that starts with an initial number of games being a predetermined number (for example, 50 times), and when the predetermined number of games has been played without any additional games being played, or when the number of games including the additional games has been played, the mode shifts from the AT mode to the normal mode.

[0215] The AT mode corresponds to each of the game states: the normal game state, the first RT state, the second RT state, the third RT state, and the CB state. However, in the AT mode, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 is notified both when the push order bell is won and when the push order replay is won, so if the player operates the stop switches 42 to 44 in the notified operation order, it corresponds to the second RT state and the third RT state, and mainly corresponds to the third RT state. More specifically, in the AT mode, the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 is notified even when the push order replay is won, so there is a transition from the first RT state to the second RT state and from the second RT state to the third RT state, and the player stays in the third RT state. In AT mode, if the game state at that time is the normal game state or the first RT state, you can expect to gain approximately 0.52 medals per game, if the game state at that time is the second RT state, you can expect to gain approximately 0.82 medals per game, and if the game state at that time is the second RT state, you can expect to gain approximately 1.90 medals per game. Since AT mode continues for at least 50 games after the game state transitions to the third RT state, if the game transitions to AT mode, the player can expect to gain approximately 100 medals.

[0216] Regarding the transition of display modes when a player's owned medals increase, the general flow is to transition from normal mode to AT mode and then back from AT mode to normal mode, and the transition from normal mode to AT mode may or may not go through CZ mode.

[0217] As described above, the slot machine 10 is configured so that the player can increase the number of medals they own in each display mode, including the AT mode and the BB mode. In conjunction with each display mode, multiple RT states, BB states, and CB states are switched back and forth depending on the winning of each replay or the stopping of transition results. As described above, when the push order replay win or the push order bell win is won, the corresponding replay win is achieved or the transition results are stopped depending on the operation order of the stop switches 42-43. Furthermore, in the AT mode, when the push order bell wins, the operation order that can achieve the first minor win is announced, allowing players to expect an increase in medals they own.

[0218] When the display mode is AT mode, the operation sequence of the stop switches 42-44 is announced when the push order bell or push order replay is selected, as described above. When the display mode is normal mode or CZ mode, the operation sequence when the push order bell or push order replay is selected is not announced. Therefore, from the perspective of whether or not the operation sequence is announced when the push order bell or push order replay is selected, AT mode is more advantageous to the player than normal mode or CZ mode. Furthermore, from the perspective of ease of transition to AT mode, CZ mode is more advantageous to the player than normal mode. In other words, AT mode is included in the advantageous zone, which is a zone in which the announcement of the operation sequence changes the winning rate of small winning combinations, etc., allowing the player to play in an advantageous situation. CZ mode, which has a high transition rate to AT mode, is also included in the advantageous zone. The slot machine 10 is configured so that transition to AT mode can occur by entering an advantageous zone, which triggers a lottery to enter AT mode. In other words, transition to AT mode does not occur in the normal zone, which is not an advantageous zone.

[0219] The configuration relating to the display mode will be described below.

[0220] <Lottery result processing> First, the lottery result response process (step S312) of the lottery process (FIG. 16) by main control device 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0221] In step S701, a process is performed to determine the current gaming state. More specifically, it is determined whether the current gaming state is the CB state or another state (normal gaming state, each RT state, first BB state, second BB state). As already explained, in the CB state, the specified number of bets is set to 2, and in other states, the specified number of bets is set to 1 or 3. Then, in step S702, it is determined whether the number of bets in the current game is one specified number (specific specified number) specified for the state determined in step S701. More specifically, in the CB state, the specified number of bets is only 2, so a positive determination is always made in step S702. In states other than the CB state, the specified number of bets is 1 or 3 as described above. In this embodiment, 3 is set as the specific specified number for states other than the CB state. If the number of bets is 3 in a state other than the CB state, a positive determination is made in step S702. In this case, processing for the display mode (processing for the instruction function) from step S703 onwards is performed. On the other hand, if the number of bets is 1 in a state other than the CB state, a negative determination is made in step S702, and the lottery result processing is terminated. In this case, the processing for the display mode from step S703 onwards is not performed. Therefore, for example, if the first BB or second BB is won and the first BB or second BB prize is to be achieved in a 1-bet game, the processing for the display mode is not performed.

[0222] In step S703, it is determined whether the current game is in an advantageous zone by determining whether an advantageous zone flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d of RAM 106. The advantageous zone flag is set based on winning the lottery for transition to an advantageous zone, including the above-mentioned AT mode, and is cleared when the advantageous zone ends. If the advantageous zone flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S704, where an advantageous zone transition lottery process is executed, and then this lottery result response process is terminated.

[0223] In the advantageous zone transition lottery process, as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 32, first, in step S801, the lottery result of the current game is grasped. Then, in step S802, an advantageous zone transition lottery table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a of the ROM 105. As shown in Fig. 35, the advantageous zone transition lottery table is set so that the transition rate to the advantageous zone (the probability of winning the advantageous zone transition lottery) differs depending on the lottery result of each game. As the trigger role for the lottery for transition to the advantageous zone, all possible winning results are set as the trigger role for the lottery for transition to the advantageous zone.

[0224] After obtaining the lottery table in step S802, a process for obtaining a random number for the advantageous zone transition lottery is executed in step S803. The random number for the advantageous zone transition lottery is generated using a dedicated counter in the various counter area 106e. This dedicated counter is updated at a predetermined interval, and the most recent updated value of the counter is obtained in step S803. Then, in step S804, an advantageous zone transition lottery is executed, and in step S805, it is determined whether or not the transition lottery has been won. If not, the lottery process is terminated. If the transition lottery has been won, in step S806, a process for setting the advantageous zone flag is executed. This process enables a positive determination to be made in step S703 of the lottery result response process (FIG. 31) for the next game or later. In the following step S807, a process for setting an advantageous zone winning game flag in the various flag storage area 106d is executed. The advantageous zone winning game flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to determine whether the advantageous zone transition lottery has been won in the current game. After executing the processing of step S807, this advantageous zone transition lottery processing is terminated.

[0225] In the lottery result corresponding process, if it is determined in step S703 that the advantageous section flag is set, that is, if the player has won the lottery for the transition to the advantageous section in a previous game, the process proceeds to step S705. In step S705, it is determined whether either the AT mode winning flag or the AT mode flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d of the RAM 106. The AT mode winning flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to identify that the player has won the lottery for the transition to the AT mode. It is set when the player wins the lottery for the transition to the AT mode and is cleared when transitioning to the AT mode. The AT mode flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to identify that the display mode is the AT mode. It is set when transitioning to the AT mode and is cleared when the AT mode finally ends. If a negative determination is made in step S705, then in step S706, the AT lottery process is executed. If an affirmative determination is made in step S705, then in step S707, the AT bonus process is executed.

[0226] <AT lottery process> The AT lottery process will be described while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 33.

[0227] In the AT lottery process, mainly, a lottery for whether to transition the display mode to the AT mode is performed. That is, in step S901, the lottery result of the current game is grasped. Then, in step S902, it is determined whether the CZ mode flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The CZ mode flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to identify whether the current display mode is the CZ mode. It is set when transitioning to the CZ mode and is cleared when the CZ mode ends. If the CZ mode flag is not set, then in step S903, the AT mode transition lottery table for the normal mode is obtained from the various table storage area 105a of the ROM 105. If the CZ mode flag is set, then in step S904, the AT mode transition lottery table for the CZ mode is obtained from the various table storage area 105a of the ROM 105.

[0228] As shown in FIG. 35, these AT mode transition lottery tables are set with different transition probabilities to the AT mode depending on the type of lottery result (winning combination). For example, in the AT mode transition lottery table for normal mode, strong cherries are more likely to win the AT mode transition lottery than weak cherries. In general, the lower the winning probability (appearance rate) of the game's lottery result, the more likely it is to win the AT mode transition lottery. For normal replays and Chance A, the winning probability of the AT mode transition lottery varies depending on the setting value set in the winning probability setting process. The higher the setting value set to increase the payout rate (the higher the setting value), the more likely it is to win the AT mode transition lottery. Comparing the normal AT mode transition lottery table with the CZ AT mode transition lottery table, the tables are set so that even with the same lottery result, it is easier to win the AT mode transition lottery for CZ than for normal mode. For example, the AT mode winning rate for Chance A in CZ mode is twice as high as the AT mode winning rate for Chance A in normal mode.

[0229] Note that the game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery and the winning probability thereof are not limited to those described above. For example, the superiority of the CZ mode may be ensured by different types of game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery between the normal mode and the CZ mode. In this case, it is preferable to make the types of game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery more numerous in the CZ mode. Furthermore, in this case, the winning probability of the AT mode transition lottery itself may be the same in the normal mode and the CZ mode. Multiple CZ modes may be provided, and different AT mode transition lottery tables may be set for each CZ mode, such that one CZ mode is more likely to win the AT mode transition lottery at Chance A, and another CZ mode is more likely to win the AT mode transition lottery at Chance B.

[0230] In step S905, an AT mode transition lottery is executed using the lottery result of the current game grasped in step S901 and the AT mode transition lottery table acquired in step S903 or step S904. Note that, in the AT mode transition lottery, as in the advantageous zone transition lottery, a random number (counter) for the lottery is acquired from the various counter areas 106e, and the lottery is executed using the random number. Such a lottery configuration is the same for the other lotteries described below, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0231] In step S906, it is determined whether or not the lottery for switching to the AT mode has been won. If the lottery for switching to the AT mode has been won, in step S907, a process for setting the AT mode win flag is executed. Thereafter, in steps S908 to S910, a process for setting the premonition mode is executed.

[0232] In this embodiment, when a situation arises in which a transition to the AT mode may occur, the system is set to a premonition mode that indicates this situation. In the premonition mode, an indication that the AT mode transition lottery has been won is displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65, the speaker 64, etc., and when the number of games in the premonition mode reaches 0, a transition to the AT mode is permitted, and an announcement to that effect (AT mode winning announcement) is made.

[0233] In step S908, a process is performed to determine the number of games in the premonition mode (number of premonition games) by lottery. The number of premonition games is set to, for example, 0 to 32 games, and which number of premonition games is likely to be selected varies depending on the game result that triggered the winning of the AT mode. For example, if the AT mode is won with a strong cherry, a premonition mode of 0 to 10 games is likely to be selected, and if the AT mode is won with a weak cherry, 7 to 14 games are likely to be selected.

[0234] In step S909, a process is executed in which the number of premonition games determined by the lottery in step S908 is input into the premonition counter provided in the various counter area 106e. The premonition counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of games remaining in the premonition mode. Then, in step S910, a premonition flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d, and a premonition command is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT lottery process is terminated. The premonition flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to grasp that the premonition mode has been set, and the premonition command is a command that causes the display control device 81 to grasp that the premonition mode has been set. The premonition command includes information on the number of games in the premonition mode.

[0235] If it is determined in step S906 that the AT mode transition lottery has not been won, the process proceeds to step S911. In step S911, it is determined whether or not the CZ mode flag is set. If the CZ mode flag is not set, a CZ mode transition lottery is held in step S912. In the CZ mode transition lottery, a CZ mode transition lottery table (see FIG. 35) is obtained from the various table storage area 105a, and a lottery counter is obtained from the various counter area 106e, and a lottery is held to determine whether or not to transition to CZ mode. In this embodiment, strong cherry, weak cherry, strong watermelon, weak watermelon, chance A, chance B, and middle bell are set as trigger roles for the CZ mode transition lottery, but the lottery may be held based on other roles, and the winning probabilities are not limited to those in FIG. 35.

[0236] Then, in step S913, it is determined whether the player has won the CZ mode transition lottery. If the player has won, in step S914, the CZ mode flag is set, a predetermined value of 10 is input to the CZ counter provided in the various counter area 106e, and a CZ start command is set as an output target to the display control device 81. By setting the CZ mode flag, a positive determination is made in the above step S902, and the player can take the AT mode transition lottery at a favorable lottery table. The CZ counter is a counter that the CPU 102 uses to keep track of the number of games in CZ mode, and is decremented by 1 each time a game is played in CZ mode. When the CZ counter reaches 0, the CZ mode flag is cleared and CZ mode ends. The CZ start command is a command that makes the display control device 81 aware that CZ mode is starting. Upon receiving such a CZ start command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that the effects for starting CZ mode are performed, and also controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that the effects during CZ mode are performed in each game during CZ mode.

