gaming machines

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of improving amusement of games.SOLUTION: In a slot machine 10, after a bet operation is performed, rotations of reels 32L, 32M and 32R are started based on the operation of a start lever 41. Then, by operations of stop switches 42 to 44, corresponding reels are stopped and stop symbols according to a lottery result are stopped so that paying out of medals may possibly occur. For out-medal adjustment processing by a main control device, a calculation of a net increase in number of medals as an out-medal rate is performed by a continuous winning game number counter and by a continuous winning out counter so as to set a continuous winning state. Information of the continuous winning state is used in a plurality of situations such as determining a type of an AT mode and setting a ceiling game number in the AT mode.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; a granting means for granting a predetermined number of game media as a benefit corresponding to a predetermined result when the result of the lottery in the lottery means is a predetermined result; A gaming machine comprising: The lottery results by the lottery means include a first result that allows a prize to be won by operating the stop operation means in a first operation mode, and a second result that allows a prize to be won by operating the stop operation means in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode, a mode notification execution means for executing mode notification regarding operation modes including the first operation mode and the second operation mode by a predetermined notification means; a special state is set in which the state notification can be transitioned to a specific state in which the state notification execution means can execute the state notification; a means for executing a specific determination to transition to the specific state in the special state; The special state has, as states thereof, a first state in which the result of the specific determination is likely to result in a result corresponding to a transition to the specific state, and a second state in which the result of the specific determination is less likely to result in a result corresponding to a transition to the specific state than the first state, When a first termination condition is met, the specific state and the special state can be terminated, When a second termination condition is satisfied, the specific state is terminated while the special state is prevented from being terminated, When the specific state is ended due to the first ending condition, the next special state can be set as the first state, When the specific state is ended due to the second ending condition, a state subsequent to the specific state can be set as the second state, The specific state and the special state are terminated by the first termination condition, and the special state is not terminated in the first state set in the next special state, In the specific state a means for grasping predetermined information corresponding to predetermined increase / decrease information including the number of game media granted by the granting means; The device is characterized in that it is configured so that when the specific state and the special state are ended by the first ending condition, it is possible not to initialize the predetermined information. [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] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between winning modes and the benefits to be awarded. [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 a diagram illustrating an example of a winning mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a winning mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a winning mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a winning mode. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main control device. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing timer interrupt processing by the main control device. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing normal processing by the main control device. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing lottery processing. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for a normal gaming state when three bets are made. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for a normal gaming state when two bets are made. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing a reel control process. [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] 10 is a flowchart showing bonus state processing. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lottery table for a bonus state. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the transition relationship between states. [Figure 27] 10 is a flowchart showing lottery result handling processing. [Figure 28] 10 is a flowchart showing the lottery process for transition to a favorable zone. [Figure 29] 10 is a flowchart showing the AT lottery processing. [Figure 30] This is a flowchart showing the processing for AT consecutive games. [Figure 31] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of various transition lottery tables. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a stock lottery table. [Figure 33] 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 34] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an instruction monitor and a section indicator. [Figure 35] An explanatory diagram showing an overview of the push order notification display performed on the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 36] A flowchart showing the process for notifying the order of pressing buttons. [Figure 37] 10 is a flowchart showing a winning result response process. [Figure 38] 10 is a flowchart showing a number-of-games management process. [Figure 39] 10 is a flowchart showing a first section display process. [Figure 40] 10 is a flowchart showing a second section display process. [Figure 41] 10 is a flowchart showing MY update processing. [Figure 42] 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 43] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for adjusting ball output. [Figure 44] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a consecutive game status table. [Figure 45] 10 is a flowchart showing an AT type determination process. [Figure 46] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an AT type table. [Figure 47] 10 is a flowchart showing a ceiling counter setting process. [Figure 48] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a ceiling mode table. [Figure 49] This is a diagram showing how ball output adjustments are made as the game progresses. [Figure 50] This is a diagram showing how ball output adjustments are made as the game progresses. [Figure 51] 10A is a flowchart showing the effect setting process at the time of forced termination performed by the display control device, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing an example of a special effect table. [Figure 52] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a consecutive game status table in Modification 1. [Figure 53] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a consecutive game status table. [Figure 54] 10 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in Modification 2. [Figure 55] 10 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in Modification 3. [Figure 56] 10 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in Modification 4. [Figure 57] 10 is a flowchart showing an AT type determination process. [Figure 58] 10 is a flowchart showing a ceiling counter setting process. [Figure 59] 10 is a flowchart showing a state transition notification process performed by a display control device in a second embodiment. [Figure 60] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display effects by the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 61] 11 is a flowchart showing the process of initializing consecutive game status information performed by the main control device in the third embodiment. [Figure 62] 10 is a flowchart showing a memory retention process. [Figure 63] 10 is a flowchart showing the AT lottery processing in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 64] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a premonition game number table. [Figure 65] 13 is a flowchart showing lottery result handling processing in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 66] 10 is a flowchart showing the lottery process for transition to a favorable zone. [Figure 67]10 is a flowchart showing a ceiling counter setting process. [Figure 68] 13 is a flowchart showing a part of the ball output adjustment process in the sixth embodiment. 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, 500 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, 20 symbols are drawn at equal intervals. Therefore, to switch from one symbol to the next symbol at a predetermined position, 25 excitation pulses (= 500 pulses ÷ 20 symbols) must be output. Furthermore, the main control device 101 can determine which symbols are visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, 26R, and can 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, 20 symbols are arranged in a row on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Numbers ranging from 0 to 19 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 ten types of symbols: a "bell" symbol (e.g., the first symbol on the left reel 32L), a "replay" symbol (e.g., the zeroth symbol on the left reel 32L), a "red 7" symbol (e.g., the fourteenth symbol on the left reel 32L), a "watermelon" symbol (e.g., the second symbol on the left reel 32L), a "cherry" symbol (e.g., the eighth symbol on the left reel 32L), a "bar" symbol (e.g., the ninth symbol on the left reel 32L), a "white 7" symbol (e.g., the third symbol on the left reel 32L), a "youth" symbol (e.g., the eighteenth symbol on the left reel 32L), a "red shell" symbol (e.g., the fourth symbol on the left reel 32L), and a "white shell" symbol (e.g., the nineteenth symbol on the left reel 32L). As shown in Figure 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 20 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 middle symbol on the left reel 32L, the top symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the top 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 explain them here.

[0023] Of these lines L1 to L6, some are activated by betting medals, and some are not, 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, of the above lines L1 to L6, the bent line L6 is set as the pay line. More specifically, in the slot machine 10, there are cases where a game is started by betting three medals or two medals. When a game is started by betting three or two medals, only the bent line L6 is set as the pay line, and the other lines L1 to L5 are not set as pay lines. In the following description, the bent line L6 may be referred to as the pay line ML. Also, hereinafter, a game that starts by betting three medals is also referred to as a 3-bet game, a game that starts by betting two medals is also referred to as a 2-bet game, and a game that starts by betting one medal is also referred to as a 1-bet game. In this embodiment, a 1-bet game is not set.

[0025] 8 to 10 are diagrams showing the correspondence between winning symbol combinations and the benefits awarded when a winning symbol combination is obtained.

[0026] The small prize winnings that result in medal payouts include small prize winnings 1 to 32.

[0027] When the "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Replay" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win 1 is awarded. When a small win 1 is awarded, 13 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0028] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 1 stops on the activated line ML, the "bell" symbol stops on the downward sloping right line L4. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved.

[0029] If the "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Bell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win 2 will be awarded. If a small win 2 is awarded, 13 medals will be paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals will be paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0030] As shown in Figure 11(b), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 2 stops on the activated line ML, the "bell" symbol stops in line on the upper line L1. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved, and also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small win 1 has been achieved because of the difference in the line on which the "bell" symbol is aligned.

[0031] When the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "replay" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" or "ark shell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win 3 is awarded. When a small win 3 is awarded, 13 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0032] As shown in Figure 11(c), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 3 stops on the activated line ML, the "bell" symbol stops in alignment on the middle line L2. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved, and also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small win 1 or small win 2 has been achieved because of the difference in the line on which the "bell" symbol is aligned.

[0033] When the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "replay" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "bell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a minor win 4 is awarded. When a minor win 4 is awarded, 13 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0034] As shown in Figure 11(d), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 4 stops on the activated line ML, the "bell" symbol stops in line on the upward-sloping line L5. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved, and also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small wins 1 to 3 has been achieved because of the difference in the line on which the "bell" symbol is aligned.

[0035] When the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win of 5 is awarded. When a small win of 5 is awarded, 13 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11(e), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 5 stops on the activated line ML, the "bell" symbol stops in alignment on the lower line L3. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved, and also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small wins 1 to 4 has been achieved because of the difference in the line on which the "bell" symbol is aligned.

[0037] When the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "replay" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a minor win of 6 is achieved. When a minor win of 6 is achieved, 13 medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and 5 medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0038] As shown in Figure 11 (f), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 6 stops on the activated line ML, "bell" symbols stop (in a small mountain shape) on the bottom of the left reel 32L, the middle of the middle reel 32M, and the bottom of the right reel 32R. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the bell has been achieved, and can also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small wins 1 to 5 has been achieved from the difference in the stopping position of the "bell" symbols.

[0039] When the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white 7" symbol, the "cherry" symbol, the "red shell" symbol or the "young man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "white 7" symbol, the "white shell" symbol or the "young man" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win 7 is won. When a small win 7 is won, three medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and three medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0040] As shown in Figure 12(a), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 7 stops on the activated line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the downward sloping right line L4. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the watermelon has been achieved.

[0041] When the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, a small win 8 is awarded. When a small win 8 is awarded, three medals are paid out in a 3-bet game, and three medals are paid out in a 2-bet game.

[0042] As shown in Figure 12(b), when the symbol corresponding to the small win 8 stops on the activated line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the upper line L1. Therefore, the player can easily understand that the small win corresponding to the watermelon has been achieved, and also understand that a small win different from the above-mentioned small win 7 has been achieved because of the difference in the line on which the "watermelon" symbol is aligned.

[0043] Small wins 9 to 32 are mainly awarded when small wins 1 to 6 are missed, so-called missed wins. When small wins 9 to 32 are awarded, one medal is paid out in a 3-bet game, and one medal is paid out in a 2-bet game. For minor prizes 9 to 32, a winning combination is achieved when the following symbols stop on the active line ML: "Replay", "Red 7", "BAR", "Red Shell", "White Shell", "Youth" or "Bell" on the left reel 32L, "White 7", "Cherry", "Red Shell", "Youth", "Red 7", "Watermelon", "Replay", "BAR", "Bell" or "White Shell" on the middle reel 32M, and "Red 7", "White 7", "White Shell", "Youth", "Watermelon", "Red Shell", "BAR" or "Replay" on the right reel 32R. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the combinations of symbols corresponding to these small prizes 9 to 32 are all set so that the "bell" symbols do not line up and stop on a straight line (L1 to L5), making it easy to understand that the small prize corresponding to the bell has not been achieved.

[0044] Incidentally, in the configuration in which medals are paid out based on the above-mentioned small prizes 1 to 32, the paid out small prize is a kind of benefit given according to the result of the game. In this specification, the paid out medals may also be referred to as "out balls," and the ratio of the number of paid out medals (out balls) to the number of medals inserted (bet) may also be referred to as "out ball rate."

[0045] The winning combinations that can be awarded with a replay privilege, which allows you to play the next game without inserting a medal, are the 1st replay winning combination to the 12th replay winning combination. As shown in Figure 10, winning symbol combinations are set for the 1st replay winning combination to the 12th replay winning combination.

[0046] The first replay wins when the "replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "red 7," "white 7," "white shell" or "young man" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. As shown in FIG. 12(c), when the symbols corresponding to the first replay win stop on the active line ML, the "replay" symbols stop in line on the center line L2. This allows the player to easily understand that a replay win corresponding to the replay has been achieved.

[0047] The second replay wins when the "replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "bell" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "bar" or "cherry" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. When the symbols corresponding to the second replay win stop on the active line ML, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the "bar" symbols stop aligned on the upward-sloping line L5, or as shown in FIG. 14(b), the "red 7" symbol, the "bar" symbol, and the "red 7" symbol stop on the upward-sloping line L5 in order from left to right. When the second replay win is achieved, the game state does not change, but a transition to a notification mode advantageous to the player occurs, and the first AT state begins as a so-called pseudo-bonus.

[0048] The third replay wins when the "bell" symbol, "red shell" symbol, or "young man" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "bell" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "bell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. When the symbols corresponding to the third replay win stop on the active line ML, as shown in Figure 14(c), "white 7" symbols stop in a line on the bottom line L3, or as shown in Figure 14(d), "red 7" symbols stop in a line on the downward-sloping line L4. When the third replay win is achieved, although the game state does not change, a transition to a notification mode advantageous to the player occurs, and the second AT state, which is a so-called pseudo-bonus, begins.

[0049] The fourth and fifth replays are adjustment replays in the event that multiple replays result in overlapping wins.

[0050] In the sixth replay, a win is achieved when the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "red 7," "white 7," "bar," "cherry," "white shell," or "young man" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the activated line ML. As shown in FIG. 12(d), when the symbols corresponding to the sixth replay win stop on the activated line ML, the "watermelon" symbols stop on the upper row of the left reel 32L and the upper row of the middle reel 32M, but the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the upper row of the right reel 32R (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the lower row of the right reel 32R), resulting in a stop pattern where the upper row watermelon is not in the "tenpai" state. Furthermore, when the symbol corresponding to the sixth replay win stops on the valid line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the top row of the left reel 32L and the bottom row of the right reel 32R, but the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the middle row of the middle reel 32M (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the top row of the middle reel 32M), resulting in a stopping pattern that is known as a right-downward watermelon tenpai miss.

[0051] In the seventh replay, a win is achieved when the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white 7" symbol, the "cherry" symbol, the "red shell" symbol or the "young man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol or the "red shell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the activated line ML. As shown in FIG. 12(e), when the symbols corresponding to the seventh replay win stop on the activated line ML, the "watermelon" symbols stop on the upper row of the left reel 32L and the upper row of the right reel 32R, but the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the upper row of the middle reel 32M (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the middle row of the middle reel 32M), resulting in a stop pattern where the upper row watermelon is not in a tenpai state. Furthermore, when the symbol corresponding to the seventh replay win stops on the valid line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the top row of the left reel 32L and the middle row of the middle reel 32M, but the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the bottom row of the right reel 32R (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the top row of the right reel 32R), resulting in a stopping pattern that is known as a right-downward watermelon tenpai miss.

[0052] The eighth replay wins when the "watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white 7" symbol, the "cherry" symbol, the "red shell" symbol or the "young man" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "replay" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the activated line ML. As shown in Figure 13(a), when the symbol corresponding to the eighth replay win stops on the activated line ML, the "watermelon" symbols stop in alignment on the center line L2.

[0053] The 9th replay wins when the "replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" symbol or the "ark shell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the activated line ML. As shown in Figure 13(b), when the symbols corresponding to the 9th replay win stop on the activated line ML, the "replay" symbols stop in the middle row of the left reel 32L and the middle row of the middle reel 32M, but the "replay" symbol does not stop in the middle row of the right reel 32R (the "bell" symbol stops in the middle row of the right reel 32R), resulting in a stop pattern where the so-called middle row replay is not ready.

[0054] The 10th replay is won when the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white 7", "BAR", "cherry", "red shell" or "young man" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "red 7", "white 7", "BAR", "cherry", "white shell" or "young man" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. Also, the 12th replay is won when the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "BAR" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "bell", "watermelon" or "red shell" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figures 13(c) and 13(d), when a symbol corresponding to a 10th or 12th replay win stops on the pay line ML, a "cherry" symbol stops on the bottom row of the left reel 32L. If a 10th or 12th replay win has been won, and a "cherry" symbol is stopped on the right reel 32R, the "cherry" symbol will stop on the top row in the case of a 10th replay win, and the "cherry" symbol will stop on the middle or bottom row in the case of a 12th replay win, making it possible to distinguish between a 10th replay win and a 12th replay win. An 11th replay win is achieved when a 10th or 12th replay win is not possible, i.e., when a miss occurs.

[0055] The state transition winning events that only result in a transition of the gaming state include the first BB winning event and the second BB winning event.

[0056] When the "white 7" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white shell" symbol on the center reel 32M, and the "cherry" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the activated line ML, the first BB win is achieved. When the first BB win is achieved, the game state transitions to the first BB state. As shown in Figure 13(e), when the symbols corresponding to the first BB win stop on the activated line ML, the "white 7" symbols stop in a line on the center line L2.

[0057] When the "white 7" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white shell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "BAR" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the pay line ML, a second BB win is achieved. When the second BB win is achieved, the game state transitions to the second BB state. As shown in FIG. 13(f), when the symbols corresponding to the second BB win stop on the pay line ML, the "white 7" symbol stops in the middle row of the left reel 32L and the middle row of the middle reel 32M, and the "red 7" symbol stops in the middle row of the right reel 32R.

[0058] 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.

[0059] Button-like stop switches 42-44 that are operated to individually stop the rotating 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.

[0060] Stop switches 42-44 are connected to stop detection sensors 42a-44a (FIG. 15), 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 LOW signals are output from stop detection sensors 42a-44a, and when stop switches 42-44 are operated, the detection signals switch from LOW to HI. 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] A first credit insertion switch 56 is provided below and to the left of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R for inserting a predetermined number of virtual medals, which are credited as gaming media, at one time out of the specified number of medals for the game. The specified number is set depending on the progress of the game. For example, when the specified number of medals for the game is set to three and the specified number is set to three, operating the first credit insertion switch 56 causes three virtual medals to be inserted, provided that there are credits. When the specified number of medals is set to two and the specified number is set to two, operating the first credit insertion switch 56 causes two virtual medals to be inserted, provided that there are credits. When the specified number is set to three or two and the specified number is set to three, operating the first credit insertion switch 56 causes three virtual medals to be inserted, provided that there are credits. When the specified number is set to three or two and the specified number is set to two, operating the first credit insertion switch 56 causes two virtual medals to be inserted, provided that there are credits. Furthermore, a second credit insertion switch 57 is provided to the left of the first credit insertion switch 56. The second credit insertion switch 57 is used to insert two virtual medals. The credit insertion switches 56, 57, together with the medal insertion slot 45, constitute input means for inputting game media. Furthermore, while the medal insertion slot 45 involves the player directly inserting medals, the credit insertion switches 56, 57 merely involve the insertion of virtual medals based on stored memory. Considering this, they can also be said to constitute indirect input means for indirectly inputting game media. Note that the slot machine 10 does not have a credit insertion switch because it inserts one virtual medal.

[0067] The first credit insertion switch 56 is set to have a larger operation surface operated by the player than the second credit insertion switch 57, and the first credit insertion switch 56 is easier to operate than the second credit insertion switch 57. Therefore, it is expected that a player will normally proceed with a game by operating the first credit insertion switch 56. In other words, it is expected that a player will normally insert a set specific number of coins out of the specified number to play a game.

[0068] To the right of the first credit insertion switch 56 and the second credit insertion switch 57, there is provided an effect switch 66 which is operated when an effect occurs.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] On the front door 12, below the game panel 25 and below the stop switches 42 to 44, there is provided a lower display section 69 on which the model name of the gaming machine is written and which constitutes a predetermined display screen. The lower display section 69 may be configured as a liquid crystal display section, or the lower display section 69 may be provided with operation buttons for effect purposes, or the entire lower display section 69 may be configured to be operable.

[0074] 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.

[0075] Above the reel unit 31, a main control device 101 for controlling the overall game is attached to the cabinet 11.

[0076] 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.

[0077] Next, the electrical configuration of the slot machine 10 will be described with reference to the block diagrams of FIGS.

[0078] 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.

