Gaming machine

Abstract

To provide a game machine capable of improving amusements of a game.SOLUTION: A slot machine 10 is configured so that, after bet operation, rotation of respective reels 32L, 32M, 32R based on operation of a start lever 41, is started, then, by operation of stop switches 42-44, the corresponding reel is stopped, and delivery of a medal may be generated, by stop of a stopped spot according to a lottery result. In addition, there is provided a pressing order bell in which, according to an operation order of the stop switches 42-44, a won role is different, and there is set an AT mode in which, a pressing order reporting is performed during the pressing order bell winning time. As a bonus, a first BB and a second BB are set, and before bonus winning, a state is set to any of a state in which, the AT mode is finished on the basis of the first BB winning, and a state in which, the AT mode is finished on the basis of the second BB winning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a type of gaming machine, pachinko machines, slot machines, etc. are known. In these gaming machines, an internal lottery is conducted based on the establishment of predetermined lottery conditions, and a privilege is granted to the player according to the result of the internal lottery.

[0003] Specifically, in the case of a slot machine, when the start lever is operated in a situation where medals as gaming media are bet, an internal lottery is carried out, the rotation of the reel is started, and when the stop switch is operated during the rotation of the reel, the rotation of the reel stops. And when the stop result of the reel corresponds to the result of the internal lottery, a privilege corresponding to the result is granted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

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

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-exemplified circumstances, etc., and an object thereof is to provide a gaming machine capable of improving the amusement of the game.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention is Multiple orbital bodies with multiple types of patterns applied in the circumferential direction, Each of the aforementioned circular bodies is provided with a display unit that makes some of the patterns visible, A starting operation means that, when operated, initiates the rotation of each of the aforementioned circulating bodies, A lottery means that, based on the operation of the aforementioned starting operation means, conducts a lottery to determine whether or not to grant a prize to the player, A stop operation means that stops the rotation of each of the aforementioned circular bodies when operated, A drive control means that starts the rotation of each of the circulating bodies when the start operation means is operated, and stops the rotation of each of the circulating bodies when the stop operation means is operated, A reward granting means capable of granting rewards corresponding to the results of the lottery in the aforementioned lottery means, A gaming machine equipped with, Three specific states are defined as the first, second, and third specific states, which are specific states in which a particular event advantageous to the player may occur. In the first specific state, the system is configured to perform termination processing for the specific state in a game where the lottery result by the lottery means is a predetermined result, and a predetermined combination of symbols corresponding to that predetermined result stops at a predetermined position visible through the display unit. In a game where the lottery result by the lottery means in the second specific state is the predetermined result and the predetermined combination of symbols stops at the predetermined position, the system is configured to enable the execution of a transition process to the third specific state. Means capable of performing a determination of transition to the second specific state, If the result of the transition determination makes it possible to transition to the second specific state, means for executing the transition process to the second specific state, Equipped with, In the first specific state, after the result of the transition determination makes it possible to transition to the second specific state, if the predetermined combination of symbols stops at the predetermined position before transitioning to the second specific state, the system is configured to not perform the termination process for the specific state. In the first specified state, the predetermined combination of patterns stops at the predetermined position.In the games that are available, The predetermined combination of patterns can stop. Make the players aware of this. configured to be able to execute a predetermined notification, In the first specific state, the situation before the result of the transition determination becomes capable of transitioning to the second specific state In a game in which the predetermined combination of patterns can be stopped at the predetermined position configured to be able to execute the predetermined notification, In the first specific state, the situation after the result of the transition determination becomes capable of transitioning to the second specific state In a game in which the predetermined combination of patterns can be stopped at the predetermined position characterized by being configured to be able to execute the predetermined notification.

Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to enhance the amusement of the game.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] [Figure 1] It is a front view of a slot machine in one embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of a slot machine showing a state where the front door is closed. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of a slot machine showing a state where the front door is open. [Figure 4] It is a rear view of the front door. [Figure 5] It is a front view of the housing. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the symbol arrangement of each reel. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the symbols visible from the display window and the active lines. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the winning modes and the privileges granted. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the winning modes and the privileges granted. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a winning mode. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a winning mode. [Figure 12] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a winning mode. [Figure 13] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the main control device. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the display control device. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing the timer interrupt processing by the main control device. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing the main processing by the main control device. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart showing the normal processing by the main control device. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart showing the lottery processing. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing an example of the lottery table for the normal game state. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing an example of the lottery table for the carry-over state. [Figure 21] It is a flowchart showing the reel control processing. [Figure 22] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the operation sequence of the stop switch and the winning modes that are established. [Figure 23] It is a flowchart showing the bonus state processing. [Figure 24] It is a flowchart showing the end determination processing. [Figure 25] It is a flowchart showing the acquisition processing of the lottery table. [Figure 26] It is a diagram showing an example of the lottery table for the BB first state. [Figure 27] It is a diagram showing an example of the lottery table for the BB second state. [Figure 28] It is a diagram showing an example of the lottery table for the BB third state. [Figure 29] It is a flowchart showing the priority setting processing. [Figure 30] It is a flowchart showing the lottery result corresponding processing. [Figure 31] It is a flowchart showing the advantageous section transition lottery processing. [Figure 32] It is a flowchart showing the processing for AT lottery. [Figure 33] This is a flowchart showing the process of obtaining the AT mode lottery table. [Figure 34] This figure shows an example of a favorable period transition lottery table and an AT mode lottery table. [Figure 35] This figure shows an example of a continuation rate lottery table. [Figure 36] This is a flowchart showing the process for consecutive AT (Automatic Trigger) wins. [Figure 37] This figure shows an example of a stock lottery table. [Figure 38] This is a flowchart showing the process for starting the bonus AT (Automatic Trigger) mode. [Figure 39] This diagram illustrates the overview of the instruction monitor and section indicator. [Figure 40] This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the button press order notification effect performed on the auxiliary display unit. [Figure 41] This is a flowchart showing the process for notifying the button press order. [Figure 42] This is a flowchart showing the process for handling award results. [Figure 43] This is a flowchart showing the game count management process. [Figure 44] This is a flowchart showing the AT continuation setting process. [Figure 45] This is a flowchart showing the first processing step for displaying the interval. [Figure 46] This flowchart shows the processing for transitioning to the advantageous period during a game. [Figure 47] This figure shows an example of a table for the maximum number of games played. [Figure 48] This is a flowchart showing the second processing step for displaying the interval. [Figure 49] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the start and end games of the advantageous period and the display on the period indicator. [Figure 50] This flowchart shows the processing of performance settings by the display control device, which acts as the control device on the sub-side. [Figure 51] This is a flowchart showing the process for setting up the initial presentation. [Figure 52]This is a flowchart showing the process for setting up continuous performance sequences. [Figure 53] This is a flowchart showing the processing for the bonus AT (Automatic Trigger) feature. [Figure 54] This flowchart shows the process for setting the effects when the entire system is stopped. [Figure 55] This figure shows an example of a display effect using an auxiliary display unit. [Figure 56] This figure shows an example of a display effect using an auxiliary display unit. [Figure 57] This figure shows an example of a display effect using an auxiliary display unit. [Figure 58] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 59] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 60] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 61] This is a flowchart showing the process for starting the bonus AT in modified example 1. [Figure 62] This figure shows an example of a migration permission lottery table. [Figure 63] This is a flowchart showing the process for consecutive AT (Automatic Trigger) wins. [Figure 64] This is a flowchart showing the processing for the bonus AT (Automatic Trigger) feature. [Figure 65] This diagram illustrates the changes to the prize-winning method and the lottery table in Modification Example 2. [Figure 66] This is a flowchart showing the process for AT (Automatic Transmission) lottery. [Figure 67] This is a flowchart showing the process for starting the bonus AT (Automatic Trigger) mode. [Figure 68] This is a flowchart showing the process for handling award results. [Figure 69] (a) is a flowchart showing the process for notifying potential winners, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a pseudo-winner notification lottery table. [Figure 70]This diagram illustrates the relationship between the display effects provided by the auxiliary display unit and the stopping patterns of each reel. [Figure 71] This diagram illustrates the changes in the prize-winning method and the lottery table in Modification Example 3. [Figure 72] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 73] This is a flowchart showing the process of obtaining the AT mode lottery table in modified example 4. [Figure 74] This figure shows an example of an AT mode lottery table. [Figure 75] This is a flowchart showing the AT continuation setting process in the second embodiment. [Figure 76] This is a flowchart showing the second processing step for displaying the interval. [Figure 77] This flowchart shows the processing for transitioning to the advantageous period during a game. [Figure 78] This is a flowchart showing the process of obtaining the AT mode lottery table. [Figure 79] This figure shows an example of an AT mode lottery table. [Figure 80] This is a flowchart of the main process. [Figure 81] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 82] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 83] This is a flowchart showing the second section display process in the modified example 1. [Figure 84] This diagram illustrates the changes in the prize-winning method and the lottery table in Modification Example 2. [Figure 85] (a) is a flowchart showing the process for starting a bonus AT, and (b) is a flowchart showing the process for a chance to continue. [Figure 86] This is a flowchart showing the main process in variation 3. [Figure 87]This is a flowchart showing the second section display process in modified example 4. [Figure 88] (a) is part of a flowchart showing the processing for award results, and (b) is part of a flowchart showing the processing for games transitioning to the advantageous period. [Figure 89] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 90] In the third embodiment, (a) is a flowchart showing the AT continuation setting process, (b) is a diagram showing an example of the next BB lottery table, and (c) is a diagram summarizing the outlines of the first BB and the second BB. [Figure 91] This is part of a flowchart showing the second processing step for displaying the interval. [Figure 92] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 93] In Modification Example 1, (a) is a flowchart showing the AT continuation setting process, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of the next BB lottery table. [Figure 94] The second modified example shows various modified versions of the next BB lottery table. [Figure 95] This is a flowchart showing the processing for the advantageous period transition game in Modification Example 3. [Figure 96] (a) is a flowchart showing the process for suggesting settings, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a suggestion lottery table. [Figure 97] In the fourth embodiment, (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the changes between the prize-winning mechanism and the lottery table, and (c) is a flowchart showing the processing for the advantageous section transition game. [Figure 98] This is a flowchart showing the second processing step for displaying the interval. [Figure 99] This is a timing chart to explain the relationship between the advantageous period and Big Bonus (BB). [Figure 100]In the modified example, (a) is a flowchart showing the second processing of the interval display, (b) is a diagram to explain the overview of the RT state, and (c) is a diagram to explain the stopping timing of the winning combination. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <First Embodiment> Below, one embodiment applied to a type of amusement machine, specifically a slot machine, will be described in detail based on 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 casing 11.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the slot machine 10 is equipped with a housing 11 that forms its outer shell. The housing 11 is formed as a box shape with an open front and is attached to the island equipment in the gaming hall by driving nails into it.

[0012] A front door 12 is attached to the front side of the housing 11 so as to be openable and closable. Specifically, the housing 11 has a pair of upper and lower support shafts 13a and 13b on its left side when viewed from the front, and the front door 12 has bearing portions 14a and 14b at positions corresponding to each support shaft 13a and 13b. When the support shafts 13a and 13b are inserted into the bearing portions 14a and 14b, the front door 12 is supported so as to be rotatable about an opening and closing axis extending vertically from the housing 11, connecting the two support shafts 13a and 13b, and the front open side of the housing 11 can be opened or closed by rotating the front door 12. The front door 12 is locked and cannot be opened by a locking device 20 provided on its back side. A key cylinder 21 integrated with the locking device 20 is provided on the upper right side of the front door 12, and the locked state is released by a predetermined key operation on the key cylinder 21.

[0013] A game panel 25 is provided near the top center of the front door 12 to inform the player of the game status. The game panel 25 has three vertically elongated display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R arranged horizontally, allowing the inside of the slot machine 10 to be seen through each of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R. Alternatively, the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R may be combined into a single common display window.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the housing 11 is divided into upper and lower sections 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 comprises a left reel 32L, a middle reel 32M, and a right reel 32R, each formed in a cylindrical (annular) shape. Each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is rotatably supported such that its central axis is the axis of rotation of that reel. The axes of rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R are arranged on the same axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R corresponds one-to-one with 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 windows 26L, 26M, and 26R. Furthermore, when reels 32L, 32M, and 32R rotate in the forward direction, the surfaces of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are displayed through the respective display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R, appearing as if they are moving from top to bottom.

[0015] Here, we will briefly explain the configuration of the reel unit 31.

[0016] Each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is connected to a stepping motor, and the drive of each stepping motor allows each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R to rotate individually, that is, independently. The stepping motor is set to rotate once when a drive signal of, for example, 500 pulses (hereinafter also referred to as excitation pulses) is applied, and the rotation position of the stepping motor, i.e., the rotation position of the reel, is controlled by these excitation pulses. In addition, the reel unit 31 is equipped with reel index sensors on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R to detect when the reel has completed one rotation. Whenever the reel index sensor detects that the reel has completed one rotation, a detection signal is output to the main control device 101, which will be described later. Therefore, the main control device 101 can check and correct the angular position of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R every rotation based on the detection signal from the reel index sensor and the number of excitation pulses output up to the time the detection signal is input.

[0017] Each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R has multiple symbols drawn on its outer surface in the direction of its longer side (circumferential direction) as identification information. More specifically, 20 symbols are drawn at equal intervals. Therefore, switching a symbol at a predetermined position to the next symbol requires the output of 25 excitation pulses (= 500 pulses ÷ 20 symbols). The main control device 101 can also determine which symbols are visible from the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R, or control the reels to stop a predetermined symbol at a position visible from the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R, based on the number of excitation pulses output after receiving the detection signal from the reel index sensor.

[0018] Next, we will explain the designs depicted on each reel, 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0019] Figure 6 shows the symbol arrangements for the left reel 32L, the middle reel 32M, and the right reel 32R. As shown in the figure, each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R has 20 symbols arranged in a single row. In addition, each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is numbered from 0 to 19, but these numbers are used by the main control device 101 to recognize the symbols that are visible from 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 10 types of symbols: "Bell" symbol (for example, the 1st position on the left reel 32L), "Replay" symbol (for example, the 0th position on the left reel 32L), "Red 7" symbol (for example, the 14th position on the left reel 32L), "Watermelon" symbol (for example, the 2nd position on the left reel 32L), "Cherry" symbol (for example, the 8th position on the left reel 32L), "BAR" symbol (for example, the 9th position on the left reel 32L), "White 7" symbol (for example, the 3rd position on the left reel 32L), "Young Man" symbol (for example, the 18th position on the left reel 32L), "Red Shell" symbol (for example, the 4th position on the left reel 32L), and "White Shell" symbol (for example, the 19th position on the left reel 32L). As shown in Figure 6, the number and arrangement order of each symbol are completely different on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0021] Each display window 26L, 26M, and 26R is shaped so that three of the 20 symbols attached to the corresponding reel are visible in their entirety. Therefore, when all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R are stopped, 3 x 3 = 9 symbols are visible through the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R.

[0022] In this slot machine 10, the results of each game are announced using a combination of three symbols from the visible symbols, one symbol for each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. As described above, 3 x 3 = 9 symbols are visible, so the combinations of these three symbols include, for example, the combination of symbols that stop on the upper line L1, which connects the upper symbols of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R, as shown in Figure 7, the combination of symbols that stop on the middle line L2, which connects the middle symbols of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R, and the combination of symbols that stop on the lower line L3, which connects the lower symbols of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. Additionally, there are combinations of symbols that stop on line L4, which connects the upper symbol on the left reel 32L, the middle symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the lower symbol on the right reel 32R, as well as combinations of symbols that stop on line L5, which connects the lower symbol on the left reel 32L, the middle symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the upper symbol on the right reel 32R. Furthermore, there are combinations of symbols that stop on the bent line L6, which connects the middle symbol on the left reel 32L, the upper symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the upper symbol on the right reel 32R. Lines L1 to L5 above are lines that form a straight line when the symbols are lined up, while the bent line L6 is a line that bends midway when the symbols are lined up. Note that there are other combinations of symbols that stop on lines that bend besides the bent line L6, but these will not be explained here.

[0023] Of these lines L1 to L6, some lines are activated by betting medals, while others are not. When symbols stop in a predetermined combination on an activated line, a prize is awarded, and a predetermined number of medals (the game medium) are paid out, or the game state is changed. On the other hand, when symbols stop in a predetermined combination on an inactive line, no prize is awarded, and the above-mentioned prizes are not granted.

[0024] In this slot machine 10, of the lines L1 to L6 mentioned above, the bent line L6 is set as the active line. More specifically, in this slot machine 10, there are cases where the game starts with a bet of 3 coins and cases where the game starts with a bet of 2 coins. When the game starts with a bet of 3 or 2 coins, only the bent line L6 is set as the active line, and the other lines L1 to L5 are not set as active lines. In the following description, the bent line L6 may be referred to as the active line ML. Also, below, a game that starts with a bet of 3 coins will be referred to as a 3-bet game, a game that starts with a bet of 2 coins will be referred to as a 2-bet game, and a game that starts with a bet of 1 coin will be referred to as a 1-bet game. Note that in this embodiment, 1-bet games and 2-bet games are not set. That is, in this embodiment, only 3-bet games are set.

[0025] Figures 8 and 9 show the correspondence between winning combinations of patterns and the prizes awarded to winners.

[0026] The types of small wins that result in medal payouts are the 1st small win through the 27th small win.