[0237] If the CZ mode flag is set in step S911, if the CZ mode transition lottery is not won in step S913, or after the processing of step S914 is executed, the process proceeds to step S915. In step S915, it is determined whether a pseudo-premonition flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. In this embodiment, a pseudo-premonition mode (a mode in which a so-called false effect occurs) is set in which a suggestive effect that is the same as or similar to the premonition mode occurs, but the effect mode ends without an AT mode winning notification effect that ultimately allows transition to the AT mode, and the pseudo-premonition flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to recognize that this is the pseudo-premonition mode. If the pseudo-premonition flag is not set, in step S916, it is determined by lottery whether to set the pseudo-premonition mode and, if so, the number of games to be played in the pseudo-premonition mode. Regarding this lottery, for example, the less likely a game result is to be won (the lower the occurrence rate), the more likely the lottery result for transition to the pseudo-omen mode is to be won; and if a game result that is more likely to be won (the higher the occurrence rate) is to be won in the lottery for transition to the pseudo-omen mode, a relatively long number of games may be set for the pseudo-omen mode. Then, in step S917, a process is executed to input the number of games to be played in the pseudo-omen mode determined in step S916 into the pseudo-omen counter. Note that if the lottery for transition to the pseudo-omen mode is not won, the process of step S917 is not executed (0 is input into the pseudo-omen counter). Thereafter, in step S918, a pseudo-omen flag is set, and a process is executed to set the pseudo-omen command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT lottery process is terminated. The pseudo-omen command is a command for making the display control device 81 understand that the pseudo-omen mode has been set, and includes information on the number of games remaining in the pseudo-omen mode, and the display control device 81 performs a lottery to generate a suggestive effect depending on the number of games remaining in the pseudo-omen mode. Note that if the lottery to transition to the pseudo-omen mode is not won in step S916, it is advisable to end the AT lottery processing as is without performing the processing of step S918.

[0238] <AT Overlay Process> Next, the AT overlay process executed in step S707 will be described while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 34. As already described, the AT overlay process is a process executed in a situation where the AT mode winning flag or the AT mode flag is set, and is a process for overlaying the number of continuous games in the AT mode started with a predetermined number of games as the initial number of continuous games.

[0239] That is, in step S1001, the lottery result of the current game is grasped. Then, in step S1002, it is determined whether the lottery result of the current game is the lottery-time overlay result. Here, in the present embodiment, when overlaying the number of games in the AT mode, as the lottery result of the game, there are set a lottery-time overlay result in which an overlay lottery is performed according to the lottery result of the hand, and a notification-time overlay result in which an overlay lottery is performed according to the presence or absence of a predetermined push order notification, which is a part of the result that is the target of the push order notification among the lottery results of the hand. Regarding the notification-time overlay result in more detail, in the present embodiment, BAR replay 1, BAR replay 2, specific replay 1, and specific replay 2 are set as the notification-time overlay results. When winning in BAR replay 1 or BAR replay 2, an overlay lottery is performed when the push order notification corresponding to the 7th replay game is performed. When winning in specific replay 1 or specific replay 2, an overlay lottery is performed when the push order notification corresponding to the 11th replay game or the 12th replay game is performed.

[0240] In step S1002, if it is not the notification-time overlay result but the lottery-time overlay result, a negative determination is made, and the overlay process after step S1003 is performed. In step S1003, the overlay lottery table is acquired from the various table storage areas 105a.

[0241] In this embodiment, the bonus lottery table is configured with a normal table and a MY high probability table, as shown in FIG. 36. The process for acquiring the bonus lottery table will be described in detail later. Here, to explain the basic flow of bonuses, we will first use the normal table, which is primarily acquired. In the normal table, as shown in FIG. 36, the probability of winning the bonus lottery and the number of bonus games played upon winning are set to vary depending on the type of lottery result. For example, with a strong cherry, 20 to 200 bonus games are added to the AT mode, with the average number of bonus games being 40. Furthermore, with a weak cherry, 5 to 300 bonus games are added, with the average number of bonus games being 20. While a larger number of games may be selected for weak cherries than for strong cherries, the average number of games played is set to be larger for strong cherries.

[0242] In the following step S1004, an add-on lottery is executed using the add-on lottery table acquired in step S1005 and the lottery counter in the various counter area 106e. Then, in step S1005, it is determined whether or not the add-on lottery has been won. If it is determined that the add-on has not been won, this AT add-on processing is terminated. If it is determined that the add-on lottery has been won, in step S1006, a process is performed to add a value corresponding to the number of add-on games drawn in step S1006 to a counter that manages the number of continuation games in the AT mode (more specifically, an AT mode continuation counter provided in the various counter area 106e of RAM 106). In the following step S1007, a post-add-on lottery processing is executed to determine whether or not to make a post-add-on notification that notifies the player that the add-on lottery has been won and the number of games played after the fact.

[0243] In the slot machine 10, a plurality of modes of notification of addition when the number of continuing games in the AT mode is added are set. More specifically, as the mode of notification of addition, there are a plurality of modes in which the game in which the addition is made is different, and there are set a case in which the addition is made in the game in which the addition is made or in a series of games triggered by the game in which the addition is made (also referred to as "immediate addition notification" in the following explanation), and a case in which the addition is made in a notification game that is a game after the game in which the addition is made and in which the notification game is determined after the fact (also referred to as "later addition notification" in the following explanation).

[0244] In the instant bonus notification, a series of games triggered by a game where bonuses have been added refers to, for example, cases where a continuous effect is generated as a result of the game where bonuses have been added, and games that can continue over multiple games from the game where bonuses have been added are called a series of games. The series of games also includes cases where continuous effects do not occur, for example, in the game where bonuses have been added, no corresponding effect occurs, and a bonus notification occurs in the next game or multiple games later, and the game where bonuses have been added and the games up until the bonus notification occurs are considered to be a series of games, and such bonus notification modes are also included in the instant bonus notification.

[0245] On the other hand, in the case of the later-addition notification, the notification game that is determined ex post and is a game that comes after the game in which the addition occurred is different from the series of games in the immediate-addition notification in that the notification timing is determined ex post as the AT mode progresses, for example, in a game just before the end of the AT mode, rather than being determined in the game in which the addition occurred. In other words, the notification game can be said to be a game that is set without being triggered by the game in which the addition occurred.

[0246] The display contents of the auxiliary display unit 65 for the immediate loading notification and later loading notification will be outlined with reference to FIG.

[0247] As described above, the immediate add-on notification notifies a portion of the number of games remaining in AT mode, etc. (the number of games remaining in the advantageous zone, ZG, in the figure), while the later add-on notification notifies the number of games remaining in AT mode, etc., later. If the number of games notified first is the display remaining number counter HG and the number of games notified later is the later add-on counter BG, the number of games remaining in AT mode, etc. (the number of games remaining in the advantageous zone, ZG) will be equal to the sum of the display remaining number counter HG and the later add-on counter BG. The display remaining number counter HG is decremented by one each time a game is played, and the later add-on counter BG is not decremented even if a game is played unless a later add-on notification occurs.

[0248] As shown in FIG. 37, in this embodiment, when the number of remaining games (remaining game number display ZGP) displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65 during the AT mode has been reached, i.e., when the display remaining number counter HG has reached the predetermined number (1), a later-add notification is generated. The later-add notification notifies the player that the number of games corresponding to the later-add counter BG (150 in the figure) has been added. In this case, the later-add counter BG is decremented by the notification amount (becoming 0 in the figure), and the display remaining number counter HG is updated by adding the amount notified by the later-add notification, and the remaining game number display ZGP in the auxiliary display unit 65 also becomes a value corresponding to the display remaining number counter HG (150 in the figure after one game has been played).

[0249] In this way, when an additional win is made, if the later addition notification is selected, a difference may occur between the display remaining number counter HG and the actual number of remaining games in the AT mode, etc. (number of remaining games in the advantageous zone ZG). On the other hand, if the immediate addition notification is selected, no difference occurs between the display remaining number counter HG and the actual number of remaining games in the AT mode, etc. (number of remaining games in the advantageous zone ZG).

[0250] In the above step S1007, for example, based on the game result that triggered the current additional win and the current subsequent add-on counter BG, it is determined whether to notify the current additional win with an immediate add-on notification or a subsequent add-on notification. For example, if the game result that triggered the current additional win is a result that is unlikely to win the additional win lottery, making the subsequent add-on notification more likely to be selected can increase the surprise of the subsequent add-on notification. Also, if the current subsequent add-on counter BG is smaller, making the subsequent add-on notification more likely to be selected can suitably increase the opportunities for the subsequent add-on notification to be made.

[0251] After executing the later-addition lottery process in step S1007, it is determined in step S1008 whether or not the later-addition lottery has been won. If the later-addition lottery has not been won and immediate-addition notification has been selected, in step S1009, a process is performed to add the current number of games for which the additional addition has been won to the display remaining number counter HG provided in the various counter area 106e, and the current number of games for which the additional addition has been won is temporarily stored in a register or the like. Then, in step S1010, a notification timing setting process is executed to set the timing at which the additional addition notification will be executed in the current game. The notification timing setting process is a process for setting the timing at which the additional addition notification will be executed in the current game.

[0252] In one game, the timing of the execution of the additional bonus notification is set to differ depending on the number of additional bonus games. In this embodiment, the execution timing of the additional bonus notification in the current game is set to be the time of the stop operation of the first reel, the time of the stop operation of the second reel, and the time of the stop operation of the third reel, assuming that the stop operation order of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is the first reel, the second reel, and the third reel. Then, the timing of the stop ON operation, which is the operation of pressing the stop switches 42 to 44 among the stop operations of each reel, and the timing of the stop OFF operation, which is the end of the pressing operation, are set.

[0253] Here, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the operation of the stop switches 42-44. The stop switches 42-44 can be moved from an initial position, where they are located at the frontmost side, to an operating position, where they are located at the rearmost side. When they are located at the initial position, the detection signals from the stop detection sensors 42a-44a are in a LOW state. When they are operated from the initial position to the operating position, the detection signals from the stop detection sensors 42a-44a switch from a LOW signal to a HI signal. Then, based on the detection signal switching from a LOW signal to a HI signal, the main control device 101 recognizes that a stop ON operation has been performed, which means that a stop switch 42-44 has been pressed.

[0254] Furthermore, the stop switches 42 to 44 are biased toward their initial positions by springs or the like. Therefore, when the operator releases the stop switches 42 to 44 and no longer applies the operating force (pressing force) that pushed them toward the operating positions, the stop switches 42 to 44 return to their initial positions due to the biasing force of the springs or the like. In this case, the detection signals from the stop detection sensors 42 a to 44 a switch from HI to LOW. Then, based on the detection signal switching from HI to LOW, the main control device 101 determines that a stop OFF operation has been performed, which means that the pressing of the stop switches 42 to 44 has ended.

[0255] The bonus notification is set to occur when either the stop ON operation or the stop OFF operation is performed as the stop operation of each of the stop switches 42 to 44. In other words, in a game in which the bonus notification occurs, the bonus effect can occur not only when the stop switch 42 to 44 is pressed, but also when the pressing operation is ended.

[0256] In the notification timing setting process of step S1010, the notification timing is set so that an additional notification is more likely to occur when a reel is turned off than when a reel is turned on. Furthermore, comparing the first to third reels, the timing is set so that the third reel's stop operation (ON operation, OFF operation) is most likely to be selected, the second reel's stop operation is next most likely to be selected, and the first reel's stop operation is least likely to be selected. In relation to the number of additional games, the greater the number of additional games, the more likely it is that the third reel's stop OFF operation will be selected. In other words, if a player knows in advance that an additional notification will occur, and no additional notification occurs by the time the third reel is turned on, the player will likely perform the third reel's stop OFF operation, hoping for a large number of additional games.

[0257] In step S1011, an add-on command including information on the occurrence of an add-on, the number of add-on games, information on the selection of immediate add-on, and information on the timing of the add-on notification in the current game is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT add-on processing is terminated. The display control device 81 that has received the add-on command sets the add-on notification performance based on this information.

[0258] If it is determined in step S1008 that the subsequent addition lottery has been won, the process proceeds to step S1012. In step S1012, a process is executed to add the number of additional games to the subsequent addition counter BG provided in the various counter area 106e. Then, in step S1013, a process is executed to set a subsequent addition flag in the various flag storage area 106d, and then in step S1014, an additional addition command including information that an additional addition has occurred, the number of additional games, and information that the subsequent addition notification has been selected is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT additional addition process is terminated.

[0259] In step S1002, if the lottery result of this game is not a lottery-time added result but a notification-time added result, and is BAR Replay 1, BAR Replay 2, Specific Replay 1 or Specific Replay 2, proceed to step S1015. The processing of steps S1015 to S1021 is processing related to the probability of winning the push order notification in the notification-time added result, and this processing will be explained in detail later.