[0079] Various sensors are connected to the input side of the main control device 101, including the reel unit 31 (more specifically, a reel index sensor that individually detects when each reel 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 stop switch 42 to 44, an inserted medal detection sensor 45a that detects medals inserted through the medal insertion slot 45, a payout detection sensor 51a that detects medals paid out from the hopper device 51, a first credit insertion detection sensor 56a that individually detects the operation of the first credit insertion switch 56, a second credit insertion detection sensor 57a that individually detects the operation of the second credit insertion switch 57, 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 when a setting key is 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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 17) 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 16, the display control device 81 is equipped with a microcomputer centered around a CPU 181, which is a calculation means. The CPU 181 has built-in ROM 182 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the CPU 181, and RAM 183 that secures a work area for temporarily storing various data when the control programs stored in the ROM 182 are executed.

[0089] 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.

[0090] The input side of the display control device 81 is connected to the effect switch 66 (more specifically, an effect switch detection sensor that detects the operation of the effect switch 66). The various display units 60 to 62, 68 may also be configured to be driven and controlled by the display control device 81.

[0091] 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.

[0092] FIG. 17 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] Here, the power outage process will be outlined.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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 each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R to rotate. In step S107, a sensor monitoring process is performed to read the status of various sensors (see FIG. 15) 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 the values ​​of 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 count results to the external centralized terminal board 121.

[0099] 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.

[0100] Next, the normal processing for carrying out main control relating to the game will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0101] 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 S213 is performed.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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 2-bet game, a process to automatically insert two virtual medals is performed.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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, 57 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, 57 have been operated between the previous start waiting process and the current start waiting process, the start waiting process is terminated.

[0106] 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 bonus state (BB state) is set to "3," and the specified numbers in gaming states other than the bonus state are set to "2" and "3." That is, in the bonus state, a positive determination is made in step S205 on the condition that the number of medals bet is "3," and in a gaming state other than the bonus state, a positive determination is made in step S205 on the condition that the number of medals bet is "2" or "3." In other words, in a gaming state other than the bonus state, if no medals have been bet, or if even if medals have been bet, the bet number is "1," a negative determination is made in step S205. If the number of medals bet 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.

[0107] If the number of bets has reached the specified number, a bet command including information on the number of bets that resulted in a positive determination in step S205 is set as an output target to the display control device 81, which serves as a sub-side control device, in step S206. The command set here is output to the display control device 81 in step S110 of the timer interrupt processing. Upon receiving the bet command, the display control device 81 executes processing for notification based on the bet operation (for example, notification that a game start condition has been met or notification of the lottery result of a previous game), and controls the speaker 64 and auxiliary display unit 65.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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, an active line setting process is performed to set the combination of lines corresponding to the bet number as the active line. That is, only the bent line L6 is set as the active 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, and the bonus state process in step S213 are executed in this order, and then the process returns to step S203.

[0110] Next, the lottery process in step S210 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0111] 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.

[0112] After obtaining the random number, in step S302, a lottery table for determining whether the winning combination has been achieved is selected. In the slot machine 10, the gaming states are broadly divided into a normal gaming state and a bonus state, and a lottery table is set for each gaming state. In the normal gaming state, since the specified number of bets is set to "3" and "2" as described above, a lottery table for a 3-bet game and a lottery table for a 2-bet game are set as the lottery table for the normal gaming state.

[0113] That is, in step S302, the current gaming state of the slot machine 10 is determined based on the number of bets and the gaming state 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 no bonus state flag is 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. If the current game is a 3-bet game, a lottery table for the normal gaming state for a 3-bet game (FIG. 20) is selected, and if the current game is a 2-bet game, a lottery table for the normal gaming state for a 2-bet game (FIG. 21) is selected. In addition, the slot machine 10 has six levels of winning probability prepared in advance, from "Setting 1" to "Setting 6." 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.

[0114] Here, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding the process for setting the winning probability.

[0115] 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 set value set in the process of setting the winning probability is 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 set value.

[0116] The lottery table will be briefly explained. Fig. 20 is a lottery table for a normal game state selected in a normal game state in a 3-bet game. Fig. 21 is a lottery table for a normal game state selected in a normal game state in a 2-bet game. Index values ​​IV are set in the lottery table, and each index value IV is uniquely associated with a winning combination and is also set with a point value PV.

[0117] 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.

[0118] Then, 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 judgment value DV exceeds 65535. If it exceeds 65535, in step S306, a process is executed to set a win flag for the game result corresponding to the index value IV determined to be positive in step S305 in the win flag storage area 106a. For example, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=23, a small win 7 flag and a small win 8 flag are set in step S306. Also, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=25, a first BB win flag is set in step S306, and if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=26, a second BB win flag is set in step S306.

[0119] 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.

[0120] In step S306, when the 1st BB winning flag or the 2nd BB winning flag is carried over, if a winning combination other than the 1st BB or the 2nd BB is won, the corresponding winning flag is set, and if a winning combination other than the 1st BB or the 2nd BB is not won, the corresponding winning flag is not set.

[0121] 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=25, the first BB winning flag is not 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=11, for example, the small win 1 winning flag, small win 9 winning flag, small win 10 winning flag, and small win 13 winning flag are set.

[0122] 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 that the first BB and the second BB are not won.

[0123] 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, the index value IV is incremented by 1 in step S307, and the following step S308 determines 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 hand. Specifically, it determines 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 hand, the process returns to step S304, and the judgment of whether or not the hand is a winning or losing hand 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 hand (i.e., the current judgment value DV) to obtain a new judgment value DV, and in step S305, the winning or losing hand is judged based on the judgment value DV.

[0124] Incidentally, when determining whether a winning combination is achieved using the lottery table shown in Figure 20, that is, when playing a 3-bet game in normal gaming mode, the probability of winning normal lip A (probability of winning when IV = 1) is approximately 1 in 27.3 with setting 1, approximately 1 in 27.5 with setting 3, and approximately 1 in 28.3 with setting 6, and the higher the setting value, the harder it is to win. The probability of winning normal lip B (probability of winning when IV = 2) and the probability of winning normal lip C (probability of winning when IV = 3) are both approximately 1 in 26.2 regardless of the setting value. The probability of winning chance symbol A (probability of winning when IV = 4) is approximately 1 in 164 regardless of the setting value, the probability of winning chance symbol B (probability of winning when IV = 5) is approximately 1 in 262 regardless of the setting value, and the probability of winning chance symbol C (probability of winning when IV = 6) is approximately 1 in 16,400 regardless of the setting value, so that chance symbol B is easier to win than chance symbol C, and chance symbol A is easier to win than chance symbol B. The probability of winning Cherry A (probability of winning when IV = 7) is approximately 1 in 107 with setting 1, approximately 1 in 104 with setting 3, and approximately 1 in 93.6 with setting 6, so that the higher the setting value, the easier it is to win. The probability of winning Cherry B (probability of winning when IV = 8) is approximately 1 in 215 regardless of the setting value, and the probability of winning Cherry C (probability of winning when IV = 9) is approximately 1 in 13,100 regardless of the setting value, so that Cherry B is easier to win than Cherry C, and Cherry A is easier to win than Cherry B. The probability of winning a common bell (probability of winning when IV = 10) is approximately 1 in 504 regardless of the setting value. The probability of winning a normal push bell 1, normal push bell 2, pinch push bell 1, pinch push bell 2, middle normal push bell 1, middle normal push bell 2, middle reverse push bell 1, middle reverse push bell 2, reverse pinch bell 1, reverse pinch bell 2, reverse push bell 1, reverse push bell 2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as push order bells) (probability of winning when IV = 11 to 22) is approximately 1 in 18.4 regardless of the setting value.The probability of winning a watermelon (the probability of winning when IV = 23) is approximately 1 in 107 regardless of the setting value. The probability of winning the first BB (the probability of winning when IV = 25) is approximately 1 in 5.03 regardless of the setting value, which is set higher than the probability of winning other roles (replay, small roles, IV = 1 to 24). In a 3-bet game, the system is set so that duplicate 1-piece roles (IV = 24) and the second BB (IV = 26) do not win (the corresponding point value PV is set to 0). In a 3-bet game, the probability of not winning any role, including the first BB, is 0. And when the first BB has been won, the probability of not winning any role in a 3-bet game is approximately 1 in 5.03 (for the first BB) regardless of the setting value. By the way, in a 3-bet game, before the first BB win, you can expect a decrease of about 1.50 medals per game (net increase of about minus 1.50 medals), excluding the increase in the first BB state, and in the carryover state after the first BB win, you can expect a decrease of about 2.10 medals per game (net increase of about minus 2.10 medals), excluding the increase in the first BB state.

[0125] In contrast, when determining whether a winning combination is achieved using the lottery table shown in FIG. 21, i.e., when playing a two-bet game in normal game mode, the probability of winning Normal Lip A, Normal Lip B, Normal Lip C, Chance Eye A, Chance Eye B, Chance Eye C, Cherry A, Cherry B, or Cherry C (the probability of winning when IV = 1 to 9) is the same as the probability when playing the three-bet game. The probability of winning the Common Bell (the probability of winning when IV = 10) is approximately 1 in 9.64 regardless of the setting value, which is set to be easier to win than when playing a three-bet game. The Push Order Bell (IV = 11 to 22) is set to be impossible to win in a two-bet game. The probability of winning the Watermelon (the probability of winning when IV = 23) is approximately 1 in 257 regardless of the setting value, which is set to be harder to win than when playing a three-bet game. In a 2-bet game, the system is set up so that a double 1-coin combination (IV=24) can be won, with a probability of approximately 1 in 1.81 regardless of the setting value. Also, in a 2-bet game, the system is set up so that the first BB (IV=25) cannot be won, but the second BB (IV=26) can be won, with a probability of approximately 1 in 4.95 regardless of the setting value. Even in a 2-bet game, the probability of not winning any combination, including the second BB, is 0. And, if the second BB is won, the probability of not winning any combination in a 2-bet game is approximately 1 in 4.95 (for the second BB), regardless of the setting value. By the way, in a 2-bet game, before winning the 2nd BB, you can expect a decrease of about 0.24 medals per game (net increase of about minus 0.24 medals), excluding the increase in the 2nd BB, and in the carryover state after winning the 2nd BB, you can expect a decrease of about 0.64 medals per game (net increase of about minus 0.64 medals), excluding the increase in the 2nd BB state.

[0126] After the winning flag is set in step S306, or if it is determined in step S308 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 S309, 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.

[0127] In the following step S310, 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 S308, a process of notifying the push order combination, etc. are performed. The lottery result response process will be described in detail later.

[0128] After executing the processing of step S310, a lottery result command is set in step S311. 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.

[0129] Then, in step S312, 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 winning combination is set based on the winning flag set in step S306. For example, if the push order bell 1 is won (won when IV = 11) and the small win 1 winning flag, small win 9 winning flag, small win 10 winning flag, and small win 13 winning flag are set, the stop symbol information is set so that symbols corresponding to the small win 1, small win 9, small win 10, and small win 13 winnings can be stopped on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Also, if the watermelon is won (won when IV = 23) and the small win 7 winning flag and small win 8 winning flag are set, the stop symbol information is set so that symbols corresponding to the small win 7 and small win 8 winnings can be stopped on each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0130] In this slot machine 10, the first BB is set to be won only in a three-bet game, and the second BB is set to be won only in a two-bet game. Therefore, even if the first BB hit flag is set, if the game is started with a two-bet game, the stop information setting process of step S312 does not set stop symbol information that will win the first BB (stop symbol information that will avoid the first BB hit is set). Also, even if the second BB hit flag is set, if the game is started with a three-bet game, the stop information setting process of step S312 does not set stop symbol information that will win the second BB (stop symbol information that will avoid the second BB hit is set).

[0131] In the following step S313, when multiple pieces of stoppable symbol information are set in step S312, 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.

[0132] For example, in a situation where the first BB has been won (the first BB winning flag is set and the first BB winning has been carried over), if a watermelon is also won and the stop symbol information corresponding to the first BB winning and the small win 7 and small win 8 winnings has been set, the priority is set so that the small win 7 and small win 8 winnings take priority over the first BB winning. Also, in a situation where the second BB has been won (the second BB winning flag is set and the second BB winning has been carried over), if a normal replay A is also won and the stop symbol information corresponding to the second BB winning and the first replay, second replay, third replay and fourth replay winnings has been set, the priority is set so that each replay winning takes priority over the second BB winning.

[0133] 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.

[0134] After executing the process of step S313, the first section display process is executed in step S314, 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 described in detail later.

[0135] Next, the reel control process in step S211 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0136] 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 S309. In the following step S402, a spin start process is performed to start the rotation of each of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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=11 to 22, that is, when the push order bell is won (see Figures 20 and 21), 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.

[0141] 23 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 each stop switch 42 to 44 is operated in the order of left → center → right, left → right → center, center → right → left, right → left → center, or right → center → left, the stop information is set so that the small win 17, small win 18, or small win 21 is achieved, and if it is operated in the order of center → left → right, the stop information is set so that the small win 3 is achieved. However, even if the stop information is set in this way, the corresponding winning may not be achieved depending on the operation timing of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0142] A brief description will be given of the arrangement of symbols on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. In the slot machine 10, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R can be stopped after sliding a maximum of four symbols from the timing of the operation of the stop switches 42 to 44. Therefore, when symbols of the same kind are arranged on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R with a spacing of four symbols or less, when a winning symbol is formed, the winning symbol can be stopped on an active line regardless of the timing of the operation of 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 an active line.

[0143] An example will be explained below in which the middle push bell 1 is won and the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in the order of left → middle → right. In such a case, as described above, the stop control of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R is performed to achieve the small prize 17 win, the small prize 18 win, or the small prize 21 win.

[0144] The small win 17 symbols on the left reel 32L are a "red 7" symbol and a "bar" symbol. The small win 18 symbols on the left reel 32L are a "red shell" symbol and a "white shell" symbol. The small win 21 symbols on the left reel 32L are a "replay" symbol and a "young man" symbol. The small win 17 symbols, small win 18 symbols, and small win 21 symbols on the left reel 32L are arranged so that the spacing between symbols is four symbols or less. Therefore, when the left stop switch 42 is operated first, regardless of the timing of the operation, one of the small win 17 symbols, small win 18 symbols, and small win 21 symbols will stop on the pay line (middle row). In this slot machine 10, when multiple target symbols are operated at a timing when they can be stopped, stop control is performed so that the symbol with the fewest slip frames stops on the pay line. That is, for example, if the left stop switch 42 is operated at the timing when the first "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L reaches the bottom row, it is possible to stop the fourth "red shell" symbol (2-frame miss) which is the small win 18 symbol and the fifth "replay" symbol (3-frame miss) which is the small win 21 symbol in the middle row, but the stop control of the left reel 32L is performed so that the fourth "red shell" symbol with the fewest number of slip frames stops in the middle row. In this case, although there is still room for the small win 18 to be achieved, the small win 17 and the small win 21 will not be achieved.

[0145] When the small win 18 symbol on the left reel 32L stops in the middle row, the stop information second setting process changes the stop information so that the small win 18 winning can be achieved.

[0146] The minor win symbol 18 on the center reel 32M is a "replay" symbol. The "replay" symbols on the left reel 32L are arranged so that the interval between each "replay" symbol is four symbols or less. Therefore, in this case, regardless of the operation timing of the center stop switch 43, stop control is performed so that the "replay" symbol stops on the upper row of the center reel 32M.

[0147] The small win 18 symbols on the right reel 32R are a "white shell" symbol and a "young man" symbol. These symbols are arranged on the right reel 32R so that the "white shell" and "young man" symbols are spaced at least five symbols apart. In other words, depending on the timing of operation of the right stop switch 44, the "white shell" or "young man" symbol, which is a small win 18 symbol, may or may not be able to stop on the upper row. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at a time when it is possible to stop the symbol on the upper row, a small win 18 is achieved. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at a time when it is not possible to stop the symbol on the upper row, a so-called miss occurs.

[0148] Here, when the "red shell" symbol stops in the middle row of the left reel 32L and the "replay" symbol stops in the top row of the middle reel 32M, in addition to the case where the middle push bell 1 is won and a small prize 18 is achieved as described above, there is also a case where the middle push bell 2 is won and a small prize 20 is achieved. In other words, the small prize 20 symbol in the middle push bell 2 is the same as the small prize 18 symbol on the left reel 32L and the middle reel 32M. And on the right reel 32R, the small prize 18 symbol is the "white shell" symbol and the "young man" symbol, while the small prize 20 symbol is the "red 7" symbol and the "white 7" symbol, which are different. In particular, on the right reel 32R, the small prize 18 symbol and the small prize 20 symbol are arranged so that if the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when the small prize 18 symbol can be stopped on an active line, the small prize 20 symbol cannot be stopped on an active line, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when the small prize 20 symbol can be stopped on an active line, the small prize 18 symbol cannot be stopped on an active line. Therefore, assuming that it is not known whether the middle push bell 1 or the middle push bell 2 has been won, even if the left reel 32L and the middle reel 32M are stopped and a stop pattern is formed that may result in the small prize 18 winning or the small prize 20 winning, it is not possible to aim for that and win.

[0149] Next, we will explain an example in which the middle push bell 1 is won and each stop switch 42-44 is operated in the order of middle → left → right. In such a case, the stop control of each reel 32L, 32M, 32R is performed to establish a small win 3.

[0150] On the middle reel 32M, the "replay" symbols, which are the small winning symbols 3, are arranged so that the interval between the "replay" symbols is 4 symbols or less. Therefore, when the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, the "replay" symbols stop on the top row regardless of the operation timing.

[0151] On the left reel 32L, the "bell" symbols, which are the small winning symbol 3, are arranged so that the interval between the "bell" symbols is 4 symbols or less. Therefore, when the left stop switch 42 is operated second, the "bell" symbols will stop in the middle row regardless of the timing of the operation.

[0152] On the right reel 32R, the "watermelon" and "red shell" symbols, which are the minor prize 3 symbols, are arranged so that the spacing between these symbols is four symbols or less. Therefore, if the right stop switch 44 is operated third, the "watermelon" or "red shell" symbol will stop on the top row regardless of the operation timing. As shown above, if the middle order push bell 1 is won and the middle stop switch 43 → left stop switch 42 → right stop switch 44 are operated in this order, the minor prize 3 will be won regardless of the operation timing.

[0153] When the push order bell is won, if the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a predetermined operation sequence, the small prize 1, small prize 2, small prize 3, small prize 4, small prize 5, or small prize 6 will be won 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, a small prize will be won, or none of the small prizes will be won and it will be missed.By the way, when the common bell is won, the small prize 1, small prize 2, small prize 3, small prize 4, small prize 5, or small prize 6 will be won regardless of the operation sequence and operation timing.

[0154] 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.

[0155] 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.

[0156] 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.

[0157] Next, the medal payout process in step S212 will be outlined.

[0158] 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 1st replay winning combination to the 12th replay winning combination was achieved, based on the winning combination 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 play mode to replay mode, 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 play mode is replay mode, an automatic insertion process is performed.

[0159] 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.

[0160] Next, the bonus state processing in step S213 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 24. Note that the bonus state processing is activated at the end of one game in the normal processing, and if the timing to activate the bonus state arrives in a situation other than the end timing of the game, the bonus state is not activated and the process moves to the next step in the normal processing.

[0161] First, in step S501, it is determined whether the current gaming state is a bonus state, i.e., whether the current gaming state is the first BB state or the second BB state. Whether the current gaming state is the first BB state or the second BB state can be determined by the presence or absence of a first BB state flag or a second BB state flag that are set in the various flag storage area 106d of RAM 106 when transitioning to the first BB state or the second BB state. That is, in step S501, if neither the first BB state flag nor the second BB state flag is set, it is determined that the current state is not the first BB state or the second BB state, and the process proceeds to step S502.

[0162] In step S502, it is determined whether the first BB hit flag or the second BB hit flag is set, and whether either BB has been hit. If neither BB hit flag is set, the bonus state processing ends. If either BB hit flag is set, the process proceeds to step S503.