[0027] 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) all stop on the active payline ML, the first small win is achieved. When the first small win is achieved, 15 medals are paid out.

[0028] As shown in Figure 10(a), when the symbol corresponding to the first winning combination stops on the active line ML, the "bell" symbol aligns and stops on the upper line L1. Therefore, the player can easily understand that a winning combination corresponding to the bell has been achieved.

[0029] If the "Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "White 7", "Cherry", "Red Shell", or "Young Man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "White 7", "White Shell", or "Young Man" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active payline ML, a second small win is achieved. When a second small win is achieved, three medals are paid out.

[0030] As shown in Figure 11(b), when the symbol corresponding to the second winning combination stops on the active line ML, the "watermelon" symbol aligns and stops on the downward-sloping line L4. Therefore, the player can easily understand that a winning combination corresponding to the watermelon has been achieved.

[0031] If 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 all stop on the active payline ML, a third small win is achieved. When a third small win is achieved, three medals are paid out.

[0032] As shown in Figure 11(c), when the symbol corresponding to the third small win stops on the active line ML, the "watermelon" symbol aligns and stops on the upper line L1. Therefore, the player can easily understand that a small win corresponding to the watermelon has been achieved.

[0033] The 4th through 27th small wins are primarily awarded when the 1st small win is missed; they are what are known as missed wins. When the 4th through 27th small wins are achieved, one medal is paid out. For the 4th to 27th small wins, a win is achieved when the corresponding combinations of the following symbols stop on the active line ML: the "Replay" symbol, "Red 7" symbol, "BAR" symbol, "Red Shell" symbol, "White Shell" symbol, "Young Man" symbol, or "Bell" symbol on the left reel 32L; the "White 7" symbol, "Cherry" symbol, "Red Shell" symbol, "Young Man" symbol, "Red 7" symbol, "Watermelon" symbol, "Replay" symbol, "BAR" symbol, "Bell" symbol, or "White Shell" symbol on the middle reel 32M; and the "Red 7" symbol, "White 7" symbol, "White Shell" symbol, "Young Man" symbol, "Watermelon" symbol, "Red Shell" symbol, "BAR" symbol, or "Replay" symbol on the right reel 32R. As shown in Figure 8, the combinations of symbols corresponding to the 4th to 27th small wins are all set so that the "bell" symbol does not line up and stop on a straight line (L1 to L5), making it easy to understand when a small win corresponding to the bell has not occurred.

[0034] Incidentally, in the configuration in which medals are paid out based on the winning combinations of the 1st to 27th minor roles mentioned above, the paid-out medals are a type of reward given according to the outcome of the game. Furthermore, in this specification, the paid-out medals may also be referred to as "payout balls," and the ratio of the number of paid-out medals (payout balls) to the number of medals inserted (bet) may also be referred to as the payout rate.

[0035] The prizes that grant the benefit of being able to play the next game without inserting any more tokens include the 1st Replay Prize to the 11th Replay Prize. As shown in Figure 9, there are specific symbol combinations that result in a prize for each of these 1st Replay Prizes to the 11th Replay Prize.

[0036] The first replay is awarded when the "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red 7", "White 7", "White Shell", or "Young Man" symbols on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figure 10(d), when the symbols corresponding to the first replay win stop on the active line ML, the "Replay" symbols will line up and stop on the middle line L2. Therefore, the player can easily understand that a replay win corresponding to a replay has been achieved.

[0037] A second replay is awarded when the "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Bell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "BAR" or "Cherry" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. When the symbols corresponding to a second replay win stop on the active line ML, as shown in Figure 12(a), the "BAR" symbols will stop in a line on the upward-sloping line L5, or as shown in Figure 12(b), the "Red 7" symbol, the "Red 7" symbol, and the "BAR" symbol will stop on the upward-sloping line L5 from left to right. When a second replay win is achieved, there is no transition in the game state, but the game transitions to a notification mode that is advantageous to the player, and the AT mode, in which medal acquisition can be expected, begins. The AT mode will be explained in detail later.

[0038] The third and fourth replays are adjustment replays used when multiple replays result in overlapping wins.

[0039] The fifth re-spin is awarded 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 active line ML. As shown in Figure 10(e), when the symbols corresponding to the fifth re-spin win stop on the active line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the upper part of the left reel 32L and the upper part of the middle reel 32M, while the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the upper part of the right reel 32R (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the lower part of the right reel 32R), resulting in a so-called upper-row watermelon miss. Furthermore, when a symbol corresponding to the 5th re-spin win stops on the active line ML, the "Watermelon" symbol stops on the upper part of the left reel 32L and the lower part of the right reel 32R, while the "Watermelon" symbol does not stop on the middle part of the middle reel 32M (the "Watermelon" symbol stops on the upper part of the middle reel 32M), resulting in a so-called diagonal watermelon miss.

[0040] The 6th replay is awarded when the "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "white 7", "cherry", "red shell", or "young man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "watermelon" or "red shell" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figure 10(f), when the symbols corresponding to the 6th replay are awarded on the active line ML, the "watermelon" symbol stops on the upper part of the left reel 32L and the upper part of the right reel 32R, while the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the upper part of the middle reel 32M (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the middle part of the middle reel 32M), resulting in a so-called upper-row watermelon miss. Furthermore, when the symbols corresponding to the 6th re-spin win stop on the active line ML, the "watermelon" symbols stop on the upper part of the left reel 32L and the middle part of the middle reel 32M, while the "watermelon" symbol does not stop on the lower part of the right reel 32R (the "watermelon" symbol stops on the upper part of the right reel 32R), resulting in a so-called diagonal watermelon miss.

[0041] The 7th replay is awarded when the "Watermelon" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "White 7", "Cherry", "Red Shell", or "Young Man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Replay" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figure 11(a), when the symbols corresponding to the 7th replay are stopped on the active line ML, the "Watermelon" symbols will line up and stop on the middle line L2.

[0042] The 8th replay is awarded when the "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "Watermelon" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Watermelon" or "Red Shell" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figure 11(b), when the symbols corresponding to the 8th replay are awarded on the active line ML, the "Replay" symbols stop in the middle of the left reel 32L and the middle reel 32M, while the "Replay" symbol does not stop in the middle of the right reel 32R (the "Bell" symbol stops in the middle of the right reel 32R), resulting in a so-called middle replay miss.

[0043] The 9th re-spin is awarded when the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "White 7", "BAR", "Cherry", "Ark Shell", or "Young Man" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Red 7", "White 7", "BAR", "Cherry", "Ark Shell", or "Young Man" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. The 11th re-spin is awarded when the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "BAR" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Bell", "Watermelon", or "Ark Shell" symbol on the right reel 32R all stop on the active line ML. As shown in Figures 11(c) and 11(d), when a symbol corresponding to the 9th re-spin or 11th re-spin stops on the active line ML, a "cherry" symbol stops on the lower row of the left reel 32L. If you have won the 9th re-spin or 11th re-spin, and you aim for the "cherry" symbol on the right reel 32R to stop it, the "cherry" symbol will stop on the upper row in the case of a 9th re-spin win, and on the middle or lower row in the case of an 11th re-spin win, making it possible to distinguish between the 9th re-spin win and the 11th re-spin win. The 10th re-spin is awarded when it is not possible to win the 9th re-spin or 11th re-spin, that is, when a missed win is possible.

[0044] More specifically, the 10th re-spin win occurs when the 9th re-spin has been won and the 9th re-spin win cannot be achieved, and also when the 11th re-spin has been won and the 11th re-spin win cannot be achieved. In other words, when the 10th re-spin win occurs, it becomes difficult to distinguish whether the 9th re-spin or the 11th re-spin has been won. To put it another way, in order to determine whether the 9th re-spin or the 11th re-spin has been won, it is necessary to aim for the "cherry" on the left reel 32L.

[0045] State transition prizes, which only involve a change in the game state, include the 1st BB prize, the 2nd BB prize, and the JAC prize.

[0046] When the "White 7" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "White Shell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "Cherry" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML, the first Big Bonus (BB) is awarded. When the first BB is awarded, the game state changes to the first BB state. As shown in Figure 11(e), when the symbols corresponding to the first BB are stopped on the active line ML, the "White 7" symbols line up and stop on the middle line L2.

[0047] If 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 all stop on the active line ML, a second Big Bonus (BB) is awarded. When a second BB is awarded, the game state transitions to the second BB state. As shown in Figure 11(f), when the symbols corresponding to a second BB are awarded on the active line ML, the "White 7" symbol stops in the middle of the left reel 32L and the middle of the middle reel 32M, and the "Red 7" symbol stops in the middle of the right reel 32R.

[0048] A JAC win can only occur during the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state. A JAC win occurs when the "Red Shell" symbol on the left reel 32L, the "White Shell" symbol on the middle reel 32M, and the "White 7" symbol on the right reel 32R stop on the active line ML. When a JAC win occurs, the game state changes to the JAC state. As shown in Figure 12(c), when the symbols corresponding to a JAC win stop on the active line ML, the "White 7" symbols will line up and stop on the upward sloping line L5.

[0049] A start lever 41 is provided on the lower left side of the game panel 25, which is operated to start the rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. The start lever 41 constitutes a start operation means or activation operation means that is operated to start the rotation of the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R, that is, to start the variable display of the symbols. When the start lever 41 is operated with a predetermined number of tokens inserted, each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R will start to rotate.

[0050] To the right of the start lever 41 are button-shaped stop switches 42-44, which are operated to individually stop each of the rotating reels 32L, 32M, and 32R. Each stop switch 42-44 is located directly below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R, which correspond to the reels 32L, 32M, and 32R that are to be stopped.

[0051] Stop switches 42 to 44 are each connected to stop detection sensors 42a to 44a (Figure 15), and the stop detection sensors 42a to 44a are connected to the main control unit 101, which will be described later. The main control unit 101 determines whether a stop switch 42 to 44 has been operated based on the detection signals from the stop detection sensors 42a to 44a. Specifically, when a stop switch 42 to 44 is not operated, a LOW detection signal is output from the stop detection sensors 42a to 44a, and when a stop switch 42 to 44 is operated, this detection signal switches from a LOW signal to a HI signal. The main control unit 101 detects this signal switch and determines that a stop switch 42 to 44 has been operated. When the main control unit 101 determines that a stop switch 42 to 44 has been operated, it controls the rotation of the reel corresponding to the operated switch to stop.

[0052] In other words, when the left stop switch 42 is operated, the rotation of the left reel 32L stops; when the middle stop switch 43 is operated, the rotation of the middle reel 32M stops; and when the right stop switch 44 is operated, the rotation of the right reel 32R stops. The stop switches 42 to 44 constitute a stop operation means that is operated to stop the variable display of symbols based on the rotation of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0053] A coin slot 45 for inserting coins is provided in the lower right of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R. The coin slot 45 constitutes an input means for inputting game media. Furthermore, considering that the coin slot 45 involves the player directly inserting coins, it can also be said to constitute a direct input means for directly inputting game media.

[0054] Coins inserted through the coin slot 45 are guided to either the storage passage 47 or the discharge passage 48 by a selector 46, which is a passage switching means located on the back of the front door 12. More specifically, the selector 46 is equipped with a coin passage switching solenoid 46a. When the coin passage switching solenoid 46a is not energized, the coins are guided to the discharge passage 48, and when the coin passage switching solenoid 46a is energized, the coins are guided to the storage passage 47. Coins guided to the storage passage 47 are led to a hopper device 51 housed inside the casing 11. On the other hand, coins guided to the discharge passage 48 are guided to a coin tray 50 through a coin discharge port 49 located on the lower front of the front door 12 and returned to the player.

[0055] The hopper device 51 consists of a storage tank 52 for storing medals and a dispensing device 53 for dispensing medals to players. The dispensing device 53 rotates a medal dispensing rotating plate (not shown) to discharge medals into an opening 48a in a discharge passage 48, and then dispenses the medals into a medal tray 50 via the discharge passage 48. To the right of the hopper device 51, there is a reserve tank 54 to prevent the storage tank 52 from accumulating more than a predetermined amount of medals. Inside the storage tank 52 of the hopper device 51, there is a guide plate 52a that discharges medals from the storage tank 52 to the reserve tank 54. Therefore, if the amount of medals stored exceeds the height of the guide plate 52a, those medals will be stored in the reserve tank 54.

[0056] A button-shaped return switch 55 is provided below the medal slot 45. If the return switch 55 is operated while medals inserted into the medal slot 45 are jammed inside the selector 46, the selector 46 is mechanically activated in conjunction with the switch, and the jammed medals inside the selector 46 are returned from the medal outlet 49.

[0057] Lower left of the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R is a first credit insertion switch 56 for inserting a predetermined specific number of credited virtual tokens, which are the game's prescribed number of tokens, at once. The specific number is set according to the progress of the game. For example, if the prescribed number of tokens for the game is set to 3 and the specific number is set to 3, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, 3 virtual tokens will be inserted, provided that there are credits. If the prescribed number of tokens is set to 2 and the specific number is set to 2, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, 2 virtual tokens will be inserted, provided that there are credits. If the prescribed number of tokens is set to 3 or 2 and the specific number is set to 3, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, 3 virtual tokens will be inserted, provided that there are credits. If the prescribed number of tokens is set to 3 or 2 and the specific number is set to 2, when the first credit insertion switch 56 is operated, 2 virtual tokens will 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 for inserting one virtual medal. Each credit insertion switch 56, 57, together with the medal slot 45, constitutes an input means for inputting the game medium. Also, while the medal slot 45 involves the player directly inserting medals, each credit insertion switch 56, 57 only involves the insertion of virtual medals based on stored memory. Considering this, it can be said that they constitute an indirect input means for indirectly inputting the game medium. Note that in this slot machine 10, since two virtual medals are inserted, there is no credit insertion switch.

[0058] The first credit insertion switch 56 has a larger operating surface for the player than the second credit insertion switch 57, and its operability is superior to that of the second credit insertion switch 57. Therefore, it is assumed that the player will normally operate the first credit insertion switch 56 to proceed with the game. In other words, it is assumed that the player will normally insert a specific number of credits out of the prescribed number to play the game.

[0059] To the right of the first credit insertion switch 56 and the second credit insertion switch 57, there is an effect switch 66 that is operated when an effect occurs.

[0060] A settlement switch 59 is provided to the left of the start lever 41. In other words, this slot machine 10 has a credit function that stores any surplus inserted medals or medals paid out upon winning as virtual medals until a predetermined maximum value (equivalent to 50 medals) is reached. When the settlement switch 59 is operated while virtual medals are stored, the virtual medals are dispensed as real medals from the medal dispenser 49. In this case, focusing on the function of dispensing credited virtual medals as real medals, the settlement switch 59 can also be said to constitute a settlement operation means for actually dispensing the stored game media.

[0061] Below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R of the game panel 25 are a credit display unit 60 that displays the number of virtual medals currently credited, a remaining payout display unit 61 that displays the number of medals remaining to be dispensed until the BB state ends, and a payout display unit 62 that displays the number of medals dispensed when a win occurs. These display units 60 to 62 are composed of 7-segment displays, but it is of course possible to replace them with liquid crystal displays or the like.

[0062] Below the display windows 26L, 26M, and 26R on the game panel 25, and to the right of the payout display section 62, is an instruction monitor 68 which includes a push order indicator that notifies the order in which to operate the stop switches 42 to 44, and a section indicator that indicates an advantageous section, which is a section in which the probability of winning small prizes is changed by notifying the order of operation, allowing the player to proceed with the game in a favorable situation. The instruction monitor 68 will be described in detail later.

[0063] The upper part of the front door 12 is provided with an upper lamp 63 that lights up and flashes in accordance with the progress of the game, a pair of left and right speakers 64 that play various sound effects and inform the player of the game status in accordance with the progress of the game, and an auxiliary display unit 65 that provides the player with various information. The auxiliary display unit 65 is for executing various display effects in accordance with the progress of the game, and since the gameplay of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R can be considered as being performed by the main display unit, it is referred to as the auxiliary display unit 65 in this embodiment. On the back of the auxiliary display unit 65 is a display control device 81 for driving the upper lamp 63, speakers 64, and auxiliary display unit 65.

[0064] In the front door 12, below the game panel 25 and below the stop switches 42-44, there is a lower display unit 69 which may display the model name of the game machine or constitute a predetermined display screen. The lower display unit 69 may be configured as a liquid crystal display unit, or it may be provided with an operating means for effects, or the entire lower display unit 69 may be operated by an operating means.

[0065] Inside the casing 11, a power box 70 is provided to the left of the hopper device 51. The power box 70 houses a power supply unit 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 that supplies power to various parts, including the main control unit 101. The reset switch 72 is a switch for resetting the error state of the slot machine 10. The setting key insertion hole 73 is for hall managers to adjust the number of tokens dispensed. In other words, hall managers 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. In addition to resetting the error state, the reset switch 72 is also operated to clear various stored information of the slot machine 10 and to change the winning probability.

[0066] Above the reel unit 31, a main control device 101 that centrally manages the game is mounted on the casing 11.