[0260] Returning to the explanation of the lottery result response processing (Figure 31), after executing the processing of step S706 or step S707, it is determined in step S708 whether the result of this lottery processing was a win in the push order role of push order replay or push order bell. If the push order role was a win, it is determined in step S709 whether the AT notification flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The AT notification flag is a flag that is set when the transition to the AT mode is permitted after the transition to the AT mode is won (when the number of premonition games reaches 0 and an AT mode win notification is made). If the AT notification flag is set, the push order role processing is executed in step S710, and then the lottery result response processing is terminated. If the push order role was not a win in step S708, or if the AT notification flag is not set in step S709, the lottery result response processing is terminated.

[0261] <Outline of the push order notification effect> Before explaining the push order role processing, we will explain the outline of the notification of the operation order when the push order role is won (push order notification, push order notification effect, sequence notification, mode notification). The notification of the operation order is mainly performed by the auxiliary display unit 65 and the instruction monitor 68.

[0262] First, the configuration of the instruction monitor 68 will be described with reference to Fig. 38. Fig. 38(a) is a front view of the instruction monitor 68, and Fig. 38(b) is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the display mode and display content of the instruction monitor 68.

[0263] As shown in FIG. 38(a), the indication monitor 68 is provided with eight display segments N1 to N8. Each display segment N1 to N8 has an individual light source made up of an LED, and by controlling the on / off of each individual light source, it is possible to light up any one display segment or any combination of display segments. This allows the indication monitor 68 to individually display predetermined symbols (including letters and numbers). Note that each of the individual light sources emits light of the same color, so the same color is displayed on each of the display segments N1 to N8.

[0264] More specifically, the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are all linear display segments, and are arranged so that they can display at least the numbers "1" to "6." The eighth display segment N8 is a circular display segment, and is arranged laterally in the lower right portion of the area where the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are arranged. Therefore, the indication monitor 68 can display at least the numbers "1" to "6," "1." to "6.", and "."

[0265] As long as the indicator monitor 68 can individually display multiple patterns of symbols, the shape and arrangement of the display segments N1-N8 are arbitrary, and a configuration using seven or nine segments instead of eight segments is also possible. Furthermore, it is not essential that the colors displayed by the display segments N1-N8 be the same; the colors displayed by the display segments N1-N8 may be appropriately changed. Furthermore, it is not essential to control the on / off of the light source to turn on or off each of the display segments N1-N8; as long as the display can be individually controlled for each of the display segments N1-N8, a segment display device may be formed using a single backlight and liquid crystal display. Furthermore, instead of applying a segment display to each display area, symbols may be displayed using other types of display devices, such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic electroluminescence display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), or a dot matrix display.

[0266] The first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are display segments used to notify the operation sequence of the push order combination. For example, as shown in Fig. 38(b), if the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in the order of "left" → "center" → "right" to perform the stop operations in this order, which results in a winning mode advantageous to the player, the sixth display segment N6 and the seventh display segment N7 are lit to display "1." Also, if the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in the order of "right" → "left" → "center" to perform the stop operations in this order, which results in a winning mode advantageous to the player, the first display segment N1, the second display segment N2, the third display segment N3, the fifth display segment N5, and the sixth display segment N6 are lit to display "5." In other words, the numbers (symbols) displayed on each display segment N1 to N7 correspond one-to-one to the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, and by operating the stop switches 42 to 44 to stop based on the numbers (symbols) displayed on the display segments N1 to N7, the player can win in an advantageous manner.

[0267] The eighth display segment N8 is lit in the game in which the start condition is met, including the notification condition that makes it possible for a push order notification to occur, such as when the game moves to the advantageous zone, an AT mode winning notification is made, and the AT notification flag is set. Also, it is turned off when the AT mode ends and the game moves from the advantageous zone to the normal zone.

[0268] In other words, an advantageous zone (specific game state, specific mode) is a zone that includes a navigation state (AT mode, high frequency mode) in which the operation sequence of the push order bell and push order replay is more easily notified, making it easier for the player to win in an advantageous manner, a chance state (CZ mode, high probability mode) in which it is easier to win the lottery to transition to the navigation state, or a winning state (winning mode) in which the player wins the lottery to transition to the navigation state or chance state but does not transition to the navigation state or chance state.The eighth display segment N8 is a zone indicator (specific notification means) that lights up during specific zones in the advantageous zone in which the player can benefit from the push order notification, and turns off during normal zones that are not advantageous zones, and during non-specific zones that are advantageous zones but are not specific zones.

[0269] As already explained, the instruction monitor 68, which includes the first display segment N1 through the seventh display segment N7 as a push order indicator and the eighth display segment N8 as a section indicator, is located near the side of the payout number display unit 62 on the gaming panel 25. In other words, the instruction monitor 68 is located above the stop switches 42 through 44, etc., which are operated by the player. In other words, the instruction monitor 68 is not located on the decorative panel, which is the front part of the gaming machine, below the positions of the stop switches 42 through 44, etc. Therefore, the eighth display segment N8 is prevented from being obscured by the hand operating the stop switches 42 through 44, etc., and is located in a position that is easily visible to the player. Furthermore, since the instruction monitor 68 is located near the payout number display unit 62, which is easily visible to players playing a game aiming to win medals, it can be said that the player is less likely to miss it.

[0270] Furthermore, the brightness of the corresponding LED of the eighth display segment N8 in the instruction monitor 68 is set so that it is brighter than the brightness of the surrounding display units (e.g., the payout number display unit 62 and the backlight of the gaming panel 25) (more specifically, so that it is twice as bright as the brightness of the surrounding display units). Therefore, even when the eighth display segment N8 and the surrounding display units are both controlled to emit light (i.e., are lit), the eighth display segment N8 stands out. The illuminance of the corresponding LED is also set so that the illuminance of the eighth display segment N8 toward the front of the gaming machine is higher than that of the surrounding display units (more specifically, so that it is twice as bright as the illuminance of the surrounding display units). This configuration also improves the visibility of the eighth display segment N8, reducing the likelihood of missing the eighth display segment N8 when it is lit.

[0271] Next, the push order notification effect on the auxiliary display unit 65 will be explained using an example in which the push order role is won when the operation order to be notified this time is center → right → left.

[0272] As shown in FIG. 39(a), in the auxiliary display unit 65, of the three button displays arranged in parallel corresponding to the stop switches 42 to 44, the button display corresponding to the stop switch that should be operated first (in the figure, the middle button display corresponding to the middle stop switch 43) is marked with the number 1 and displayed larger than the other button displays. In addition, each button display is displayed in a color corresponding to the winning combination (yellow for bell, blue for replay, etc.). This allows the player to recognize the winning combination in the current game and that the stop switch that should be operated first is the middle stop switch 43. In addition, in the auxiliary display unit 65, the right button display is displayed with the number 2 and the left button display is displayed with the number 3 to indicate that the stop switch that should be operated next is the right stop switch 44 and the stop switch that should be operated last is the left stop switch 42.

[0273] When the player operates the middle stop switch 43, as shown in Figure 39(b), the center button display corresponding to the middle stop switch 43 disappears on the auxiliary display unit 65, and the right button display corresponding to the right stop switch 44 is displayed large. This allows the player to confirm that the operation of the middle stop switch 43 has been completed, and that the next stop switch to be operated is the right stop switch 44.

[0274] When the player operates the right stop switch 44, as shown in Figure 39(c), the right button display corresponding to the right stop switch 44 disappears on the auxiliary display unit 65, and the left button display corresponding to the left stop switch 42 is displayed larger. This allows the player to confirm that the operation of the right stop switch 44 has been completed, and that the next stop switch to be operated is the left stop switch 42.

[0275] To explain the timing of the push order notification, the push order notification is set to be executed during the inactive period of the stop switches 42 to 44 from the start of rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R through the acceleration period until the reels reach constant speed rotation. By configuring the push order notification to be executed at a timing before the operation of the stop switches 42 to 44 becomes active in this way, it becomes possible to recognize the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 and then operate the stop switches 42 to 44 as desired, allowing the game to proceed at a good tempo.

[0276] <Push order processing> Next, the push order role processing executed in step S710 will be explained with reference to the flowchart of Figure 40.

[0277] In step S1101, it is determined whether the current lottery result is one of the first promotion replays 1 to 4. A positive determination is made in step S1101 when the first replay or the third replay wins based on the operation sequence of the current game. In this case, the process proceeds to step S1102, and the main control device 101 controls the instruction monitor 68 to display a push order notification for the third replay. Specifically, the main control device 101 notifies the instruction monitor 68 of the push order notification for the first replay or the third replay, which corresponds to the third replay winning (see FIG. 23(a)). Subsequently, in step S1103, the push order notification command is set as an output target to the display control device 81, which is the sub-control device, and then this push order winning process is terminated. The push order notification command includes information on the current display mode and information on the lottery result. The processing on the display control device 81 based on receiving the push order notification command will be described in detail later.

[0278] In step S1102, the notification of the operation sequence corresponding to the third re-play win basically occurs after the lottery for transition to the AT mode is won, and the AT mode win notification is made after passing through the premonition mode, but before transition to the AT mode. That is, the lottery table in the second RT state or the third RT state does not allow the first promotion replays 1 to 4 to be won, and the first promotion replays 1 to 4 are won only in the first RT state. However, even during the AT mode, there are cases where the game state falls from the second RT state or the third RT state to the first RT state due to an incorrect operation, etc., and even in such a case, it is possible to quickly return to the third RT state by winning the first promotion replays 1 to 4.

[0279] If a negative judgment is made in step S1101, it is judged in step S1104 whether the result of this lottery is one of Fall Replays 1 to 3. A positive judgment is made in step S1104 when the first replay or the second replay wins based on the operation sequence of this game. In this case, in step S1105, the main control device 101 controls the instruction monitor 68 to notify the push order for the first replay as a push order notification. Specifically, the operation sequence corresponding to the first replay winning, of the first replay and the second replay, is notified (see Figure 23(b)). Thereafter, in step S1106, a process of setting a push order notification command is performed, and then this push order winning process is terminated.

[0280] In this way, if the first promotion replays 1 to 4 are won in the lottery for transitioning to the AT mode, the operation sequence corresponding to the third replay win is notified, making it possible to transition the gaming state to the second RT state. On the other hand, if the determination in step S709 is negative, the push order role processing is not performed, and therefore no push order notification is generated. Therefore, for example, even if the first promotion replays 1 to 4 are won without winning the AT mode in the first RT state, there are cases where the first replay win is achieved or the third replay win is achieved.

[0281] In addition, when the AT notification flag is set and Fall Replays 1 to 3 are won, the operation sequence corresponding to the first re-play winning is notified, making it possible to prevent the game state from transitioning to the first RT state. On the other hand, if a negative judgment is made in the above step S709, no push order notification is generated, so for example, when the AT mode ends, the AT notification flag is cleared, and the display mode transitions to the normal mode, the second re-play winning may be established by winning Fall Replays 1 to 3, and the RT state will transition from the second RT state or the third RT state to the first RT state.

[0282] Also, for example, in the first RT state, if the first promotion replays 1 to 4 are won without winning the AT mode, and the operation sequence happens to correspond to the third re-game winning and the third re-game winning is established (even if the state transitions to the second RT state), the second re-game winning may be established by winning the fall replays 1 to 3. Therefore, as described above, even if the state transitions to the second RT state by chance without winning the AT mode, the state will immediately transition to the first RT state afterwards.

[0283] If a negative determination is made in step S1104, then in step S1107 it is determined whether the current lottery result is either the second promotion replay 1 or 2. A positive determination in step S1107 occurs when the first replay, the fourth replay, or the fifth replay wins based on the operation sequence of the current game. In this case, in step S1108, the main control device 101 controls the instruction monitor 68 to notify the push order for the fourth replay or the fifth replay. Specifically, the operation sequence corresponding to the fourth replay winning or the fifth replay winning among the first replay, the fourth replay, and the fifth replay is notified (see FIG. 23(b)). Thereafter, in step S1109, a process of setting a push order notification command is performed, and then this push order winning process is terminated.

[0284] If a negative determination is made in step S1107, it is determined in step S1110 whether the current lottery result is either BAR Replay 1 or 2. A positive determination in step S1110 occurs when either the first replay or the sixth to eighth replays wins, depending on the operation sequence of the current game. As described above, for the results of the addition at the time of notification, including BAR Replay 1 or 2, the AT addition lottery is not performed. Therefore, if it is BAR Replay 1 or 2, a lottery is performed to determine whether or not to perform the push order notification effect for the seventh replay win, which is the subject of the addition lottery, and then the AT addition processing is performed when the push order notification effect for the seventh replay win is performed.

[0285] That is, if the determination in step S1110 is affirmative, in step S1111, a BAR matching lottery process is executed to determine whether or not to notify the player that a seventh replay as a BAR replay will be won. The winning probability of the BAR matching lottery is set to a relatively low probability, for example, about 1 in 1000. Note that the winning probability of the BAR matching lottery may be set to vary depending on a setting value.