[0163] In step S503, a process is performed to input 3 into the MAX bet counter provided in the various counter area 106e of the RAM 106. The MAX bet counter is used to set a specific number of virtual medals to be inserted when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated. That is, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated while the MAX bet counter has input 3, three virtual medals are inserted. In this case, since the MAX bet counter does not set the specified number of medals for the game, when the specified number of medals for the game is set to two or three, it is permitted to play a two-bet game by operating the second credit insertion switch 57. Note that if 3 has already been input into the MAX bet counter in step S503, that state is maintained.

[0164] The initial value of the MAX bet counter is 2, and when the reset switch 72 is operated to clear the RAM, 2 is input to the MAX bet counter and the slot machine 10 is started up.

[0165] In the following step S504, it is determined whether the first BB win or the second BB win has been achieved. If neither of the BB wins has been achieved, the bonus state processing ends. If either of the BB wins has been achieved, the process proceeds to step S505, where it is determined whether the first BB win has been achieved.

[0166] If the first BB win has been achieved, in step S506, a process of inputting "46" into the BB counter provided in the various counter area 106e is executed. The BB counter is a counter for determining the upper limit of the payout amount in each BB state. That is, by inputting "46" into the BB counter in step S506, the first BB state is set to end when 46 or more medals are paid out. In step S507, the first BB hit flag is cleared. Then, in step S508, the first BB state flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. As a result, from the next game onwards, a positive determination is made in step S501. In the following step S509, a process of setting a first BB start command to be output to the display control device 81 is executed. The first BB start command is a command for informing the display control device 81 that the first BB state has started. Upon receiving this first BB start command, the display control device 81 controls the speaker 64, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. to perform a first BB start effect corresponding to the start of the first BB state. In addition, by receiving the 1st BB start command, the display control device 81 can understand that the 1st BB state will start from the next game, and controls the speaker 64, auxiliary display unit 65, etc. so that the effects for the 1st BB state will be performed from the next game.

[0167] After the output setting of the 1st BB start command is performed in step S509, the process of setting the specified number of bets to 3 is performed in step S510, and then this bonus state process is terminated. The specified number of bets corresponds to the specified number of coins for the game described above. In other words, by transitioning to the 1st BB state, the specified number of coins for the game is set to 3 coins, and the 1st BB state is performed in a 3-bet game.

[0168] The initial values ​​of the specified number of bets are 2 and 3, and when the reset switch 72 is operated to clear the RAM, the specified number of bets is set to 2 and 3 and the slot machine 10 is started up.

[0169] In step S505, it is determined that the first BB win has not been achieved when the second BB win has been achieved. In this case, the process proceeds to step S511, where a process of inputting "2" to the BB counter is executed. That is, the second BB state is set to end when two or more medals are paid out. Then, in step S512, a process of clearing the second BB win flag is executed, and in step S513, a process of setting the second BB state flag is executed. After that, in step S514, a process of setting a second BB start command to be output to the display control device 81 is executed. The second BB start command corresponds to the first BB start command and is a command for informing the display control device 81 that the second BB state has started. Upon receiving the second BB start command, the display control device 81 controls the speaker 64, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. to perform a second BB start effect corresponding to the start of the second BB state, and controls the speaker 64, the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. to perform an effect for the second BB state from the next game onward. The appearance and content of the first BB start effect and the second BB start effect are different enough for the player to distinguish them. Also, the appearance and content of the effects for the first BB state and the second BB state are different enough for the player to distinguish them.

[0170] After the output setting of the second BB start command is performed in step S514, the process of setting the specified number of bets to 3 is performed in step S510, and then this bonus state process is terminated. That is, the specified number of coins for the game is set to 3 not only in the first BB state but also in the second BB state, and the second BB state is performed in a 3-bet game.

[0171] If the determination in step S501 is affirmative and the state is the first BB state or the second BB state, the process proceeds to step S515, where processing for the first BB state or the second BB state is performed. FIG. 25 shows an example of a lottery table for the BB state. In this embodiment, a common lottery table is used for the first BB state and the second BB state. However, separate lottery tables may be provided for each state, with different types of winning combinations and winning probabilities for each combination. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, in the first BB state and the second BB state, normal lip A, common bell, and overlapping 1-coin combinations are possible. The probability of winning normal lip A (the probability of winning when IV = 1) is approximately 1 in 61.2, the probability of winning common bell (the probability of winning when IV = 10) is approximately 1 in 9.02, and the probability of winning overlapping 1-coin combinations (the probability of winning when IV = 24) is approximately 1 in 1.78. In addition, in the 1st BB state or 2nd BB state, the probability of not winning any winning combination is approximately 1 in 3.13. In this case, you can expect a decrease of approximately 0.96 medals per game (net increase minus approximately 0.96 medals).

[0172] Here, in the normal game state in a 3-bet game and the 1st BB state to which a 3-bet game can be entered, the main medal increase occurs when small combinations 1 to 6 are won, which result in a payout of 13 medals, and these combinations are the push order bell in the normal game state and the common bell in the 1st BB state. Comparing the winning rates of these main small combinations, in the normal game state, assuming that the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated in a fixed order, the winning probability is approximately 1 in 9.19, while in the 1st BB state the winning probability is approximately 1 in 9.03, and in a 3-bet game, the 1st BB state is set to be more likely to result in a win than the normal game state. In addition, in the normal game state in a 2-bet game and the second BB state to which a 2-bet game can be entered, the main medal increase is the common bell, and while in the normal game state the probability of winning is approximately 1 in 9.64, in the second BB state the probability of winning is approximately 1 in 9.03, so even in a 2-bet game, the second BB state is set up so that winning is more likely to occur than in the normal game state.

[0173] However, as mentioned above, in the first BB state and the second BB state, a lottery table is used in which the number of medals may decrease in each game, so even if the first BB state or the second BB state is completed, an increase in the number of medals held cannot be expected; conversely, it is expected that the number of medals held will decrease as the first BB state or the second BB state is completed.

[0174] In the bonus state processing, in step S515, it is determined whether or not any small winning combination has been achieved in the current game as a result of the lottery processing using the above-mentioned BB state lottery table and the control of each reel. If no winning combination has been achieved, the bonus state processing is terminated. If a winning combination has been achieved, in step S516, a process is executed in which the payout amount corresponding to the winning combination is subtracted from the BB counter in the various counter area 106e. Then, in step S517, it is determined whether or not the BB counter has become 0 or less as a result of the subtraction process in step S516. For example, if a common bell is won in the second BB state and small winning combinations 1 to 6 are achieved, a payout of 13 coins will be generated. Therefore, in step S516, 13 is subtracted from the BB counter, and the BB counter becomes 0 or less.

[0175] If it is determined in step S517 that the count is not 0 or less, the bonus state processing is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the count is 0 or less, the BB state flag corresponding to the current BB state is cleared in step S518. That is, if it is the first BB state, the first BB state flag is cleared, and if it is the second BB state, the second BB state flag is cleared. Then, in step S519, a process of inputting 2 to the MAX bet counter is executed, and in step S520, a BB end command corresponding to the BB state to be terminated this time is set as an output target to the display control device 81. More specifically, if the first BB state is to be terminated, the first BB end command is set as an output target, and if the second BB state is to be terminated, the second BB end command is set as an output target. Upon receiving the first BB end command or the second BB end command, the display control device 81 controls the speaker 64 and the auxiliary display unit 65 so that a first BB end effect or a second BB end effect is performed.

[0176] Then, in step S521, the specified number of bets is set to 2 and 3, and the bonus state processing is terminated. In this case, in the normal game state after the first BB state or the second BB state ends, a 2-bet game and a 3-bet game are possible. In contrast, since 2 is input into the MAX BET counter in step S519 as described above, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, two virtual medals are inserted and a 2-bet game is played. In other words, when neither the first BB hit flag nor the second BB hit flag is set, the system is set to make it easier to play a 2-bet game. Incidentally, after the first BB state or the second BB state ends, 2 is input into the MAX BET counter, so a 3-bet game cannot be played by operating the first credit insertion switch 56 or the second credit insertion switch 57. To play a 3-bet game, three medals must be inserted into the medal insertion slot 45.

[0177] Here, the gameplay of the slot machine 10 using the 2-bet game and the 3-bet game will be briefly explained with reference to FIG.

[0178] In the initial state after the initialization (clearing) of the RAM 106, the first BB hit flag and the second BB hit flag are not set, and it is a normal game state (non-internal state) where no BB has been hit. In this case, as described above, the specified bet number (specified number of coins per game) is set to 2 and 3, and a 2-bet game and a 3-bet game are possible. However, when 2 is input to the MAX bet counter as described above and the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated to start a game, it becomes a 2-bet game.

[0179] In the non-internal state, the first BB can be won in a 3-bet game but the second BB cannot be won, and in a 2-bet game, the second BB can be won but the first BB cannot be won. In a game in which the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated as described above, the second BB can basically be won in a 2-bet game.

[0180] If the first BB or second BB is won but no prize is awarded in that winning game, the game enters a carryover state (internal state) in which the first BB win or second BB win is carried over. As mentioned above, even in the internal state, the specified bet number (specified number of coins per game) is set to 2 or 3, and a 2-bet game and a 3-bet game are possible. However, if 3 is input into the MAX bet counter as mentioned above and the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated to start a game, the game will be a 3-bet game.

[0181] As already explained, in the slot machine 10, in the internal state where the first BB is won, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped so that the first BB win is possible in a 3-bet game, but the first BB win is not possible in a 2-bet game. Also, in the internal state where the second BB is won, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped so that the second BB win is not possible in a 3-bet game, but the second BB win is possible in a 2-bet game. That is, if the first BB is won in a 3-bet game, the first BB win can be achieved by continuing the 3-bet game, but the first BB win cannot be achieved by switching to a 2-bet game after the first BB is won. Also, if the second BB is won in a 2-bet game, the second BB win can be achieved by continuing the 2-bet game, but the second BB win cannot be achieved by switching to a 3-bet game after the second BB is won. Furthermore, the first BB and the second BB cannot be won twice, and if a first BB win is carried over, the first BB cannot be won again, and the second BB cannot be won twice. Also, if a second BB win is carried over, the second BB cannot be won again, and the first BB cannot be won twice. In other words, if you win the first BB and play a 2-bet game, the game will continue in an internal state where the first BB win is carried over, and if you win the second BB and play a 3-bet game, the game will continue in an internal state where the second BB win is carried over.

[0182] Here, since the first BB win is only possible in a three-bet game and the second BB win is only possible in a two-bet game as described above, even if a three-bet game results in a loss (no winning combination) while the second BB win is carried over, the second BB win will not be achieved, and even if a two-bet game results in a loss (no winning combination) while the first BB win is carried over, the first BB win will not be achieved. This dramatically simplifies the role configuration and control of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R in an internal state where a first BB win or a second BB win is carried over. If a configuration were such that a second BB win could be achieved in a three-bet game or a first BB win could be achieved in a two-bet game, maintaining the internal state where the first BB win or the second BB win is carried over would require a lottery table that would prevent a loss, and, for example, in a role where a miss may occur, it would be necessary to have a different role win when the miss occurs.

[0183] Also, in the 1st BB state and the 2nd BB state, the main role for increasing medals is the common bell. Also, in the non-internal state and the internal state, the main role for increasing medals in a 2-bet game is the common bell, whereas the main role for increasing medals in a 3-bet game is the push order bell. With the common bell, any of the small roles 1 to 6 will be achieved regardless of the operation order or operation timing of each of the stop switches 42 to 44, whereas with the push order bell, the small role that is achieved will differ depending on the operation order and operation timing of each of the stop switches 42 to 44. In other words, the fluctuation in medal increase or decrease depending on the operation order and operation timing (mainly the operation order) when the push order bell is won is greater in the non-internal state and the internal state in a 3-bet game than in the 1st BB state and the 2nd BB state. For example, by announcing the operation sequence (Figure 25) that will result in winning small prizes 1 to 6 when the push order bell is won, it is possible to switch between an AT mode (assist time mode, navigation mode) that assists in winning and a non-AT mode (non-navigation mode) that does not, and to create a state in which medals increase or decrease depending on whether or not the notification (assist) is given.

[0184] Then, in a game in which the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, first, a 2-bet game is played in the non-internal state, and the second BB is won in the 2-bet game. When the second BB is won, the state shifts to the internal state, and in a game in which the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, the state switches to a 3-bet game, and the game proceeds in a state in which the above-mentioned second BB winning cannot be realized. In this case, as described above, in the 3-bet game in which the second BB winning is carried over, neither the first BB nor the second BB winning occurs, and generally, the game continues in an internal state in which the second BB winning is carried over.

[0185] In the slot machine 10, the first BB hit flag is stored in a normal area in the various flag storage area 106d, whereas the second BB hit flag is stored in a save area in the various flag storage area 106d. The normal area is an area where various general flags, such as hit flags for other combinations, are stored. The flags stored in the normal area are retained by backup power or the like even if the power supply to the slot machine 10 is stopped (power is turned off). Therefore, for example, even if the power is turned off when the gaming hall closes, if the power is turned on the next day, the slot machine 10 is started with the various flags stored in the normal area. Even if the power is turned on / off with the first BB hit flag set, the slot machine 10 is started with the first BB hit flag set. However, when a win probability setting process is started (when the setting is changed) when the slot machine 10 is started, an initialization process (clearing process) of the normal area is performed. Therefore, when the process for setting the winning probability is performed, the first BB winning flag is cleared together with the other flags stored in the normal area.

[0186] In contrast, the storage area is an area where only the second BB win flag is stored. As with the normal area described above, the flag stored in the storage area is not cleared when the power is turned on / off. Furthermore, even when the winning probability setting process is initiated when the slot machine 10 is started up, the storage area is not initialized (it is excluded from the initialization process). Therefore, even when the winning probability setting process is performed, the second BB win flag stored in the storage area is not cleared but is retained (saved). In other words, when the winning probability setting process is performed in the internal state of the first BB win in which the first BB win flag is stored, the first BB win flag is cleared and the machine is started in a non-internal state. On the other hand, when the winning probability setting process is performed in the internal state of the second BB win in which the second BB win flag is stored, the second BB win flag is not cleared and the machine is started in the internal state of the second BB win. This allows play in an internal state in which the second BB win is carried over to be continued not only when the power is turned on / off but also when the settings are changed.

[0187] Then, in order to play in an internal state in which the second BB win is carried over, basically, it is sufficient to play until the second BB win occurs in the two-bet game as it is when the slot machine 10 is shipped from the factory, and thereafter, the second BB win is stored and held until the reset switch 72 is operated and the RAM clear process is performed. In this way, it is possible to preferably play in a state in which the second BB win is carried over.

[0188] Below, we will assume that the game is played with the second BB win carried over, and explain the gameplay using notifications (push order notifications) when the push order bell is won during that game (also referred to as normal game in the following explanation).

[0189] <Lottery result processing> First, the lottery result response process performed in step S310 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 27. The lottery result response process is a process performed after the lottery process for each game has been performed, and is a process that performs a lottery for transition to an AT mode in which a push order notification is generated based on the lottery result of the game.

[0190] More specifically, first, in step S601, it is determined whether or not an advantageous zone flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. In this slot machine 10, regarding whether or not a push order notification or the like occurs, advantageous zones in which the push order notification or the like may occur and normal zones in which the notification may not occur are set. The advantageous zone flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to know that the current game is in an advantageous zone, and is set when the game transitions to an advantageous zone and is cleared when the game transitions to a normal zone.

[0191] If the advantageous zone flag is not set, it means that the current game is in the normal zone, and in this case, the advantageous zone transition lottery process is executed in step S602, and then the lottery result response process is terminated.

[0192] In the advantageous zone transition lottery process, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 28, the lottery result of the current game is grasped in step S701. Then, in step S702, an advantageous zone transition lottery table is acquired from the various table storage area 105a of the ROM 105. As shown in FIG. 31, the advantageous zone transition lottery table has a transition rate to the advantageous zone (probability of winning the advantageous zone transition lottery) set according to the lottery result of each game. As shown in FIG. 31, the trigger roles for the lottery for transition to the advantageous zone are set as follows: normal lip A, normal lip B, normal lip C, chance eye A, chance eye B, chance eye C, cherry A, cherry B, cherry C, common bell, push order bell, and watermelon. In other words, in normal play as a 3-bet game carrying over the second BB, all possible winning results are set as trigger roles for the lottery for transition to the advantageous zone.

[0193] After obtaining the lottery table in step S702, a process of obtaining a random number for the advantageous zone transition lottery is executed in step S703. The random number for the advantageous zone transition lottery is generated using a dedicated counter in the various counter area 106e, which is updated at a predetermined interval, and the most recent updated value of the counter is obtained in step S703. Then, in step S704, an advantageous zone transition lottery is executed, and in step S705, it is determined whether or not the transition lottery has been won. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the lottery table is set so that any trigger role has a 100% probability of winning the advantageous zone transition lottery. In this case, if it is determined that the game result grasped in step S701 is a trigger role for the transition lottery (not a losing result), it is possible to omit the processes of steps S702 to S705.

[0194] If it is determined in step S705 that the transition lottery has been won, processing is executed in step S706 to set the advantageous zone flag. This processing makes it possible to make a positive determination in step S601 of the lottery result response processing (FIG. 27) for the next game and thereafter. In the following step S707, processing is executed to set an advantageous zone winning game flag in the various flag storage area 106d. The advantageous zone winning game flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to know that the transition lottery to the advantageous zone has been won in the current game.

[0195] In the following step S708, an AT ceiling setting process is executed. As described above, in this embodiment, an AT mode is provided that assists with the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44 when the push order bell is won, and the ceiling value of the AT mode is set when the lottery for transitioning to the advantageous zone is won. The ceiling value is a value at which transition to the AT mode is confirmed after a set number of games are played, and in this embodiment, the maximum ceiling value is set to 999. In other words, transition to the AT mode is guaranteed after 999 games are played after winning the lottery for transitioning to the advantageous zone. In step S708, an initial ceiling table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a, and a counter for lottery is obtained from the various counter area 106e. An initial ceiling value at the time of winning the lottery for transitioning to the advantageous zone is determined by lottery, and the initial ceiling value determined by lottery is entered into the ceiling counter provided in the various counter area 106e. In the initial ceiling table, for example, there is about a one-in-ten probability that any value between 1 and 30 will be selected, there is about a two-in-ten probability that any value between 101 and 200 will be selected, there is about a three-in-ten probability that any value between 301 and 400 will be selected, and the rest are set so that other values ​​are selected randomly. Note that the initial ceiling table may be set to differ depending on the set value set in the winning probability setting process. The ceiling counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of games up to the ceiling for triggering a transition to AT mode, and is decremented by one each time one game is played in the advantageous zone.

[0196] In the following step S709, a process is executed in which 100 is input as a predetermined number into the advantageous zone continuation counter provided in the various counter area 106e. The advantageous zone continuation counter is a counter for measuring the number of games played in the advantageous zone (normal advantageous zone) when the player is not in AT mode, has not won the AT mode transition lottery, is not in CZ mode, which has a high probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery, and has not won the CZ mode transition lottery. The advantageous zone continuation counter is decremented by 1 for each game played in the normal advantageous zone. When the advantageous zone continuation counter reaches 0, the advantageous zone ends and the player transitions to the normal zone. In other words, when the number of games not winning the AT mode or CZ mode after winning the advantageous zone transition lottery reaches a predetermined number, the advantageous zone ends and the player transitions to the normal zone. Therefore, the advantageous zone may end before the ceiling counter input in the immediately preceding step S708 reaches 0. Note that the predetermined number input in step S709 is smaller than the upper limit number of games (1500) in the advantageous zone. If a negative judgment is made in step S705, or after the processing of step S709 is executed, the advantageous zone transition lottery processing is terminated.