[0067] The main control unit 101 is equipped with a payout ratio monitor 77 to clearly indicate the ratio of favorable game states to unfavorable states for the player. The payout ratio monitor 77 is installed on the side of the main control unit 101 facing the front of the game machine so that it can be seen from the front of the game machine when the front door 12 is open, and cannot be seen from the front of the game machine when the front door 12 is closed. More specifically, the payout ratio monitor 77 is housed in a circuit board box so that its display surface can be seen through the circuit board box that houses the main control unit 101. Incidentally, when the front door 12 is closed, the payout ratio monitor 77 cannot be seen even through the gaps in the display windows 26L to 26R, and it is not possible to check the payout ratio monitor 77 unless the lock is released by a predetermined key operation on the key cylinder 21 and the front door 12 is opened. The payout ratio monitor 77 will be explained in detail later.

[0068] Next, the electrical configuration of this slot machine 10 will be explained based on the block diagrams in Figures 13 and 14.

[0069] The main control unit 101 is equipped with a microcomputer centered around a CPU 102, which is the arithmetic processing means. In addition to the power supply unit 91, the CPU 102 is connected via an internal bus to a clock circuit 103 that outputs a square wave of a predetermined frequency, and input / output ports 104, etc. This main control unit 101 functions as the main board built into the slot machine 10.

[0070] 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 completed 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, a coin insertion detection sensor 45a that detects coins inserted from the coin slot 45, a payout detection sensor 51a that detects coins dispensed 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. Signals from these various sensors are output to the CPU 102 via the input / output port 104.

[0071] 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, as well as a power outage monitoring circuit 91b.

[0072] The power outage monitoring circuit 91b monitors the power supply interruption status and generates a power outage signal not only during a power outage but also when the power is cut off by the power switch 71. Therefore, the power outage monitoring circuit 91b monitors the stabilized drive voltage (12 volts DC in this example) output from the power supply unit 91a, and is configured to output a power outage signal when this drive voltage drops to, for example, less than 10 volts, determining that the power supply has been cut off. The power outage signal is supplied to both the CPU 102 and the input / output port 104, and the CPU 102 recognizes this power outage signal to execute the power outage processing described later. This power outage signal is also supplied to the display control device 81.

[0073] The power supply unit 91a is configured to output a 5-volt stabilized voltage, which is used as the drive voltage in control systems such as the main control unit 101, even when the output voltage drops to less than 10 volts. The time for which this stabilized voltage is output is sufficient to allow the main control unit 101 to perform power outage processing.

[0074] The output side of the main control device 101 is connected via input / output ports 104 to the reel unit 31 (more specifically, the stepping motors for rotating each reel 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 payout display unit 61, the payout display unit 62, the instruction monitor 68, the payout 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).

[0075] The CPU 102 described above includes a ROM 105 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the CPU 102, and a RAM 106 that reserves a work area for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 105. In addition, although not shown in the diagram, it also contains various processing circuits necessary for the slot machine 10, such as interrupt circuits, timer circuits, and data transmission / reception circuits, as well as various counters such as a credit counter for counting the number of credits. The ROM 105 and RAM 106 constitute the main memory as a storage means, and the programs for executing various processes are stored in the ROM 105 as part of the control programs.

[0076] The RAM 106 is configured to retain (back up) data even after the power to the slot machine 10 is cut off, by receiving backup voltage from the power supply unit 91. The RAM 106 includes a memory for temporarily storing various types of data, a winning flag storage area 106a for storing the results of the draw for winning combinations, a stop information storage area 106b for storing stop information used when controlling the stopping of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R, a state information storage area 106c for storing game states such as BB state, and a backup area.

[0077] The backup area is an area for storing the value of the stack pointer at the time of power interruption (including power interruption by operating the power switch 71; the same applies hereinafter) in the event of a power outage or other power interruption. When the power is restored (including power on by operating the power switch 71; the same applies hereinafter), the state of the slot machine 10 can be restored to the state before the power interruption based on the information in the backup area. Writing to the backup area is performed when the power is interrupted by the power outage processing (see Figure 15), and the restoration of each value written to the backup area is performed in the main processing when the power is turned on.

[0078] Furthermore, the NMI terminal (Non-Mascable Interrupt terminal) of the CPU 102 is configured to receive a power outage signal from the power outage monitoring circuit 91b when the power is cut off due to a power outage or other reason. When the power is cut off, the NMI interrupt process, which generates a power outage flag, is executed immediately.

[0079] As shown in Figure 14, the display control device 81 is equipped with a microcomputer centered on a CPU 181, which is an arithmetic processing means. The CPU 181 also contains a ROM 182 that stores various control programs and fixed value data executed by the CPU 181, and a RAM 183 that reserves a work area for temporarily storing various data when executing the control programs stored in the ROM 182.

[0080] The display control device 81 is provided with input / output ports (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 upper lamp 63, speaker 64, and auxiliary display unit 65 are driven and controlled 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 comprehensively manages the game. That is, by providing a sub-board for indirect game-related sounds, lamps, and displays, the burden on the main board is reduced.

[0081] The display control device 81 has an input connected to an effect switch 66 (more specifically, an effect switch detection sensor that detects the operation of the effect switch 66). The various display units 60-62 and 68 may also be driven and controlled by the display control device 81.

[0082] Next, we will explain the control processes executed by the CPU 102 of the main control unit 101. The processes of the CPU 102 can be broadly divided into the main process, which is started when the power is turned on; the timer interrupt process, which is started periodically (at a period of 1.49 msec in this embodiment); and the NMI interrupt process, 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, namely the timer interrupt process and the main process.

[0083] Figure 15 is a flowchart of the timer interrupt processing that is periodically executed by the main control unit 101, where the CPU 102 of the main control unit 101 generates a timer interrupt, for example, every 1.49 msec.

[0084] First, in the register saving process shown in step S101, the values ​​of all registers in the CPU 102 used in the normal processing described later are saved to the backup area of ​​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 to execute the power outage process.

[0085] Here, I will briefly explain how to handle power outages.

[0086] When the power supply is interrupted 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 unit 91, and this power outage signal is input to the main control unit 101 via the NMI terminal. When the main control unit 101 receives a power outage signal, it immediately executes an NMI interrupt process and sets the power outage flag in the power outage flag storage area provided in RAM 106.

[0087] In the power outage handling process, it is first determined whether the command transmission has finished. If transmission has not finished, this process is terminated, and the system returns to the timer interrupt process to terminate the command transmission. If the command transmission has finished, the value of the CPU 102's stack pointer is saved to the backup area of ​​RAM 106. After that, the output status of the output ports in I / O port 104 is cleared, and all actuators (not shown) are turned off. Then, a RAM judgment value is calculated to determine whether the data in RAM 106 is normal when the power outage is resolved, and this value is saved to the backup area, thereby prohibiting further RAM access. After performing the above processes, the system enters an infinite loop in preparation for the possibility that the power will be completely cut off and processing will no longer be possible. In addition, considering the possibility that the power outage flag may be set incorrectly due to noise, for example, the system checks whether a power outage signal is being output until the system enters the infinite loop. If no power outage signal is output, it means that the system has recovered from the power outage state, so writing to RAM 106 is permitted, the power outage flag is reset, and the system returns to the timer interrupt process. If the power outage signal continues to be output, the system enters the infinite loop. Incidentally, even under an infinite loop, the program checks whether a power outage signal is being output, and if the power outage signal is no longer being output, it proceeds to the main process.

[0088] Returning to the explanation of timer interrupt processing, if the power outage flag is not set in step S102, various processes from step S104 onwards are performed.

[0089] Specifically, in step S104, a watchdog timer clearing process is performed to initialize the value of the watchdog timer used to monitor for malfunctions. In step S105, an interrupt termination declaration process is performed for the CPU 102 itself, enabling it to set the next timer interrupt. In step S106, a stepping motor control process is performed to drive the stepping motors, which are the respective reel drive motors, in order to rotate each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. In step S107, a sensor monitoring process is performed to read the status of various sensors (see Figure 15), such as stop detection sensors 42a to 44a, inserted medal detection sensor 45a, and payout detection sensor 51a, which are connected to the input / output port 104, and to monitor whether the reading results are normal or not. 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 output the count of the number of medals bet and the number of medals paid out to the external centralized terminal board 121.

[0090] In step S110, command output processing is performed to send various commands, such as the lottery result command described later, to the display control device 81. In step S111, segment data setting processing is performed to set the segment data to be displayed on the credit display unit 60, the remaining payout display unit 61, the payout display unit 62, and the instruction monitor 68, respectively. In step S112, segment data display processing is performed to supply the segment data set in the segment data setting processing to each display unit 60~62,68 and display the corresponding numbers, symbols, etc. In step S113, port output processing 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 that were saved to the backup area in step S101 are restored to the corresponding registers in the CPU 102. Then, in step S115, interrupt enable processing is performed to enable the next timer interrupt, and this series of timer interrupt processing is completed.

[0091] Next, the main processing of the main control unit 101 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 16. The main processing is executed when power is restored from a power outage or when the power switch 71 is turned on.

[0092] In step S201, as an initialization process for the drive, the value of the stack pointer is set in the CPU 102, and an interrupt mode is set to enable interrupt processing. After that, various settings are made for the registers in the CPU 102, I / O devices, etc.

[0093] Once these initialization processes are complete, step S202 determines whether the reset switch 72 has been operated, or more specifically, whether an ON signal has been received from the reset detection sensor 72a. If the reset switch 72 was operated during this power-on (recovery) process, step S203 performs a RAM clear process to erase all data stored in RAM 106.

[0094] If the reset switch 72 is not operated in step S202, or after the RAM clear process in step S203 is performed, in step S204 it is determined whether the setting key is inserted into the setting key insertion hole 73 and turned ON, or more specifically, whether an ON signal is received from the setting key detection sensor 73a. If the setting key is turned ON when the power is turned on (recovered), the process proceeds to step S205 to perform the initialization process for the advantageous section information.

[0095] In this slot machine 10, there are cases where the winning combination yields different benefits depending on the order in which the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated, and the order of operation may be notified by the instruction monitor 68 or the like. Furthermore, there is a distinction between the advantageous period in which the order of operation may be notified and the normal period in which the order of operation is not notified, and the initialization process for the advantageous period information in step S205 is a process to erase all information related to such advantageous periods. In other words, when the initialization process for the advantageous period information is performed, the advantageous period is set to the normal period.

[0096] In the following step S206, the process of setting the winning probability is performed.

[0097] The winning probability setting process is outlined below. The slot machine 10 has six pre-set winning probabilities, from "Setting 1" to "Setting 6," and the winning probability setting process is the process of determining which winning probability to use for internal processing. In the winning probability setting process, as a predetermined operation, the setting value is updated by 1 each time the reset switch 72 is operated. For example, each time the reset switch 72 is operated, the setting value is updated to go from "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. When the start lever 41 is operated with the setting key detection sensor 73a in the OFF position, the setting value is confirmed, and the setting value at that time is taken as the current setting value, and the winning probability setting process is terminated. Based on the termination of the winning probability setting process, the display on the credit display unit 60 also terminates. The setting value set during the winning probability setting process is stored in RAM106 until the next winning probability setting process is initiated.

[0098] If it is determined in step S204 that the setting key has not been turned ON, or after the processing in step S206, it is determined in step S207 whether or not the power outage flag is set. If the power outage flag is not set, the normal processing that performs the main controls related to the game is executed in step S208.

[0099] On the other hand, if the power outage flag is set in step S207, the power restoration process shown in step S209 and later is performed. The power restoration process is the process of restoring the state of the slot machine 10 to the state it was in before the power was cut off. Therefore, in the power restoration process, it is first necessary to check whether the data in RAM 106 is normal.

[0100] Therefore, in step S209, it is determined whether the RAM judgment value is normal or not. Specifically, the checksum value of RAM106 is checked, and it is confirmed whether the value is normal, that is, whether the checksum value including the RAM judgment value is 0 or not. If the checksum value including the RAM judgment value is 0, it is determined that the data in RAM106 is normal.

[0101] If the RAM check value is abnormal in step S209, meaning the checksum value is not 0, it is highly likely that the data in RAM 106 has been corrupted. In such cases, an error display process is performed in step S210. As part of the error display process, interrupt processing is first disabled, and all output ports in input / output port 104 are cleared, thereby controlling all actuators connected to input / output port 104 to the OFF state. After that, an error display is shown to notify the hall manager or others that an error has occurred, and the system remains in operation until the reset switch 72 is turned ON.

[0102] If the RAM judgment value is determined to be normal in step S209, the process proceeds to step S211, where the value of the stack pointer stored in the backup area is written to the stack pointer of the CPU 102, restoring the stack state to the state before the power was cut off. Next, in step S212, a power restoration command is sent to the display control device 81 to indicate the execution of the power restoration process. After that, in step S213, the process of saving the stop and automatic settlement settings as the game state is performed, and in step S214, various sensors such as the start detection sensor 41a are initialized. After the above processes are completed, in step S215 the power outage flag is reset and the system returns to the address before the power was cut off. Specifically, the system returns to the timer interrupt process described earlier, and the watchdog timer clear process (step S104) is executed.

[0103] Next, the normal processing performed in step S208 of the main processing will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 17. Normal processing is the process for performing the main controls related to the game.

[0104] First, in step S301, an interrupt enablement process is performed to allow the next timer interrupt. In step S302, pre-start processing is performed to enable gameplay. During the pre-start processing, the system waits until the display control device 81, etc., has finished initializing. Once the initialization of the display control device 81, etc., is complete, the game management processing shown in steps S303 to S312 is performed.

[0105] As part of the game management process, step S303 clears the various game information data stored in RAM106 (for example, random values ​​used in the previous game). Then, step S304 performs a wait-to-start process.

[0106] The start-up waiting process determines whether any re-play wins occurred in the previous game. If any re-play wins occurred, an automatic insertion process is performed to automatically insert the same number of virtual tokens as the previous bet, and the start-up waiting process ends. Specifically, for example, if a re-play win occurred in a 3-bet game, the process will automatically insert 3 virtual tokens.

[0107] In the automatic coin insertion process, virtual coins are inserted without reducing the number of virtual coins displayed on the credit display unit 60. In other words, if any re-play win was achieved in the previous game, the player can play the current game without reducing the number of coins they possess or inserting any coins. If no re-play win was achieved, a sensor abnormality check process is performed in the sensor monitoring process step S107 of the timer interrupt process to check if there is an abnormality in the sensor reading result. If an abnormality occurs, the slot machine 10 is put into an error state and an abnormality occurrence process is performed to notify the occurrence of the error. This error state is maintained until the reset switch 72 is operated. If the sensor reading result is normal, it is determined whether the settlement switch 59 has been operated, and if the settlement switch 59 has been operated, a coin return process is performed to pay out the same number of coins as the credited virtual coins.

[0108] If the medal return process is completed or the settlement switch 59 has not been operated, it is determined whether medals were inserted or the credit insertion switches 56, 57 were operated between the previous start-waiting process and the current start-waiting process. If either has been done, a medal insertion process is performed to change the bet amount, etc., and the start-waiting process is terminated. If neither medals were inserted nor the credit insertion switches 56, 57 were operated between the previous start-waiting process and the current start-waiting process, the start-waiting process is terminated as is.

[0109] After the start-waiting process is completed, step S305 determines whether the number of medals bet has reached the specified number. As already explained, this slot machine 10 only allows 3-bet games, and only 3 is set as the specified number. If the number of bets has not reached the specified number, the process returns to the start-waiting process in step S304, and the processes from the sensor abnormality check onward are performed.

[0110] If the number of bets reaches a predetermined number, a bet command containing information about the number of bets that was determined to be positive in step S305 is set in step S306 as an output target to the display control device 81, which acts as a sub-control device. 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 the game start conditions have been met or notification of the lottery results from the previous game) and controls the speaker 64 and the auxiliary display unit 65.

[0111] After executing the process in step S306, it is determined in step S307 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 in step S304, and the processes from the sensor abnormality confirmation process onward are performed.

[0112] On the other hand, when the start lever 41 is operated, the game can be started when the start lever 41 is operated while a predetermined number of medals have been bet, so this means that a start command has been issued to start the game. In this case, in step S308, an active line setting process is performed to set the combination lines corresponding to the number of bets as active lines. That is, only the bent line L6 is set as an active line. In step S309, the medal passage switching solenoid 46a is switched to a de-energized state to prohibit bet acceptance. After that, the lottery process in step S310, the reel control process in step S311, and the medal payout process in step S312 are executed in order, and the process returns to step S303.

[0113] Next, the lottery process in step S310 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 18.

[0114] In step S401, a random number is obtained to determine whether a winning combination is achieved. In this slot machine 10, when the start lever 41 is operated, the hardware circuit 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 circuit in the RAM 106. This configuration makes it possible to quickly obtain a random number when the start lever 41 is operated, thus avoiding synchronization and other problems. The hardware circuit of this slot machine 10 is configured to latch the value of the free-run counter each time the start lever 41 is operated.

[0115] After obtaining a random number, step S402 retrieves a lottery table for determining whether a winning combination is achieved. This slot machine 10 has two main game states: a normal game state and a bonus state, and a separate lottery table is set for each game state. The process of obtaining the lottery table will be explained in detail when describing the game states, but here we will explain the state before transitioning to the bonus state.

[0116] In other words, if the current game has not resulted in a bonus such as the 1st BB or 2nd BB, and is in a normal game state, step S402 retrieves the normal game state lottery table. Figure 19 shows the normal game state lottery table retrieved in a normal game state. The lottery table has an index value IV set, and each index value IV is uniquely associated with a winning role, and a point value PV is also set.