[0286] In step S1112, it is determined whether or not the BAR alignment lottery has been won. If not, the process proceeds to step S1105, where the main control device 101 controls the instruction monitor 68 to display a push order notification for the first replay as a push order notification. Then, in step S1106, a push order notification command is set, and the main push order processing is terminated. If it is determined in step S1112 that the BAR alignment lottery has been won, in step S1113, the number of additional games is added to the AT mode continuation counter. Here, if the BAR alignment lottery in step S1111 is won, the additional lottery is won with a 100% probability, as specified in the additional lottery table (normal table) of FIG. 36. Therefore, after the BAR alignment lottery has been won, the additional lottery is omitted. Furthermore, the number of additional games when the BAR alignment lottery is won is set to 50, which is a predetermined number of games. That is, in step S1113, a process of adding 50 to the AT mode continuation counter is executed.

[0287] In the following step S1114, the number of games to be added (50) is added to the display remaining number counter HG, and the number of games to be added is temporarily stored in a register. Then, in step S1115, a notification timing setting process is performed. In this process, in this embodiment, the notification timing is set so that an addition notification is made when the third stop OFF operation is performed in the game in which the current BAR alignment occurs. Then, in step S1116, a process is performed to output an addition command to the display control device 81.

[0288] In the following step S1117, the main control device 101 controls the instruction monitor 68 to display a push order notification for the first replay as the push order notification on the side of the main control device 101. After that, in step S1118, the specific push order notification command is set as the output target to the display control device 81, and then this push order function processing is terminated. The processing on the display control device 81 side that receives the specific push order notification command will be explained in detail later, but when the specific push order notification command is received, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. so that a push order notification effect different from (an incompatible push order) the push order notification on the side of the main control device 101 is performed, and in the case of the specific push order notification command in the above step S1118, a push order notification effect for the seventh replay is performed on the auxiliary display unit 65.

[0289] In other words, even if the BAR matching lottery is won as described above and the seventh replay prize is awarded, the instruction monitor 68 will display the push order notification for the first replay, and the display control device 81 will display the push order notification corresponding to the seventh replay prize. Among the push order roles that result in different prize outcomes depending on the operation order, for results in which a transition in the game state occurs or does not occur depending on the winning result, such as the promotion replay and fall replay, the player's profit will differ depending on the push order. In contrast, for BAR replays 1 and 2, no transition in the game state occurs regardless of whether the first replay or the sixth to eighth replays win, and a replay is awarded in each case, so the player's profit will not differ depending on the push order. Therefore, for the cases where the player's profits are different, different push order notifications are made on the main control device 101 side, while for the cases where the player's profits are the same, the main control device 101 side makes a common push order notification. By doing this, the processing load is reduced.

[0290] If a negative determination is made in step S1110, it is determined in step S1119 whether the current lottery result is either specific replay 1 or 2. A positive determination in step S1119 occurs when either the first replay, eleventh replay, or twelfth replay wins, depending on the operation sequence of the current game. As described above, specific replays 1 and 2 are also addition results at the time of notification, similar to BAR replays 1 and 2, and no addition lottery is performed in the AT addition processing. Therefore, in the case of specific replays 1 and 2, a lottery is performed to determine whether or not to perform the push order notification effect for the eleventh replay win or the twelfth replay win, which are subject to the addition lottery, and then AT addition processing is performed when the push order notification effect for the eleventh replay win or the twelfth replay win is performed.

[0291] That is, if the determination in step S1119 is affirmative, in step S1120, a specific replay navigation lottery process is executed to determine whether or not to issue a notification that enables the establishment of a winning combination of an 11th replay as a Cherry Replay or a 12th replay as a Watermelon Replay. Details of the specific replay navigation lottery process will be explained later, but in this embodiment, the probability of the push order notification effect for a Cherry Replay or a Watermelon Replay occurring varies depending on the game state. Furthermore, when specific replays 1 and 2 are won, both specific replays 1 and 2 will win both the 11th replay as a Cherry Replay and the 12th replay as a Watermelon Replay. Therefore, the specific replay navigation lottery process determines by lottery whether to issue a notification that enables the establishment of a winning combination of a Cherry Replay or a Watermelon Replay.

[0292] In step S1121, it is determined whether or not a win has been made in the specific replay navigation lottery processing in step S1120. If a win has not been made, the process proceeds to step S1105, and the main control device 101 controls the push order notification for the first replay to be made on the instruction monitor 68 as the push order notification on the side of the main control device 101. After that, in step S1106, the push order notification command is set, and then this push order role processing is terminated.

[0293] If it is determined in step S1121 that the specific replay navigation lottery has been won, an additional lottery for winning the specific replay navigation is conducted in steps S1122 to S1123, and then additional processing is conducted in steps S1124 to S1128, and processing for notifying the press order is conducted in steps S1129 and S1130.

[0294] That is, in step S1122, the process of acquiring the additional lottery table is executed. This process is the same as the process of step S1003 in the above-mentioned AT additional processing, and here, the case where the normal table is acquired from the additional lottery tables shown in FIG. 36 will be described.

[0295] As shown in FIG. 36, in the normal table, the probability of winning the bonus lottery when winning the notification for a Cherry Replay or a Watermelon Replay in specific replays 1 and 2 differs between winning the notification for a Cherry Replay and winning the notification for a Watermelon Replay. More specifically, the probability of winning the bonus lottery when winning the notification for a Watermelon Replay is higher than when winning the notification for a Cherry Replay, and the average number of bonus games when winning is also set to be larger. Also, unlike the case of BAR replays 1 and 2 described above, even if winning the notification for a Cherry Replay or a Watermelon Replay, there are cases where the bonus lottery is not won, and in such cases, even if a Cherry Replay or a Watermelon Replay wins, no bonus will be awarded.

[0296] In step S1123, an additional lottery is performed using the additional lottery table acquired in step S1122 and the lottery counter acquired from the various counter area 106e. Then, in step S1124, it is determined whether or not the additional lottery has been won, and if so, in step S1125, a process is executed to add the number of additional games to the AT mode continuation counter.

[0297] In the next step S1126, the number of games to be added (50) is added to the display remaining number counter HG, and the number of games to be added is temporarily stored in a register. Then, in step S1127, a notification timing setting process is performed. In this process, in this embodiment, the notification timing is set so that an addition notification is made when the third stop OFF operation is performed in a game in which the current cherry replay or watermelon replay win is achieved. Then, in step S1128, a process is performed to output an addition command to the display control device 81.

[0298] If it is determined in step S1124 that the additional lottery has not been won, or after executing the processing of step S1128, the process proceeds to step S1129. In step S1129, the push order notification on the main control device 101 side is controlled so that the push order notification for the first replay is displayed on the instruction monitor 68. Thereafter, in step S1130, the specific push order notification command is set as the output target to the display control device 81, and then this push order role processing is terminated. As described above, when the specific push order notification command is received, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. so that a push order notification effect different from the push order notification on the main control device 101 side (an incompatible push order) is displayed, and in the case of the specific push order notification command in step S1130, a push order notification effect for the eleventh replay or a push order notification effect for the twelfth replay is displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65.

[0299] If a negative judgment is made in step S1119, a judgment is made in step S1131 as to whether or not the lottery result of this game is a win for the push order bell. If a win for the push order bell is made, the process proceeds to step S1132, where a judgment is made as to whether or not the AT mode flag is set. If a negative judgment is made in step S1131 or step S1132, the push order function processing is terminated. In other words, even if the AT notification flag is set, if the AT mode flag is not set and the system is in a preparation state before transitioning to AT mode, no push order notification is made when the push order bell is won. If the AT mode flag is set in step S1132, bell notification processing is executed in step S1133, and then this push order notification processing is terminated. Details of the bell notification process will be explained later, but in this process, basically, the push order notification corresponding to the first small win is made on the instruction monitor 68 on the main control device 101 side, and the push order notification performance corresponding to the first small win is made on the auxiliary display unit 65 on the display control device 81 side (Figure 19).

[0300] <Winning result processing> Next, the winning result response process performed in the winning result response process (step S414) in the reel control process (FIG. 18) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0301] In step S1201, a game count management process is executed. The game count management process is a process for managing the number of games that can be continued in the AT mode, CZ mode, premonition mode, and the like.

[0302] That is, in the number-of-games management process, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 42, first, in steps S1301 and S1302, the same processes as those in steps S701 and S702 are performed. That is, in step S1301, a process for determining the current gaming state is performed. More specifically, it is determined whether the current gaming state is the CB state or another state (normal gaming state, each RT state, first BB state, second BB state). Then, in step S1302, it is determined whether the number of bets in the current game is a specified number (specific specified number) specified in the state determined in step S1301. If the determination in step S1302 is affirmative, processing for the display mode from step S1303 onwards is performed. On the other hand, if the determination in step S1302 is negative, the number-of-games management process is terminated. In this case, processing for the display mode from step S1303 onwards is not performed.

[0303] In step S1303, the first BB hit flag or the second BB hit flag is set, and it is determined whether the current game is in a carryover state before transitioning to the first BB state or the second BB state. If it is in a carryover state, in step S1304, the CZ mode flag or the AT mode flag is cleared, and then this number of games management process is terminated. In this case, the CZ mode and the AT mode are terminated. However, in the AT mode, after the BB state ends, a push order notification is issued when a push order replay is won, and a transition to the third RT state occurs immediately. In this case, after the BB state ends and a transition to the third RT state occurs, counting the number of games in the AT mode is resumed.

[0304] If it is determined in step S1303 that the first BB hit flag or the second BB hit flag is not set, then in step S1305 it is determined whether or not the CZ mode flag is set. If the CZ mode flag is set, then in step S1306, a process is executed to subtract 1 from the CZ counter. Then, in step S1307, it is determined whether the CZ counter has reached 0, and if it has reached 0, then in step S1308, the CZ mode flag is cleared and a CZ mode end command is set as an output target to the display control device 81. By clearing the CZ mode flag, CZ mode ends and the display control device 81 transitions to normal mode. Furthermore, upon receiving the CZ mode end command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to notify the user that CZ mode has ended (for example, by displaying text such as "Too bad" and a corresponding sound effect).

[0305] If a negative determination is made in either step S1305 or step S1307, or after the processing of step S1308 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S1309. In step S1309, it is determined whether the premonition flag or the pseudo premonition flag is set. If neither flag is set, the number-of-games management process is terminated. If either flag is set, the process proceeds to step S1310, where the premonition counter or the pseudo premonition counter is decremented by one. That is, in step S1310, if the premonition mode is selected, the premonition counter is decremented by one, and if the pseudo premonition mode is selected, the pseudo premonition counter is decremented by one.

[0306] After executing the processing of step S1310, in step S1311, it is determined whether the premonition flag is set and whether the premonition counter has reached 0. That is, if the number of premonition games reaches 0 in the premonition mode, the process proceeds to step S1312, where the process clears the premonition flag. Then, in step S1313, the process sets the AT notification flag in the various flag storage area 106d. As described above, by setting the AT notification flag, it becomes possible to transition the RT state to a higher RT state when a push order replay is won, and it becomes possible to prevent transition to a lower RT state. Incidentally, in the above step S1304, the AT notification flag is not cleared even during the AT mode. Therefore, after the BB state ends, a push order notification occurs when a push order replay is won, making it possible to transition to the third RT state.

[0307] After executing the process of step S1313, in step S1314, the AT mode winning notification command is set as an output target to the display control device 81. Upon receiving the AT mode winning notification command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and the speaker 64 so that an AT mode winning notification effect is performed to indicate that the AT mode transition lottery has been won and transition to the AT mode is now permitted. In the AT mode winning notification effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays "Super lucky!!" and a corresponding sound effect is output from the speaker 64.

[0308] In step S1311, if the premonition counter is not 0, or if it is 0 but the pseudo premonition flag is set instead of the premonition flag, the process proceeds to step S1315. In step S1315, it is determined whether the pseudo premonition counter is 0 and the pseudo premonition flag is set. If the determination in step S1315 is affirmative, the process clears the pseudo premonition flag in step S1316, and then ends the number-of-games management process. This ends the pseudo premonition mode.

[0309] If a negative determination is made in either step S1309 or step S1315, or after the processing of either step S1314 or step S1316 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S1317. In step S1317, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set. If the AT mode flag is set, in step S1318, a subtraction process is performed on the AT mode continuation counter. Then, in step S1319, it is determined whether the AT mode continuation counter has reached 0, and if it has reached 0, in step S1320, a process is performed to erase the AT mode flag and the AT notification flag. After that, in step S1321, a process is executed to set an AT end flag in the various flag storage area 106d. The AT end flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to determine whether a state in which the game is in an advantageous zone but not in AT mode has occurred since a transition to AT mode has occurred.