[0197] Returning to the explanation of the lottery result processing, if it is determined in step S601 that the advantageous zone flag is set, the process proceeds to step S603. In step S603, it is determined whether an AT mode win flag or an AT mode flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The AT mode win flag is a flag that is set when the transition lottery to the AT mode is won, and the AT mode flag is a flag that is set when transitioning to the AT mode. In other words, in step S603, it is determined whether transition to the AT mode has already been confirmed or has already been confirmed. If neither flag is set in step S603 and transition to the AT mode has not yet been confirmed, AT lottery processing is executed in step S604. On the other hand, if either flag is set in step S603, AT consecutive win processing is executed in step S605.

[0198] <AT lottery selection process> First, the AT lottery selection process in step S604 will be described while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 29.

[0199] First, in step S801, the lottery result of the current game is grasped. Then, in step S802, it is determined whether the CZ mode flag is set in the various flag storage areas 106d. In this embodiment, as a state before winning the AT mode lottery in the advantageous section, a normal mode and a CZ mode are provided. The CZ mode is set as a mode that is more likely to win the lottery for transitioning to the AT mode than the normal mode. The CZ mode flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to grasp whether the current mode is the normal mode or the CZ mode, and is set when transitioning to the CZ mode. If it is determined in step S802 that the CZ mode flag is not set, then in step S803, a normal AT mode transition lottery table is acquired from the various table storage areas 105a of the ROM 105. If it is determined in step S802 that the CZ mode flag is set, then in step S804, a CZ AT mode transition lottery table is acquired.

[0200] As shown in Figure 31, these AT mode transition lottery tables have the probability of transitioning to the AT mode set according to the type of lottery result (winning role). For example, in the AT mode transition lottery table for normal mode, chance symbol B is more likely to win the AT mode transition lottery than chance symbol A, and chance symbol C is even more likely to win the AT mode transition lottery than chance symbol B. In other words, 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. Also, for normal lip A and cherry A, the winning probability of the AT mode transition lottery varies depending on the setting value set in the winning probability setting process, and 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. When comparing the normal AT mode transition lottery table with the AT mode transition lottery table for CZ, it is set so that even with the same lottery result, it is easier to win the AT mode transition lottery for CZ than for normal, for example, the AT mode winning rate for chance eye A in CZ mode is twice the AT mode winning rate for chance eye A in normal mode. In this embodiment, the AT mode transition lottery is set so that the transition lottery is not held for the common bell and the push order bell.

[0201] Note that the AT mode transition lottery may also be conducted using these common bells and push-order bells, and the game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery 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 that the CZ mode has more types of game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery. Furthermore, in this case, the winning probability of the AT mode transition lottery itself may be the same between 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 in one CZ mode, winning the AT mode transition lottery is more likely to occur with a chance eye, and in another CZ mode, winning the AT mode transition lottery is more likely to occur with a cherry.

[0202] In step S805, an AT mode transition lottery is executed using the lottery result of the current game grasped in step S801 and the AT mode transition lottery table acquired in step S803 or step S804. Note that, in the AT mode transition lottery, as in the advantageous zone transition lottery, random numbers for the lottery are acquired from the various counter areas 106e, and the lottery is executed using these random numbers. This lottery configuration is the same for the other lotteries described below, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0203] In step S806, it is determined whether or not the lottery for transition to the AT mode has been won. If the lottery for transition to the AT mode has been won, in step S807, a process is executed to clear the ceiling counter provided in the various counter area 106e to 0, and then in step S808, a process is executed to set the AT mode win flag. As described above, an initial ceiling value is input to the ceiling counter when the lottery for transition to the advantageous zone has been won. In other words, if the lottery for transition to the AT mode has been won after transitioning to the advantageous zone, it is assumed that the ceiling has been reached before the number of games input as the initial ceiling value has been played, and a transition to the AT mode will occur.

[0204] Then, in step S809, the premonition flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d, and the premonition command is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT lottery process is terminated.

[0205] In this embodiment, when a situation arises in which a transition to the AT mode may occur, a premonition mode is set to indicate this situation. More specifically, as described above, a ceiling counter is set, which allows a transition to the AT mode when it reaches 0. In the premonition mode, before the ceiling counter reaches 0, a suggestion effect is displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65, speaker 64, etc., indicating that the ceiling counter is approaching 0. When the ceiling counter reaches 0, a transition to the AT mode is permitted, and an announcement effect (AT mode winning announcement effect) to that effect is displayed. The premonition mode is set to be entered when the ceiling counter value falls below a predetermined value (e.g., 32). The premonition flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to recognize that the premonition mode has been set, and the premonition command is a command that allows the display control device 81 to recognize that the premonition mode has been set. The premonition command includes information on the number of games remaining until the ceiling counter reaches 0 in the premonition mode, i.e., information on the number of games in the premonition mode.

[0206] Incidentally, when the premonition flag is set in step S809 to transition to the premonition mode, the ceiling counter is 0, so the number of games in the premonition mode in this case is 0. In other words, in this case, the AT mode winning notification effect is performed, which allows transition to the AT mode without going through the various suggestive effects in the premonition mode.

[0207] If it is determined in step S806 that the AT mode transition lottery has not been won, the process proceeds to step S810. In step S810, 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 performed in step S811. In the CZ mode transition lottery, a CZ mode transition lottery table (see FIG. 31) 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 performed to determine whether or not to transition to CZ mode. In this embodiment, chance eye A, chance eye B, chance eye C, cherry A, cherry B, cherry C, and watermelon are set as trigger roles for the CZ mode transition lottery, but the lottery may be performed based on other roles, and the winning probabilities are not limited to those in FIG. 31.

[0208] Then, in step S812, it is determined whether or not the CZ mode transition lottery has been won. If the CZ mode transition lottery has been won, in step S813, the CZ mode flag is set, and a predetermined value of 10 is entered into the CZ counter provided in the various counter area 106e. Furthermore, 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 S802, and it becomes possible to take the AT mode transition lottery at a favorable lottery table. In addition, the CZ counter is a counter that the CPU 102 uses to keep track of the number of games in CZ mode, and a subtraction process of 1 is performed each time one game is played in CZ mode. Then, when the CZ counter becomes 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.

[0209] If the CZ mode flag is set in step S810, if the CZ mode transition lottery is not won in step S812, or after executing the processing of step S813, proceed to step S814. In step S814, a subtraction process of the ceiling counter is executed. Then, in step S815, it is determined whether the ceiling counter has become 0 as a result of the subtraction process of step S814. If the ceiling counter has become 0, proceed to step S808 and execute a process to set the AT mode winning flag. After that, after the processing of step S809, the AT lottery processing is terminated.

[0210] If it is determined in step S815 that the ceiling counter is not 0, then in step S816, it is determined whether the ceiling counter is equal to or less than 32, the number of games that triggers a transition to the premonition mode. If it is equal to or less than 32, then in step S817, 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, although the same or similar suggestive effect as in the premonition mode occurs, the effect mode ultimately ends without an AT mode winning notification effect that allows a transition to the AT mode. The pseudo premonition flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to determine that such a pseudo premonition mode is in effect. If the pseudo premonition flag is not set, then in step S818, it is determined whether a premonition flag is set. If the premonition flag is already set, then the AT lottery process is terminated. If it is determined in step S818 that the premonition flag is not set, then in step S819, a process is executed in which the current ceiling counter value is input to the premonition counter provided in the various counter area 106e. Then, in step S820, the premonition flag is set and the premonition command is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT lottery process is terminated. The premonition counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of games remaining in the premonition mode. As described above, the premonition command includes information on the number of games remaining until the ceiling, i.e., the number of games remaining in the premonition mode, and the display control device 81 performs a lottery to determine whether a suggestive effect will occur depending on the number of games remaining in the premonition mode.

[0211] The pseudo premonition flag is set in step S817 when the ceiling counter becomes equal to or less than 32 during the pseudo premonition mode. In this case, the process proceeds to step S821, where the pseudo premonition flag is cleared, and the pseudo premonition counter for determining the number of games remaining in the pseudo premonition mode is cleared to 0, and then the process proceeds to step S819. In this case, the premonition mode is set following the pseudo premonition mode.

[0212] If it is determined in step S816 that the ceiling counter is not less than 32, the process proceeds to step S822 to determine whether the pseudo-precursor flag is set. If the pseudo-precursor flag is set, the current AT lottery selection process ends as it is. If the pseudo-precursor flag is not set, the processes for setting the pseudo-precursor mode are executed in steps S823 to S825. That is, in step S823, it is determined by lottery whether to set the pseudo-precursor mode and the number of games in the pseudo-precursor mode when setting. Regarding such a lottery, for example, the more difficult-to-win (lower appearance rate) the lottery result of the game is, the easier it is to win the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-precursor mode. Also, when winning the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-precursor mode with a lottery result of the game that is easier to win (higher appearance rate), a pseudo-precursor mode with a relatively long number of games may be set. Then, in step S824, the process of inputting the number of games in the pseudo-precursor mode determined in step S823 into the pseudo-precursor counter is executed. Note that if not winning the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-precursor mode, the process of step S823 is not performed (input 0 into the pseudo-precursor counter). After that, in step S824, while setting the pseudo-precursor flag, the process of setting the pseudo-precursor command as an output target to the display control device 81 is executed, and then the current AT lottery selection process ends. The pseudo-precursor command is a command for making the display control device 81 recognize that the pseudo-precursor mode has been set, includes information on the remaining number of games in the pseudo-precursor mode, and the display control device 81 performs a lottery for generating a suggestive effect according to the remaining number of games in the pseudo-precursor mode. Note that if not winning the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-precursor mode in step S823, it is advisable to end the AT lottery selection process as it is without performing the process of step S825.

[0213] <AT consecutive win processing> Next, the AT consecutive win processing executed in step S605 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 30. As already explained, the AT consecutive win processing is a processing executed when the AT mode hit flag or the AT mode flag is set, and is a processing for adding (stocking) the number of sets of the AT mode executed with a predetermined number of games as one set.

[0214] That is, in step S901, the lottery result of the current game is grasped. Then, in step S902, a process is executed to acquire a stock lottery table from the various table storage area 105a, and in step S903, a stock lottery process is executed. The stock lottery table is set so that the probability of winning the set number addition (stock) lottery differs depending on the current situation and the lottery result of the game, as shown in FIG. 32. For example, even if the AT mode transition lottery is won and the AT mode win flag is set, when the situation before the winning notification of the AT mode transition lottery is made (before the AT mode win notification) is compared with the situation after the winning notification and before the transition to the AT mode (before the transition after the winning notification), even if the trigger role for the stock lottery is the same, the situation after the winning notification and before the transition to the AT mode is set so that it is easier to win the stock lottery than before the AT mode win notification. In this embodiment, the AT modes are a first AT mode and a second AT mode, which have different numbers of games to continue in one set, and the number of games to continue in the second AT mode is set to be longer than that in the first AT mode. Furthermore, when comparing the stock lottery in the first AT mode with the stock lottery in the second AT mode, it is set so that it is easier to win the stock lottery in the second AT mode.

[0215] After the stock lottery is performed in step S903, it is determined in step S904 whether or not the stock lottery has been won. If the stock lottery has not been won, the AT consecutive game processing is terminated. If the stock lottery has been won, the AT consecutive game processing is terminated after executing a process of adding 1 to the stock counter provided in the various counter area 106e in step S905. The stock counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of remaining sets in the AT mode.

[0216] Returning to the explanation of the lottery result response process (FIG. 27).

[0217] After the processing of step S604 or step S605 is executed, in step S606, it is determined whether the lottery result of this game is a win for the push order role. The push order role is a result that includes the push order bell as well as normal lip A, normal lip B, and normal lip C. Normal lip A, normal lip B, and normal lip C are all results that can be won in multiple replays, and the replay that establishes the win can vary depending on the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44.

[0218] Specifically, as shown in Figure 33, in normal replay A, regardless of the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are basically stopped so that the first replay win is achieved. In contrast, in normal replay B and normal replay C, when the right stop switch 44 is operated first, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped so that the second replay win or the third replay win is achieved. When the left stop switch 42 or the center stop switch 43 is operated first, the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped so that the first replay win is achieved. However, in normal replay A, normal replay B, and normal replay C, regardless of which of the overlapping replay wins is achieved, the bonus awarded is a replay, and the only difference is the type of replay that is achieved. In other words, normal lip A, normal lip B, and normal lip C are game results in which a replay win is established regardless of the operation order of the stop switches 42 to 44, but the stop results differ depending on the operation order. In particular, normal lip B and normal lip C are triggers for starting the AT mode, and the first AT mode is started in a game in which the AT mode winning flag is set and the second replay win can be established, and the second AT mode is started in a game in which the AT mode winning flag is set and the third replay win can be established.

[0219] If it is determined in step S606 that the push order role has been won, it is determined in step S607 whether the AT mode win flag or the AT mode flag is set. If either flag is set, the push order notification process is executed in step S608, and then the lottery result response process is terminated. If a negative determination is made in step S606 or step S607, the lottery result response process is terminated.

[0220] <Outline of push order notification> Prior to explaining the push order notification process executed in step S608, we will provide an overview of the push order notification executed by the instruction monitor 68 and the push order notification effect executed by the auxiliary display unit 65. Note that the push order notification and push order notification effect can also be referred to as push order navigation, sequence notification, or mode notification, for example. The instruction monitor 68 is connected to the main control unit 101, and the push order notification is performed by the main control unit 101. In contrast, the auxiliary display unit 65 is connected to the display control unit 81, and the push order notification effect is performed by the display control unit 81.

[0221] First, the configuration of this instruction monitor 68 will be described with reference to Fig. 34. Fig. 34(a) is a front view of the instruction monitor 68, and Fig. 34(b) is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the display mode and display content of the instruction monitor 68.

[0222] As shown in FIG. 34(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.

[0223] 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 "."

[0224] 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.

[0225] 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. 34(b), if the player can win an advantageous winning mode by operating the stop switches 42 to 44 in the order of "left" → "center" → "right," the sixth display segment N6 and the seventh display segment N7 will light up to display "1." Also, if the player can win an advantageous winning mode by operating the stop switches 42 to 44 in the order of "right" → "left" → "center," 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 will light up 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.

[0226] The eighth display segment N8 is lit in a game in which a predetermined start condition is met, including a notification condition that makes it possible for a push order notification to occur, such as when a game moves to a favorable zone, an AT mode win notification is made, and an AT mode flag is set. The eighth display segment N8 is also turned off when the AT mode ends and the game moves from the favorable zone to the normal zone.

[0227] In other words, an advantageous zone (specific game state, specific mode) is a zone in which it becomes easier for the player to win in an advantageous manner by making it easier to notify the operation order of the push order bell, etc., and the eighth display segment N8 is a zone indicator (specific notification means) that lights up during the specific zone in which the player can actually benefit from the push order notification in the advantageous zone, and turns off during normal zones that are not advantageous zones, or during non-specific zones that are not advantageous zones even if they are advantageous zones.

[0228] 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.

[0229] 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.

[0230] Next, the push order notification effect performed on the auxiliary display unit 65 will be described with reference to Fig. 35. Here, the push order notification effect on the auxiliary display unit 65 will be described using the example of a case where the push order combination is won when the operation order to be notified this time is center → right → left.

[0231] As shown in FIG. 35(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, indicating 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.

[0232] When the player operates the middle stop switch 43, as shown in Figure 35(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.

[0233] When the player operates the right stop switch 44, as shown in Figure 35(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.

[0234] 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.

[0235] <Press order notification processing> Next, the push order notification process executed in step S608 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0236] First, in step S1001, it is determined whether the AT mode winning flag is set. The AT mode winning flag is set when the transition to the AT mode has not yet occurred after the AT mode winning. In this case, in step S1002, it is determined whether the first AT notification flag or the second AT notification flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The first AT notification flag and the second AT notification flag are set based on the fact that after winning the AT mode transition lottery, it is possible to transition to the AT mode via the premonition mode and the AT mode winning notification effect is performed. If the AT mode winning flag is set but these AT notification flags are not set, it means that the AT mode transition lottery has been won but the game is still in the premonition mode. In this case, the push order notification is not generated in this game, and the push order notification process is terminated. If the first AT notification flag or the second AT notification flag is set, the process proceeds to step S1003.

[0237] In step S1003, it is determined whether the lottery result of this game is normal reply B or normal reply C. If it is not normal reply B or normal reply C, but normal reply A or the push order bell, the process for notifying the actual push order is terminated. If it is either normal reply B or normal reply C, it is determined in step S1004 whether it is normal reply B. If it is normal reply B, it is determined in step S1005 whether the above-mentioned flag for notifying the first AT is set. If the flag for notifying the second AT is set instead of the flag for notifying the first AT, the process for notifying the actual push order is terminated. If normal reply B is won and the flag for notifying the first AT is set, proceed to step S1006 and process is executed to start the first AT mode.

[0238] That is, in step S1006, the first AT notification flag is cleared. Then, in step S1007, a first AT start flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The first AT start flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to know that the first AT mode will start from the current game. Then, in step S1008, the instruction monitor 68 is controlled to perform a push order notification corresponding to the second re-play win. Then, in step S1009, a push order command including information on the operation order corresponding to the second re-play win is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then this push order notification process is terminated. Upon receiving this push order command, the display control device 81 performs a push order notification effect corresponding to the second re-play win, such as a push order notification effect indicating the order in which the right stop switch 44 should be operated first, a display or voice guidance such as "Aim from the right!!", and controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to notify the symbol corresponding to the second re-play win.

[0239] If it is determined in step S1004 that the selected reply is normal reply C and not normal reply B, the process proceeds to step S1010. In step S1010, it is determined whether or not the flag for notifying the second AT is set. If the flag for notifying the first AT is set and not the flag for notifying the second AT, the process for notifying the actual push order ends. If normal reply C is selected and the flag for notifying the second AT is set, the process proceeds to step S1011, and the process for starting the second AT mode is executed.

[0240] That is, in step S1011, the second AT notification flag is cleared. Then, in step S1012, a second AT start flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The second AT start flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to determine that the second AT mode will begin with the current game. Then, in step S1013, the instruction monitor 68 is controlled to perform a push order notification corresponding to the third replay win. Then, in step S1014, a push order command including information on the operation order corresponding to the third replay win is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then this push order notification process is terminated. Upon receiving this push order command, the display control device 81 performs a push order notification effect corresponding to the third replay win, such as a push order notification effect indicating the order in which the right stop switch 44 should be operated first, a display or voice guidance such as "Aim from the right!!", and controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to notify the symbol corresponding to the third replay win.

[0241] If it is determined in step S1001 that the AT mode hit flag is not set, this means that a transition to AT mode has already occurred, and in this case, proceed to step S1015. In step S1015, it is determined whether the lottery result of this game is a push order bell. If it is not a push order bell, the push order notification process is terminated. If it is a push order bell, in step S1016, the instruction monitor 68 is controlled so that push order notifications corresponding to small win 1 to small win 6 are performed according to the type of push order bell this time. Then, in step S1017, a process is executed to set a push order command including information on the operation sequence corresponding to small win 1 to small win 6 as an output target to the display control device 81, and then this push order notification process is terminated. Upon receiving this push order command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that push order notification effects corresponding to small win 1 to small win 6 are performed.

[0242] <Winning result processing> Next, the winning result response process performed in step S414 in the reel control process will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 37. In the winning result response process, processing is performed to start or end the AT mode etc. depending on the game result.

[0243] First, in step S1101, a game count management process is performed. In the game count management process, processing is performed to manage the number of games played in the CZ mode and the number of games played in the premonition mode.

[0244] More specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 38, in step S1201, it is determined whether the first BB state flag or the second BB state flag is set. If either of the BB states is present, the game count management process is terminated. That is, if a transition to the second BB state occurs in a two-bet game, the number of games played in the premonition mode or CZ mode is not managed. If neither of the BB states is present, the process proceeds to step S1202, where it is determined whether the CZ mode flag is set. If the CZ mode flag is set, the CZ counter is decremented by 1 in step S1203. Then, in step S1204, it is determined whether the CZ counter has reached 0. If it has reached 0, the CZ mode flag is cleared in step S1205, and a CZ mode end command is set to be output to the display control device 81. Clearing the CZ mode flag ends the CZ mode and transitions to normal mode. In addition, 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).