[0117] After obtaining the lottery table, step S403 sets the index value IV to 1, and in the following step S404, the judgment value DV used to determine whether a hand is successful or not is set. In this judgment value setting process, the current judgment value DV is set by adding the current index value IV and the corresponding point value PV. Note that in the initial judgment value setting process, the random value obtained in step S401 is used as the current judgment value DV, and the current index value IV, which is 1, and the corresponding point value PV are added to this random value to create a new judgment value DV.

[0118] Subsequently, in step S405, a determination is made as to whether the corresponding role is won or lost based on the index value IV. In determining whether the role is won or lost, it is determined whether the judgment value DV exceeds 65535. If it exceeds 65535, in step S406, the process of setting the winning flag for the game result corresponding to the index value IV that was determined to be won in step S405 into the winning flag storage area 106a is executed. For example, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=23, the second small role winning flag and the third small role winning flag are set in step S406. Also, if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=25, the first BB winning flag and the first re-play winning flag are set in step S406, and if the judgment value DV exceeds 65535 when IV=26, the second BB winning flag and the first re-play winning flag are set in step S406.

[0119] Incidentally, if the set winning flag is not a winning flag indicating a win in the 1st BB (1st BB winning flag) or a winning flag indicating a win in the 2nd BB (2nd BB winning flag), the winning flag set in the winning flag storage area 106a is reset after the end of the game in which the corresponding flag was set (see S303 of the normal process). On the other hand, if the winning flag is a 1st BB winning flag or a 2nd BB winning flag, these winning flags are reset with the corresponding prize being achieved as one of the conditions. In other words, the 1st BB winning flag and the 2nd BB winning flag may remain valid for multiple games.

[0120] When the 1st BB winning flag or the 2nd BB winning flag is carried over, the game's lottery process is performed by referring to the lottery table for the carryover state. In the lottery table for the carryover state (Figure 20), the index value IV and point value PV are set so that the 1st BB and 2nd BB are not won.

[0121] Alternatively, instead of preparing a separate lottery table for carryover states, in step S406 when the 1st BB winning flag or the 2nd BB winning flag is carried over, if a role other than the one corresponding to the 1st BB or 2nd BB (1st BB with replay overlap, 2nd BB with replay overlap) is won, the corresponding winning flag may be set, and if a role other than the one corresponding to the 1st BB or 2nd BB is not won, the corresponding winning flag may not be set.

[0122] In other words, for example, if the 1st BB winning flag is carried over, and for example the index value IV = 25, the judgment value DV exceeds 65535, the 1st BB winning flag and the 1st re-play winning flag are not set. Alternatively, if the 1st BB winning flag is carried over, and for example the index value IV = 11, the judgment value DV exceeds 65535, the 1st small role winning flag, the 4th small role winning flag, the 5th small role winning flag, and the 8th small role winning flag may be set.

[0123] If the judgment value DV does not exceed 65535 in step S405, it means that the hand corresponding to the index value IV has not been determined. In this case, the index value IV is incremented by 1 in step S407, and in the following step S408, it is determined whether or not there is a hand corresponding to the index value IV, that is, whether or not there is a hand to be judged as correct or incorrect. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the incremented index value IV exceeds the maximum value of index value IV set in the lottery table. If there is a hand to be judged as correct or incorrect, the process returns to step S404 and the determination of the hand continues. At this time, in step S404, the judgment value DV used in the previous determination of the hand (i.e., the current judgment value DV) is increased by adding the point value PV corresponding to the current index value IV to obtain a new judgment value DV, and in step S405, the determination of the hand is made based on this judgment value DV.

[0124] Incidentally, when determining the outcome of a role using the lottery table shown in Figure 19, that is, when playing in the normal game state, the probability of winning a normal replay A (the probability of winning when IV=1) is approximately 1 in 27.3. The probability of winning a normal replay B (the probability of winning when IV=2) and a normal replay C (the probability of winning when IV=3) is approximately 1 in 26.2. The probability of winning a chance symbol A (the probability of winning when IV=4) is approximately 1 in 164, the probability of winning a chance symbol B (the probability of winning when IV=5) is approximately 1 in 262, and the probability of winning a chance symbol C (the probability of winning when IV=6) is approximately 1 in 16400. Chance symbol B is more likely to be won than chance symbol C, and chance symbol A is more likely to be won than chance symbol B. The probability of winning a cherry A (the probability of winning when IV=7) is approximately 1 in 107. The probability of winning Cherry B (when IV=8) is approximately 1 in 215, and the probability of winning Cherry C (when IV=9) is approximately 1 in 13100. Cherry B is more likely to be won than Cherry C, and Cherry A is more likely to be won than Cherry B. The probability of winning a Common Bell (when IV=10) is approximately 1 in 6560. The probability of winning Normal Bell 1, Normal Bell 2, Sandwich Bell 1, Sandwich Bell 2, Middle Normal Bell 1, Middle Normal Bell 2, Middle Reverse Bell 1, Middle Reverse Bell 2, Reverse Sandwich Bell 1, Reverse Sandwich Bell 2, Reverse Bell 1, Reverse Bell 2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as Normal Bell) (when IV=11 to 22) is approximately 1 in 18.2 for each. The probability of winning a watermelon (when IV=23) is approximately 1 in 219. The probability of winning the first Big Bonus (BB) with a replay (when IV=25) is approximately 1 in 20.1. The probability of winning the second BB with a replay (when IV=26) is approximately 1 in 6.7. The combined probability of winning either the first or second BB with a replay (when IV=25 or 26) is approximately 1 in 5, which is higher than the winning probabilities for other roles (re-spin, minor roles, IV=1-24).In normal gameplay, the game is set so that you will not win the overlapping single-coin combination (IV=24) or JAC (IV=27) (the corresponding point value PV is set to 0). In normal gameplay, the probability of not winning any combination (the probability of a losing result) is 0.

[0125] In the draw table for the carryover state (Figure 20), which is obtained when the 1st BB or 2nd BB has been won, the winning probabilities for the 1st BB and 2nd BB with overlapping replays, which correspond to the 1st BB and 2nd BB, differ from those in the draw table for the normal game state, while the probabilities for other draws are the same in both the normal game state and the carryover state. That is, in the draw table for the carryover state, the probability of winning the 1st BB and 2nd BB with overlapping replays (the probability of winning when IV=25 or 26) is zero. Furthermore, in the draw table for the carryover state, the probability of not winning any role (the probability of a losing result) is approximately 1 in 5.02, as opposed to winning the 1st BB or 2nd BB with overlapping replays. Note that the draw table for the normal game state and the draw table for the carryover state are obtained according to the state in the process of step S402 described above.

[0126] Incidentally, in normal gameplay, excluding the increases and decreases during the 1st and 2nd Big Bonus (BB) states, you can expect a decrease of approximately 1.92 medals per game (net increase minus approximately 1.92 medals). In carryover mode, excluding the increases and decreases during the 1st and 2nd Big Bonus (BB) states, you can expect a decrease of approximately 2.52 medals per game (net increase minus approximately 2.52 medals).

[0127] If the winning flag is set in step S406, or if it is determined in step S408 that there are no targets to be judged as winning or losing, it means that the judgment of winning or losing a role has been completed. In this case, the process proceeds to step S409, where a freeze lottery is performed to determine whether or not to execute a freeze effect that disables the operation of stop switches 42 to 44 for a predetermined period of time.

[0128] In the following step S410, the lottery result processing is performed. This lottery result processing includes determining whether or not to transition the game state according to the lottery results in steps S401 to S408, and processing for notifying the sequence of button presses. This lottery result processing will be explained in detail later.

[0129] After executing the process in step S410, the lottery result command is set in step S411. Here, the lottery result command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to determine the result of the winning or losing of a role. However, in normal processing, various commands such as the lottery result command are only set in the ring buffer, and no command is sent to the display control device 81. The transmission of a command to the display control device 81 is performed in the command output processing of the timer interrupt processing described above (step S110).

[0130] Then, in step S412, a stop information setting process is executed to set the symbols that can be stopped on each reel 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 combinations is set based on the winning flag set in step S406. For example, if the player wins the push-order bell 1 (when IV=11) and the 1st small win flag, 4th small win flag, 5th small win flag, and 8th small win flag are set, the stop symbol information is set so that the symbols corresponding to the 1st small win, 4th small win, 5th small win, and 8th small win can be stopped on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R. Also, if the player wins the watermelon (when IV=23) and the 2nd small win flag and 3rd small win flag are set, the stop symbol information is set so that the symbols corresponding to the 2nd small win and 3rd small win can be stopped on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0131] In the following step S413, if multiple stoppable symbol information was set in step S412, a priority setting process is executed to set the priority order. The details of this priority setting process will be explained later, but basically, if multiple types of winning combinations from the categories of small wins, re-spins, and bonuses are achieved, the following priority order is set: If both a small win and a bonus are achieved, the priority order is set so that the small win is achieved first, and if the small win cannot be achieved, the bonus is achieved first. If both a re-spin and a bonus are achieved, the priority order is set so that the re-spin is achieved first.

[0132] For example, if a player has won the 1st Big Bonus (BB), and has also won a Watermelon, and has set up stop symbol information corresponding to the 1st Big Bonus win, the priority will be set so that the 2nd and 3rd small wins take precedence over the 1st Big Bonus win.

[0133] In this configuration, if a replay is won, the combination of symbols that result in a win is set so that one of the winning replays will always result in a win. In other words, if a replay is won, a replay win is guaranteed, and no misses occur. Therefore, if the stop symbol information for replays and bonuses is set, one of the set replays will always result in a win, and a bonus win will never occur. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the system is configured so that a win in the 1st BB or 2nd BB with a replay overlap results in a win in the 1st BB or 2nd BB, and when a win in the 1st BB or 2nd BB with a replay overlap occurs, a win is also made in addition to the 1st BB or 2nd BB, as well as the 1st replay. Therefore, in games where a win in the 1st BB or 2nd BB occurs, a win in the 1st replay occurs instead of the 1st BB or 2nd BB.

[0134] After executing the process in step S413, the first section display process is executed in step S414, and then the lottery process is terminated. The first section display process is a process related to the display control of the instruction monitor 68 and the role ratio monitor 77, and this process will be explained in detail later.

[0135] Next, the reel control process in step S311 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 21.

[0136] In the reel control process, the first step S501 is to perform a spin animation process. The spin animation process is a process to perform an animation using the reel control during the invalid period, based on the results of the freeze lottery process performed in step S409 above. In the following step S502, a spin start process is performed to start the rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R.

[0137] In the rotation start process, it is checked whether a predetermined wait time (e.g., 4.1 seconds) has elapsed since the reels started rotating in the previous game. If it has not elapsed, the system waits until the wait time has elapsed. Once the wait time has elapsed, the system resets the wait time for the next game and performs motor control initialization, setting rotation start information in the motor control storage area of ​​RAM 106. By performing this process, the stepping motor acceleration process is started in the timer interrupt process's stepping motor control process (step S106), and each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R begins to rotate. For this reason, even if the player bets the prescribed number of tokens and operates the start lever 41, each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R may not immediately start rotating. After that, the system waits until each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R rotates at a predetermined constant speed, and then the rotation start process ends. Furthermore, when the rotation speed of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R reaches a constant speed, the CPU 102 notifies the player or others that it is possible to issue a stop command by illuminating the lamps (not shown) of each stop switch 42 to 44.

[0138] Following the rotation start process, step S503 determines whether any of the stop switches 42-44 have been operated. If none of the stop switches 42-44 have been operated, the system waits until any of the stop switches 42-44 are operated. If it is determined that any of the stop switches 42-44 have been operated, the system proceeds to step S504 to determine whether the stop switch corresponding to the rotating reel has been operated, i.e., whether a stop command has been issued. If no stop command has been issued, the system returns to step S503 and waits until any of the stop switches 42-44 are operated. If a stop command has been issued, the system sets a stop command in step S505. Here, the stop command is a command sent to the display control device 81 to determine which stop switch was operated and which has issued the stop command. When a stop command is set, the system performs the stop control processing shown in steps S506-S512 to stop the rotating reel.

[0139] In step S506, the symbol number of the symbol that has reached the base position (lower row in this embodiment) at the time the stop switch is operated is confirmed. Specifically, the symbol number of the symbol that has reached the base position is confirmed by the number of excitation pulses output from the time the detection signal of the reel index sensor is input. In the following step S507, the number of reel slips to be stopped is calculated based on the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b. In this slot machine 10, there are five stopping patterns for each reel 32L, 32M, 32R when the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated: a stopping pattern in which the symbol that has reached the base position is stopped as is; a stopping pattern in which the corresponding reel is slid one symbol length before stopping; a stopping pattern in which the reel is slid two symbol lengths before stopping; a stopping pattern in which the reel is slid three symbol lengths before stopping; and a stopping pattern in which the reel is slid four symbol lengths before stopping. In step S507, a value between 0 and 4 is calculated as the slip count based on the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b. Then, in step S508, the calculated slip count is added to the symbol number of the reached symbol to determine the symbol number of the stop symbol that will actually be stopped at the base position. In step S509, it is determined whether the symbol number of the reached symbol and the symbol number of the stop symbol for the reel to be stopped are equal. If they are equal, the reel stop process is performed in step S510 to stop the rotation of the reels. Then, in step S511, it is determined whether all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped. If all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have not stopped, the second stop information setting process is performed in step S512, and the process returns to step S503.

[0140] Here, the second stop information setting process is a process that modifies the stop information stored in the stop information storage area 106b of RAM 106 after the reels have stopped. In the second stop information setting process, the stop information is modified based on the set winning flag and the stopping outcome of the stopped reels. In this slot machine 10, for example, if a win occurs when IV=11~22, that is, if a push-order bell is won (see Figures 19 and 20), the second stop information setting process is performed to change the winning pattern that is established by the operation order of the stop switches 42~44 that generated the stop command.

[0141] Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between the winning combinations and the operation sequence of stop switches 42-44 and the resulting winning combinations. For example, if the middle-press bell 1 is won, the stop information is set so that if each stop switch 42-44 is operated in the order of left → middle → right, left → right → middle, middle → right → left, right → left → middle, or right → middle → left, the 12th, 13th, or 16th small win combination will be achieved. If the switches are operated in the order of middle → left → right, the stop information is set so that in addition to the 12th, 13th, and 16th small win combinations, the 1st small win combination may also be achieved. However, even if the stop information is set in this way, the corresponding win may not be achieved depending on the timing of the operation of stop switches 42-44.

[0142] A brief explanation of the symbol arrangement for each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is provided below. In this slot machine 10, reels 32L, 32M, and 32R can be stopped after sliding up to 4 symbol lengths from the timing of operation of stop switches 42-44. Therefore, if the same symbols on each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R are spaced 4 symbols or less apart, the winning symbol can be stopped on the active payline regardless of the timing of operation of stop switch 43. On the other hand, for symbols that are spaced 5 symbols or more apart, the player needs to aim at the symbol and operate stop switches 42-44 to stop them on the active payline.

[0143] Let's explain using the example of a case where a middle-to-right bell 1 is won and the stop switches 42-44 are operated in the order left → middle → right. In this case, the stopping control of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is performed to achieve the 12th, 13th, or 16th small win as described above.

[0144] The 12th winning symbol on the left reel 32L is the "Red 7" symbol and the "BAR" symbol. The 13th winning symbol on the left reel 32L is the "Red Shell" symbol and the "White Shell" symbol. The 16th winning symbol on the left reel 32L is the "Replay" symbol and the "Young Man" symbol. On the left reel 32L, these 12th, 13th, and 16th winning symbols are arranged so that the spacing between symbols is 4 symbols or less. Therefore, when the left stop switch 42 is operated for the first time, regardless of the timing of the operation, one of the 12th, 13th, or 16th winning symbols will stop on the active line (middle row). In this slot machine 10, if the operation is performed at a timing when multiple target symbols can be stopped, the stop control is performed so that the symbol with the fewest slip frames stops on the active line. In other words, for example, if the left stop switch 42 is operated at the moment the first "bell" symbol on the left reel 32L reaches the bottom position, it is possible to stop the 13th small win symbol, the 4th "red clam" symbol (2-frame slip), and the 16th small win symbol, the 5th "replay" symbol (3-frame slip), in the middle position. However, the left reel 32L is controlled to stop in the middle position so that the 4th "red clam" symbol, which has the fewest slipping frames, stops in the middle position. In this case, there is still a possibility of winning the 13th small win, but the 12th and 16th small wins will not be achieved.

[0145] If the 13th small win symbol on the left reel 32L stops in the middle position, the second stop information setting process modifies the stop information so that a 13th small win can be achieved.

[0146] The 13th small winning symbol on the middle reel 32M is the "Replay" symbol. On the left reel 32L, the "Replay" symbols are arranged so that the interval between "Replay" symbols is 4 symbols or less. Therefore, in this case, regardless of the timing of operation of the middle stop switch 43, the stop control is performed so that the "Replay" symbol stops on the upper position of the middle reel 32M.

[0147] The 13th winning symbols on the right reel 32R are the "white shell" symbol and the "young man" symbol. On the right reel 32R, these symbols are arranged so that there are at least 5 symbols between each "white shell" symbol and the "young man" symbol. In other words, depending on the timing of operating the right stop switch 44, it may or may not be possible to stop the 13th winning symbol, the "white shell" symbol or the "young man" symbol, in the upper position. If the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when it is possible to stop it in the upper position, the 13th winning symbol is awarded, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when it is not possible to stop it in the upper position, it is considered a missed win.