[0310] In step S1322, a process is performed to set the AT mode end command as an output target to the display control device 81. Upon receiving the AT mode end command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and the speaker 64 so that an AT mode end notification effect (for example, displaying the word "END", displaying the number of medals acquired during the AT mode, displaying the number of games continued in the AT mode, and sound effects) is performed to notify the user that the AT mode has ended.

[0311] If a negative decision is made in step S1317 or step S1319, or after the processing of step S1322 is executed, the navigation mode processing is executed in step S1323, and then the number-of-games management processing is terminated. The navigation mode processing will be described in detail later.

[0312] Returning to the explanation of the winning result response processing, after executing the processing of step S1201, the processing for the subsequent addition notification is executed in step S1202. The processing for the subsequent addition notification is a process for making the above-mentioned subsequent addition notification, and executes an additional addition notification (subsequent addition notification) corresponding to the subsequent addition counter BG on the condition that the subsequent addition flag is set based on the display remaining number counter HG reaching a predetermined value (1). Then, a value corresponding to the executed additional addition notification is added to the display remaining number counter HG and subtracted from the subsequent addition counter BG, and the subsequent addition flag is cleared on the condition that the subsequent addition counter BG is 0.

[0313] In the following step S1203, it is determined whether the current stop result is the fourth re-play win or the fifth re-play win. As described above, if the fourth re-play win or the fifth re-play win is achieved, the RT state processing (FIG. 21) performs processing to transition the gaming state to the third RT state. In this case, in step S1204, it is determined whether the AT notification flag is set. If the AT notification flag is not set, this means that the fourth re-play win or the fifth re-play win is achieved without the condition for transitioning to the AT mode being met. In this case, the winning result processing is terminated without performing processing for starting the AT mode. If the AT notification flag is set, it is determined in step S1205 whether the current display mode is in the AT mode. Specifically, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. As described above, the AT mode flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to identify that the display mode is the AT mode.

[0314] In step S1205, if the AT mode flag is set, the display mode is already in AT mode, so this winning result processing ends. On the other hand, if the AT mode flag is not set, processing for starting the AT mode is performed in steps S1206 to S1208.

[0315] That is, in step S1206, an AT mode flag is set. In the following step S1207, an AT mode start command is set as an output target to the display control device 81. Upon receiving the AT mode start command, the display control device 81 notifies the user, via the auxiliary display unit 65 or the like, that the AT mode will start from the next game. Thereafter, in step S1208, counting the number of AT mode continuations is started. Specifically, an initial value (e.g., 50) for the number of continuation games in the AT mode is set on the condition that the AT mode continuation counter provided in the various counter area 106e of the RAM 106 is 0. After the processing of step S1208 is executed, the winning result corresponding processing is terminated. Note that in step S1208, if the AT mode continuation counter is not 0, for example, if the AT mode is resumed after a BB state, the AT mode continuation counter is taken over and counting is resumed.

[0316] As described above, in particular, processing for transitioning the display mode is performed separately from the RT state processing (Fig. 21) based on the winning of a combination that corresponds to transitioning the gaming state to the third RT state as the main state of the AT mode. This is to avoid the AT mode, etc. being started based on the winning of a combination that corresponds to transitioning the gaming state by chance, even though the lottery for transitioning the display mode has not been won.

[0317] Furthermore, when transitioning between display modes, among those involving a transition of the game state, transition to a higher mode, i.e., transition from normal mode to AT mode, is configured to be based on the winning result of the corresponding role. Therefore, the transition of the display mode and the transition of the game state are performed as a set in the same game. On the other hand, in the case of a transition to a lower mode, for example, when the game state transition occurs due to the stopping of a second replay winning as a fall replay, the transition of the display mode does not occur. When transitioning to such a lower mode, the game state is managed by the winning result (RT state processing), while the display mode is managed by the number of games. Therefore, when transitioning to these lower modes, the transition of the game state and the transition of the display mode may occur in separate games.

[0318] <First section display process> Next, the first section display process and the second section display process will be described as processes related to turning on / off the eighth display segment N8.

[0319] The first section display process is a process performed in step S316 in the lottery process (Figure 16), and is performed after the lottery result of the game is determined based on the operation of the start lever 41, and a lottery for transitioning the display mode, etc. (lottery result corresponding process) is performed based on the lottery result.

[0320] As shown in Figure 43, in step S1401, it is determined whether the eighth display segment N8 as a section indicator is being displayed, more specifically, whether the eighth display segment N8 is being lit. As described above, when the eighth display segment N8 is being lit, it indicates a specific section within the advantageous section where at least the notification conditions for the push order notification to occur are met. If a negative determination is made in step S1401 and it is determined that the eighth display segment N8 is being turned off, the process proceeds to step S1402.

[0321] In step S1402, it is determined whether or not an advantageous zone flag has been set in the various flag storage area 106d. As already explained, the advantageous zone flag is a flag that is set when the advantageous zone transition lottery is won in the advantageous zone transition lottery process (FIG. 32). If the advantageous zone flag is set, it is determined in step S1403 whether or not the advantageous zone winning game flag has been set. The advantageous zone winning game flag is a flag that is set when the advantageous zone transition lottery is won in the advantageous zone transition lottery process, and is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to identify that it is the winning game. If the advantageous zone winning game flag is set, processing is executed in step S1404 to clear the advantageous zone winning game flag. If the advantageous zone winning game flag is not set in step S1403, the process proceeds to step S1405.

[0322] In step S1405, it is determined whether or not counting the number of games in the advantageous zone, more specifically, whether or not measurement of the advantageous zone game number AG in the various counter areas 106e has begun. If measurement of the advantageous zone game number AG has not begun, processing is performed in step S1406 to begin measuring the advantageous zone game number AG. The advantageous zone game number AG corresponds to a grasping means for grasping the number of games played in the advantageous zone, and processing is performed to add one to the number of games played in the advantageous zone.

[0323] If it is determined in step S1405 that measurement has already started, or after executing the processing of step S1406, the process proceeds to step S1407. In step S1407, it is determined whether the AT notification flag is set. As already explained, when an AT mode winning notification is made and the AT notification flag is set, a state in which a push order notification can occur when a push order role is won is established, and the above notification condition is met. If it is determined in step S1407 that the AT notification flag is set, in step S1408, the display of the section indicator is started by lighting the eighth display segment N8. In addition, when the main control unit 101 starts displaying the eighth display segment N8 as the section indicator with the lighting state, it outputs a sound output command to the display control device 81 so that a predetermined sound effect (for example, a mechanical sound like "Gagot!") is output from the speaker 64. Based on the sound output command, the display control device 81 controls the speaker 64 to emit the predetermined sound effect. In addition, when the display of the 8th display segment N8 begins, it is also possible to configure the auxiliary display unit 65 or another display unit to generate a performance.In this case, it is preferable to output a corresponding command to the display control device 81 and control the auxiliary display unit 65 etc. so that the corresponding performance is performed by the display control device 81.

[0324] If it is determined in step S1401 that the eighth display segment N8 is being displayed as a section indicator, then in step S1409, processing is executed to continue the display during the advantageous section. Specifically, in step S1409, processing is executed to continue the situation in which the eighth display segment N8 is lit. In other words, processing to end the display of the section indicator is not executed in this section display first processing.

[0325] If it is determined in step S1402 that the advantageous zone flag is not set, if it is a winning game even when the advantageous zone flag is set (after the processing of step S1404 is executed), or if it is not a winning game but the situation is not such that a push order notification can occur (if it is determined in step S1407 that the AT notification flag is not set), the process proceeds to step S1410. In step S1410, a process is executed to add 1 to the first role ratio counter provided in the various counter area 106e. The first role ratio counter is a counter for counting the number of games in which a push order notification does not occur, that is, the number of games in the normal zone and the non-specific zone.

[0326] After the section display start process is executed in step S1408 and the display continuation process is executed in step S1409, the process proceeds to step S1411. In step S1411, the process adds 1 to the role ratio second counter provided in the various counter area 106e. The role ratio second counter is a counter for counting the number of games that can generate a push order notification, that is, the number of games in a specific section.

[0327] After the processing of step S1410 or step S1411 is executed, a role ratio calculation process is executed in step S1412. In this process, the value of the role ratio second counter is divided by the sum of the role ratio first counter and the role ratio second counter (total number of games). In other words, the role ratio calculation process is a process for calculating the proportion of the number of games in which a push order notification may occur out of the total number of games. Then, in step S1413, a process is executed to display the calculation result of step S1412 on the role ratio monitor 77.

[0328] As shown in FIG. 5, the win ratio monitor 77 has multiple 7-segment displays each consisting of seven display segments. Specifically, the win ratio monitor 77 has a first display section 77a, a second display section 77b, a third display section 77c, a fourth display section 77d, and a fifth display section 77e as 7-segment displays. The display segments in the first display section 77a to the fifth display section 77e have individual light sources made of LEDs, similar to the display segments N1 to N7 of the instruction monitor 68. By controlling the on / off of these individual light sources, it is possible to light up any one display segment or any combination of display segments. As a result, each win ratio monitor 77 individually displays a predetermined symbol (including alphabets and numbers), and in particular, the win ratio monitor 77 is capable of displaying five-digit numbers.

[0329] In step S1413, the result of the calculation process in step S1412 is output to the role ratio monitor 77, and display control is performed on each display section 77a to 77e on the role ratio monitor 77 so that a four-digit number is displayed on the role ratio monitor 77. Specifically, a number smaller than 1 and having four decimal places, such as "0.5012," is displayed on the role ratio monitor 77 as the ratio of the number of games in which a push order notification may occur to the total number of games. After the process of step S1413 is executed, the first section display process is terminated.

[0330] Note that the configuration may be such that the display of the role ratio monitor 77 is controlled after the process of rounding off the number to the fifth decimal place in the calculation process of step S1412. Furthermore, since the first display unit 77a of the role ratio monitor 77 basically displays "0", the first display unit 77a may not be provided, or the first display unit 77a may be configured to always display "0" by printing or the like. Furthermore, it is preferable to configure the first display unit 77a and the second display unit 77b to display a decimal point by printing or the like between them.

[0331] <Second section display process> Next, the second section display process will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 44. As already explained, the second section display process is a process that is performed in step S415 of the reel control process, and is performed after medal payout (payout determination process) and transition of the game state based on the winning result (winning result response process) have been performed at the end of one game.

[0332] In step S1501, it is determined whether the advantageous zone flag is set. If it is not set, the second zone display process is terminated. If the advantageous zone flag is set, in step S1502, a process is executed to count the number of games played in the advantageous zone. Specifically, a process is executed to increment the advantageous zone game count AG by 1. After executing the process in step S1502, in step S1503, a process is executed to update the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY provided in the various counter area 106e. The advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the increase / decrease in the number of medals during the advantageous zone (the difference between the number of medals bet and the number of medals paid out in each game during the advantageous zone). In step S1503, the increase / decrease in the number of medals during the current game (the number of medals paid out during the current game - the number of medals bet during the current game) is grasped based on the winning result of the current game (the winning result response process and payout determination process immediately before), and the increase / decrease in the number of medals is added to the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY.

[0333] Specifically, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 45, in the MY update process of step S1503, in step S1601, it is determined whether the result of the current game is any of the replay wins. If any of the replay wins is true, the number of coins MY in the advantageous zone increase / decrease is not updated, and the MY update process ends as is. If any of the replay wins is not true, proceed to step S1602.

[0334] In step S1602, a process is executed to subtract the number of inserted coins (number of bets) from the number of coins paid out based on the game results of the current game. Step S1602 is a process for determining the number of medals increased or decreased by subtracting the medals used in the game from the medals won. For example, if the first small combination is won in a three-bet game, three coins are bet and nine medals are paid out, resulting in a net increase of six medals. Also, if the second small combination is won in a three-bet game, three coins are bet and three medals are paid out, resulting in a net increase (decrease) of zero medals. And if no small combination is won in a three-bet game, three coins are bet and zero medals are paid out (no medals are paid out), resulting in a net decrease of three medals.

[0335] In the following step S1603, the calculation result of step S1602 is added to the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY. For example, if the calculation result of step S1602 indicates an increase of six medals, the process adds 6 to the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY. If the calculation result of step S1602 indicates a decrease of three medals, the process subtracts 3 from the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY. Then, in step S1604, it is determined whether the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY is equal to or greater than 0. If the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY is less than 0 and no medal increase has occurred in the advantageous zone but medals are decreasing, the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY is cleared to 0 in step S1605, and the MY update process is terminated. If the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY is equal to or greater than 0 and medals have increased in the advantageous zone, the process executes MY high probability processing in step S1606, and the MY update process is terminated. The MY high probability processing will be described in detail later.