[0245] If a negative determination is made in either step S1202 or step S1204, or after the processing of step S1205 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S1206. In step S1206, it is determined whether or not 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 S1207, where the premonition counter or the pseudo premonition counter is decremented by one. That is, in step S1207, 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.

[0246] After executing the processing of step S1207, in step S1208, 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 in the premonition mode reaches 0, the process proceeds to step S1209, where the process clears the premonition flag. Then, in step S1210, the process determines whether the type of AT mode this time is the first AT mode or the second AT mode. This process will be described in detail later.

[0247] In step S1211, it is determined whether the first AT mode has been determined as a result of the processing in step S1210. If the first AT mode has been determined, in step S1212, a notification flag for the first AT is set, and a process is executed to set the first AT winning notification command as an output target to the display control device 81, and the number of games management process is terminated. By setting the notification flag for the first AT, a process is carried out in the above-mentioned push order notification process to generate a push order notification for the second replay win. Furthermore, the display control device 81, which has received the first AT winning notification command, controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that a first AT winning notification effect is performed to notify that the AT mode transition lottery has been won, transition to the AT mode is permitted, and the current AT mode is the first AT mode. In the first AT winning notification effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays "REG BONUS!!” is displayed and a corresponding sound effect is output from the speaker 64.

[0248] If it is determined in step S1211 that the AT mode to be transitioned to this time is the second AT mode and not the first AT mode, then in step S1213, a second AT notification flag is set, and a process is executed to set a second AT winning notification command to be output to the display control device 81, and the number of games managed is terminated. By setting the second AT notification flag, the above-mentioned push order notification process is executed to generate a push order notification for the third replay win. Furthermore, upon receiving the second AT winning notification command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to perform a second AT winning notification effect to notify the player that the AT mode transition lottery has been won, transition to the AT mode is permitted, and that the current AT mode is the second AT mode. In the second AT winning notification effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays "BIG BONUS!!" and a corresponding sound effect is output from the speaker 64.

[0249] In step S1208, 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 S1214. In step S1214, it is determined whether the pseudo premonition counter is 0 and the pseudo premonition flag is set. If the determination in step S1214 is affirmative, then in step S1215, a process is executed to clear the pseudo premonition flag, and then the number-of-games management process is terminated. This ends the pseudo premonition mode. On the other hand, if the determination in step S1215 is negative, meaning that the pseudo premonition counter is not 0, or if it is 0 but the premonition flag is set instead of the pseudo premonition flag, the number-of-games management process is terminated.

[0250] Returning to the explanation of the winning result response process, after executing the game count management process in step S1101, it is determined in step S1102 whether the first AT start flag is set. As described above, the first AT start flag is a flag set in a game in which a second re-play win is possible when a transition to the first AT mode occurs. More specifically, it is a flag set at the start of a game in which the normal replay B is won when the first AT notification flag is set. In other words, the first AT start flag is not set based on a winning result. If the first AT start flag is set, the first AT start flag is cleared in step S1103, and a process is executed in step S1104 to set 100 to the AT counter provided in the various counter area 106e. The AT counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the remaining number of medals to be paid out in the AT mode. When medals are paid out in each game during the AT mode, a number corresponding to the number of medals paid out is subtracted from the counter. In other words, the first AT mode is an AT mode that ends when 100 or more medals are paid out.

[0251] If it is determined in step S1102 that the first AT start flag is not set, it is determined in step S1105 whether the second AT start flag is set. As described above, the second AT start flag is a flag set in a game in which a third re-play win is possible when a transition to the second AT mode occurs. More specifically, it is a flag set at the start of a game in which a normal re-play C is won when the second AT notification flag is set. In other words, the second AT start flag is not set based on the winning result. If the second AT start flag is set, the second AT start flag is cleared in step S1106, and the AT counter is set to 200 in step S1107. In other words, the second AT mode is an AT mode that ends when 200 or more medals are paid out, and is an AT mode in which more medals can be expected to be won than in the first AT mode.

[0252] After executing the processing of step S1104 or step S1107, the process proceeds to step S1108, where the AT mode hit flag is cleared. Then, in step S1109, the AT mode flag is set, and in step S1110, the AT start command is set as an output target to the display control device 81. Upon receiving the AT start command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that an AT start effect corresponding to the type of AT mode to be started is performed.

[0253] If it is determined in step S1105 that the second AT start flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S1111. In step S1111, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set and whether the game is in AT mode. If the game is not in AT mode, the winning result processing is terminated. If the game is in AT mode, in step S1112, the number of medals to be paid out is subtracted from the AT counter based on the game result of this game. For example, if a small win 1 is achieved and 13 medals are paid out, the process subtracts 13 from the AT counter. Furthermore, if the game result of this game is a replay win or a loss, no medals will be paid out, so the AT counter subtraction processing is not executed.

[0254] In step S1113, it is determined whether the AT counter is equal to or less than 0 based on the processing result of step S1112. If it is greater than 0, the winning result processing ends. In this case, the AT mode continues. If the AT counter is equal to or less than 0, the AT mode flag is cleared in step S1114. This ends the AT mode.

[0255] Then, in step S1115, a ceiling counter setting process is executed. This process will be explained in detail later, but in step S1115, the ceiling counter is reset when the AT mode ends. Then, in step S1116, a process is executed to set the AT end command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the winning result corresponding process is terminated.

[0256] <Management of number of games and difference in number of coins in advantageous zones> Next, the first interval display process and the second interval display process will be described, which are used to control the eighth display segment N8 as an interval display device and to manage the number of games and the difference in number of coins in the advantageous interval.

[0257] <First section display process> First, the first section display process will be described with reference to Fig. 39. The first section display process is a process carried out in step S314 of the lottery process (Fig. 19), and is carried out after the lottery result of the game is determined based on the operation of the start lever 41, and a lottery for switching the display mode, etc. (lottery result corresponding process) is carried out based on the lottery result.

[0258] In step S1301, 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 already explained, when the eighth display segment N8 is being lit, it indicates that it is a specific section within the advantageous section where at least the notification conditions for the push order notification to occur are met. If the determination in step S1301 is negative and it is determined that the eighth display segment N8 is being turned off, the process proceeds to step S1302.

[0259] In step S1302, it is determined whether or not an advantageous zone flag has been set in the various flag storage area 106d. 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. 28). If the advantageous zone flag is set, it is determined in step S1303 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 S1304 to clear the advantageous zone winning game flag. If the advantageous zone winning game flag is not set in step S1303, the process proceeds to step S1305.

[0260] In step S1305, 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 to start measuring the advantageous zone game number AG is performed in step S1306. The advantageous zone game number AG corresponds to a grasping means for grasping the number of games played in the advantageous zone, and processing to add one to each game in the advantageous zone is executed.

[0261] If it is determined in step S1305 that measurement has already started, or after executing the processing of step S1306, the process proceeds to step S1307. In step S1307, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set. As already explained, when the AT mode winning notification effect is performed and the AT mode flag is set, a state in which a push order notification can occur when a push order role is won is established, and the notification start condition of the section indicator is met. If it is determined in step S1307 that the AT mode flag is set, in step S1308, 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 (e.g., 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.

[0262] If it is determined in step S1301 that the eighth display segment N8 is being displayed as a section indicator, then in step S1309, processing is executed to continue the display during the favorable section. Specifically, in step S1309, 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.

[0263] If it is determined in step S1302 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 S1304 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 S1307 that the AT mode flag is not set), the process proceeds to step S1310. In step S1310, 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.

[0264] After the section display start process is executed in step S1308 and the display continuation process is executed in step S1309, the process proceeds to step S1311. In step S1311, 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.

[0265] After the processing of step S1310 or step S1311 is executed, a role ratio calculation process is executed in step S1312. 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 of 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 S1313, a process is executed to display the calculation result of step S1312 on the role ratio monitor 77.

[0266] 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.

[0267] In step S1313, the result of the calculation process in step S1312 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 S1313 is executed, the first section display process is terminated.

[0268] 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 S1312. 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.

[0269] <Second section display process> Next, the second section display process will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 40. 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.

[0270] In step S1401, it is determined whether or not 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 S1402, a process is executed to count the number of games in the advantageous zone. Specifically, a process is executed to add 1 to the number of games in the advantageous zone AG. After the process of step S1402 is executed, in step S1403, an update process is executed for the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY (MY counter) provided in the various counter area 106e.

[0271] In the MY update process of step S1403, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 41, in step S1501, it is determined whether the result of the current game is any of the re-play winnings. If any of the re-play winnings 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 re-play winnings is not true, proceed to step S1502.

[0272] In step S1502, 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 S1502 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 a small win 1 is achieved in a 3-bet game, 3 coins are bet and 13 medals are paid out, resulting in a net increase of 10 medals. Also, if a small win 9 is achieved in a 3-bet game, 3 coins are bet and 1 medal is paid out, resulting in a net decrease of 2 medals. And if no small win is achieved in a 3-bet game, 3 coins are bet and 0 medals are paid out (no medals are paid out), resulting in a net decrease of 3 medals.

[0273] In the following step S1503, the calculation result of step S1502 is added to the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY. For example, if the calculation result of step S1502 indicates an increase of 10 medals, the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is added by 10. If the calculation result of step S1502 indicates a decrease of 2 medals, the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is subtracted by 2. Then, in step S1504, it is determined whether the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is equal to or greater than 0. If it is equal to or greater than 0 and an increase in medals has occurred in the advantageous zone, the MY update process is terminated. On the other hand, if in step S1504 the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is less than 0 and no increase in medals has occurred in the advantageous zone but a decrease in medals has occurred, the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin count MY is cleared to 0 in step S1505, and the MY update process is terminated.

[0274] In the second interval display process, after executing the MY update process in step S1403, a remaining game count management process is executed in step S1404, followed by a remaining coin management process in the following step S1405. The remaining game count management process is a process for managing whether the advantageous zone will reach its upper limit (1500 games) with the current number of remaining games based on the number of games remaining in the AT mode, etc. The remaining game count management process determines whether the advantageous zone will reach its upper limit (1500 games) with the current number of remaining games, for example, if the number of games in the advantageous zone AG is 1450 at the start of the second AT mode, even if the AT mode continues, the upper limit (200 coins) of games will be reached before the AT mode termination condition is met. 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 advantageous zone will reach its upper limit (2400 coins) with the current number of remaining games based on the number of games remaining in the AT mode, etc. In the remaining payout number management process, for example, when the second AT mode starts, if the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY is 2300, even if the AT mode continues as it is, it is determined whether the upper limit increase number of the advantageous zone will be reached before the AT mode termination condition (payout number = 200) is met. If this is the case, a second excess flag is set in the various flags storage area 106d as a flag to identify the situation.

[0275] In the next step S1406, a ball output adjustment process is executed. This process will be explained in detail later, but in the ball output adjustment process, the net increase in the number of coins per game is calculated based on the number of games and payouts in a specific section, and parameters used in the AT type determination process and the ceiling counter setting process are set based on this net increase in the number of coins.

[0276] After executing the processing of step S1406, in step S1407, 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 increase / decrease MY has reached the upper limit of 2400. If either of these forced termination conditions is met, in step S1408, the number of games in the advantageous zone AG and the number of coins in the advantageous zone increase / decrease MY are cleared to 0. In the following step S1409, a process is performed to end the display of the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator. Then, in step S1410, 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.

[0277] More specifically, the data initialization process of step S1410 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 an AT mode win flag or an AT mode flag is set, these flags are cleared. Furthermore, if the premonition counter for the premonition mode, the counter for the number of games continued in the CZ mode or the AT mode, etc., are greater than 0, all of these counters are reset to 0. In other words, the initialization process initializes all variables or parameters that affect the performance of the push order notification with respect to the advantageous zone as an advantageous state using the push order notification, and is a process for clearing RAM for such variables or parameters.

[0278] If it is determined in step S1407 that the number of games played in the advantageous zone AG has not reached its upper limit and that the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY has not reached its upper limit increase, the process proceeds to step S1411, where it determines whether the normal termination condition for the advantageous zone has been met. More specifically, it determines whether the CZ mode flag, AT mode win flag, and AT mode flag are all set and whether the number of remaining games, including modes higher than CZ mode, has reached 0. If none of these flags are set, the process proceeds to step S1412, where it executes a process to decrement the advantageous zone continuation counter provided in the various counter area 106e by 1. As previously explained, the advantageous zone continuation counter counts the number of games played in the advantageous zone, which is not in AT mode or CZ mode and has not won the lottery for transitioning to AT mode or CZ mode (normal advantageous zone). For example, a predetermined value of 100 is input in a game in which the lottery for transitioning to the advantageous zone is won (step S709). After executing the process in step S1412, it determines in step S1415 whether the advantageous zone continuation counter has reached 0. If it is not 0, the second section display process is terminated. If the advantageous section continuation counter becomes 0, the process proceeds to step S1408, and the process for the end of the advantageous section in steps S1408 to S1410 is performed, and then the second section display process is terminated.

[0279] <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.

[0280] In this slot machine 10, as shown in FIG. 42, 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.

[0281] In the normal zone, for example, if a player wins the lottery to move to the advantageous zone by winning a small win 7 (watermelon), the number of games played in the advantageous zone (counting the number of advantageous zone games AG) will start to be measured 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 mode flag are set, etc., and a push order notification can be generated, the condition to start the display of the zone indicator is met, and the eighth display segment N8 will light up.

[0282] 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.

[0283] 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.

[0284] 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.

[0285] In this way, in the slot machine 10, winning the lottery for transitioning to a favorable zone in the normal zone causes a transition to the favorable zone, and transitioning to the AT mode in the favorable zone can trigger a push-order notification, allowing players to win many medals by winning bells in accordance with the push-order notification. Meanwhile, in the favorable zone, several forced termination conditions, such as a maximum number of games and a maximum number of medal increases, are predefined. The favorable zone ends when the maximum number of games is reached, even if the maximum number of medal increases has not been reached, and the favorable zone ends when the maximum number of medal increases has been reached, even if the maximum number of games has not been reached. In this regard, in order to enjoy the game for as long as possible, it is preferable for the favorable zone to continue until the maximum number of games is reached, and more preferably, it is preferable for the maximum number of increases to be reached in the game in which the maximum number of games is reached.

[0286] As previously explained, in a three-bet game with a carryover second BB win, the net increase is approximately minus 2.10 coins. If the push-order notification does not occur even in the favorable zone, the player's medal count may decrease by approximately 2.10 coins per game. In contrast, when the AT mode is switched to and the push-order notification occurs, it becomes possible to achieve small prizes 1 through 6 when each push-order bell win occurs, resulting in a net increase of approximately 8.04 coins during that AT mode. In this case, if the AT mode continues for approximately 300 games in the favorable zone, the upper limit of 2,400 coins will be reached. There is a high possibility that the favorable zone will be terminated before the upper limit is reached due to the forced termination of the upper limit. In other words, if the favorable zone is terminated before a sufficient number of games are played, the player's enjoyment of the game may be shortened. However, reducing the number of medals when the push-order bell wins, which is the main trigger for medal increase in the AT mode, or lowering the probability of winning the push-order bell, is not desirable in terms of increasing the enjoyment of each game. Therefore, in this embodiment, various adjustments to the AT mode are made in the advantageous zone, taking into account the current medal increase / decrease. The adjustment process will be explained below.

[0287] <Ball output adjustment processing> In this embodiment, multiple states are set that can affect the ball payout performance (medal increase rate) in AT mode, and more specifically, multiple consecutive win states are set that can affect the appearance rate of AT mode and the type of AT mode when it appears. The multiple consecutive win states are set as high consecutive win states, medium consecutive win states, and low consecutive win states, with the high consecutive win state having the highest medal increase rate in AT mode and the low consecutive win state having the lowest medal increase rate in AT mode. In the ball payout adjustment process of step S1406 in the above-mentioned second section display process, these consecutive win states are set based on the current medal increase rate. Figure 43 is a flowchart showing the ball payout adjustment process.

[0288] In step S1601, it is determined whether the eighth display segment N8 as a zone indicator is being displayed. That is, it is determined whether the current situation has occurred after the transition to the advantageous zone, after the AT mode winning notification has been made, and after the transition to the specific zone where a substantial increase in medals can be expected. If the current situation has occurred after the AT mode winning notification, it is determined in step S1602 whether the result of the current game is any of the re-play winnings. If the current situation has not resulted in any of the re-play winnings, the process proceeds to step S1603. In step S1601, if the AT mode winning notification has not yet been made since the transition to the advantageous zone, and the current situation is in a non-specific zone before the transition to the specific zone, or if the result of the current game in step S1602 is any of the re-play winnings, the process for adjusting the payout balls is terminated without performing the process for setting the consecutive win state from step S1603 onwards.

[0289] In step S1603, the CPU 102 determines the number of medals paid out in the current game and adds the determined number of medals to the consecutive-game-out counter OC provided in the various counter area 106e. The consecutive-game-out counter OC is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to determine the total number of medals paid out since the specific interval began. For example, if the current game results in a small win and 13 medals are paid out, the CPU 102 increments the consecutive-game-out counter OC by 13. If the current game results in a loss and no small wins are achieved, the CPU 102 increments the consecutive-game-out counter OC by 0. The advantageous interval increase / decrease coin count MY indicates the increase / decrease coin count taking into account the number of coins bet and can be decremented in games where no payout occurs. However, the consecutive-game-out counter OC indicates the number of coins paid out without taking into account the number of coins bet and is not decremented in games where no payout occurs.

[0290] In the next step S1604, a process of adding 1 to the consecutive game number counter GC provided in the various counter area 106e is executed. The consecutive game number counter GC is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of games played since a specific interval is reached. Incidentally, the advantageous interval game number AG indicates the total number of games played in the advantageous interval, whereas the consecutive game number counter GC differs in that it indicates the number of games played since an actual medal increase occurred.

[0291] In step S1605, it is determined whether the consecutive win out counter OC resulting from the processing of step S1603 is six or more times the consecutive win game count counter GC resulting from the processing of step S1604. A positive determination is made in step S1605 when the average number of medals paid out per game in a three-bet game is six or more (a net increase of three or more medals in a three-bet game), and the payout rate (the ratio of the number of medals won to the number of medals inserted) is 200% or more. If a positive determination is made in step S1605, a process of inputting 2 to a second offset counter provided in the various counter area 106e is executed in step S1606. The second offset counter is one of multiple parameters provided for setting the consecutive win status in the AT mode, and a value between 0 and 2 is input to the second offset counter.

[0292] If a negative determination is made in step S1605, then in step S1607 it is determined whether the consecutive win out counter OC is five times or more the consecutive win game count counter GC. A positive determination is made in step S1607 when the average number of medals paid out per game in a three-bet game is five or more (the net increase in medals in a three-bet game is three or more) and the payout rate is 166% or more. If a positive determination is made in step S1607, then in step S1608 a process is executed to input 1 into the second offset counter. If a negative determination is made in step S1607, then in step S1609 a process is executed to input 0 into the second offset counter.

[0293] After executing any one of the processes in steps S1606, S1608, and S1609, the process proceeds to step S1610. The processes in steps S1610 and S1611 are processes for determining whether or not the situation is close to the establishment of the conditions for forcibly terminating the advantageous zone. That is, in step S1610, it is determined whether or not the number of games in the current advantageous zone is close to the upper limit number of games, and more specifically, it is determined whether or not it is 1300 or more, which is a value that is 70% or more of 1500, which is the upper limit value of the advantageous zone number of games AG. In addition, in step S1611, it is determined whether or not the current number of medals increased or decreased is close to the upper limit number of increases, and more specifically, it is determined whether or not it is 2000 or more, which is a value that is 70% or more of 2400, which is the upper limit value of the advantageous zone number of medals increased or decreased MY. If a positive determination is made in either step S1610 or step S1611, a process of inputting 4 into the first offset counter provided in the various counter area 106e is executed in step S1612, and then this ball output adjustment process is terminated. The first offset counter is one of multiple parameters provided to set the consecutive win state of the AT mode, and a value of 0 to 4 is input into the first offset counter.