[0148] Here, when the "Red Shell" symbol stops in the middle of the left reel 32L and the "Replay" symbol stops in the upper part of the middle reel 32M, there is a possibility that you will win the middle-sequential bell 1 as described above and achieve the 13th small win, but there is also a possibility that you will win the middle-sequential bell 2 and achieve the 15th small win. In other words, the 15th small win symbol in the middle-sequential bell 2 is the same as the 13th small win symbol on the left reel 32L and the middle reel 32M. However, in the right reel 32R, the 13th small win symbol is the "White Shell" symbol and the "Young Man" symbol, while the 15th small win symbol is the "Red 7" symbol and the "White 7" symbol, which are different. In particular, on the right reel 32R, the 13th and 15th small winning symbols are positioned such that if the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when the 13th small winning symbol can be stopped on an active line, the 15th small winning symbol cannot be stopped on an active line, and if the right stop switch 44 is operated at a timing when the 15th small winning symbol can be stopped on an active line, the 13th small winning symbol cannot be stopped on an active line. Therefore, assuming that it is unknown whether the player has won the middle-sequential bell 1 or the middle-sequential bell 2, even if the left reel 32L and the middle reel 32M are stopped in a manner that allows for the possibility of winning the 13th and 15th small winning symbols, it is not possible to intentionally win them.

[0149] Next, we will explain using the example of a case where a middle-to-left bell win occurs and the stop switches 42-44 are operated in the order of middle → left → right. In this case, the stopping control of reels 32L, 32M, and 32R is performed to achieve the first, twelfth, thirteenth, or sixteenth small win.

[0150] In this embodiment, in the priority setting process (step S413) of the lottery process (Figure 18), when multiple winning flags for minor roles are set, the priority is set based on either symbol number priority control or coin number priority control. That is, as described above, for example, if a bonus and a minor role (minor role 1 to 27 that can result in medal payout) are won at the same time, the system is set to prioritize the winning of the minor role, and if a bonus and a re-spin are won at the same time, the system is set to prioritize the winning of the re-spin. In contrast, if multiple minor roles are won at the same time, the system groups the minor roles that have a common number of medals paid out as a bonus when won, and then sets the priority by either symbol number priority control, which sets the winning of the minor role in the group with the most matching symbols in each group at the priority of winning, or coin number priority control, which sets the winning of the minor role in the group with the most medals paid out as a bonus when won at the priority of winning.

[0151] For example, in the case of the middle-to-left-to-right operation sequence for the middle-to-right-right-toright-toright-toright-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-toright-to-right-to-right-toright-to-right-to-right-toright-to-right-to-right-to-right-to-right-to-right-toright-to-right-to- In the symbol count priority control, for example, the first group of winning symbols on the middle reel 32M (the first small win symbol on the middle reel 32M) are "Replay" symbols, of which there are four on the middle reel 32M. The second group of winning symbols on the middle reel 32M (the 12th, 13th, and 16th small win symbols on the middle reel 32M) are "Replay" symbols and "Red Shell" symbols, of which there are five on the middle reel 32M. Since there are more winning symbols in the second group, the setting prioritizes the occurrence of small wins in the second group. In contrast, in the coin count priority control, the setting prioritizes the occurrence of small wins in the first group, which have a larger number of coin payouts. In other words, when the operation order is middle → left → right in the middle-sequence bell 1, if the number of symbols priority control is applied, the control will be set so that the 12th, 13th, or 16th small win is achieved, whereas if the number of coins priority control is applied, the control will be set so that the 1st small win is achieved.

[0152] When a middle-order push results in a win of Bell 1, and the stop switches 42-44 are operated in the order middle → left → right, corresponding to the first small win, if symbol number priority control is applied, the first small win symbol on the middle reel 32M is the "Bell" symbol, the 12th and 13th small win symbols are the "Replay" symbols, and the 16th small win symbol is the "White 7" symbol. In this case, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, if it is possible to stop the "Bell" symbol and either the "Replay" symbol or the "White 7" symbol on the active line (upper row) simultaneously, the stop control will prioritize stopping the "Replay" symbol or the "White 7" symbol on the active line. Since the "Replay" symbol and the "White 7" symbol are arranged so that the spacing between them is 4 symbols or less, regardless of the timing of the operation, one of the 12th, 13th, or 16th small win symbols will stop on the active line. Then, as described above, the remaining left reel 32L and right reel 32R are controlled to stop in a way that maximizes the number of winning combinations that can be achieved, in relation to the symbols that have already stopped. In other words, when a bell 1 is won by pressing the middle reel in order, if the symbol number priority control is applied, even if the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, there is no room for a first winning combination, and one of the following will be achieved: a 12th, 13th, or 16th winning combination.

[0153] In contrast, when a middle-order bell 1 is won, and the stop switches 42-44 are operated in the order middle → left → right, corresponding to the first small win, and when the number-priority control is applied, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, and it is possible to stop the "bell" symbol and the "replay" symbol or "white 7" symbol simultaneously on the active line (upper row), the stop control will be performed to prioritize stopping the "bell" symbol, which is the first small win symbol, on the active line. Since the "bell" symbols are arranged so that the spacing between them is 4 symbols or less, the first small win symbol will stop on the active line regardless of the timing of the operation. For the first small win, not only the middle reel 32M, but also the left reel 32L and the right reel 32R are arranged so that the spacing between them is 4 symbols or less, so it is possible to stop the first small win symbol on the active line regardless of the timing of the operation. Therefore, if you win a bell 1 by pressing the middle button in order, and the operation is performed in the order of middle → left → right, and the number of coins priority control is applied, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the timing of the operation.

[0154] Not limited to the above-mentioned sequential bell 1, each sequential bell has multiple winning combinations from the 4th to the 27th winning combinations that pay out one medal, in addition to the 1st winning combination, set in the operation sequence corresponding to the 1st winning combination (Figure 22). Furthermore, in any sequential bell, the operation sequence corresponding to the 1st winning combination is set so that the number of winning symbols from a different group than the 1st winning combination is greater.

[0155] In this embodiment, during normal gameplay and in the carryover state of the 1st BB to the 2nd BB, symbol number priority control is basically applied, and a priority order is set between each small win. In other words, during normal gameplay and in the carryover state of the 1st BB to the 2nd BB, even if the operation order when a push-order bell is won matches the winning of the 1st small win which pays out the most medals, the symbol number priority control prioritizes the winning of the 4th to 27th small wins, which pay out one medal each, rather than the 1st small win.

[0156] Incidentally, if a common bell is won, the flag for the first small win is set, and the flags for the other small wins (4th to 27th) that result in a payout of one medal are not set. Therefore, even if the symbol number priority control is applied when a common bell is won, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the order and timing of the operations.

[0157] Returning to the explanation of the reel control process, if it is determined in step S511 that all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped, the payout determination process is performed in step S513. The payout determination process is a process that sets the number of medals to be paid out, with one of the conditions being that the winning combination of symbols is lined up on the active line. In the payout determination process, the combination of symbols formed on the active line is derived from the symbol numbers of the symbols that stopped on the lower row of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R, and it is determined whether or not a win has occurred on the active line. If a win has occurred, it is further determined whether or not the winning combination corresponds to the winning flag set in the winning flag storage area 106a. If the winning combination corresponds to the winning flag, the winning combination and the number of payouts corresponding to that winning combination are set in the 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 detection process is performed to notify the system of the error. This error state is maintained until the reset switch 72 is operated.

[0158] After the payout determination process is performed, the bonus state processing is executed in step S514. The bonus state processing involves transitioning to a bonus state such as the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state based on the winning result. This bonus state processing will be explained in detail later. In the following step S515, the winning result response processing is performed. The winning result response processing involves transitioning the display mode based on the winning result. This winning result response processing will be explained in detail later.

[0159] After processing the winning results, step S516 executes the second section display processing. The second section display processing is related to the display control of the instruction monitor 68, and this processing will be explained in detail later. Then, in step S517, a winning result command is set so that the display control device 81 can recognize the winning combinations in this game, and the reel control processing is terminated.

[0160] Next, we will briefly explain the medal payout process in step S312.

[0161] In the medal payout process, it is determined whether the number of medals to be paid out set in the payout information storage area is 0 or not. If the number of medals to be paid out is 0, it means that the previous payout determination process determined that no small wins were achieved. In this case, it is determined whether any of the 1st re-play wins to the 11th re-play wins have occurred, based on the winning combination set in the payout determination process. If none of the re-play wins have occurred, the medal payout process ends as is. If any of the re-play wins have occurred, the re-play setting process is performed to set the game mode to re-play mode, and the medal payout process ends. Note that in the start waiting process (step S304) explained earlier, the automatic insertion process is performed if it is determined that the current game mode is re-play mode.

[0162] On the other hand, if the number of medals to be dispensed set in the dispensing information storage area is not 0, the same number of medals as the number of medals to be dispensed are dispensed, and the medal dispensing process ends. Specifically regarding medal dispensing, if the count value of the credit counter has not reached the upper limit (the number of stored medals is 50), the number of medals to be dispensed is added to the count value of the credit counter, and the added value is displayed on the credit display unit 60. If the count value of the credit counter has reached the upper limit, or if the count value reaches the upper limit while the number of medals to be dispensed is being added, the medal dispensing rotating plate is driven, and medals are dispensed from the hopper device 51 through the medal discharge port 49 to the medal receiving tray 50. In addition, the medal dispensing process also includes a process to change the number of medals to be dispensed in accordance with the number of medals dispensed on the dispensing display unit 62. Furthermore, if the current game state is BB state, the number of medals to be dispensed is subtracted from the value of the remaining dispensing counter described later, and the remaining dispensing number displayed on the remaining dispensing display unit 61 is also subtracted.

[0163] <Bonus status processing> The bonus state processing in step S514 of the reel control processing will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 23. As described above, the bonus state processing is a process that is initiated between the payout determination processing (step S513) and the winning result response processing (step S515) in the reel control processing (Figure 21).

[0164] First, in step S601, it is determined whether the current game state is a bonus state, that is, whether the current game state is the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state. Whether or not it is the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state can be determined by the presence or absence of the 1st BB state flag and the 2nd BB state flag, which are set in the various flag storage area 106d of RAM 106 when transitioning to the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state. In other words, in step S601, if neither the 1st BB state flag nor the 2nd BB state flag is set, it is determined that it is not the 1st BB state or the 2nd BB state, and the process proceeds to step S602.

[0165] Step S602 determines whether the 1st BB winning flag or the 2nd BB winning flag is set and whether either BB has been won. If neither BB winning flag is set, the bonus state processing ends. If either BB winning flag is set, proceed to step S603.

[0166] In step S603, it is determined whether a first BB win or a second BB win has occurred. If neither BB win has occurred, the process proceeds to step S604, where it is determined whether a first BB carryover flag or a second BB carryover flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d of RAM 106. The first BB carryover flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to recognize that the first BB win is being carried over, and the second BB carryover flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to recognize that the second BB win is being carried over. In other words, in this embodiment, information on the carryover of the first BB win and information on the carryover of the second BB win are stored, respectively, and the CPU 102 can determine which BB win is being carried over. If either BB carryover flag is set, the bonus state processing ends there.

[0167] If none of the BB carryover flags are set, the process of setting the BB carryover flag corresponding to the won BB in step S605 into the various flag storage area 106d is executed, and then the bonus state processing ends. More specifically, in step S605, if the 1st BB winning flag is set, the 1st BB carryover flag is set, and if the 2nd BB winning flag is set, the 2nd BB carryover flag is set.

[0168] If it is determined in step S603 that a first BB win or a second BB win has occurred, the process proceeds to step S606. In step S606, the process of inputting "140" into the BB counter located in the various counter areas 106e is executed. The BB counter is a counter that defines the maximum payout amount for each BB state. In other words, by inputting "140" into the BB counter in step S606, the first BB state or second BB state is set to end when 140 or more medals are paid out. In step S607, the first BB win flag and the second BB win flag are cleared.

[0169] Then, in step S608, the carryover flag corresponding to the BB that was won this time is cleared. That is, if the 1st BB win is achieved and the 1st BB carryover flag is set, the 1st BB carryover flag is cleared; if the 1st BB carryover flag is not set, the state is maintained. Similarly, if the 2nd BB win is achieved and the 2nd BB carryover flag is set, the 2nd BB carryover flag is cleared; if the 2nd BB carryover flag is not set, the state is maintained. Note that the 1st BB carryover flag and the 2nd BB carryover flag are set if the win was not achieved in the winning game for the 1st BB or 2nd BB, and the 1st BB carryover flag and the 2nd BB carryover flag are not set if the win was achieved in the winning game for the 1st BB or 2nd BB.

[0170] Subsequently, in step S609, the BB status flag corresponding to the BB awarded in this game is set in the various flag storage area 106d. That is, if the 1st BB is awarded, the 1st BB status flag is set, and if the 2nd BB is awarded, the 2nd BB status flag is set. As a result, from the next game onward, a positive judgment will be made in step S601.

[0171] In the following step S610, the process of setting the corresponding BB winning game flags in the various flag storage area 106d is executed. That is, if the first BB is won, the first BB winning game flag is set, and if the second BB is won, the second BB winning game flag is set. Each BB winning game flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to know that a BB has been won in the current game, and it is a flag that is cleared at the end of one game (at the start of the next game). After executing the process in step S610, the bonus state processing is terminated.

[0172] If a positive result is obtained in step S601 and the state is either the first BB state or the second BB state, the process proceeds to step S611, where a termination determination process is performed as part of the processing during the first BB state or the second BB state.

[0173] Here, the termination determination process in step S611 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 24.

[0174] In step S701, it is determined whether the current bonus state is the JAC state by checking whether the JAC state flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The JAC state is a state that is entered when the game's lottery result is a JAC win (when IV=27) and a JAC win is achieved, and continues until a predetermined number of small wins (8 times in this embodiment) are achieved or a predetermined number of games (12 times in this embodiment) are played.

[0175] If the JAC state is not active, step S702 determines whether the JAC winning flag is set and whether the JAC has been won. If the JAC has been won, the process proceeds to step S703.

[0176] In step S703, it is determined whether or not a JAC win was achieved as a result of the current game. If a JAC win was not achieved, the process proceeds to step S704, where it is determined whether or not the JAC carryover flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The JAC carryover flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to recognize that a JAC win has been carried over. In other words, in this embodiment, not only the 1st BB win and 2nd BB win, which trigger the transition to the bonus state, but also the JAC win, which triggers the transition of the internal state during the bonus state, can be carried over to the next game and beyond. If the JAC carryover flag is not set, the process of setting the JAC carryover flag is executed in step S705.

[0177] If it is determined in step S703 that a JAC win has occurred, the process proceeds to step S706. In step S706, the process of inputting "8" into the JAC 1st counter and "12" into the JAC 2nd counter is executed in the various counter areas 106e. The JAC 1st counter is a counter that defines the maximum number of small wins in the JAC state, and the JAC 2nd counter is a counter that defines the maximum number of games in the JAC state. In other words, the JAC state is set to end after 8 small wins or 12 games have been played. After that, in step S707, the JAC win flag is cleared, in step S708 the process of clearing the JAC carryover flag is executed, and in step S709 the JAC state flag is set. If the JAC carryover flag was not set in step S708, that state is maintained. As a result, the internal state during the bonus state transitions to the JAC state, and a positive determination will be made in the next step S701.

[0178] If it is determined in step S702 that a JAC has not been won, if it is determined in step S704 that the JAC carryover flag is set, or after the processing in step S705 or step S709 has been executed, the game proceeds to step S710. In step S710, it is determined whether or not a small win has occurred in the current game. If a small win has occurred, in step S711 the process of subtracting the number of medals paid out based on this win from the BB counter is executed. Note that in step S710, it is determined that a small win has occurred if a small win has occurred while the game is not in JAC state.

[0179] If it is determined in step S701 that the game is in JAC state, the game proceeds to step S712. In step S712, it is determined whether or not a small win occurred in the current game. If a small win occurred, in step S713, 1 is subtracted from the JAC 1st counter, and in step S714, the number of medals paid out based on this win is subtracted from the BB counter. If it is determined in step S712 that a small win did not occur, or after the process in step S714 is executed, in step S715, 1 is subtracted from the JAC 2nd counter. Then, in step S716, it is determined whether or not the JAC 1st counter or the JAC 2nd counter is 0. If either counter is 0, in step S717, the other JAC counter is also cleared to 0, and the JAC state flag is cleared. As a result, the JAC state ends, and in the next step S701, a negative determination is made.

[0180] If a negative result is obtained in step S710 or step S716, or after the processing in step S711 or step S717 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S718. In step S718, it is determined whether the BB counter is 0 or less and whether the conditions for ending the bonus state have been met. If the conditions for ending the bonus state have not been met, the termination determination process is terminated.

[0181] If the termination condition is met, the BB state flag in step S719 is cleared. Then, in step S720, the process of setting the BB termination game flag corresponding to the BB state to be terminated in the various flag storage area 106d is executed, and then the termination determination process is terminated. That is, when terminating the first BB state, the first BB termination game flag is set, and when terminating the second BB state, the second BB termination game flag is set. Each BB termination game flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to know that a BB state has been established in the current game, and it is a flag that is cleared when a game ends (when the next game starts).