[0336] In the second interval display process, after executing the MY update process in step S1503, a remaining game count management process is executed in step S1504, followed by a remaining coin count management process in the following step S1505. The remaining game count management process is a process for managing whether the advantageous interval will reach its upper limit (1500 games) with the current remaining number of games based on the number of games remaining in the AT mode, etc. The remaining game count management process determines whether the advantageous interval will reach its upper limit (1500 games) even if the AT mode continues as is, for example, if the number of games remaining in the AT mode is 100 games and the number of games in the advantageous interval AG is 1450, etc. If such a situation exists, a first excess flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d as a flag for identifying the situation. The remaining coin management process is a process for managing whether the current number of remaining games in the AT mode will lead to the advantageous zone reaching its upper limit (2400 coins) based on the number of games remaining in the AT mode. For example, if the number of games remaining in the AT mode is 100 and the advantageous zone coin increase / decrease number MY is 2300, the remaining coin management process determines whether the advantageous zone's upper limit is likely to be reached before the AT mode termination condition (number of remaining games in the AT mode = 0) is met. In this case, the expected number of coins per game in the AT mode, the number of games remaining in the AT mode, and the current advantageous zone coin increase / decrease number MY are used to determine whether the advantageous zone's upper limit is likely to be reached. If such a situation exists, a second excess flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d as a flag for identifying the situation.

[0337] By setting these first excess flag and second excess flag, subsequent AT mode additions will not be performed (will be limited), and if you win the addition lottery, you will receive a special benefit other than the addition of the number of games (such as a suggestion of a set value or the display of a rare image).This prevents meaningless additions from occurring in situations where there is a high possibility that the upper limit number of games or the upper limit increase number will already be reached due to a large number of games remaining, making it possible to enjoy playing even in such situations.

[0338] After executing the processing of step S1505, in step S1506, it is determined whether the number of games in the advantageous zone AG has reached the upper limit of 1500, or whether the number of coins in the advantageous zone that has increased or decreased MY has reached the upper limit of 2400. If either of these conditions for forced termination is met, in step S1507, the number of games in the advantageous zone AG and the number of coins in the advantageous zone that has increased or decreased MY are cleared to 0. In the following step S1508, a process is performed to terminate the display of the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator. Then, in step S1509, a process is performed to initialize parameters and information such as various flags and counters in the advantageous zone, and then this second zone display process is terminated.

[0339] More specifically, the data initialization process in step S1509 is a process for resetting flags and counters set at the transition to the current advantageous zone and flags and counters set during the current advantageous zone to their initial values. For example, if a premonition flag, pseudo premonition flag, CZ mode flag, AT mode win flag, AT notification flag, AT mode flag, etc. are set, these flags are cleared. Furthermore, if counters for the number of games continued in premonition mode, AT mode, etc. are greater than 0, these counters are all reset to 0. In other words, the initialization process initializes all variables and parameters that affect the performance of push order notification with respect to the advantageous zone as an advantageous state using push order notification, and is a process for clearing RAM for such variables and parameters.

[0340] If it is determined in step S1506 that the number of games in the advantageous zone AG has not reached the upper limit, or if it is determined that the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY has not reached the upper limit increase, the process proceeds to step S1510, where it is determined whether the normal termination conditions for the advantageous zone have been met. More specifically, it is determined whether none of the CZ mode flag, AT mode win flag, and AT mode flag have been set, and the number of remaining games in the AT mode, etc., has reached 0. If none of these flags have been set, it is determined in step S1511 whether the AT termination flag has been set. The AT termination flag is a flag that is set when the AT mode ends. If the AT termination flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S1507, and the processing for the termination of the advantageous zone in steps S1507 to S1509 is performed, and the second zone display processing is terminated. If a negative determination is made in step S1510 or step S1511, the second zone display processing is terminated. In this case, the zone indicator (eighth display segment N8) continues to light up. In other words, the advantageous zone does not end not only during AT mode, but also after transition to the advantageous zone, when transition to AT mode has not occurred; after transition to the advantageous zone, the advantageous zone ends when transition to AT mode is made and the AT mode ends.

[0341] <About the push order indicator and section indicator and game progress> The relationship between the start and end of the advantageous zone and the display of the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator will be explained with reference to FIG.

[0342] In this slot machine 10, as shown in FIG. 46, in the normal zone, which is not an advantageous zone, the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator is turned off (not lit). In this normal zone, push order notification is not performed. In other words, while the advantageous zone has the performance related to the instruction function such as push order notification, the normal zone can be said to be a zone that does not have such instruction function. The situation in which the display mode is in the normal mode mainly corresponds to the normal zone.

[0343] In the normal zone, for example, if a player wins the lottery to move to the advantageous zone by winning a weak watermelon role, the number of games played in the advantageous zone (counting the number of advantageous zone games AG) will begin to be counted from the game following the game in which the game result that triggered the winning is realized. Then, if a player wins the lottery to move to the AT mode in the advantageous zone, and a winning notification and an AT notification flag are set, etc., and a push order notification can be generated, the condition for starting the display of the zone indicator is met, and the eighth display segment N8 will light up.

[0344] After that, while the eighth display segment N8 is lit, a push order notification is generated using the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7. In this case, the push order information ("1" to "6") is displayed by the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 as described above, and the player can understand the push order based on this push order information. In the push order notification, the push order information begins to be displayed when the start lever 41 is operated in the game, and ends when the third reel is stopped and turned on in the game. If the game is not the final game of the advantageous zone, when the third reel is stopped and turned on, only the display of the push order information by the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 ends, and the display of the advantageous zone by the eighth display segment N8 continues. Then, if a push order combination is won again in the next game or later, the push order information corresponding to that push order combination is displayed by the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7.

[0345] When the number of continuing games in the advantageous zone reaches the upper limit, or the number of medal increases in the advantageous zone reaches the upper limit increase number, and it becomes the final game of the advantageous zone, the eighth display segment N8 also goes out, and the notification of the advantageous zone ends. In this embodiment, in the final game of the advantageous zone, the eighth display segment N8 goes out when medal payout ends (by the second zone display process, which is the process after the payout determination process). Note that if medal payout is not performed in the final game, the eighth display segment N8 goes out when the third reel stop OFF operation is performed. This allows the player to clearly understand that the game in question was the final game of the advantageous zone.

[0346] As described above, the number of games in the advantageous zone is counted from the game following the game that wins the lottery to move to the advantageous zone, while the push order notification only occurs while the eighth display segment N8 is lit. In other words, even if the zone is advantageous, the push order notification does not occur in the zone where the eighth display segment N8 is off (non-specific zone). In other words, by checking whether the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator is lit or not, it is possible to clearly understand that within the advantageous zone, at least, the zone where the benefit of the push order notification can be enjoyed (specific zone, zone with substantial increase) can be enjoyed. This prevents a difference in the degree of advantage between a player who quits the game without knowing that the benefit of the push order notification can be enjoyed and the successor player who takes his seat after him. In other words, when the eighth display segment N8 is not lit, the push order notification does not occur, so it is possible to end the game gracefully.

[0347] <Processing related to notification effects on the sub-side> Next, various notification processes performed by the sub-side display control device 81 will be described. As the various notification processes, a performance setting process that is executed at a predetermined cycle (1.49 msec cycle) is provided. This performance setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0348] In the performance setting process, first, in step S1701, it is determined whether or not a new command has been received from main control device 101. If a new command has been received, in step S1702, a process is executed to store the received command in RAM 183. RAM 183 is provided with a command storage area, and this command storage area is configured as a ring buffer that can store multiple commands individually and can read commands from the previously stored command.

[0349] If a negative determination is made in step S1701, or after the processing of step S1702 has been executed, it is determined in step S1703 whether the newly received command is a betting command. A betting command is a command output from the main control device 101 in response to a betting operation, and includes a betting command set in step S207 of the normal processing. If it is a betting command, a betting effect setting process is executed in step S1704. In the betting effect setting process, processing is performed to control the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that an effect based on the current betting operation is performed.

[0350] If a negative determination is made in step S1703, or after the processing of step S1704 has been executed, it is determined in step S1705 whether the newly received command is a start command. A start command is a command output from the main control device 101 based on the operation of the start lever 41, and includes a lottery result command set in step S313 of the lottery processing, as well as a premonition command, an additional command, a push order notification command, a specific push order notification command, etc. that are set in the lottery result response processing. If the command is one of these start commands, a start effect setting processing is executed in step S1706.

[0351] If a negative decision is made in step S1705, or after the processing of step S1706 has been executed, in step S1707 it is determined whether the newly received command is a command at the time of each stop operation. Each stop operation command is a command output from main control device 101 based on the stop operation of each of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, and is a stop command set in step S405 of the reel control processing (FIG. 18). If the stop command is one of such stop operation commands, in step S1708, a process for setting the effect at each stop operation is executed.

[0352] If a negative decision is made in step S1707, or after the processing of step S1708 has been executed, it is determined in step S1709 whether the newly received command is an all stop command. An all stop command is a command output from the main control device 101 when all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped, and includes a winning result command set in step S411 of the reel control processing (FIG. 18), as well as an AT mode start command and an AT mode end command set in the winning result corresponding processing. If it is one of these all stop commands, an all stop effect setting processing is executed in step S1710.

[0353] If a negative decision is made in step S1709, or after the processing of step S1710 has been executed, other processing is executed in step S1711, and then the effect setting processing is terminated. In step S1711, settings are made for effects based on commands from the main control device 101 other than when a bet is made, when the game is started, or when the game is stopped (for example, effects based on the operation of the settlement switch 59), effects based on signals from sensors (such as effect switch detection sensors) connected without going through the main control device 101, settings for error notification, etc.

[0354] The following describes the start-time performance setting process, the performance setting process at each stop operation, and the performance setting process at all stops.

[0355] <Start-up performance setting process> Next, the start-time effect setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0356] In step S1801, a display mode setting process is performed. In this process, it is determined whether the display mode currently set on the main control device 101 side is normal mode, CZ mode, AT mode, or BB mode, and the display effect of the auxiliary display unit 65 is set to the corresponding display mode. Specifically, the various flag storage area 183a of the RAM 183 on the display control device 81 side also has areas for setting a CZ mode flag, an AT mode flag, and a BB state mode flag as flags for identifying the display mode, and the corresponding flag is set when each mode starts and cleared when it ends. In step S1801, these various mode-compatible flags are identified to identify the current display mode, and the auxiliary display unit 65, speaker 64, upper lamp 63, etc. are controlled to perform the corresponding effect.

[0357] In the next step S1802, it is determined whether the lottery result of the game to be started this time is a push order role win based on the received lottery result command. If the push order role wins, in step S1803, push order notification processing is performed. Here, the push order notification processing will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0358] In step S1901, it is determined whether the currently received start command includes a push order notification command or a specific push order notification command. If neither of these push order notification commands is included, the push order notification process is terminated. If either of these push order notification commands is included, the process proceeds to step S1902.

[0359] In step S1902, it is determined whether the result of this lottery is the first promotion replay 1 to 4. If it is the first promotion replay 1 to 4, in step S1903, the auxiliary display unit 65 etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in a third re-play winning, and then the push order notification process is terminated.

[0360] If it is determined in step S1902 that the first promotion replays 1 to 4 are not won, it is determined in step S1904 whether the result of this lottery is fall replays 1 to 3. If it is fall replays 1 to 3, the process proceeds to step S1905, where the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in the first replay winning, and then the push order notification process is terminated.

[0361] If it is determined in step S1904 that the result is not one of the fall replays 1 to 3, it is determined in step S1906 whether the result of this lottery is the second promotion replays 1 and 2. If it is the second promotion replays 1 and 2, in step S1907 the auxiliary display unit 65 etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in the fourth and fifth replay wins, and then the push order notification process is terminated.

[0362] If it is determined in step S1706 that the result is not the second promotion replay 1, 2, then in step S1708 it is determined whether the result of this lottery is BAR replay 1, 2. If it is BAR replay 1, 2, then in step S1709 it is determined whether the push order notification command currently received is a specific push order command. As already explained, a specific push order command is set for output on the main control device 101 side when the content of the push order notification on the main control device 101 side differs from the content of the push order notification effect on the display control device 81 side. If it is not a specific push order notification command, then proceed to step S1905, where the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in the first replay winning, and then the push order notification processing is terminated.

[0363] If it is determined in step S1909 that the command is a specific push order notification command, the process proceeds to step S1910, where the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that results in the seventh replay winning, and then the push order notification process is terminated. In this case, the push order notification on the main control device 101 side will perform a notification corresponding to the first replay winning, and the push order notification effect on the display control device 81 side will perform a notification corresponding to the seventh replay winning.

[0364] If it is determined in step S1908 that the result is not BAR Replay 1, 2, then in step S1911 it is determined whether the result of the current lottery is Specific Replay 1, 2. If it is Specific Replay 1, 2, then in step S1712 it is determined whether the push order notification command currently received is a specific push order command. If it is not a specific push order notification command, then the process proceeds to step S1905, where the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in the first replay winning, and then the push order notification process is terminated.