[0294] If a negative determination is made in both step S1610 and step S1611, and the conditions for forcibly terminating the advantageous zone have not yet been met, steps S1613 to S1619 execute a process of inputting a different value to the first offset counter depending on the value of the consecutive game number counter GC. That is, in step S1613, it is determined whether the consecutive game number counter GC is greater than 500. If, in step S1613, the number of games played since the advantageous zone entered the specific zone exceeds 500, step S1614 executes a process of inputting 3 to the first offset counter, and then the payout adjustment process is terminated.

[0295] If the consecutive game number counter GC is 500 or less in step S1613, it is determined in step S1615 whether or not the consecutive game number counter GC is greater than 200. If the number of games since the specific section began is between 200 and 500 in step S1615, a process of inputting 2 into the first offset counter is executed in step S1616, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated.

[0296] If the consecutive game number counter GC is 200 or less in step S1615, it is determined in step S1617 whether or not the consecutive game number counter GC is greater than 100. If the number of games played since the specific zone was entered is between 100 and 200 in step S1617, a process of inputting 1 into the first offset counter is executed in step S1618, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated. On the other hand, if the number of games played since the increase in medals in the advantageous zone occurred is up to 100 in step S1617, a process of inputting 0 into the first offset counter is executed in step S1619, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated.

[0297] <Continuous game status table> As described above, the consecutive win state set based on the input of the first offset counter and the second offset counter in the ball payout adjustment process will be described. Figure 44 shows an example of the consecutive win state table stored in the various table storage area 105a.

[0298] As described above, the consecutive win states in the AT mode are set to a high consecutive win state, a medium consecutive win state, and a low consecutive win state, and a first offset counter and a second offset counter are set as parameters for determining these consecutive win states. The first offset counter is determined by the consecutive win game count counter GC and the forced termination condition of the advantageous zone, and the second offset counter is determined by the payout rate (net increase in number of coins) calculated by the consecutive win game count counter GC and the consecutive win out counter OC.

[0299] For example, when 0 is input into the first offset counter, this means that the number of games since the specific section has been reached is up to 100, and in this state, the game is set to a high consecutive win state regardless of the value of the second offset counter. In contrast, when the number of games since the specific section has been reached exceeds 100 and 1 to 3 is input into the first offset counter, the consecutive win state differs depending on the value of the second offset counter. That is, when the number of games since the specific section has been reached is 100 to 200 and 1 is input into the first offset counter, the game is set to a high consecutive win state if the net increase in the number of coins with a payout rate of less than 166% is less than 2 (second offset counter = 0), but is set to a medium consecutive win state if the net increase in the number of coins with a payout rate of 166% or more is 2 or more (second offset counter = 1, 2). In addition, if the number of games since the specific section is reached is 200 or more and 2 or 3 is input into the first offset counter, if the net increase in the number of coins with a payout rate of less than 166% is less than 2 coins (second offset counter = 0), the state will be set to a high consecutive win state, but if the net increase in the number of coins with a payout rate of 166% to 200% is 2 or more but less than 3 coins (second offset counter = 1), the state will be set to a medium consecutive win state, and if the net increase in the number of coins with a payout rate of 200% or more is 3 or more coins (second offset counter = 2), the state will be set to a low consecutive win state.

[0300] In addition, if the conditions for the forced termination of the advantageous zone are about to be met and 4 is entered into the first offset counter, the state will be set to a low consecutive win state regardless of the payout rate (net increase in number of coins, value of the second offset counter).

[0301] Incidentally, when the initialization process (step S1410) is performed at the end of the advantageous zone, the first offset counter and the second offset counter are both set to 0. Therefore, when the advantageous zone is entered, the consecutive win state will start from a high consecutive win state.

[0302] Hereinafter, a configuration in which the continuous winning state of the AT mode set as described above affects the winning performance of the AT mode will be described. In the present embodiment, as a process (a process for adjusting the winning performance) for determining whether to improve the winning performance (cause a favorable event) by referring to the continuous winning state of the AT mode, an AT type determination process and a ceiling counter setting process are set. The AT type determination process is a process for determining the type of the current AT mode when the transition to the AT mode is permitted, and is a process executed in step S1210 in the game number management process (FIG. 38). Further, the ceiling counter setting process is a process for determining the next ceiling when the AT mode ends, and is a process executed in step S1115 in the winning result corresponding process (FIG. 37).

[0303] <AT type determination process> FIG. 45 is a flowchart showing the AT type determination process.

[0304] In step S1701, a process of acquiring the AT type table from the various table storage areas 105a is executed. Then, in step S1702, a process of grasping the current continuous winning state is executed. When grasping the continuous winning state, the above continuous winning state table, the first offset counter, and the second offset counter are referred to.

[0305] As shown in Figure 46, the AT type table is set so that the selection rate between the first AT mode and the second AT mode differs depending on the set consecutive win state. As already explained, the first AT mode is an AT mode in which the upper limit of medal payout is set to 100, and the second AT mode is an AT mode in which the upper limit of medal payout is set to 200, with the second AT mode being an AT mode that is more advantageous to the player than the first AT mode. Although these AT modes do not transition to a gaming state, so-called bonus symbols such as "red 7" symbols, "white 7" symbols, and "BAR" symbols may align and stop on a predetermined line in the starting game (Figure 14), and then medals can be acquired by a push order notification. Therefore, in contrast to a game in which the bonus symbols align and the gaming state transitions to a bonus state, these AT modes are called so-called pseudo-bonuses. The first AT mode is called a pseudo regular bonus (pseudo RB) in which the number of coins paid out is small, and the second AT mode is called a pseudo big bonus (pseudo BB) in which the number of coins paid out is large.

[0306] In a high-streak state, the first AT mode as a pseudo RB and the second AT mode as a pseudo BB are selected about half and half. More specifically, the probability of the second AT mode being selected is slightly higher, with the selection rates of the first AT mode and the second AT mode being about 46.88% and about 53.13%, respectively. In a medium-streak state, the probability of the first AT mode being selected is higher than the probability of the second AT mode being selected, with the selection rates of each AT mode being about 65.63% and about 34.38%, respectively. In a low-streak state, the first AT mode is selected, but the second AT mode is not selected.

[0307] In step S1703, the type of AT mode this time is determined by lottery based on the acquired AT type table, the consecutive win status grasped by the consecutive win status table and each offset counter, and the counter for lottery acquired from the various counter area 106e.Then, the determined type of AT mode is temporarily stored in a register or the like, and this AT type determination process is terminated.In this case, in step S1211 executed following the AT type determination process, the type of AT mode determined in the AT type determination process is determined, and if it is the first AT mode, a process is executed to perform an effect that a transition to the first AT mode is permitted (step S1212), and if it is the second AT mode, a process is executed to perform an effect that a transition to the second AT mode is permitted (step S1213).

[0308] <Ceiling counter setting process> Next, the ceiling counter setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0309] In step S1801, it is determined whether the stock counter in the various counter area 106e is 1 or greater. As already explained, the stock counter is a counter that allows the CPU 102 to grasp the number of remaining sets in the AT mode. For example, if 1 is input into the stock counter, transition to the next AT mode is permitted following the end of one AT mode. If the stock counter is 1 or greater, processing is executed to subtract 1 from the stock counter in step S1802, and processing is executed to input 0 into the ceiling counter in step S1803, and then the ceiling counter setting processing is terminated. That is, for example, if the stock counter is 1 at the end of the first AT mode, by inputting 0 into the ceiling counter, an AT mode winning flag is set in the AT lottery processing for the next game (FIG. 29) after the end of the first AT mode (step S815 → step S808).

[0310] If it is determined in step S1801 that the stock counter is 0, the process proceeds to step S1804. In step S1804, a process is performed to obtain a ceiling table from the various table storage area 105a. Then, in step S1805, a process is performed to determine the current consecutive win status based on the consecutive win status table and each offset counter, as in step S1702 above. In the following step S1806, a process is performed to determine the setting value set in the win probability setting process.

[0311] The ceiling table is set so that the selected ceiling counter value varies depending on the current consecutive win status and the set value, as shown in Figure 48. More specifically, three types of ceiling modes are set depending on the selected ceiling counter value: Super Heaven Mode, Heaven Mode, and Normal Mode, and the selection rate of each mode varies depending on the current consecutive win status and the set value.

[0312] Super Heaven mode is a ceiling mode in which a value of 1 between 1 and 30 is set as the ceiling counter, and a transition to the next AT mode occurs within 30 games after one AT mode ends. Heaven mode is a ceiling mode in which a value of 1 between 31 and 100 is set as the ceiling counter, and a transition to the next AT mode occurs within 100 games after one AT mode ends. Normal mode is a ceiling mode in which a value of 101 to 999 is set as the ceiling counter, and a ceiling mode in which the AT mode winning flag is not set until the maximum ceiling of 999 games has elapsed since one AT mode ends, unless the player wins the AT mode transition lottery.

[0313] In this embodiment, when setting the ceiling counter, first the Super Heaven mode, Heaven mode, and normal mode are allocated, and then the detailed ceiling counter value is selected. As shown in Figure 48, the allocation rate for each mode is set to differ depending on the current consecutive win status and the set value. On the other hand, after allocation to each mode, which value is selected is determined randomly within the range of each mode.

[0314] In a high consecutive win state, regardless of the setting value, the game will be assigned to any of Super Heaven mode, Heaven mode, and normal mode, with Heaven mode being the most likely to be assigned, followed by normal mode, and unlikely to be assigned to Super Heaven mode. The probability of being assigned to Super Heaven mode or Heaven mode is highest for setting 5, decreasing in the order of setting 3, setting 1, setting 4, setting 2, and setting 6. In other words, setting 6, the highest setting, is unlikely to be assigned to Super Heaven mode or Heaven mode even in a high consecutive win state.

[0315] In the medium consecutive win state, as in the high consecutive win state, any setting value can be assigned to any of the super heaven mode, heaven mode, and normal mode, but the probability of being assigned to the super heaven mode or heaven mode is lower than in the high consecutive win state. In other words, in the medium consecutive win state, it is easier to be assigned to the normal mode than in the high consecutive win state.

[0316] In a low consecutive win state, regardless of the setting value, it will not be assigned to Super Heaven mode or Heaven mode. In other words, in a low consecutive win state, regardless of the setting value, the ceiling mode after the AT mode ends will be assigned to normal mode.

[0317] In the ceiling counter setting process, in step S1807, a ceiling mode lottery process is performed using the ceiling table, consecutive win status, set value, and lottery counter. Thereafter, in step S1808, the current ceiling game number is determined by lottery within the range of game numbers for the ceiling mode determined in step S1807. Note that, although the present embodiment is configured to randomly determine the ceiling game number by lottery, for example, easy-to-select game numbers and hard-to-select game numbers may be set, or the selection rate and game number of the easy-to-select game numbers and hard-to-select game numbers may vary depending on the set value and consecutive win status.

[0318] After executing the processing of step S1808, in step S1809, a process is executed in which the ceiling game number determined in step S1808 is input into the ceiling counter. Then, in step S1810, a process is executed in which 100 is input into the advantageous zone continuation counter, and then the ceiling counter setting process is terminated. As already explained, the advantageous zone continuation counter corresponds to the number of games for which the advantageous zone continues, not in AT mode or CZ mode, and in a state in which the AT mode or CZ mode has not been won. In other words, as described above, if normal mode is selected as the ceiling mode and a ceiling game number within the range of normal mode (101 to 999) is input into the ceiling counter, the advantageous zone will end before the ceiling counter reaches 0, and the ceiling counter will be reset. In this case, a new ceiling game number will be set when transitioning to the advantageous zone next time.

[0319] Here, we will provide additional explanation about the ceiling value set in the AT ceiling setting process, which is performed when a player wins the lottery for transitioning to a favorable zone, and the ceiling value set when the AT mode ends. As already explained, the maximum ceiling value set when a player wins the lottery for transitioning to a favorable zone is 999, and the maximum ceiling value set when the AT mode ends is also 999, and they are the same. In contrast, the ceiling value set when a player wins the lottery for transitioning to a favorable zone is more likely to be set to a smaller ceiling value (shallower ceiling) on ​​average than the ceiling value set in normal mode when the AT mode ends. Therefore, when a player transitions to a favorable zone, it can be expected that the ceiling counter will reach 0 and the player will transition to AT mode even if the player does not win the lottery for transitioning to the AT mode.

[0320] Furthermore, in a high consecutive win state, the Super Heaven mode, Heaven mode, or normal mode is selected as the ceiling mode, and in a low consecutive win state, the normal mode is selected as the Heaven mode, so whether the consecutive win state is a high consecutive win state or a low consecutive win state, the normal mode is selected as the Heaven mode. Therefore, the maximum ceiling value set at the end of the AT mode is 999, regardless of the consecutive win state.

[0321] <Continuous win status and medal increase / decrease> The progress of the game and the increase or decrease in medals when the consecutive win state is set as described above and the ball output performance of the AT mode is adjusted will be explained with reference to Figures 49 and 50.

[0322] If the AT mode starts at t2 after moving to the advantageous zone at time t1, the display target zone for the 8th display segment N8 as a zone indicator will start from time t2, and the consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC will start updating with a game that starts after time t2 and is not a replay winning game (for example, a bell winning game) as the starting game.

[0323] As already explained, the games that start the first AT mode or the second AT mode are games that result in winning the normal RIP B or the normal RIP C. In other words, a game in which the AT mode is started and the AT mode flag is set, causing the interval display to be displayed, is a game that results in a replay, and in that game the consecutive win counter OC and the consecutive win number counter GC are not updated. In this way, in a configuration in which a game that results in a replay win is not subject to updating each counter, by making a game that causes the update of each counter to start a replay win the replay win, the process for starting the update (the process for starting the display of the interval display) and the process for updating do not overlap, and the processing is distributed.

[0324] At the start of the AT mode at t2, an AT type determination process is performed to determine the type of AT mode to transition to. As described above, for the AT type, the upper limit payout number is 100 for the first AT mode, and 200 for the second AT mode. In the AT type determination process at t2, the second AT mode is determined, and the second AT mode ends at t3 when 200 or more medals are paid out. When the AT mode ends, the ceiling mode is set in the ceiling counter setting process. At t3, Heaven mode is set, and a winning streak within 100 games is confirmed. In the game at t4 when Heaven mode is set and the ceiling counter, which has a value of 100 or less input, reaches 0, a transition to the next AT mode occurs. At t4, the first AT mode is determined, and the first AT mode ends at t5 when 100 or more medals are paid out.

[0325] As described above, in the payout adjustment process, the net increase in coins is calculated using the consecutive win counter OC and the consecutive win game counter GC, and the value of the second offset counter is determined based on the calculated net increase. In this case, the game for updating the consecutive win counter OC and the consecutive win game counter GC is the game after the transition to the AT mode occurs in the advantageous zone, as described above, and any subsequent games resulting in a replay win are excluded from the update. Therefore, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 49, when calculating the net increase in coins in the AT mode starting at t2, using a game resulting in a bell win (shown as "B" in the figure) as the calculation start game, the net increase excluding the game resulting in a replay win will be greater than the net increase including the game resulting in the bell win, the game resulting in a loss (shown as "X" in the figure), and the game resulting in a replay win (shown as "R" in the figure) (the slope of the graph showing the medal increase is steeper in the figure). Therefore, rather than using the net increase in coins including the games that result in a replay win as the input to each offset counter, a larger value is more likely to be input to each offset counter, and the consecutive win state in the AT mode is more likely to be set to a low consecutive win state or a medium consecutive win state. In other words, by using the net increase in coins excluding the games that result in a replay win as the input to each offset counter as in the above configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent the payout of medals that far exceed the design value.

[0326] Furthermore, as described above, by configuring the number of net increases that does not include games that result in a replay win to be used to adjust the ball output in the AT mode, even in a configuration in which the probability of winning a replay changes depending on the game state, it is possible to adjust the ball output in the AT mode based on the number of net increases without taking into account changes in the game state, and it is possible to adjust the ball output while minimizing the influence of events such as winning consecutive replay results or not winning the replay results.

[0327] Figure 49 shows how medals increase when the consecutive win state set by the ball output adjustment process is not referenced in the setting process for each AT mode (AT type determination process and ceiling counter setting process) after timing t6.

[0328] That is, if Super Heaven mode is selected as the ceiling mode at t7, when the second AT mode, which started at t6, ends, a transition to AT mode occurs again at t8, within 30 games. In this case, the AT mode is also the second AT mode, and if Super Heaven mode is also selected as the ceiling mode after the second AT mode, a transition to AT mode occurs again at t9, within 30 games. The second AT mode is also selected at t9, and the Super Heaven mode continues to win. The figure shows that the upper payout limit for the advantageous zone, 2400 coins, is reached during the second AT mode, which starts at t10, and the advantageous zone is forced to end. Note that the calculation of the upper payout limit begins at t2, when an actual increase in coins occurs, rather than at t1, when the advantageous zone begins.

[0329] In contrast, Figure 50 shows how medals increase when the consecutive win state set by the ball output adjustment process is referenced in the setting process for each AT mode (AT type determination process and ceiling counter setting process) from timing t26 onwards, after the start of the advantageous zone, the start of measurement of the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY, the consecutive win out counter OC, and the consecutive win game count counter GC from timing t21 to t25, similar to t1 to t5 in Figure 49.

[0330] That is, in the ceiling counter setting process performed at the timing of t27 when the second AT mode, which started at the timing of t26, ends, the ceiling mode is set by referring to the consecutive win state defined by each offset counter. For example, if the consecutive win state of the AT mode is defined as a medium consecutive win state at the time of t27, in this embodiment, even if the consecutive win state is not a high consecutive win state but a medium consecutive win state, the super heaven mode may be selected as the ceiling mode, so the super heaven mode may be selected at t27. In this case, similar to the AT mode at t8 after the second AT mode ends at t7, the AT mode is again switched to at t28, which is within 30 games from t27. However, at t28, the AT type determination process is performed again by referring to the consecutive win state defined by each offset counter. The figure shows the case where the consecutive win state is a medium consecutive win state at t28 and the first AT mode is selected. In this case, at t8 above, the machine will transition to the second AT mode, which has a maximum payout of 200 coins, whereas at t28, the machine will transition to the first AT mode, which has a maximum payout of 100 coins, thereby suppressing the increase in medals.

[0331] If Heaven mode is selected as the ceiling mode instead of Super Heaven mode at t29, when the first AT mode started at t28 ends, the transition to the next AT mode (reaching the ceiling) will occur later in the game than if Super Heaven mode were selected when the second AT mode started at t8 ends. In other words, the selection of the ceiling mode also suppresses medal gains. Then, at t30, 31 to 100 games after t29, the game transitions back to the AT mode. For example, if the game is still in a medium-level winning streak at t30, the second AT mode may also be selected. In other words, even in situations where medal gains are suppressed, the configuration allows the selection of not only the first AT mode but also the second AT mode as the AT type. This avoids the situation where extreme ball-out restrictions are imposed, which discourages players from playing.

[0332] At t31, when the second AT mode, which started at t30, ends, the ceiling mode is set to normal mode. As a result, unless the AT mode lottery process is won, the transition to the next AT mode occurs after 101 games, at the end of the advantageous zone. This example shows a case where the AT mode lottery process is won within 100 games. At t33, t34, and t35, the transition to the first AT mode occurred within 100 games, and at t36, the upper limit of the advantageous zone's increase, 2,400 coins, was reached. In this case, t36 is a later game than t11 (t32 in FIG. 50), when the upper limit of the increase was reached if the payout adjustment did not function in FIG. 49, and the advantageous zone was played for a longer period of time.

[0333] <About the forced termination effect> In this embodiment, when the advantageous zone ends due to the establishment of any of the forced termination conditions, a special effect is generated as an ending effect. The process for setting the effect at the time of such forced termination will be explained with reference to FIG. 51. FIG. 51(a) is a flowchart showing the effect setting process at the time of forced termination executed by the CPU 181 of the display control device 81 as a sub-control device. The effect setting process is started, for example, at a predetermined cycle (2 msec cycle).