[0182] In other words, in this embodiment, the bonus state is set to have three states: a state in which a JAC has not been won (BB 1st state), a state in which a JAC has been won but before the JAC is awarded (BB 2nd state), and a JAC state (BB 3rd state). When the player transitions to the bonus state, they transition from BB 1st state to BB 2nd state, or to BB 3rd state without going through BB 2nd state, and when BB 3rd state ends, they transition back to BB 1st state. When the maximum payout for the BB state is reached, the BB state ends regardless of whether it is BB 1st state to BB 3rd state. In other words, even if the maximum number of small wins or the maximum number of games has not been reached in the JAC state, the BB state will end.

[0183] As a result of the internal state transitions that occur during the bonus state, the probability of winning in each game during the bonus state changes. Here, the process of acquiring the lottery table, which is performed in the lottery process of each game (Figure 18), will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 25. The process of acquiring the lottery table is performed in step S402 of the lottery process.

[0184] In step S801, the presence or absence of the BB status flag is determined. If it is not set, in step S802, the presence or absence of the BB carryover flag is determined. If neither the BB status flag nor the BB carryover flag is set, it is in a normal game state. In this case, in step S803, the lottery table for the normal game state is obtained, and then this acquisition process ends. Also, even if the BB status flag is not set, if the BB carryover flag is set, it is in one of the BB carryover states. In this case, in step S804, the lottery table for the carryover state is obtained, and then this acquisition process ends.

[0185] In the BB state, a positive determination is made in step S801, and the process proceeds to step S805. In step S805, it is determined whether or not the JAC carryover flag is set. If the JAC carryover flag is set, it is the BB second state, and in this case, the lottery table for the BB second state is obtained in step S806, and then this acquisition process ends. If the JAC carryover flag is not set, it is determined in step S807 whether or not the JAC state flag is set. If neither the JAC carryover flag nor the JAC state flag is set, it is the BB first state, and in this case, the lottery table for the BB first state is obtained in step S808, and then this acquisition process ends. If the JAC state flag is set, it is the BB third state, and in this case, the lottery table for the BB third state is obtained in step S809, and then this acquisition process ends.

[0186] These lottery tables for BB state 1 to BB state 3 will be explained based on Figures 26 to 28. Figure 26 shows an example of a lottery table for BB state 1, Figure 27 shows an example of a lottery table for BB state 2, and Figure 28 shows an example of a lottery table for BB state 3.

[0187] In BB state 1, the probability of winning a JAC (the probability of winning when IV=27) is approximately 1 in 3.0. The probabilities of winning a common bell (the probability of winning when IV=10), a push-order bell (the probability of winning when IV=11 to 22), and a watermelon (the probability of winning when IV=23) are all the same as in normal gameplay and carryover states, with the probability of a common bell being approximately 1 in 6560, the push-order bells combined being approximately 1 in 1.5, and the watermelon being approximately 1 in 219. In BB state 1, the point value PV for index values ​​IV=1 to 9 and 24 to 26 is set to 0, meaning that various re-spins, overlapping single-coin wins, overlapping BB 1, and overlapping BB 2 are not won. Incidentally, in BB state 1, it is set so that it is not possible to get a losing result. Furthermore, in the BB 1 state, a decrease of approximately 2.92 medals per game can be expected (net increase of approximately 2.92 medals).

[0188] As described above, if you win a JAC in BB State 1 and that JAC win is carried over, you will transition to BB State 2. In BB State 2, the probability of winning a common bell, a push-order bell, or a watermelon is the same as in BB State 1, but it is set so that you can win each re-spin, and the probability of winning any of the re-spins (the probability of winning when IV=1 to 9) is about 1 in 3.0. In other words, in BB State 2, the points PV that would have resulted in a JAC win in BB State 1 are allocated to the points PV that would have resulted in a re-spin win, and it is set so that you will not get a losing result in BB State 2 either. In other words, since you will not get a losing result in BB State 2, and because small wins and re-spins are controlled to take priority over JAC, which is a type of bonus, you will basically not be able to get a JAC win, and if you do not get a JAC win in the game in which you won a JAC in BB State 1, the bonus state will end without you getting a JAC win.

[0189] In this embodiment, if a push-order bell is won in the BB second state, the first small win can be achieved if the operation order of stop switches 42 to 44 corresponds to the operation order of the first small win.

[0190] Here, as described above, when multiple minor roles are won simultaneously, priority is set based on either the number of symbols or the number of coins. In normal gameplay and carryover states, priority is generally set based on the number of symbols.

[0191] More specifically, in the priority setting process of step S413 in the lottery process (Figure 18), as shown in the flowchart of Figure 29, if it is determined in step S901 that the JAC carryover flag is not set, then in step S902, priority is set based on the symbol number priority control. Therefore, when a push-order bell is won, even if the operation order of stop switches 42 to 44 corresponds to the operation order of the first small win, the group of small wins from the 4th to the 27th, which are paid out one medal each, takes priority and the first small win does not occur.

[0192] In contrast, if it is determined in step S901 that the JAC carryover flag is set, then in step S903, priority is set based on the number of coins priority control. Therefore, when a push-order bell is won, if the operation order of stop switches 42 to 44 corresponds to the operation order of the first small win, the first small win, which is a group that pays out 15 coins, takes precedence over the fourth to 27th small wins, which pay out 1 coin, and the first small win is achieved.

[0193] After executing the process in step S902 or step S903, the process will proceed to step S904 to perform other priority setting processes before terminating this setting process. In step S904, priority settings will be made for bonuses, minor wins, and re-spins. The priority order is as described above, with minor wins taking precedence over bonuses, and re-spins taking precedence over minor wins in determining winning combinations.

[0194] Thus, in the BB 1 state, if you win a JAC and avoid winning that JAC, you enter the BB 2 state, and when you win a push-order bell, you can achieve the first small win. In the BB 2 state, you can expect a decrease of approximately 1.15 medals per game (net increase minus approximately 1.15 medals).

[0195] In contrast, in BB state 1, achieving a JAC win in the same game transitions to BB state 3. In BB state 3, the probability of winning a common bell (the probability of winning when IV=10) is set to approximately 1 in 8.9, which is higher than in BB state 1 and BB state 2. However, in BB state 3, the point value PV for index value IV=11~22 is set to 0, meaning that the push-order bell will not be won. Additionally, in BB state 3, the point value PV for index value IV=1~9 and 25~27 is also set to 0, meaning that the corresponding roles will not be won. In BB state 3, the probability of a losing result where no role is won is approximately 1 in 5.7. Furthermore, in BB state 3, a decrease of approximately 0.66 medals per game can be expected (net increase of approximately minus 0.66 medals).

[0196] As described above, if a common bell is won, a first small win is achieved, resulting in a payout of 15 coins regardless of the order in which stop switches 42 to 44 are operated. In other words, in BB state 3, there is approximately a 1 in 8.9 chance of achieving a first small win. In contrast, in BB state 2, even if a push-order bell is won, a first small win cannot be achieved unless the order of operation matches one of the six possible order of operation that corresponds to the first small win. In that case, there is approximately a 1 in 1.5 chance of winning a push-order bell, and a 1 in 6 chance of achieving a first small win, resulting in approximately a 1 in 9.0 chance of achieving a first small win. In other words, BB state 3 is a state in which the main first small win, which is a trigger for increasing medals, is more likely to occur than in other states.

[0197] However, in BB state 2, the operation sequence corresponding to the first small win among the push-order bell operation sequences (push-order notification) may be announced. In this case, it becomes possible to achieve the first small win approximately 1 in 1.5 times in BB state 2. Furthermore, if the push-order notification is given in BB state 2 and it becomes possible to achieve the first small win when the push-order bell is won, an increase of approximately 7.91 medals per game can be expected (net increase of approximately 7.91 medals), allowing for a significant increase in medals. The following explains the gameplay utilizing this push-order notification.

[0198] <Processing for handling lottery results> First, referring to the flowchart in Figure 30, we will explain the lottery result response process performed in step S410. The lottery result response process is performed after the lottery process for each game has been completed, and it is a process that performs a lottery to transition to an AT mode (Assist Time Mode, Navi Mode, Specific State) which is a mode in which button press order notifications are generated based on the lottery result of the game.

[0199] More specifically, in step S1001, it is determined whether or not the advantageous section flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. As described above, in this slot machine 10, there are advantageous sections in which button press order notifications, etc., can occur and normal sections in which they cannot occur. The advantageous section flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to recognize that the current game is in an advantageous section. It is set when transitioning to an advantageous section and cleared when transitioning to a normal section.

[0200] If the advantageous section flag is not set, it means that the current game is in the normal section, and in this case, the advantageous section transition lottery process is executed in step S1002.

[0201] In the advantageous section transition lottery process, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 31, the lottery result for the current game is determined in step S1101. Then, in step S1102, the advantageous section transition lottery table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a of ROM 105. As shown in Figure 34, the advantageous section transition lottery table has the transition rate to the advantageous section (winning probability of the advantageous section transition lottery) set according to the lottery result for each game. As shown in Figure 34, the triggers for the advantageous section transition lottery are set as follows: normal replay A, normal replay B, normal replay C, chance eye A, chance eye B, chance eye C, cherry A, cherry B, cherry C, common bell, push-order bell, watermelon, overlapping 1-coin combination, replay overlapping 1st BB, replay overlapping 2nd BB, and JAC. In other words, all possible results in the normal game state, carryover state, and BB 1st state to BB 3rd state are set as triggers for the advantageous section transition lottery.

[0202] After obtaining the lottery table in step S1102, the process of obtaining a random number for the advantageous section transition lottery is executed in step S1103. A dedicated counter in the various counter areas 106e is used for the random number for the advantageous section transition lottery, and this dedicated counter is updated at a predetermined period, and the latest updated value of the counter is obtained in step S1103. Then, the advantageous section transition lottery is executed in step S1104, and in step S1105, it is determined whether or not the transition lottery has been won, and if it has not been won, the advantageous section transition lottery process is terminated. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the lottery table is set so that the advantageous section transition lottery is won with 100% probability regardless of the trigger role. In this case, if it is determined in step S1101 that the result of the game is a trigger role for the transition lottery (not a losing result), it is possible to omit the processing in steps S1102 to S1105.

[0203] If it is determined in step S1105 that the player has won the transfer lottery, in step S1106, after executing the process of setting the advantageous interval winning game flag in the various flag storage areas 106d, the advantageous interval transfer lottery process ends. The advantageous interval winning game flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to recognize that the player has won the transfer lottery to the advantageous interval in the current game.

[0204] Returning to the explanation of the lottery result corresponding process, if it is determined in step S1001 that the advantageous interval flag is set, or after executing the advantageous interval transfer lottery process in step S1002, the process proceeds to step S1003. In step S1003, it is determined whether the AT mode winning flag or the AT mode flag is set in the various flag storage areas 106d. The AT mode winning flag is a flag set when the player wins the transfer lottery to the AT mode, and the AT mode flag is a flag set when transferring to the AT mode. That is, in step S1003, it is determined whether the transfer to the AT mode has already been determined or has already been completed. If neither flag is set in step S1003 and the transfer to the AT mode has not yet been determined, the AT lottery process is executed in step S1004. On the other hand, if either flag is set in step S1003, the AT consecutive win process is executed in step S1005.

[0205] <AT lottery process> First, the AT lottery process in step S1004 will be described while referring to the flowchart in FIG. 32.

[0206] First, in step S1201, it is determined whether any BB status flag is set to determine whether it is in the BB status. If it is in the BB status, the AT lottery process ends as it is. That is, in this embodiment, in the first BB status and the second BB status, the transfer lottery to the AT mode is not performed.

[0207] If the game is not in BB mode, step S1202 determines the result of the current game's lottery. Then, in step S1203, the process of obtaining the AT mode lottery table is executed.

[0208] In the process of acquiring the AT mode lottery table, the lottery table corresponding to the current situation is acquired from the various table storage areas 105a of ROM 105. That is, as shown in Figure 33, in step S1301 it is determined whether or not the advantageous section flag is set. If the advantageous section flag is not set and it is a normal section, in step S1302 the AT mode lottery table for the normal section is acquired and then this acquisition process is terminated.

[0209] If it is a favorable period, step S1303 determines whether the CZ mode flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. In this embodiment, a normal mode and a CZ mode are provided as states in a favorable period before winning the AT mode transition lottery, and the CZ mode is set as a mode in which it is easier to win the AT mode transition lottery than the normal mode. The CZ mode flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to recognize that the current mode is CZ mode, and is set when transitioning to CZ mode.

[0210] In the advantageous section where the AT lottery process is performed, if the CZ mode flag is not set, it means that the current mode is normal mode. In this case, in step S1304, the AT mode lottery table for normal mode is obtained, and then this acquisition process ends. If the CZ mode flag is set in step S1303, it means that the current mode is CZ mode. In this case, in step S1305, the AT mode lottery table for CZ mode is obtained, and then this acquisition process ends.

[0211] As shown in Figure 34, each of these AT mode lottery tables is set so that the probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery increases in the order of AT mode lottery table for normal section → AT mode lottery table for normal mode → AT mode lottery table for CZ mode, with the AT mode lottery table for normal section having the lowest probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery and the AT mode lottery table for CZ mode having the highest probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery. More specifically, in the normal section, only Cherry C and Watermelon are set as trigger results that can lead to winning the AT mode transition lottery, and other lottery results are set so that the AT mode transition lottery cannot be won. In contrast, in the advantageous section, each lottery result except for Common Bell, Push Order Bell, Overlapping 1-Coin Win, Replay Overlapping 1st BB, Replay Overlapping 2nd BB, and JAC is set as a trigger result that can lead to winning the AT mode transition lottery. For example, chance event B is more likely to result in winning the AT mode transition lottery than chance event A, and chance event C is even more likely to result in winning the AT mode transition lottery than chance event B. In general, the lower the probability of winning (appearance rate) of a result as a game lottery outcome, the more likely it is to win the AT mode transition lottery. In addition, for normal replay A and cherry A, the probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery differs depending on the setting value set in the winning probability setting process (step S206), and the higher the setting value that results in a higher payout rate (the higher the setting value), the more likely it is to win the AT mode transition lottery.

[0212] Furthermore, in the normal section, the AT mode transition lottery may also be conducted with these common bells and push-order bells, and the game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery are not limited to those mentioned above. For example, the advantage of the CZ mode may be ensured by having different types of game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery in the normal mode and the CZ mode, in which case it is preferable that the types of game results that trigger the AT mode transition lottery be greater in the CZ mode. Moreover, in this case, the probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery itself may be the same in the normal mode and the CZ mode. Multiple CZ modes may be provided, and different AT mode transition lottery tables may be set for each CZ mode, such as one CZ mode where it is easier to win the AT mode transition lottery with a chance symbol, and another CZ mode where it is easier to win the AT mode transition lottery with a cherry.

[0213] Returning to the explanation of the AT lottery process, after obtaining the AT mode transition lottery table in step S1203, the AT mode transition lottery is executed in step S1204. Note that, similar to the advantageous section transition lottery, the AT mode transition lottery also uses a configuration where random numbers for the lottery are obtained from various counter areas 106e and the lottery is performed using these random numbers. This lottery configuration is the same for the other lotteries described below, and their explanation is omitted.

[0214] Step S1205 determines whether or not the lottery for transitioning to AT mode has been won. If the lottery for transitioning to AT mode has been won, step S1206 determines whether or not the advantageous section flag has been set. If the advantageous section flag has not been set and the lottery for transitioning to AT mode in the normal section has been won, step S1207 executes the process of setting the advantageous section winning game flag. If the advantageous section flag has been set in step S1206, or after the advantageous section winning game flag has been set in step S1207, step S1208 executes the process of setting the AT mode winning flag.

[0215] In the following step S1209, a continuation rate lottery process is executed to set the continuation rate for the current AT mode. In this embodiment, a continuation lottery is held at a predetermined trigger during AT mode, and if the continuation lottery is won, the AT mode continues, and if the continuation lottery is not won, the AT mode may end. The continuation rate lottery process in step S1209 is a process to determine the probability of winning such a continuation lottery. In the continuation rate lottery process, the continuation rate to be selected may differ depending on the game result that triggered the AT mode transition. In this embodiment, 60% continuation mode, 70% continuation mode, 80% continuation mode, and 90% continuation mode are set as the continuation rates for AT mode, and one of these continuation modes is determined by lottery. In step S1209, the continuation rate is determined by lottery based on the continuation rate lottery table obtained from the various table storage area 105a of ROM 105. As shown in Figure 35, the continuation rate lottery table is set up so that, for example, if the AT mode transition is won triggered by chance event A, the 70% continuation mode is most likely to be selected, and if the AT mode transition is won triggered by chance event B, the 60% continuation mode is most likely to be selected.

[0216] After the continuation rate lottery process is executed in step S1209, the continuation rate flag corresponding to the lottery result is set in step S1210. Specifically, if the 60% continuation mode is selected, the 60% flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. Similarly, if the 70% continuation mode is selected, the 70% flag is set; if the 80% continuation mode is selected, the 80% flag is set; and if the 90% continuation mode is selected, the 90% flag is set.

[0217] In step S1211, a preliminary game number lottery process is executed. The preliminary mode is a mode in which a suggestion effect indicating that the selection for switching to the AT mode has been made is performed on the auxiliary display unit 65, the speaker 64, etc., before the notification of the selection for switching to the AT mode (AT mode winning notification effect) is performed. The preliminary mode is set to continue for a maximum of 32 games, and in the lottery process of step S1211, a preliminary game number of any value from 0 to 32 is determined by lottery.