[0365] If it is determined in step S1912 that the command is a specific push order notification command, the process proceeds to step S1913, where it is determined based on the specific push order notification command that the operation sequence to be notified this time corresponds to an 11th replay win, which is a Cherry Replay. If it corresponds to an 11th replay win, in step S1914, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that results in an 11th replay win, and then the push order notification process is terminated. In this case, the push order notification on the main control unit 101 side will perform a notification corresponding to the first replay win, and the push order notification effect on the display control unit 81 side will perform a notification corresponding to the 11th replay win.

[0366] If it is determined in step S1913 that the operation sequence to be notified this time does not correspond to the 11th replay win, which is a cherry replay, but corresponds to the 12th replay win, which is a watermelon replay, then in step S1915, the auxiliary display unit 65 etc. is controlled to perform a push order notification effect that will result in the 12th replay win, and then the push order notification process is terminated. In this case, the push order notification on the main control unit 101 side will perform a notification corresponding to the 1st replay win, and the push order notification effect on the display control unit 81 side will perform a notification corresponding to the 12th replay win.

[0367] If it is determined in step S1911 that it is not specific replay 1 or 2, it is determined in step S1916 whether the result of this lottery is a push order bell. If it is a push order bell, the bell notification adjustment process is executed in step S1917, and then the push order notification process ends. The bell notification adjustment process basically controls the auxiliary display unit 65 etc. to perform a push order notification effect in which the first small win, which results in a payout of 9 coins, is achieved, provided that a push order notification command has been received.

[0368] Returning to the explanation of the start-time effect setting process (FIG. 48), if it is determined in step S1802 that the push order role has not been won, it is determined in step S1804 whether or not a transition trigger role has been won. A transition trigger role is, for example, a result known as a rare role with a low probability of winning, such as a strong cherry, a weak cherry, a strong watermelon, a weak watermelon, a strong cherry overlap 1 or 2, or a weak cherry overlap 1 or 2, and is a general term for results that can be expected to result in a transition to AT mode, a bonus state, or the like. If a transition trigger role has been won, a transition trigger role notification process is performed in step S1805. In the transition trigger role notification process, based on the win of the transition trigger role, processing is performed to control the auxiliary display unit 65, the speaker 64, etc. so that a chance suggestion effect is performed as an effect suggesting that there is a high possibility that some advantageous event will occur, or processing is performed so that continuous effects are performed.

[0369] If a negative decision is made in step S1804, or after the processing of step S1803 or step S1805 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S1806. In step S1806, it is determined whether or not an additional command has been received as the current start command. If an additional command has been received, in step S1807, processing is performed to set the additional effect in advance so that an additional effect for the number of games corresponding to the additional command will be executed when the game stops. As the additional effect, for example, as shown in Figures 53(a) to 53(c), a number corresponding to the number of games to be added is displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65. In addition, in the additional effect, control is performed so that a corresponding sound effect (for example, an electronic sound such as "Kyukyukyukyukyueen!") is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0370] Details of the setting process for the additional effects in step S1807 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 50.

[0371] In step S2001, a process is performed to determine the number of additional games to be notified based on the currently received additional command. In the following step S2002, a process is performed to determine the notification timing. The notification timing is the timing at which the additional effect is executed, and this timing is determined by the processing on the main control device 101 side, and information on the determined timing is set in the additional command and output. Therefore, the display control device 81 side can determine the timing at which the additional effect should be executed by reading the additional command. The notification timing is set to the game at which the additional effect should be executed and the timing corresponding to the stop operation of each stop switch 42-44.

[0372] After determining the notification timing in step S2002, it is determined in step S2003 whether the determination result in step S2002 indicates that an additional effect will be performed in the current game. When an additional effect will not be performed in the current game, it is determined if a later addition notification is selected, in which case the process for setting the additional effect is terminated. When an additional effect will be performed in the current game, it is determined in step S2004 whether the timing for executing the additional effect in the current game was when any of the reels stopped. If it was when the reels stopped, in step S2005 the target reel for generating the additional effect is set, and the additional effect is set to occur when the target reel is stopped. Specifically, a process is performed to set one of the flags for when the first reel is stopped, the flag for when the first reel is stopped, the flag for when the third reel is stopped, and the flag for when the third reel is stopped is set in the various flag storage area 183a. These flags are used by the CPU 181 to determine the timing for generating the additional effect. In step S2705, the effect data of the additional effect corresponding to the number of additional games to be generated when the stop ON operation is performed is read from the effect data storage area 182b, and the data is temporarily stored in a predetermined effect data setting area. When the CPU 181 determines that the additional effect will be generated at the timing corresponding to the stop ON operation flag, the CPU 181 reads the effect data temporarily stored in the effect data setting area, and the additional effect is performed.

[0373] If a negative determination is made in step S2004, then in step S2006, it is determined whether the first or second reel was stopped and turned off. If these reels were stopped and turned off, then in step S2007, a target reel for generating an additional effect is set, and the additional effect is set to occur when the target reel is stopped and turned off. Specifically, a process is performed to set either a flag for when the first reel is stopped and turned off or a flag for when the second reel is stopped and turned off in the various flag storage area 183a. These flags are also used by the CPU 181 to determine the timing of the additional effect occurrence. Also in step S2007, the effect data for the additional effect corresponding to the number of additional games is read from the effect data storage area 182b, and the process is performed to temporarily store the data in a predetermined effect data setting area.

[0374] If a negative determination is made in step S2006, in step S2008, the current additional effect is set to occur when all reels are stopped (when the third reel is stopped and turned OFF). Specifically, a process is performed to set a flag for when the third reel is stopped and turned OFF in the various flag storage area 183a. Also in step S2008, temporary storage process is performed for the effect data of the additional effect corresponding to the number of additional games. After the process of step S2005, step S2007, or step S2008 is executed, the process of setting the additional effect is terminated.

[0375] Returning to the explanation of the start-time effect setting process, if no additional command is received in step S1806 or after the process of step S1807 is executed, the bonus effect setting process is executed in step S1808, the continuous effect setting process is executed in step S1809, and then other start-time effects are set in step S1810, after which the start-time effect setting process is terminated. The bonus effect setting process is a process for performing bonus effects during the first BB state and the second BB state on the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. In the bonus effect, for example, the content of each effect is set to be different so that the player can distinguish between the first BB state and the second BB state. Also, effects are set to be performed according to the lottery results in the first BB state and the second BB state. Furthermore, the continuous effect setting process is a process for performing continuous effects in which a series of effects are set across multiple games. In the process of step S1810, for example, effects suggesting the lottery results in response to the start of the game are set, or a process is performed by turning off the lamp around the start lever 41 to notify that the operation has been accepted.

[0376] <Performance setting process for each stop operation> Next, the process of setting the effects to be displayed at each stop operation, which is performed in step S1708, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0377] In step S2101, it is determined whether each stop operation command received this time is a stop ON operation command. A stop ON operation command is a command output from main control device 101 when stop switches 42 to 44 are pressed during the stop operation of each reel.

[0378] If a positive judgment is made in step S2101, the process proceeds to step S2802, where it is determined whether or not an effect that occurs when a reel is operated to stop is set as the effect for this game. If it is not set, this setting process is terminated. If it is set, it is determined in step S2103 whether or not the stop ON operation command received this time is for the stop operation of the reel that is the target of the effect that is set for the stop ON operation. If it is not the stop ON operation of the target reel, this setting process is terminated. If it is the stop ON operation of the target reel, in step S2104, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled so that an effect is performed when a stop ON operation is performed, and then this setting process is terminated.

[0379] For example, if an additional effect is set as the effect at the time of the current stop ON operation, as shown in Fig. 53(a), at the timing when the stop switches 42 to 44 are pressed (ON operation), an additional effect occurs on the auxiliary display unit 65. In this case, a sound effect corresponding to the additional effect is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0380] Furthermore, for example, if the current game is a winning push-order role and a push-order notification effect is set, the push-order notification effect changes to an effect indicating the next reel to be operated by stopping the corresponding reel based on each stop-ON operation. Specifically, if all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are spinning before the stop-ON operation effect, a display indicating the first reel to be operated is shown as in FIG. 39(a). Then, when the corresponding reel (the middle reel 32M in the figure) stops due to a stop-ON operation corresponding to the first reel, the display changes to an effect indicating the next reel to be operated (the right reel 32R in the figure) as shown in FIG. 39(b). Furthermore, if two reels are spinning before the stop-ON operation effect, a display indicating the second reel to be stopped is shown as in FIG. 39(b), and when the second reel stops due to a stop-ON operation, the display changes to an effect indicating the third reel to be stopped (FIG. 39(c)).

[0381] If a negative decision is made in step S2101, the process proceeds to step S2105, where it is determined whether or not the stop operation command received this time is a stop OFF operation command. A stop OFF operation command is a command output from main control device 101 when the pressing operation of stop switches 42-44, among the operations for stopping each reel, is completed. If the command is not a stop OFF command, the process ends.

[0382] If a positive determination is made in step S2105, the process proceeds to step S2106, where it is determined whether or not an effect that occurs when a reel is stopped and turned off is set as the effect for this game. If it is not set, this setting process is terminated. If it is set, it is determined in step S2107 whether or not the stop-off operation command received this time is for stopping the reel that is the target of the effect that is set for the stop-off operation. If it is not a stop-off operation for the target reel, this setting process is terminated. If it is a stop-off operation for the target reel, in step S2108, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. is controlled so that an effect is generated when a stop-off operation is performed, and then this setting process is terminated.

[0383] For example, if an additional effect is set as the effect at the time of this stop OFF operation, as shown in Figure 53 (b), when the pressing operation of the stop switch 42 to 44 is finished and the hand is released from the stop switch 42 to 44, an additional effect occurs on the auxiliary display unit 65. In this case, a sound effect corresponding to the additional effect is emitted from the speaker 64. If a negative determination is made in step S2105, this effect setting process is terminated.

[0384] <Performance setting process when all stops> Next, the complete stop effect setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0385] First, in step S2201, it is determined whether or not the currently received stop command includes an AT mode start command. If an AT mode start command is included, processing is performed in step S2202 to set the AT mode start effect. In the AT mode start effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays the text "AT Start!". Additionally, in the AT mode start effect, control is performed so that a corresponding sound effect (for example, a high-pitched female voice saying "Here we go!") is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0386] If an AT mode start command is not included in step S2201, it is determined in step S2203 whether or not an AT mode end command is included as a stop command currently received. If an AT mode end command is included, processing is performed to set an AT mode end effect in step S2204. In the AT mode end effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays the words "AT END," the number of games continued in this AT mode, and the total number of coins paid out in this AT mode. In addition, in the AT mode end effect, control is performed so that a corresponding sound effect (for example, a high-pitched female voice saying "See you later") is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0387] After executing the process of either step S2202 or step S2204, or after a negative determination is made in step S2203, the process proceeds to step S2205. In step S2205, if an additional effect is set, the auxiliary display unit 65 and the like are controlled to execute the additional effect. As already explained, the setting of the additional effect is performed in step S1807 in the start-up effect setting process. Specifically, if the timing for the current additional effect to occur is set to when all reels stop in the setting process for the additional effect (FIG. 50), the additional effect occurs in the auxiliary display unit 65 when all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R stop, as shown in FIG. 53(c). In addition, in this case, a sound effect corresponding to the additional effect is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0388] Thereafter, in step S2206, other stop effects are set, and then this effect setting process is terminated. In step S2206, for example, the upper lamp 63 is controlled to light up in a color corresponding to the winning combination, a sound effect corresponding to the payout number of the winning combination is controlled to be emitted from the speaker 64, and a sound effect corresponding to an automatic bet during a replay is controlled to be emitted from the speaker 64.

[0389] As described above, in the slot machine 10, the rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is initiated by operation of the start lever 41. Furthermore, the main control device 101 performs a lottery for each game based on the operation of the start lever 41. Then, by operating each stop switch 42-44, each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R stops. If the stop pattern corresponds to the lottery result of that game, a predetermined number of medals is paid out as a prize for the lottery result. Based on this configuration, a lottery is further performed using the lottery results of each game to improve the push order notification function, such as a lottery for determining advantageous zones and transition to AT mode, and notification effects related to the lottery results are displayed by the display control device 81. When the transition to AT mode lottery is won, the push order notification on the main control device 101 and the push order notification on the display control device 81 can be used to achieve a first result win, which results in a payout of more medals when the game state transition or the push order bell is won. That is, in this embodiment, a lottery is conducted based on the lottery results of the game to determine whether or not to improve the instruction function (announcement information for performing a push order announcement), and when a push order role is won in a situation where the instruction function is improved (a situation where the AT mode is won, AT mode), a push order announcement or a push order announcement performance is performed as an exercise of the instruction function. Also, in a situation where the instruction function is improved, an additional lottery is conducted regarding the continuity of the situation, and if the additional lottery is won, the situation where the instruction function is improved can continue for a longer period of time.