[0334] In step S1901, it is determined whether or not a favorable zone initialization command has been received from the main control unit 101. The favorable zone initialization command is a command that is output when the initialization process (step S1410) is executed at the end of the favorable zone in the second zone display process (Figure 40) on the main control unit 101 side. Such favorable zone initialization command contains information about the event that triggered the end of the favorable zone. If the favorable zone initialization command has not been received in step S1901, it is not the time for a forced termination, so this performance setting process is terminated as is. If it has been received, proceed to step S1902.

[0335] In step S1902, based on the received advantageous zone initialization command, it is determined whether the event that triggered the end of this advantageous zone was the establishment of any of the forced termination conditions. If none of the forced termination conditions were established and the event was a normal termination, that is, if 100 games were consumed after AT mode, etc., and steps S1411 to S1413 were passed, it is determined that it is not the time for forced termination, and this effect setting process is terminated as is. If any of the forced termination conditions were established, proceed to step S1903.

[0336] In step S1903, it is determined whether the current forced termination condition is that the upper limit number of games has been reached. If the upper limit number of games has not been reached and the game has ended, it indicates that the upper limit number of coins has been reached and the game has ended. In this case, in step S1904, a process is executed to determine the number of games remaining up to the upper limit number of games. More specifically, for example, if the number of games since the start of the advantageous zone is 1,350, it is determined that the number of games up to the upper limit number of games is 150. In the following step S1905, it is determined whether the number of games determined in step S1904 is less than the predetermined number of games, i.e., less than 200 games. If it is not less than 200 games, in step S1906, a first special effect is set to be displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65 or speaker 64 as the effect at the time of this forced termination, and then this effect setting process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1905 that there are less than 200 games, then in step S1907, a setting is made so that a second special effect will be displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 as the effect at the time of this forced termination, and then this effect setting process is terminated. If it is determined in step S1903 that the game has ended because the upper limit number of games has been reached, then in step S1908, a setting is made so that a third special effect will be displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 as the effect at the time of this forced termination, and then this effect setting process is terminated.

[0337] In this embodiment, the first special effect, the second special effect, and the third special effect are set so that the display content on the auxiliary display unit 65 and the sound effects from the speaker 64 are different, respectively, so that the player can distinguish which special effect is being performed. Furthermore, these first special effect, the second special effect, and the third special effect are set as first special effect A, first special effect B, second special effect A, second special effect B, third special effect A, and third special effect B, respectively, and the display content on the auxiliary display unit 65 and the sound effects from the speaker 64 are different enough that the player can distinguish them.

[0338] As shown in FIG. 51(b), when each special effect is performed, whether special effect A or special effect B is performed is set so that the selection rate varies depending on the setting value set in the winning probability setting process. That is, when the first special effect is performed, in settings 1, 3, and 5, first special effect A is selected with a 60% probability, and first special effect B is selected with a 40% probability. In contrast, in settings 2, 4, and 6, first special effect A is selected with a 40% probability, and first special effect B is selected with a 60% probability. That is, when the advantageous zone reaches the upper limit increase number and ends with many games (200 games or more) remaining up to the upper limit game number, a setting suggestion effect suggesting whether the setting value is even or odd is executed as the first special effect.

[0339] In contrast, when the second special effect is performed, in settings 1, 3, and 5, second special effect A is selected with a 5% probability, and second special effect B is selected with a 95% probability. In contrast, in settings 2, 4, and 6, second special effect A is selected with a 95% probability, and second special effect B is selected with a 5% probability. In other words, if the upper limit increase number is reached and the advantageous zone ends when there is only a short distance (less than 200 games) from the upper limit number of games, a setting value suggestion effect is executed as the second special effect, which suggests whether the setting value is even or odd, and makes it easier to determine whether the setting is even or odd than in the case of the first special effect described above.

[0340] When the third special effect is performed, in settings 1 to 3, the third special effect A is selected with a probability of 5%, and the third special effect B is selected with a probability of 95%. In contrast, in settings 4 to 6, the third special effect A is selected with a probability of 95%, and the third special effect B is selected with a probability of 5%. In other words, when the advantageous zone reaches the upper limit number of games and ends, a setting value suggestion effect suggesting the high or low of the setting value is executed as the third special effect.

[0341] In these setting value suggestion effects, assuming that the player plays on a gaming machine with a high setting value, it is preferable for the player to have the third special effect, which allows the player to determine whether the setting value is high or low, performed, followed by the second special effect, which allows the player to determine whether the setting value is even or odd. In other words, when these first to third special effects are performed, the third special effect will provide the most advantageous benefit to the player, and the second special effect will provide the most advantageous benefit.

[0342] According to the present embodiment described above in detail, the following excellent effects are achieved.

[0343] In the ball output adjustment process, the net increase in the number of balls (ball output rate) calculated by the consecutive game out counter OC and the consecutive game number counter GC is used to set the second offset counter, and the consecutive game state is determined by the second offset counter.The probability that the second AT mode will be selected in the AT type determination process and the probability that the Super Heaven mode will be selected in the ceiling counter setting process differ depending on the consecutive game state.This makes it possible to eliminate situations where the net increase in the number of balls becomes extremely large or extremely small, and makes it possible to increase or decrease the gaming media as designed.

[0344] In particular, in the advantageous zone, if the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY reaches the upper limit, the advantageous zone game count AG is forcibly terminated even if it has not reached the upper limit. Therefore, if the net increase in the advantageous zone becomes too large, the advantageous zone is forcibly terminated when the advantageous zone increase / decrease number MY reaches the upper limit, that is, the advantageous zone is likely to end without reaching the upper limit. This would prevent players from enjoying the advantageous zone for long. Therefore, with the above configuration, if the net increase in the number of coins is large, the streak state is likely to become low, which suppresses the net increase in the number of coins and allows players to enjoy the advantageous zone for longer.

[0345] The calculation of the net increase in number of coins using the consecutive game count counter GC and consecutive game out counter OC is performed for each game except for games that result in a replay during AT mode in the ball output adjustment process.Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the calculation is performed only for games for which the net increase in number of coins is desired, the processing load for each game is standardized, and processing is optimized through the distribution of the processing load.

[0346] In particular, by not including information about games that result from replays in the calculation of the net increase in coins, it is possible to avoid the net increase in coins being diluted (decreased) by the coincidence of many winning replays, and after properly grasping the actual medal increase / decrease rate (ball payout rate), it is possible to perform feedback control by setting a consecutive win state using that actual medal increase / decrease rate.

[0347] In this case, the starting game of the AT mode, which starts updating the consecutive game counter GC and consecutive game out counter OC and calculating the net increase in coins, is a game that results in a replay result such as normal RIP B or normal RIP C. In other words, in the game that starts updating these counters and calculating the net increase in coins, only the process of starting the update and calculation (the process of setting the AT mode flag) is performed, and the update and calculation actually start from the next game. By doing this, it is possible to eliminate local increases in processing load through the distribution of processing.

[0348] Furthermore, the main results of the AT mode transition lottery (results that often trigger a win) are replay results, such as chance A to chance C or cherry A to cherry C. Therefore, when the consecutive game counter GC and consecutive game out counter OC are updated and the net increase in coins is calculated, the game that will win the next AT mode transition lottery is likely to be a game that results from these replays. In other words, information about the game that will win the next AT mode transition lottery is not taken into account when updating the counters or calculating the net increase in coins. This prevents players from being forced to miss out on game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery in order to lower the net increase in coins, and allows players to focus on the game in which the AT mode transition lottery is held (enjoying the game without considering the net increase in coins).

[0349] Furthermore, although the consecutive game count counter GC does not contain information on games that will result in a replay, it does have a favorable zone game count AG that contains information on games that will result in a replay. Therefore, by using it appropriately depending on the purpose, whether you want to manage games that will result in a replay or not, it becomes possible to manage ball payouts etc. in an appropriate manner.

[0350] The consecutive game counter GC and consecutive out counter OC are configured to be updated after the zone indicator starts displaying in the advantageous zone, and are updated during a situation where a substantial increase in medals can be expected (AT mode). In this way, by not starting updates in a situation where medals are not actually increasing, it is possible to efficiently identify events where the net increase in medals becomes large and the medal increase rate exceeds the design value.

[0351] In contrast, once the consecutive game counter GC and consecutive game out counter OC have started updating, they are configured to continue updating even outside of AT mode as long as they are in an advantageous zone. Here, since the advantageous zone is maintained for 100 games after the AT mode ends, if Heaven mode is selected as the ceiling mode or normal mode is selected and the AT mode transition lottery is won within those 100 games, the AT mode will continue in the same advantageous zone without crossing over into the normal zone. Because of this configuration, if the system is configured to continue updating even after AT mode as long as it is in an advantageous zone, as described above, it is possible to appropriately calculate the net increase in the number of coins (during consecutive games) during one advantageous zone.

[0352] The consecutive win status table reflects not only the value of the second offset counter but also the value of the first offset counter, which is determined primarily by the consecutive win game counter GC. In other words, the consecutive win status is set by taking into account not only the net increase in coins but also the number of games used to calculate that net increase in coins. This allows the consecutive win status to be set based on the net increase in coins, taking into account situations such as a game result with a large payout occurring in succession over a small number of games.

[0353] The consecutive game status determined by the consecutive game counter GC and the consecutive game out counter OC is configured to be managed in a unified manner as a ball output adjustment process, and the information on the consecutive game status is used in processes for adjusting multiple ball output performances in different situations, such as the AT type determination process and the ceiling counter setting process. By doing this, it is possible to simplify the processing configuration and reduce the processing load through the sharing of processing results such as the unified management of the consecutive game status.

[0354] In particular, between the AT type determination process and the ceiling counter setting process as processes for adjusting the ball output performance, the AT type determination process is set so that there is no setting difference (the difference in the setting value set by the winning probability setting process), whereas the ceiling counter setting process is set so that there is a setting difference, and the consecutive win status that is centrally managed is set so that there is no setting difference.By doing this, while centrally managing the consecutive win status information, it is possible to adjust the ball output performance that differs depending on whether or not there is a setting difference, and the usefulness of the consecutive win status information is increased.

[0355] The processes for adjusting each ball output performance that share information on consecutive wins are carried out in different games, one at the start of the AT mode and the other at the end of the AT mode, and are carried out before and after an increase in medals occurs in the AT mode.The processes for adjusting each related ball output performance are configured to share centrally managed consecutive win status information, and the consecutive win status information is updated every game, so that it is possible to adjust the ball output performance using the latest information in either adjustment process.

[0356] After the transition to the advantageous zone, even if the AT mode is not won, the advantageous zone continues for 100 games, and even after the AT mode ends, the advantageous zone continues for 100 games. By doing this, it is possible to appropriately manage information on the payout rate when the AT mode is in a continuous win state, rather than managing information on the payout rate for each AT mode.

[0357] Furthermore, by utilizing the configuration in which the advantageous zone continues for 100 games after the AT mode ends, i.e., the advantageous zone ends if the AT mode is not re-entered for 100 games, when the forced termination condition of the advantageous zone is about to be met, the ceiling game number is more likely to be selected as a number of games greater than 100 in the setting process of the ceiling counter, so that when the forced termination condition of the advantageous zone is about to be met, the advantageous zone is more likely to end before the forced termination. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the player's interest in the game due to a forced termination.

[0358] In this case, even if the advantageous zone ends before the forced termination condition is met, as described above, the advantageous zone transition lottery is conducted for all game results except for misses, and since the advantageous zone transition lottery is configured so that no player will be a loser, the game will basically transition to a new advantageous zone immediately after the advantageous zone ends. In this case, as described above, the advantageous zone game count AG and other parameters are reset from the point where the forced termination condition is about to be met, and the game will transition to a brand new advantageous zone. In this way, in a configuration with an advantageous zone that has a forced termination condition such as a maximum number of games, by reducing the number of times the game is forced to terminate due to the maximum number of games, the maximum number of games in the advantageous zone can be made less noticeable, allowing players to fully enjoy other gameplay features (such as whether or not the game transitions to AT mode and whether or not consecutive wins occur).

[0359] Furthermore, once the advantageous zone ends as described above, the consecutive game counter GC and consecutive game out counter OC are also initialized, and each offset counter is also reset to its initial value, and when a transition to AT mode occurs in the advantageous zone to which the transition has been re-transitioned, the consecutive game state is set to a high consecutive game state. This makes it possible to realize a cycle of gameplay in which, when the AT mode has a consecutive game state close to its upper limit in the advantageous zone, it is set to a low consecutive game state and the advantageous zone ends, and then it immediately transitions to the advantageous zone, is reset to a high consecutive game state, and the consecutive game state in AT mode can be restarted.

[0360] In this case, since the advantageous zone is likely to be set to a high consecutive win state in the early stages and a low consecutive win state in the late stages, as described above, when an advantageous zone is set to a consecutive win state, the end of the first advantageous zone is likely to be set to a low consecutive win state, and the beginning of the second advantageous zone is likely to be set to a high consecutive win state. In other words, when an advantageous zone is set to a consecutive win state, a set of situations in which a low consecutive win state and a situation in which a high consecutive win state are likely to be set can occur continuously across the advantageous zone. In other words, a set of situations in which a high consecutive win state is likely to occur continuously across the advantageous zone is unlikely. In this way, by providing situations in which the payout rate is high and low within one advantageous zone, the payout rate during the advantageous zone is prevented from becoming too high, while the fluctuations in the payout rate are created, increasing the fun of the game, and this effect can be expected even across advantageous zones.

[0361] <Variation 1> A modified example of the consecutive game status table will be explained.

[0362] In the consecutive win state table of Figure 52, in addition to each offset counter, a set value is set as a consecutive win state parameter. That is, for example, when the first offset counter is 0, the consecutive win game counter GC is 100 or less, the second offset counter is 1, and the net increase in number of coins calculated by the consecutive win game counter GC and the consecutive win out counter OC is 2 or more but less than 3, in the first embodiment, the system is uniformly set to a high consecutive win state. However, in Figure 52, the system is set to a high consecutive win state in settings 1, 3, and 5, and to a medium consecutive win state in settings 2, 4, and 6. Also, when the first offset counter is 0, the consecutive win game counter GC is 100 or less, the second offset counter is 2, and the net increase in number of coins calculated by the consecutive win game counter GC and the consecutive win out counter OC is 3 or more, the system is set to a medium consecutive win state in settings 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, and to a high consecutive win state in setting 5.

[0363] Furthermore, when the first offset counter is 2 and the consecutive game count counter GC is between 201 and 500, if the second offset counter is 1 and the net increase in the number of coins calculated by the consecutive game count counter GC and the consecutive game out counter OC is 2 or more but less than 3 coins, settings 1, 2, 4, and 6 are set to a low consecutive game state, setting 3 is set to a medium consecutive game state, and setting 5 is set to a high consecutive game state.

[0364] In this way, by making the consecutive win state itself, which is a common parameter used to adjust the payout rate of the AT mode, such as the ceiling counter setting process and the AT type determination process, different depending on the setting value, it becomes possible to set different settings in a single table, for example, for the ceiling counter (ceiling mode) set by the ceiling counter setting process and the type of AT mode determined by the AT type determination process. In this case, it is not necessary to set different settings in the ceiling counter table or the AT type table, and the table can be simplified. Furthermore, when using a ceiling counter table with setting differences such as in the first embodiment, differences due to the setting values ​​will be superimposed when setting the ceiling counter, making it possible to highlight and complicate the setting differences.

[0365] Incidentally, in Figure 52 above, the setting value does not make a difference in situations where the first offset counter is 3 and the consecutive game counter GC is 501 or more, or where the first offset counter is 4 and the upper limit of the advantageous zone is close by. These situations are particularly situations where the consecutive game state has a large impact on the number of games that can be played in the advantageous zone, and by doing so, it is possible to optimize play in the advantageous zone regardless of the setting value.

[0366] In the consecutive win state table of Fig. 53, the consecutive win state that is set when the first offset counter is 4 and the upper limit of the advantageous zone is approaching is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, in Fig. 53, when the first offset counter is 4 and the upper limit of the advantageous zone is approaching, the high consecutive win state is set regardless of the value of the second offset counter. In this way, when the upper limit of the advantageous zone is approaching, it becomes easier to set the Super Heaven mode as the ceiling mode and the second AT mode as the AT type, and the medal increase rate is increased.

[0367] Therefore, when one of the forced termination conditions, such as the upper limit number of games or the upper limit increase number, is about to be met, the forced termination condition for the upper limit increase number is more likely to be met first. In this way, by making it more difficult to reach the upper limit number of games, it becomes possible to increase the rarity of the second special notification and the third special notification, and by increasing the attention it receives, it becomes possible to increase the sense of anticipation for reaching the upper limit number of games.

[0368] 53, the consecutive win state according to the payout rate (value of the second offset counter) differs when the consecutive win game number counter GC is 201 to 500 (when the first offset counter is 2) and when the consecutive win game number counter GC is 501 or more (when the first offset counter is 3). In more detail, when the payout rate is 166% or more and less than 200% (net increase in number of coins is 2 or more and less than 3 coins), if the consecutive win game number counter GC is 201 to 500, it is set to a medium consecutive win state, whereas if the consecutive win game number counter GC is 501 or more, it is set to a low consecutive win state.

[0369] <Variation 2> In this modified example, the method of setting the first offset counter is different from that in the first embodiment. Figure 54 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in this modified example.

[0370] In the ball payout adjustment process in this modified example, the part of the process that inputs the first offset counter according to the value of the consecutive game number counter GC is different, and the other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, the processes in steps S2001 to S2009 are the same as the processes in steps S1601 to S1609, and the consecutive game out counter OC and the consecutive game number counter GC are updated, and the net increase in the number of balls based on these counters is calculated, and then the second offset counter is set.

[0371] Furthermore, the processing of steps S2010 to S2012 is similar to the processing of steps S1610 to S1612, and if the situation is close to the forced termination condition of the advantageous zone, 4 is input to the first offset counter. If a negative judgment is made in step S2011, the first offset counter is set based on the value of the consecutive game number counter GC in steps S2013 to S2021.

[0372] That is, in step S2013, it is determined whether the consecutive game number counter GC is greater than the first predetermined number of 500, and if it is greater than 500, a process of inputting 3 into the first offset counter is executed in step S2014, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated. The processes in steps S2013 and S2014 are the same as the processes in steps S1613 and S1614.

[0373] If it is determined in step S2013 that the count is 500 or less, then in step S2015 it is determined whether the consecutive game count counter GC is greater than 200, which is a second predetermined number, and if it is greater than 200, the process proceeds to step S2016. In this modified example, in step S2016, a process is performed to determine by lottery the value to be input into the first offset counter. More specifically, a lottery is performed to input 1 into the first offset counter. Then, in step S2017, the result of the lottery is determined, and if it is determined that the winning has occurred, 1 is input into the first offset counter in step S2020, and if it is determined that the winning has not occurred, then in step S2018, a process is performed to input 2 into the first offset counter, and then the process for adjusting the payout balls is terminated.

[0374] If it is determined in step S2015 that the number is 200 or less, then in step S2019 it is determined whether the consecutive game number counter GC is greater than 100, and if it is greater, then in step S2020 1 is input into the first offset counter, and if it is 100 or less, then in step S2021 0 is input into the first offset counter, and then this ball output adjustment process is terminated.

[0375] In this case, when the consecutive game counter GC is between 201 and 500, the first offset counter may be set to 1 or 2. This allows for randomness in the consecutive game state that is set. In other words, the consecutive game counter GC and the consecutive game-out counter OC are updated based on the game results, and by tracing the game results, the player can determine the current values ​​of the consecutive game counter GC and the consecutive game-out counter OC. In this way, in a configuration in which each offset counter and the consecutive game state are uniquely determined from the consecutive game counter GC and the consecutive game-out counter OC, as in the first embodiment, the player can play while identifying the current consecutive game state. In this regard, by allowing the consecutive game state to be determined in some cases from the consecutive game counter GC and the consecutive game-out counter OC, as in this modified example, it becomes possible to enjoy the game while predicting the consecutive game state, significantly improving gameplay.