[0218] In step S1212, the preliminary game number determined in step S1211 is input to the preliminary counter in each counter area 106e, and a process of setting a preliminary flag in each flag storage area 106d is executed in step S1213. The preliminary counter is a counter that is decremented by 1 for each game in the preliminary mode, and the preliminary flag is a flag for the CPU 102 to recognize that the state is set to the preliminary mode. Then, in step S1214, after executing a process of setting the preliminary command as an output target to the display control device 81, this AT lottery process is terminated. The preliminary command is a command for making the display control device 81 recognize that the preliminary mode has been set, and includes information on the remaining number of games until the ceiling counter becomes 0 in the preliminary mode, that is, information on the number of games in the preliminary mode.

[0219] If it is determined in step S1205 that the device has not won the AT mode transition lottery, the process proceeds to step S1215. In step S1215, it is determined whether the favorable interval flag is set. If it is in the favorable interval, in step S1216, the ceiling counter of each counter area 106e is decremented by 1. The ceiling counter defines the maximum number of games that can be played without winning the AT mode transition lottery from a predetermined trigger. The ceiling counter is decremented by 1 for each game, and when it reaches 0, the transition to the AT mode is confirmed without winning the AT mode transition lottery. That is, in step S1217, based on the processing result of step S1216, it is determined whether the ceiling counter has reached 0. If it has reached 0, the process proceeds to step S1208 above, and the AT mode winning flag is set. The processing after step S1208 is as described above.

[0220] If a negative determination is made in step S1215 or step S1217, the processing for the pseudo-precursor mode is performed in steps S1218 to S1224. In this embodiment, a pseudo-precursor mode (a mode in which a so-called fake effect occurs) is set, in which although the same or similar suggestive effects as in the precursor mode occur, ultimately, the AT mode winning notification effect that allows the transition to the AT mode is not performed, and the effect mode ends. That is, in step S1218, it is determined whether a pseudo-precursor flag for the CPU 102 to identify that it is in the pseudo-precursor mode is set in the various flag storage areas 106d. If it is already set, the AT lottery processing is terminated as it is.

[0221] If the pseudo-premonition flag is not set, it is determined by lottery whether to set the pseudo-premonition mode in step S1219. Regarding such a lottery, for example, the more difficult it is to win (the lower the appearance rate) as a lottery result of the game, the easier it is to win the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-premonition mode. In the subsequent step S1220, it is determined whether the lottery for the pseudo-premonition in step S1219 was won. If it was not won, the AT lottery processing is terminated as it is. If the lottery for the pseudo-premonition is won, in step S1221, the number of games in the pseudo-premonition mode is determined by lottery. Regarding such a lottery, for example, when winning the lottery for transitioning to the pseudo-premonition mode with a result that is easy to win (high appearance rate) as a lottery result of the game, a pseudo-premonition mode with a relatively long number of games is set. Then, in step S1222, a process of inputting the number of games in the pseudo-premonition mode determined in step S1221 into the pseudo-premonition counter provided in the various counter areas 106e is executed. After that, in step S1223, the pseudo-premonition flag is set, and in step S1224, after executing a process of setting the pseudo-premonition command as an output target to the display control device 81, this AT lottery processing is terminated. The pseudo-premonition counter is a counter for the CPU 102 to grasp the number of games in the pseudo-premonition mode, and the pseudo-premonition command is a command for making the display control device 81 grasp that the pseudo-premonition mode has been set. It includes information on the remaining number of games in the pseudo-premonition mode. In the display control device 81, a lottery for generating a suggestive effect is performed according to the remaining number of games in the pseudo-premonition mode.

[0222] <AT consecutive winning processing> Next, regarding the AT consecutive winning processing executed in step S1005, it will be described while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 36. As already described, the AT consecutive winning processing is a process executed in a situation where the AT mode winning flag and the AT mode flag are set, and it is a process for adding (stocking) the number of sets of the AT mode executed from a predetermined start timing to an end timing as one set.

[0223] In other words, in step S1401, it is determined whether or not the BB state is set by checking whether or not any BB state flag is set. If it is not the BB state, in step S1402, it is determined whether or not the transition permission flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The transition permission flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to understand that it is possible to win a BB in AT mode and that the conditions for winning permission (transition permission conditions) have been met. If the transition permission flag is set, the AT continuous win process ends there.

[0224] If it is determined in step S1401 that the state is BB, or if it is determined in step S1402 that the transition permission flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S1403. In step S1403, the results of the lottery for this game are determined. Then, in steps S1404 to S1414, the process of obtaining the stock lottery table from the various table storage area 105a is executed.

[0225] In other words, in step S1404, it is determined whether or not the AT mode flag is set, and if it is not set, in step S1405, it is determined whether or not the AT notification flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The AT notification flag is a flag used by the CPU 102 to recognize that the AT mode winning notification performance has been executed, and it is a flag that indicates that the player has already been notified that they have won the lottery to transition to AT mode or that they have reached the ceiling. In this embodiment, after the AT mode winning notification performance is executed, AT mode is started when the game lottery result becomes a predetermined starting trigger result (normal replay A to C). In other words, the situation in which the AT mode flag is not set and the AT notification flag is not set is the situation in which the AT mode winning flag is set, but the AT mode winning notification performance has not yet been executed, and the situation in which the AT mode flag is not set and the AT notification flag is set is the situation in which the AT mode winning notification performance has been executed, but the AT mode has not yet started. If a negative result is obtained in step S1405, the stock lottery table for before the AT win notification is obtained in step S1406. If a positive result is obtained in step S1405, the stock lottery table for before the AT transition is obtained in step S1407.

[0226] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S1404 that the AT mode flag is set, it is determined in step S1408 whether or not the BB state flag is set. If it is not set, it is determined in step S1409 whether or not the BB carryover flag is set. The situation in step S1409 where the BB carryover flag is not set mainly refers to the situation before a BB is won in AT mode. If the determination in step S1409 is negative, the stock lottery table for no BB carryover is obtained in step S1410, and if the determination in step S1409 is positive, the stock lottery table for BB carryover is obtained in step S1411.

[0227] If it is determined in step S1408 that the state is BB, then in step S1412 it is determined whether the JAC carryover flag is set or not. If the JAC carryover flag is not set and the state is BB 1st state or BB 3rd state, then in step S1413 a stock lottery table for no JAC carryover is obtained. If the JAC carryover flag is set and the state is BB 2nd state, then in step S1415 a stock lottery table for JAC carryover is obtained.

[0228] As shown in Figure 37, these stock lottery tables are set up so that it is easier to win the stock lottery after the AT win notification but before the AT transition (step S1407) than before the AT win notification (step S1406). Therefore, in configurations where stock lotteries are held in the pre-announcement mode after winning the AT mode but before the AT mode win notification is made, and in the AT mode win notification but before the AT mode starts, it can be said that the post-announcement is more favorable than the post-announcement. This is because, in order to alleviate the frustration of players who are not getting into AT mode for a long time, in the pre-announcement mode it is difficult for players to determine whether or not a transition to AT mode will occur, whereas in the post-announcement but before the transition, players know that a transition to AT mode will occur and are simply waiting for the AT to start.

[0229] Furthermore, before transitioning to the BB state, comparing the case without the BB carryover flag (step S1410) and the case with the BB carryover flag (step S1411), the case without the BB carryover flag is set to have a higher chance of winning the stock lottery than the case with the BB carryover flag. In the BB state, the case with the JAC carryover flag (BB 2nd state) is set to have a higher chance of winning the stock lottery than the case with the JAC carryover flag (BB 1st state) or BB 2nd state (BB 2nd state) which do not have the JAC carryover flag.

[0230] After obtaining the various stock lottery tables, a stock lottery is performed in step S1415, and it is determined in step S1416 whether or not the stock lottery was won. If the stock lottery is won, in step S1417, the process of adding 1 to the stock counter provided in the various counter area 106e is performed. Then, in step S1418, the process of setting the stock command as an output target to the display control device 81 is performed, and the AT continuous win process is terminated. The stock counter is a counter used by the CPU 102 to keep track of the number of consecutive sets in AT mode, and the stock command is a command used to inform the display control device 81 that the stock lottery has been won. If it is determined in step S1416 that the stock lottery was not won, the AT continuous win process is terminated. Note that it is also possible to configure the system so that it is possible to win multiple sets of stock in the stock lottery, in which case a value corresponding to the number of sets is added to the stock counter, and the information of the number of sets is also included in the stock command.

[0231] In the lottery result processing (Figure 30), after executing the AT continuous play processing in step S1005, the bonus AT start processing is executed in step S1006. The bonus AT start processing is a process to notify that the conditions for granting a BB have been met (transition permission notification) as the situation allows for a BB win.

[0232] <Processing for starting Bonus AT> In other words, in the bonus AT initiation process, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 38, step S1501 determines whether or not the BB state is active. If the BB state is active, the bonus AT initiation process ends. In the following step S1502, it is determined whether or not the BB winning flag is set. If the BB winning flag is not set, the transition cannot be permitted yet, so the bonus AT initiation process ends. In the following step S1503, it is determined whether or not the AT mode flag is set, and if it is not set, the bonus AT initiation process ends.

[0233] If a Big Bonus (BB) is won during AT mode, step S1504 determines whether the result of the current game's draw was a loss and whether it is possible to win a BB. Incidentally, in this embodiment, if a 1st BB or 2nd BB is won, it is a duplicate win with the 1st replay (replay duplicate 1st BB, replay duplicate 2nd BB), so it is not possible to win a 1st BB or 2nd BB in the game in which the 1st BB or 2nd BB is won. In other words, a game in which a BB can be won is a game after a BB win in which the game's draw result is a loss. If it is not a loss, the bonus AT start process ends as is. If it is a loss, step S1505 executes the process of setting the transition permission flag in the various flag storage area 106d. Then, in step S1506 executes the process of setting the prize permission command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the bonus AT start process ends. The processing of the display control device 81 that receives the prize permission command will be explained in detail later. In step S1504, if the result of the lottery for this game is not a loss, the process for starting the bonus AT is terminated.

[0234] Return to the explanation of the lottery result processing (Figure 30).

[0235] After executing the process in step S1004 or step S1006, step S1007 determines whether the result of the lottery for this game was a sequence-of-press combination win. A sequence-of-press combination includes not only sequence-of-press bells, but also normal replay A, normal replay B, and normal replay C. Normal replay A, normal replay B, and normal replay C are all results that result in multiple replays, and the replay that results in a win may differ depending on the order in which stop switches 42 to 44 are operated.

[0236] Specifically, in normal replays A, B, and C, if the middle stop switch 43 is operated first, the stopping control of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is performed so that a second replay win is achieved. If the left stop switch 42 or the right stop switch 44 is operated first, the stopping control of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R is performed so that a first replay win is achieved. However, in normal replays A, B, and C, regardless of which of the overlapping replay wins is achieved, the reward awarded is a replay; only the type of replay that is achieved differs. In other words, in normal replays A, B, and C, a replay win is achieved regardless of the order in which the stop switches 42 to 44 are operated, but the stopping display differs depending on the order of operation. Furthermore, normal replays A, B, and C serve as triggers for starting AT mode. AT mode begins in games where the AT mode winning flag is set and a second replay win is possible.

[0237] If it is determined in step S1007 that a button-press sequence win has occurred, it is determined in step S1008 whether the AT mode win flag or the AT mode flag is set. If either flag is set, the button-press sequence notification process is executed in step S1009, and then the lottery result processing is terminated. If it is determined that the result is negative in step S1007 or step S1008, the lottery result processing is terminated as is.

[0238] <Overview of button press order notification> Prior to explaining the button press order notification process performed in step S1009, an overview of the button press order notification performed by the instruction monitor 68 and the button press order notification effect performed by the auxiliary display unit 65 will be explained. Note that the button press order notification and button press order notification effect can also be referred to as, for example, button press order navigation, sequence notification, or pattern notification. The instruction monitor 68 is connected to the main control unit 101, and the main control unit 101 performs the button press order notification. In contrast, the auxiliary display unit 65 is connected to the display control unit 81, and the display control unit 81 performs the button press order notification effect.

[0239] First, the configuration of the instruction monitor 68 will be described while referring to FIG. 39. FIG. 39(a) is a front view of the instruction monitor 68, and FIG. 39(b) is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the display mode and the display content of the instruction monitor 68.

[0240] As shown in FIG. 39(a), eight display segments N1 to N8 are provided on the instruction monitor 68. Each of the display segments N1 to N8 has an individual light source composed of an LED, and by controlling the on / off of these individual light sources, only any one display segment can be lit, and any combination of display segments can be lit. As a result, on the instruction monitor 68, predetermined symbols (including letters and numbers) are individually displayed. Since all of the above individual light sources irradiate light of the same color, the same color is displayed in each of the display segments N1 to N8.

[0241] Regarding each of the display segments N1 to N8 in detail, the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are all linear display segments, and these first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are arranged so as to be able to display at least the numbers "1" to "6". Also, the eighth display segment N8 is a circular display segment, and is arranged horizontally in the lower right part of the area where the first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are provided. Therefore, on the instruction monitor 68, at least "1" to "6", "1." to "6.", and "." can be displayed.

[0242] Furthermore, if the instruction monitor 68 can display multiple patterns of symbols individually, the shape and arrangement of each display segment N1 to N8 are arbitrary, and a configuration using 7 segments or 9 segments instead of 8 segments is also possible. In addition, it is not necessary for the colors displayed in each display segment N1 to N8 to be the same, and a configuration in which the colors displayed in each display segment N1 to N8 can be changed as appropriate is also possible. Moreover, a configuration in which the lighting or extinguishing of each display segment N1 to N8 is controlled by turning the light source on and off is not mandatory, and a segment display may be configured with a single backlight and a liquid crystal display as long as the display control can be performed individually for each display segment N1 to N8. Furthermore, instead of applying segment display to each display area, a configuration in which symbols are displayed using other types of display devices such as liquid crystal displays, organic EL displays, CRTs, dot matrices, etc. is also possible.

[0243] The first display segment N1 to the seventh display segment N7 are display segments used to notify the operation order of the push-button combination. For example, as shown in Figure 39(b), if the operation order of each stop switch 42 to 44 is "left" → "middle" → "right", resulting in a winning combination that is advantageous to the player, the sixth display segment N6 and the seventh display segment N7 will light up and display "1". Also, if the operation order of each stop switch 42 to 44 is "right" → "left" → "middle", resulting in a winning combination that is advantageous to the player, the first display segment N1, the second display segment N2, the third display segment N3, the fifth display segment N5, and the sixth display segment N6 will light up and display "5". In other words, the numbers (symbols) displayed in each display segment N1 to N7 correspond one-to-one with the operation sequence of stop switches 42 to 44. By stopping the stop switches 42 to 44 based on the numbers (symbols) displayed in display segments N1 to N7, it becomes possible to win prizes in a manner that is advantageous to the player.

[0244] The eighth display segment N8 lights up in the game in which the conditions for triggering the button press order notification are met, when the game transitions to the advantageous section, an AT mode win notification is issued, and the AT mode flag is set, or when other predetermined triggering conditions are met, which can lead to a button press order notification. It also turns off when the AT mode ends and the game transitions from the advantageous section to the normal section.

[0245] In other words, the advantageous section (advantageous state, specific state) is a section in which the order of operations such as push-button bells is more easily notified, making it easier for the player to win in a way that is advantageous to them. The 8th display segment N8 is a section indicator (specific notification means) that lights up during the specific section in the advantageous section in which the player can actually benefit from the push-button notification, and turns off during the normal section which is not an advantageous section, or during the non-specific section which is an advantageous section but not a specific section.

[0246] As already explained, the instruction monitor 68, which has the first display segment N1 to 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 display section 62 on the game panel 25. In other words, the instruction monitor 68 is located above the stop switches 42 to 44 etc. operated by the player, and to put it another way, it is not located below the position where the stop switches 42 to 44 etc. are located on the decorative panel on the front of the game machine. Therefore, the eighth display segment N8 is less likely to be obscured by the player's hand operating the stop switches 42 to 44 etc., and it can be said that it is located in a position that is easy for the player to see. Furthermore, since it is located near the payout display section 62, which is easy for the player to keep an eye on as they play the game aiming to win medals, it can be said that the chances of the player overlooking it are reduced.

[0247] Furthermore, in the instruction monitor 68, the brightness of the corresponding LED for the eighth display segment N8 is set to be higher than that of the surrounding display units (for example, the payout count display unit 62 or the backlight of the game panel 25) (more specifically, twice the brightness of the surrounding display units). Therefore, even when both the eighth display segment N8 and the surrounding display units are under illumination control (in a lit state), the eighth display segment N8 stands out more prominently. Regarding the illumination directed towards the front of the game machine, the illumination of the corresponding LED for the eighth display segment N8 is set to be higher than that of the surrounding display units (more specifically, twice the illumination of the surrounding display units). This configuration also improves the visibility of the eighth display segment N8, and reduces the likelihood of it being overlooked when it is lit.

[0248] Next, the button press order notification feature performed by the auxiliary display unit 65 will be explained with reference to Figure 40. Here, the button press order notification feature of the auxiliary display unit 65 will be explained using the case where the button press order to be notified is middle → right → left as an example.