[0390] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there are a plurality of configurations for changing the instruction function, such as a specific replay navigation mode and a MY high probability mode.

[0391] <About specific replay navigation modes> Specific replay navigation mode is a state in which the probability of winning the specific replay navigation lottery when specific replays 1 and 2 are won is increased, and winning the specific replay navigation lottery will cause the push order notification effect corresponding to the 11th replay win and the 12th replay win to occur.Therefore, specific replay navigation mode can be said to be a state in which the 11th replay win and the 12th replay win are more likely to occur due to the improved instruction function corresponding to the 11th replay win and the 12th replay win.

[0392] The specific replay navigation mode is entered by winning the specific replay navigation mode lottery process (step S1015) performed in the AT addition process in the lottery result response process. The specific replay navigation mode lottery is performed when the game result of this game in the AT addition process is a win for BAR replay 1, 2 or specific replay 1, 2 (step S1002: YES). The specific replay navigation mode lottery process will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 54 (a).

[0393] In step S2301, the number of games remaining in the AT mode is determined from the AT mode continuation counter, and it is determined whether or not the number of remaining games is greater than a predetermined number (30). Note that the predetermined number determined in step S2301 is a number equivalent to the number of games to continue in the specific replay navigation mode, and the processing of step S2301 can also be said to be processing for determining whether or not a situation exists in which transition to the specific replay navigation mode is possible.

[0394] In the following step S2302, the lottery result of the current game is determined. Note that this process is a process of re-reading the lottery result determined in step S1001. As described above, this process is started when the lottery result of the current game is BAR Replay 1, 2 or Specific Replay 1, 2. These BAR Replay 1, 2 and Specific Replay 1, 2 can be won in the third RT state, but cannot be won in other game states. Therefore, it can be said that the specific replay navigation mode lottery is a process that is started only in the third RT state.

[0395] In the next step S2303, a process is executed to retrieve a navigation mode table from the various table storage area 105a. As shown in FIG. 54(b), the navigation mode table is set so that the winning probability of the navigation mode transition lottery varies depending on the game lottery results. In this embodiment, the navigation mode table is set so that specific replays 1 and 2 are more likely to win the navigation mode transition lottery than BAR replays 1 and 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specific replay navigation modes are set as follows: Cherry Navigation Mode, in which a push order notification effect corresponding to an 11th replay win as a Cherry Replay is more likely to occur when specific replays 1 and 2 are won; and Watermelon Navigation Mode, in which a push order notification effect corresponding to a 12th replay win as a Watermelon Replay is more likely to occur when specific replays 1 and 2 are won. The navigation mode table sets the winning probability for each navigation mode. More specifically, BAR Replay 1 and specific replay 1 are set so that the winning probability of cherry navigation mode is high, while BAR Replay 2 and specific replay 2 are set so that the winning probability of watermelon navigation mode is high. The winning probability of these navigation mode transition lotteries is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, the winning rates of BAR Replay 1, 2 and Specific Replay 1, 2 are combined, and the probability of winning either navigation mode in the third RT state is set to approximately 1 in 200.

[0396] In step S2304, a navigation mode transition lottery is performed using the navigation mode table acquired in step S2303 and the lottery counter acquired from the various counter area 106e. In this case, the result of the navigation mode transition lottery and the type of navigation mode to be selected if the result is successful are stored in a register. After that, this process ends.

[0397] As shown in FIG. 34, after executing the specific replay navigation mode lottery process in step S1015, it is determined in step S1016 whether or not the above navigation mode transition lottery has been won. If it has been won, it is determined in step S1017 whether or not the selected navigation mode is Cherry Navi mode. If it is Cherry Navi mode, in step S1018, a process is executed to input 30 as a predetermined number into the Cherry Navi counter CTC in the various counter area 106e. The Cherry Navi counter CTC is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of continuations of Cherry Navi mode, and is decremented by 1 for each game in Cherry Navi mode. Thereafter, in step S1019, a process is executed to set a Cherry Navi flag in the various flag storage area 106d, and a process is executed to set a Cherry Navi command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT addition process is terminated. The Cherry Navi flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to grasp that it is Cherry Navi mode. In addition, when the display control device 81 receives the Cherry Navi command, it changes the background color of the auxiliary display unit 65 from the previous color (sets the background color to red) as shown in Figure 58 (b) so that the player can understand that the Cherry Navi mode has been entered, and also displays a cherry high probability image CNP including text such as "cherry high probability" in a specified area of ​​the auxiliary display unit 65 (for example, the upper area of ​​the display screen).

[0398] If it is determined in step S1017 that the player has won the lottery to switch to Suica Navi mode instead of Cherry Navi mode, the process proceeds to step S1020. In step S1020, a process is executed to input 30 as a predetermined number into the Suica Navi counter STC in the various counter area 106e. The Suica Navi counter STC is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of times Suica Navi mode continues, and is decremented by 1 for each game in Suica Navi mode. Thereafter, in step S1021, a process is executed to set the Suica Navi flag in the various flag storage area 106d, and a process is executed to set the Suica Navi command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT addition process is terminated. The Suica Navi flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to grasp that Suica Navi mode is in effect. In addition, when the display control device 81 receives the Watermelon Navi command, it changes the background color of the auxiliary display unit 65 from the previous color (sets the background color to green) as shown in Figure 58(a) so that the player can understand that the mode has changed to Watermelon Navi mode, and also displays a watermelon high probability image SNP containing text such as "Watermelon high probability" in a specified area of ​​the auxiliary display unit 65 (for example, the upper area of ​​the display screen).

[0399] To explain the difference in presentation between Cherry Navigation Mode and Watermelon Navigation Mode, the background color in the auxiliary display section 65 is different in both navigation modes (shown with different hatches in the figure), and in Cherry Navigation Mode the cherry high probability image CNP is displayed in a designated area, while in Watermelon Navigation Mode the watermelon high probability image SNP is displayed in a designated area, so players can easily distinguish between the two navigation modes.

[0400] Next, the processing in the specific replay navigation mode will be described.

[0401] 55 is a flowchart showing the specific replay navigation lottery process that is performed when specific replays 1 and 2 are won. The specific replay navigation lottery process is a process that is performed in step S1120 in the push order role process.

[0402] In the specific replay navigation lottery process, generally, a lottery process for Cherry Navi and a lottery process for Suica Navi are set, and in this embodiment, if the lottery process for Cherry Navi is not won, the lottery process for Suica Navi is executed. This is because by prioritizing the side with a low benefit (additional winning rate, number of added games) when the navigation is won (Cherry Replay) over the side with a high benefit (Suica Replay), the rarity of the side with a high benefit is increased and the payout rate is prevented from increasing.

[0403] That is, first, in step S2401, it is determined whether the Cherry Navi flag is set. If the Cherry Navi flag is not set, in step S2402, a Cherry Navi low probability table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a. If the Cherry Navi flag is set, in step S2403, a Cherry Navi high probability table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a. Then, in step S2404, a Cherry Navi lottery process is executed using these tables and the lottery counter.

[0404] As shown in FIG. 56, the low-probability and high-probability tables for Cherry Navi are set so that the low-probability table has a uniform winning probability of approximately 0.05% regardless of the setting value. On the other hand, the high-probability table has a different winning probability depending on the setting value. Generally, odd-numbered settings (1, 3, and 5) have a higher winning probability than even-numbered settings (2, 4, and 6). More specifically, the winning probabilities are approximately 3.0%, 1.2%, 3.5%, 1.7%, 4.0%, and 4.5% for settings 1 through 6, respectively. While there is a difference between odd and even settings, the higher the setting, the higher the winning probability. Therefore, setting Cherry Navi mode increases the probability of the push order notification effect for the 11th replay win. The higher the setting, the more likely the push order notification effect will occur. Furthermore, the higher the setting, the more likely the push order notification effect will occur. Furthermore, the odd-numbered settings are more likely to occur than the even-numbered settings.

[0405] In step S2405, it is determined whether or not the lottery process in step S2404 has been won. If the lottery process has been won, in step S2406, the CherryNavi winning flag is set in the various flags storage area 106d, and then the lottery process is terminated.

[0406] If it is determined in step S2405 that the winning has not been determined, lottery processing for Suica Navi is performed in steps S2407 to S2412. That is, in step S2407, it is determined whether the Suica Navi flag is set. If the Suica Navi flag is not set, in step S2408, a Suica Navi low probability table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a, and if the Suica Navi flag is set, in step S2409, a Suica Navi high probability table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a. Then, in step S2410, Suica Navi lottery processing is performed using these tables and the lottery counter.

[0407] Like the Cherry Navi tables, the Suica Navi low-probability and high-probability tables are set to a uniform winning probability of approximately 0.05% for the low-probability table, regardless of the setting value, as shown in Figure 56. On the other hand, the high-probability table varies depending on the setting value, with even-numbered settings (2, 4, and 6) generally offering higher winning probabilities than even-numbered settings (1, 3, and 5). More specifically, the winning probabilities are approximately 1.0%, 3.2%, 1.5%, 3.7%, 2.0%, and 4.5% for settings 1 through 6, respectively. While there are differences between odd and even numbers, the higher the setting value, the higher the winning probability. Therefore, setting the Suica Navi mode increases the probability of the push order notification effect for the 12th replay win. The higher the setting, the more likely the push order notification effect will occur, and it is even more likely to occur with even-numbered settings than with odd-numbered settings.

[0408] Also, when comparing the high probability table for Cherry Navi and the high probability table for Suica Navi, the table for Suica Navi is set to have a larger difference in winning probability depending on the setting value. In other words, it is easier to predict the setting value from the navigation winning in Suica Navi mode than in Cherry Navi mode, and in this respect, Suica Replay has an advantage over Cherry Replay.

[0409] In step S2411, it is determined whether or not the lottery process in step S2410 has been won, and if so, in step S2412, the Suica Navi winning flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d, and then the lottery process ends. If it is determined in step S2411 that the lottery has not been won, the lottery process ends.

[0410] Next, the management of the number of games in these specific replay navigation modes will be described with reference to the navigation mode process in the flowchart of Figure 57. The navigation mode process is performed in step S1323 in the number-of-games management process.

[0411] In step S2501, it is determined whether the Cherry Navi flag is set. If the Cherry Navi flag is set, in step S2502, a subtraction process is performed on the Cherry Navi continuation count. In this process, 1 is subtracted from the Cherry Navi counter CTC. In the following step S2503, it is determined whether the Cherry Navi counter CTC has reached 0, and if it has reached 0, in step S2504, a process is performed to clear the Cherry Navi flag. This ends the Cherry Navi mode.

[0412] If a negative judgment is made in step S2501 or step S2503, or after the processing of step S2504 is executed, the process proceeds to step S2505. In step S2505, it is determined whether the Suica Navi flag is set. If the Suica Navi flag is set, a subtraction process for the Suica Navi continuation count is executed in...

Claims

[Claim 1] A plurality of rotating bodies on which a plurality of types of patterns are attached in the circumferential direction; A display unit that allows some of the patterns on each of the rotating bodies to be visible; a start operation means for starting rotation of each of the rotating bodies when operated; a lottery means for holding a lottery to determine whether or not to award a special benefit to a player based on the operation of the start operation means; a stop operation means for stopping the rotation of each of the rotating bodies when operated; a drive control means for starting rotation of each of the rotating bodies when the start operation means is operated and for stopping rotation of each of the rotating bodies when the stop operation means is operated; an awarding means capable of awarding a game value corresponding to a result of the lottery by the lottery means; A gaming machine comprising: The lottery results by the lottery means include a first result that allows a prize to be won when the stop operation means is operated in a first operation mode, and a second result that allows a prize to be won when the stop operation means is operated in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode, a means for executing notification of an operation mode of the stop operation means, The game state includes a predetermined state and a specific state in which the mode notification is more likely to be executed than the predetermined state, As the specific state, a first specific state in which the expected number of game values ​​to be awarded by the awarding means becomes a first expected number as a result of the execution of the mode notification; a second specific state in which the expected number of game values ​​to be awarded by the awarding means becomes a second expected number as a result of the execution of the mode notification; It has the second expected number is greater than the first expected number, A special section is set in which the status notification can be performed, the predetermined state and the specific state are states included in the special section, In one of the special sections, the first specific state may occur after the second specific state, A means for grasping predetermined increase / decrease information including the number of game values ​​awarded in the special section; a means for satisfying a predetermined condition that allows transition to the second specific state when the predetermined increase / decrease information becomes specific information in the first specific state; A gaming machine characterized by comprising:

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