[0376] The probability of winning the lottery in step S2016 is arbitrary, but in this modified example, for example, it is set to a 30% probability of winning. Note that the winning probability of the lottery process in step S2016 may be configured to vary depending on the setting value, for example, setting 6 may have the highest winning probability, and the winning probability may decrease as the setting value decreases.

[0377] In addition, when the consecutive game number counter GC is between 201 and 500, the first offset counter is configured to input 1 or 2, but other values ​​(0, 4) may also be input. Furthermore, the number of games for which the value input to the first offset counter is random is not limited to the above, and may be when the consecutive game number counter GC is 501 or more, or may be between 0 and 200.

[0378] <Variation 3> In this modified example, the information (parameters) used to input each offset counter is different from that in the first embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, the first offset counter basically inputs a value based on information from the consecutive game number counter GC, and the second offset counter inputs a value based on information about the pure number of coins calculated by the consecutive game number counter GC and the consecutive game out counter OC, but in this modified example, the first offset counter inputs a value based on information about the advantageous zone game number AG, and the second offset counter inputs a value based on information about the pure increase in coins calculated from the advantageous zone game number AG and the advantageous zone increase / decrease coin number MY.

[0379] FIG. 55 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in this modified example.

[0380] In steps S2101 and S2102, similar to the processing in steps S1601 and S1602, it is determined whether or not it is time to calculate the net increase in the number of coins for adjusting the payout amount and change the value of each offset counter. That is, in step S2101, it is determined whether or not the eighth display segment N8 as the interval indicator is being displayed, and in step S2102, it is determined whether or not the current game result is a replay win. If the interval indicator is being displayed and there is no replay win, the process proceeds to step S2103.

[0381] In steps S2103 to S2107, an input process is performed for the second offset counter based on the net increase in coins in this modified example. That is, in step S2103, it is determined whether the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY is three times or more the number of games played in the advantageous zone AG. This process is a process for determining whether the net increase in coins calculated from the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY and the number of games played in the advantageous zone AG in this modified example is three or more coins (whether the payout rate is 200% or more). If the net increase in coins is three or more coins, in step S2104, a process is executed to input 2 to the second offset counter.

[0382] If a negative determination is made in step S2103, in step S2105, it is determined whether the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY is equal to or greater than twice the number of games played in the advantageous zone AG. This process is a process for determining whether the net increase in the number of coins calculated from the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY and the number of games played in the advantageous zone AG in this modified example is equal to or greater than 2 coins (whether the payout rate is 166% or greater). If the net increase in the number of coins is equal to or greater than 2 coins, in step S2106, a process for inputting 1 to the second offset counter is executed.

[0383] If the determination in step S2105 is negative, the process goes to step S2107, where 0 is input to the second offset counter.

[0384] As explained above, the advantageous zone coin count MY represents the increase in coins since the payout number exceeds the bet number after the transition to the advantageous zone, while the consecutive win counter OC represents the number of coins paid out since the zone indicator began displaying. For example, increases in coins occurring regardless of AT mode are included in the advantageous zone coin count MY but not in the consecutive win counter OC. Furthermore, the advantageous zone game count AG represents the number of games played after the transition to the advantageous zone, while the consecutive win counter GC represents the number of games played since the zone indicator began displaying, excluding games resulting in a replay win. Therefore, the advantageous zone game count AG is generally greater than the consecutive win counter GC. In this case, the net increase in coins per game calculated using the consecutive win counter OC and the consecutive win counter GC will differ from the net increase in coins per game calculated using the advantageous zone coin count MY and the advantageous zone game count AG, with the former likely to be greater than the latter. In other words, as in this modified example, when the value of the second offset counter is entered based on the number of coins increased or decreased in the advantageous zone MY and the number of games in the advantageous zone AG, a smaller value is more likely to be entered (it is more likely to be set to a high consecutive win state) than in the first embodiment described above.

[0385] After executing any one of the processes in step S2104, step S2106, and step S2107, the process proceeds to step S2108. Steps S2108 to S2110 are similar to the processes in steps S1610 to S1612, and if the situation is close to the forced termination conditions of the advantageous zone, 4 is input to the first offset counter.

[0386] If a negative judgment is made in step S2109, the process proceeds to step S2111. In step S2111, it is determined whether the number of games in the advantageous zone AG is greater than the first predetermined number of 500, rather than the consecutive game number counter GC. If a positive judgment is made in step S2111, a process of inputting 3 into the first offset counter is executed in step S2112, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated. If a negative judgment is made in step S2111, it is determined in step S2113 whether the number of games in the advantageous zone AG is greater than the second predetermined number of 200, and if it is greater than 200, a process of inputting 2 into the first offset counter is executed in step S2114, and then this ball payout adjustment process is terminated. If a negative judgment is made in step S2113, in step S2115 it is judged whether the number of games in the advantageous zone AG is greater than the third predetermined number of 100, and if it is greater than 100, 1 is input into the first offset counter in step S2116, and if it is 100 or less, 0 is input into the first offset counter in step S2117, and then this ball output adjustment process is terminated.

[0387] The number of games in the advantageous zone AG tends to be a larger value than the consecutive game count counter GC, and by using the above configuration, a larger value is more likely to be input into the first offset counter than in the first embodiment (it becomes more likely to be set to a low consecutive game state).

[0388] As described above, by setting the information in the advantageous zone used to set the consecutive win state as the number of games in the advantageous zone AG and the number of increase / decrease in the advantageous zone MY, there is no need to separately store or measure the consecutive win game count counter GC or the consecutive win out counter OC, thereby simplifying the processing configuration.

[0389] Furthermore, by calculating the net increase in coins including games that have been awarded with a replay win, such as the number of games in the advantageous zone AG, or by setting the value of the first offset counter, the relationship with the actual number of games played becomes clear, making it easier to achieve consistency, and if a state is set in which the probability of winning a replay may differ, such as an RT state, it becomes possible to set the consecutive win state according to that state. Therefore, the consecutive win state can be set in detail while more closely matching the actual situation of the game.

[0390] <Variation 4> In this modified example, the timing of setting the consecutive win state (input of each offset counter) is different. Figure 56 is a flowchart showing the ball output adjustment process in this modified example.

[0391] In this modified example, in steps S2201 to S2204, processing for updating the consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC is performed, similar to steps S1601 to S1604 above. On the other hand, in this modified example, after updating the consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC, the input processing for each offset counter (steps S1605 to S1618) is not performed, and the ball payout adjustment processing is terminated. Therefore, in the second section display processing that is started at the end of each game, only the consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC are updated, and the calculation processing of the net increase in number of coins based on these counters is not performed.

[0392] In contrast to this, in the AT type determination process (Fig. 57) and ceiling counter setting process (Fig. 58) in this modified example, when each process is started, first, input process (step S1605 to step S1618) of each offset counter is performed (step S2301, step S2401). After that, based on the consecutive win state defined by each offset counter input in these steps S2301 and S2401, the type of AT mode and the ceiling counter (ceiling mode) are set.

[0393] In this way, rather than performing the process for calculating the net increase in number of coins every game, the process is performed only when necessary (in the above case, when transitioning to AT mode or when AT mode ends), thereby reducing the number of times the process is performed and simplifying the process.

[0394] <Second embodiment> In this embodiment, a winning streak after the current winning streak is predicted, and a notification is made according to the prediction. Figure 59 is a flowchart showing the state transition notification process in this modified example. The state transition notification process is a process that is activated periodically (for example, every 2 msec) by the CPU 181 of the display control device 81.

[0395] In step S2501, it is determined whether or not an offset command has been received from the main control device 101. Although detailed explanation using figures is omitted, the main control device 101 outputs an offset command to the display control device 81 each time it performs processing for adjusting ball payouts (each time it sets each offset counter). The offset command includes the value of the offset counter set this time, and information on the current consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC. If an offset command has not been received, the state transition notification processing is terminated. If an offset command has been received, the process proceeds to step S2502.

[0396] In step S2502, the current winning streak status is determined based on the values ​​of the offset counters included in the received offset command. Note that the display control device 81 also stores a table similar to the winning streak status table in the main control device 101, and the winning streak status can be determined by comparing the offset counters with this table.

[0397] In the following step S2503, it is determined whether the streak state determined in step S2502 is a high streak state. If it is a high streak state, in step S2504, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to notify the player of the high streak state. Then, in step S2505, a process is executed to determine whether or not the lottery result is won. If the result is won, in step S2506, the auxiliary display unit 65, speaker 64, etc. are controlled so that a high streak state notification is made to the effect that the player is in a high streak state. In the high streak state notification, for example, the background color of the auxiliary display unit 65 is changed to a color different from the normal color (for example, if the normal color is blue, it is changed to red), or a sound effect different from the normal color is output from the speaker 64.

[0398] If a negative judgment is made in step S2503 or step S2505, or after the processing of step S2506 is executed, the process proceeds to step S2507. In step S2507, a process is executed to grasp the current consecutive game out counter OC and consecutive game number counter GC based on the received offset command. Then, if it is determined in step S2508 that the AT mode is not in progress, in step S2509, it is determined whether the consecutive game out counter OC is six times or more the consecutive game number counter GC, i.e., whether the current payout rate is 200% or more and the net increase in the number of coins is three or more. Note that in this case, since 2 is input to the second offset counter, the processing of step S2509 may be configured to be performed based on the information of the second offset counter included in the received offset command.

[0399] If the current net increase is three or more coins, proceed to step S2510, where a predetermined number of games (30 games) is added to the current consecutive game counter GC, and the expected increase or decrease if the predetermined number of games is played in non-AT mode is added to the current consecutive game out counter OC. This determines whether the net increase is less than three coins. That is, the current consecutive game out counter OC is multiplied by the expected net increase in non-AT mode (minus approximately 2.10 coins), and the result is determined to be less than six times the value obtained by adding the predetermined number to the consecutive game counter GC. This process determines whether the value input to the second offset counter can change from 2 to 1 or 0 if a predetermined number of games, excluding games resulting in a replay win, are played in non-AT mode from the current game. If the value input to the second offset counter can decrease, step S2511 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to issue a first state transition notification, and then terminates the state transition notification process.

[0400] 60(a), the first state transition notification is performed by displaying on the auxiliary display unit 65 an effect such as "30 more games to improve your state!?", which suggests that if no transition to the AT mode occurs over the predetermined number of 30 games, the winning streak state may transition to a high winning streak state. In other words, the first state transition notification suggests that the possibility of selecting an advantageous AT mode type is increased in the AT type determination process performed when transitioning to the AT mode.

[0401] In this way, in the advantageous zone, when the player is not in AT mode and the number of medals in hand may decrease, the player would normally play in the hope of an early transition to AT mode. However, by notifying the first state transition as described above, it is possible to make the player expect the transition to AT mode to occur later, i.e., after the notified number of games have been played.

[0402] If it is determined in step S2509 that the current net increase is not 3 or more, then in step S2512 it is determined whether the current consecutive game out counter OC is 5 times or more the consecutive game number counter GC, that is, whether the current payout rate is 166% or more and less than 200% and the net increase is 2 or more and less than 3. In this case, since 1 is input to the second offset counter, the processing of step S2512 may be performed based on the information of the second offset counter included in the received offset command.

[0403] If the current net increase is 2 or more but less than 3, proceed to step S2513, add a predetermined number of games (30 games) to the current consecutive game counter GC, and further add the expected increase / decrease in coins if the predetermined number of games is played in non-AT mode to the current consecutive game out counter OC, and determine whether the net increase is less than 2 coins. That is, add a value obtained by multiplying the predetermined number by the expected net increase in coins in non-AT mode (minus approximately 2.10 coins) to the current consecutive game out counter OC, and determine whether this value is less than 5 times the value obtained by adding the predetermined number to the consecutive game counter GC. This process corresponds to the process of step S2510 above, and determines whether the value input to the second offset counter can change from 1 to 0 if a predetermined number of games, excluding games that result in a replay win, are played in non-AT mode from the current game. If the value input to the second offset counter can be decreased, in step S2511, the auxiliary display unit 65 and the speaker 64 are controlled so that the first state transition notification is performed, and then the state transition notification process is terminated.

[0404] If a negative determination is made in any of steps S2510, S2512, and S2513, the state transition notification process is terminated. Once the first state transition notification has been initiated, the first state transition notification may be continued until a transition to the AT mode occurs or a predetermined number of games have been played without a transition to the AT mode. In this case, the continued first state transition notification may be updated to decrease the number of remaining games per game as the game progresses. If a transition to the AT mode occurs, the first state transition notification may be terminated. If a predetermined number of games have been played without a transition to the AT mode, a notification may be issued that the value of the second offset counter may have changed. A notification that the value of the second offset counter has changed (a success notification) may be issued. If no change has occurred, no notification may be issued, or a different notification (a failure notification) may be issued. Also, in step S2511, an execution lottery is held to determine whether or not to execute the first state transition notification, and if the execution lottery is won, the first state transition notification may be executed. Furthermore, the trigger for starting the first state transition notification may be, for example, when a predetermined game result is achieved, when the number of games after the AT mode ends reaches a predetermined number, when a transition to a consecutive win state occurs, or when the value of each offset counter changes.

[0405] If it is determined in step S2508 that the AT mode is in progress, the process proceeds to step S2514. In step S2514, it is determined whether the consecutive win counter OC is less than six times the consecutive win game counter GC, i.e., whether the current payout rate is less than 200% and the net increase in number of coins is less than three. If the net increase in number of coins is less than three, it is determined in step S2515 whether the consecutive win counter OC is less than five times the consecutive win game counter GC, i.e., whether the current payout rate is less than 166% and the net increase in number of coins is less than two. Note that in these processes, the determination may also be made based on information from the second offset counter.

[0406] If the current net increase in coins is less than two in step S2515, the process proceeds to step S2516, where it is determined whether adding a predetermined number (40 coins) to the current consecutive win counter OC results in a net increase of two or more coins. That is, it is determined whether the value obtained by adding the predetermined number to the current consecutive win counter OC is five times or more the value obtained by adding the average number of games required to pay out the predetermined number of coins (40 coins divided by the average net increase in coins in the AT mode, approximately 8 coins = 5 games) to the consecutive win counter GC. This process determines whether the value input to the second offset counter can change from 0 to 1 or 2 when a predetermined number of coins is paid out in accordance with the push order notification in the current AT mode. If the value input to the second offset counter can increase, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled in step S2517 to issue a second state transition notification, and then the state transition notification process is terminated.

[0407] 60(b), the second state transition notification is performed by displaying an effect on the auxiliary display unit 65 such as "Get 40 coins and the state will be DOWN!?", which suggests that the payout of a predetermined number of 40 coins may cause the winning streak state to transition to a low winning streak state. In other words, the second state transition notification suggests that an unfavorable ceiling mode may be selected in the ceiling counter setting process at the end of the AT mode.

[0408] In this way, when in an advantageous zone and in AT mode where the number of medals held can increase, the player would normally play in the hope of winning as many medals as possible, and particularly in an AT mode such as this embodiment in which the upper limit on the number of medals that can be paid out is set, the player would play in the hope of reaching the upper limit in as few games as possible.However, by notifying the second state transition as described above, it is possible to make the player hope that medals will not be paid out as much as possible in AT mode, that is, that the notified number of medals will be paid out in as many games as possible.

[0409] As already explained, if the stop switches 42-44 are operated in accordance with the push order notification that is given when the push order bell is won, the small prizes 1 to 6, which result in the payout of 13 medals, will be achieved. However, if the stop switches 42-44 are operated in a different order from the push order notification, the small prizes 9 to 32, which result in the payout of one medal, will be achieved, or the medals will not be paid out due to a missed win. Therefore, in order to prevent the consecutive win state from transitioning to the low consecutive win state when the second state transition notification is given as described above, it is possible to operate the stop switches 42-44 in a different order from the push order notification in the AT mode. In addition, in the above case, the operation order of the stop switches 42-44 that results in the wins of small prizes 9 to 32 may be announced as a push order notification effect on the auxiliary display unit 65. In this case, the push order notification on the instruction monitor 68 (notification of the operation order corresponding to winning small win 1 to winning small win 6) will be different from the push order notification performance on the auxiliary display unit 65 (notification of the operation order corresponding to winning small win 9 to winning small win 32).

[0410] If the current net increase is two or more but less than three coins in step S2515, proceed to step S2518, where a determination is made as to whether the net increase would be three or more coins if a predetermined number (40 coins) were added to the current consecutive win counter OC. That is, a determination is made as to whether the value obtained by adding the predetermined number to the current consecutive win counter OC is six times or more the value obtained by adding the average number of games required to pay out the predetermined number of coins (40 coins divided by the average net increase in AT mode, approximately 8 coins = 5 games) to the consecutive win counter GC. This process determines whether the value input to the second offset counter can change from 1 to 2 when a predetermined number of coins is paid out in accordance with the push order notification in the current AT mode. If the value input to the second offset counter can increase, step S2517 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to issue a second state transition notification, and then terminates the state transition notification process.

[0411] If a negative judgment is made in any of steps S2514, S2516, and S2518, the state transition notification process is terminated. Once the second state transition notification is initiated, the second state transition notification may be continued until the AT mode ends or a predetermined number of payouts occur before the AT mode ends. In this case, the second state transition notification may be updated so that the display of the remaining payout number decreases according to the number of medals paid out each time a medal is paid out. When the AT mode ends, the second state transition notification may be terminated. If a predetermined number of medals are paid out before the AT mode ends, a notification may be issued that the value of the second offset counter may have changed. The second state transition notification may be terminated (in this case, a failure notification, the opposite of the first state transition notification). Alternatively, if there is no change, no notification may be issued, or a different notification (a success notification) may be issued. Also, in step S2517, an execution lottery is held to determine whether or not to execute the second state transition notification, and if the execution lottery is won, the second state transition notification may be executed. Furthermore, the trigger for starting the second state transition notification may be, for example, when a predetermined game result is achieved, when the number of payouts after transition to the AT mode reaches a predetermined number, when a transition to a consecutive win state occurs, or when the value of each offset counter changes.

[0412] By doing the above, it is possible to enjoy changing or not changing the consecutive game state by using the consecutive game state determined by the net increase in the number of coins calculated by the consecutive game out counter OC and the consec...

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; a granting means for granting a predetermined number of game media as a benefit corresponding to a predetermined result when the result of the lottery in the lottery means is a predetermined result; A gaming machine comprising: The lottery results by the lottery means include a first result that allows a prize to be won by operating the stop operation means in a first operation mode, and a second result that allows a prize to be won by operating the stop operation means in a second operation mode different from the first operation mode, a mode notification execution means for executing mode notification regarding operation modes including the first operation mode and the second operation mode by a predetermined notification means; a special state is set in which the state notification can be transitioned to a specific state in which the state notification execution means can execute the state notification; a means for executing a specific determination to transition to the specific state in the special state; As states in the special state, there are a first state in which the result of the specific determination is likely to result in a result corresponding to a transition to the specific state, and a second state in which the result of the specific determination is less likely to result in a result corresponding to a transition to the specific state than in the first state, When a first termination condition is satisfied, the specific state and the special state can be terminated, When a second termination condition is satisfied, the specific state is terminated while the special state is prevented from being terminated, When the specific state is ended due to the first ending condition, the next special state can be set as the first state, When the specific state is ended due to the second ending condition, a state subsequent to the specific state can be set as the second state, The specific state and the special state are terminated by the first termination condition, and the special state is not terminated in the first state set in the next special state, a means for grasping predetermined information corresponding to predetermined increase / decrease information including the number of game media awarded by the awarding means in the specific state; A gaming machine characterized in that it is configured so that when the specific state and the special state are ended by the first ending condition, the specified information is not initialized.

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