[0249] As shown in Figure 40(a), in the auxiliary display unit 65, of the three parallel button displays corresponding to stop switches 42-44, the button display corresponding to the stop switch to be operated first (the middle button display corresponding to the middle stop switch 43 in the figure) 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 first stop switch to be operated is the middle stop switch 43. Furthermore, in the auxiliary display unit 65, the right button display is marked with the number 2 and the left button display with the number 3 to indicate that the next stop switch to be operated is the right stop switch 44 and the last stop switch to be operated is the left stop switch 42.

[0250] When a player operates the middle stop switch 43, as shown in Figure 40(b), the middle 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 prominently. 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.

[0251] When a player operates the right stop switch 44, as shown in Figure 40(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 prominently. 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.

[0252] To explain the timing of the button press order notification, the notification is set to be executed during the period when stop switches 42-44 are inactive, from the start of rotation of each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R through the acceleration period until they reach constant speed rotation. By configuring the notification to be executed before the operation of stop switches 42-44 becomes effective, it is possible to recognize the order in which to operate stop switches 42-44 and then proceed with operating them, allowing for a smoother and more engaging gameplay experience.

[0253] <Processing for button press order notification> Next, the button press order notification process performed in step S1009 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 41.

[0254] First, in step S1601, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set or not. If the AT mode flag is not set, it means that after winning the AT mode lottery, the transition to AT mode has not yet occurred. In this case, in step S1602, it is determined whether the AT notification flag is set or not. If neither the AT mode flag nor the AT notification flag is set, it means that the AT mode transition lottery has been won, but the game is still in the pre-announcement mode. In this case, the button press order notification will not be generated in this game, and the button press order notification process will end. If the AT notification flag is set, the game proceeds to step S1603.

[0255] In step S1603, it is determined whether the result of the current game's draw is one of the normal replay A to normal replay C. If it is not a normal replay A to normal replay C, but a push-order bell, the main push-order notification process ends. If it is one of the normal replay A to normal replay C, in step S1604, the AT start flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The AT start flag is a flag that allows the CPU 102 to know that AT mode will start from this game. Then, in step S1605, the instruction monitor 68 is controlled so that push-order notification corresponding to the second re-play win is performed. Then, in step S1606, the process of setting the push-order command, which includes information on the operation sequence corresponding to the second re-play win, as an output target to the display control device 81 is executed, and then the main push-order notification process ends. Upon receiving this push-button command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to provide push-button notification effects corresponding to the second re-play win, such as an effect indicating the order in which the middle stop switch 43 should be operated first, a display or voice navigation such as "Aim from the middle!!", and notification of the symbols corresponding to the second re-play win.

[0256] If it is determined in step S1601 that the AT mode flag is set, the process proceeds to step S1607. In step S1607, it is determined whether the result of the current game's draw is a push-order bell. If it is not a push-order bell, the push-order notification process ends. If it is a push-order bell, in step S1608, it is determined whether the above transition permission flag is set. If the transition permission flag is not set, in step S1609, it is determined whether it is in any BB state. If it is determined in step S1608 that the transition permission flag is set, or if it is determined in step S1609 that the transition permission flag is not set but it is not in a BB state, the process proceeds to step S1610, where the instruction monitor 68 is controlled so that a push-order notification corresponding to the first small win is performed according to the type of push-order bell this time. Then, in step S1611, the process of setting a push-order command containing information on the operation sequence corresponding to the first small win as an output target to the display control device 81 is executed, and then this push-order notification process ends. Upon receiving this button press order command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that a button press order notification is performed corresponding to the first small win. On the other hand, if the transition permission flag is not set and the machine is in BB state, even in AT mode, the button press order notification process ends without performing a button press order notification when a button press order bell is won.

[0257] <Processing for handling award results> Next, the prize result handling process performed in step S515 of the reel control process will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 42. In the prize result handling process, processing is performed to start or end the AT mode, etc., according to the game's outcome.

[0258] First, in step S1701, game count management processing is performed. This processing manages the number of games in CZ mode and the number of games in pre-announcement mode.

[0259] More specifically, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 43, in step S1801, it is determined whether the first BB state flag or the second BB state flag is set. If either BB state is present, the game count management process ends. That is, if a transition to the BB state occurs during CZ mode or pre-announcement mode, the game count management for pre-announcement mode or CZ mode is not performed. If neither BB state is present, the process proceeds to step S1802, where it is determined whether the CZ mode flag is set. If the CZ mode flag is set, step S1803 is executed to decrement the CZ counter by 1. Then, in step S1804, it is determined whether the CZ counter has become 0. If it has become 0, step S1805 is executed to clear the CZ mode flag and set the CZ end command as an output target to the display control device 81. Clearing the CZ mode flag ends the CZ mode and transitions to normal mode.

[0260] After executing the process in step S1805, the process of setting the ceiling game count is executed in step S1806. In the process of setting the ceiling game count, one of the predetermined values ​​from 100 to 999 is entered into the ceiling counter. Which value is entered into the ceiling counter is determined by lottery. The process of setting the ceiling game count will be explained in detail later.

[0261] If a negative result is obtained in either step S1802 or step S1804, or after the processing in step S1806 is executed, the process proceeds to step S1807. In step S1807, it is determined whether the premonition flag or the pseudo-premonition flag is set. If neither flag is set, the game count management process ends. If either flag is set, the process proceeds to step S1808, where the premonition counter or pseudo-premonition counter is decremented by 1. That is, in step S1808, if it is premonition mode, the premonition counter is decremented by 1, and if it is pseudo-premonition mode, the pseudo-premonition counter is decremented by 1.

[0262] After executing the process in step S1808, step S1809 determines whether the premonition flag is set and whether the premonition counter has become 0. That is, if the number of premonition games becomes 0 in premonition mode, the process proceeds to step S1810 to clear the premonition flag. Then, in step S1811, the AT notification flag is set, and in step S1812, the process of setting the AT winning notification command as an output target to the display control device 81 is executed, and the game count management process ends. With the AT notification flag set, the above-mentioned push-order notification process will be performed to generate a push-order notification for the second re-play win. In addition, the display control device 81, which has received the AT winning notification command, controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to perform an AT mode winning notification effect as notification that the AT mode transition lottery has been won and the transition to AT mode has been permitted.

[0263] In step S1809, if the premonition counter is not 0, or if a pseudo-premonition flag is set instead of a premonition flag, the process proceeds to step S1813. In step S1813, it is determined whether the pseudo-premonition counter is 0 and whether a pseudo-premonition flag is set. If the result in step S1813 is positive, the process to clear the pseudo-premonition flag is executed in step S1814, and then the game count management process is terminated. This terminates the pseudo-premonition mode. If the result in step S1813 is negative, and the pseudo-premonition counter is not 0, or if it is 0 but a premonition flag is set instead of a pseudo-premonition flag, the game count management process is terminated.

[0264] Returning to the description of the winning result corresponding process, after executing the game count management process in step S1701, in step S1702, it is determined whether the AT start flag is set. As described above, the AT start flag is a flag set in a game in which a second replay winning is possible when causing a transition to the AT mode. More specifically, it is a flag set at the start of a game that wins in normal replays A to C in a situation where the AT notification flag is set. If the AT start flag is set, in step S1703, the AT mode winning flag is cleared, in step S1704, the AT notification flag is cleared, and in step S1705, the AT start flag is cleared. Then, in step S1706, the AT mode flag is set, and in step S1707, a continuation flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. The continuation flag is a flag for determining to continue the AT mode during a predetermined continuation determination of the AT mode.

[0265] Thereafter, in step S1708, a process of setting the AT start command as an output target to the display control device 81 is executed. The display control device 81 that has received the AT start command controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and the speaker 64 so that an AT mode start effect according to the continuation rate of the AT mode to be started is performed.

[0266] If it is determined in step S1702 that the AT start flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S1709. In step S1709, it is determined whether the AT mode flag is set and whether it is currently in the AT mode. If it is not in the AT mode, the winning result corresponding process is terminated as it is. If it is in the AT mode, in step S1710, an AT continuation setting process for managing the continuation of the AT mode based on the game result of the current game is executed, and then the winning result corresponding process is terminated.

[0267] <AT Continuation Setting Process> In the AT continuation setting process, as shown in the flowchart of Figure 44, step S1901 determines whether or not any BB winning game flags are set, thereby determining whether or not any BB wins were achieved in the current game. As described above, the BB winning game flags are flags that are set in the bonus state processing which is performed immediately before the winning result processing.

[0268] In this embodiment, the AT mode continuation determination is performed from the time of BB win until the end of BB. More specifically, if the conditions for continuing the AT mode are not met by the end of BB, the AT mode ends. If the conditions for continuing the AT mode are met at the end of BB, the AT mode continues at least until the end of the next BB state. In other words, step S1901 is a process to determine whether or not it is included in the timing for determining the continuation of the AT mode.

[0269] If a Big Bonus (BB) is won in this game, step S1902 determines whether the stock counter is 0 or not. If the stock counter is 1 or greater, step S1903 is executed to decrement the stock counter by 1, and step S1904 is executed to set the continuation command as an output target to the display control device 81, after which the AT continuation setting process ends. Upon receiving the continuation command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that a continuation animation corresponding to the continuation of the AT mode in the BB state won in this game is performed.

[0270] If the stock counter is 0 in step S1902, a continuation lottery process is executed in step S1905. In this process, a lottery is held to determine whether or not to continue the AT mode, based on the continuation rate lottery that is held when the AT mode transition lottery is won. That is, if the 60% flag is set and it is in 60% continuation mode, the continuation lottery in step S1905 is won with a 60% probability, and if the 90% flag is set and it is in 90% continuation mode, the continuation lottery in step S1905 is won with a 90% probability, and so on, and the continuation lottery is held.

[0271] In step S1906, it is determined whether or not the continuation lottery in step S1905 was won. If it was won, the process proceeds to step S1904, where a continuation command is set and the AT continuation setting process ends. If the continuation lottery was not won, the continuation flag is cleared in step S1907, and then in step S1908, a process is executed to set a non-continuation command as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT continuation setting process ends. Upon receiving the non-continuation command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that a non-continuation effect is performed corresponding to the BB state in which the win was achieved, where the AT mode does not continue. For example, if a BB win is achieved after transitioning to AT mode without winning the stock lottery, and the continuation lottery in step S1905 is not won, the continuation flag set when transitioning to AT mode will be cleared in step S1907.

[0272] If it is determined in step S1901 that it is not a BB winning game, then in step S1909, it is determined whether or not the BB state is active by checking whether or not any BB state flags are set. If the game is in a BB state, then in step S1910, it is determined whether or not the continuation flag is set. If the continuation flag is not set, it means that in steps S1907 and S1908, the game was not continued when the BB was won, and the appropriate animation was played. In this case, in step S1911, it is determined whether or not the stock counter is 0. If the continuation flag is not set and the stock counter is 1 or more, it means that although the game was not continued when the BB was won, the stock lottery was won in the lottery result corresponding processing during the BB state (processing for AT consecutive wins). In this case, in step S1912, the process to set the continuation flag is executed, and in step S1913, the continuation command is set as the output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT continuation setting process is terminated. If the display control device 81 receives a continuation command while in BB state, it controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to overwrite and execute the non-continuation animations with the continuation animations. If the continuation flag is set in step S1910, or if the stock counter is 0 in step S1911, the AT continuation setting process is terminated.

[0273] If it is determined in step S1909 that the game is not in BB state, then in step S1914, it is determined whether the current game is the end game of the BB state by checking whether any BB end game flag is set. As described above, the BB end game flag is a flag that is set in the bonus state processing which is performed immediately before the prize result processing.

[0274] If it is not the end of the game, the AT continuation setting process is terminated. If it is the end of the game, the process to clear the transition permission flag is executed in step S1915. In the following step S1916, it is determined whether or not the continuation flag is set, and if it is set, the AT continuation setting process is terminated. In this case, the AT mode continues even after the BB state ends, and after a BB is won, the prize entry permission flag is set, and then a BB win is achieved, resulting in a positive judgment in step S1901, and the subsequent continuation judgment is performed.

[0275] In response to this, if it is determined in step S1916 that the continuation flag is not set, the AT mode flag is cleared in step S1917. Then, in step S1918, the AT termination command is set as an output target to the display control device 81, and then the AT continuation setting process is terminated. Upon receiving the AT termination command, the display control device 81 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to notify that the AT mode is ending.

[0276] <Management of game count and net payout during the advantageous period> Next, we will explain the first and second section display processes, which control the eighth display segment N8 as a section indicator and manage the number of games and the difference in tokens within the advantageous section.

[0277] <First processing for displaying the interval> First, the first section display process will be explained with reference to Figure 45. The first section display process is performed in step S414 of the lottery process (Figure 18), and is performed after the lottery result for the game is determined based on the operation of the start lever 41, and after the lottery for transitioning the display mode (lottery result corresponding process) is performed based on the lottery result.

[0278] In step S2001, it is determined whether the eighth display segment N8, which serves as a section indicator, is currently displayed, or more specifically, whether the eighth display segment N8 is lit up. As already explained, when the eighth display segment N8 is lit up, it means that within the advantageous section, at least one specific section has been found where the notification conditions for issuing a button press order notification are met. If the determination in step S2001 is negative and it is determined that the eighth display segment N8 is off, the process proceeds to step S2002.

[0279] In step S2002, it is determined whether the advantageous section flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d. If the advantageous section flag is set, in step S2003, it is determined whether the advantageous section winning game flag is set. The advantageous section winning game flag is a flag that is set when the advantageous section transition lottery is won in the advantageous section transition lottery process described above, and it is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to identify that it is the winning game. If the advantageous section winning game flag is set, in step S2004, a process is executed to clear the advantageous section winning game flag. Then, in step S2005, the advantageous section flag is set. By setting the advantageous section flag, the game transitions from the normal section to the advantageous section. Then, in step S2006, a process is executed to start counting the number of games in the advantageous section, or more specifically, to start measuring the advantageous section game count AG in the various counter area 106e. The advantageous section game count AG is a means of determining the number of games played in the advantageous section, and a process is executed to increment it by 1 for each game in the advantageous section.

[0280] In the following step S2007, processing for games transitioning to the advantageous period is executed. This processing pertains to the instruction function performed in games in which a transition to the advantageous period occurs.

[0281] <Processing for games transitioning to the advantageous period> The processing for games transitioning to the advantageous period will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 46.

[0282] In step S2101, it is determined whether any BB carryover flags are set. If a BB carryover flag is set, in step S2102, the ceiling game count table is obtained from the various table storage area 105a. As shown in Figure 47, the ceiling game count table is set so that a single ceiling game count is randomly determined between 100 games and 999 games, with game counts that are likely to be selected in increments of approximately 100 games, such as 100 games, 200 games, 300 games, ..., 999 games. In addition, the ceiling game count table is set so that the ceiling game count that is likely to be selected differs depending on the setting value, and the higher the setting value (the higher the payout rate setting value), the more likely a shorter ceiling game count will be selected.

[0283] After obtaining the ceiling game count table in step S2102, the process for determining the ceiling game count is executed in step S2103. Then, the process for inputting the ceiling game count determined by the lottery into the ceiling counter is executed in step S2104, and the process for the game transition to the advantageous section ends. As described above, the ceiling counter is decremented by 1 for each game in the AT lottery process, and when it reaches 0, the AT mode winning flag is set without winning the AT mode transition lottery.

[0284] Incidentally, steps S2102 to S2104 are the processes for setting the ceiling number of games, and in step S1806 of the above game count management process (Figure 43), the processes for obtaining the ceiling number of games table (step S2102), the process for drawing the ceiling number of games (step S2103), and the process for inputting the ceiling counter (step S2104) are executed.

[0285] Furthermore, the ceiling game count table obtained in step S2102 and the ceiling game count table obtained in step S1806 may be different. More specifically, the ceiling game count set in the advantageous section transition game and the ceiling game count set upon the end of the CZ mode may be different. For example, the ceiling game count set upon the end of the CZ mode may be less likely to be set as the ceiling game count than the ceiling game count set in the advantageous section transition game, and vice versa.

[0286] If it is determined in step S2101 that the BB carryover flag is not set, then in step S2105, it is determined whether or not any BB state flags are set. If any BB state flag is set and the transition to the advantageous section occurred during the BB state, then in step S2106, the transitioned flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d, and then in steps S2102 to S2104, the above ceiling game count is set, and then the processing for the advantageous section transition game is terminated.

[0287] In this embodiment, the advantageous period may end when a BB is won and when the BB state ends. The transitioned flag is a flag that prevents the advantageous period from ending when the BB state ends if the advantageous period is transitioned during the BB state. In other words, if the advantageous period can end when a BB is won and when the BB ends, even if the advantageous period ends due to a BB win and then transitions back to the advantageous period during the BB state, an event that triggers the termination of the advantageous period, such as the end of the BB, may occur afterward. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the case where the advantageous period ends when a BB is won (transitioning back to the advantageous period during the BB state) and the case where the advantageous period does not end when a BB is won (no transition to the advantageous period occurs during the BB state). The transitioned flag is a flag that the CPU 102 uses to distinguish between these two cases.

[0288] In contrast, if a transition to the advantageous section occurs when there is no BB win carried over and the player is not in BB mode, the process to set the CZ mode flag is executed in step S2107. Then, in step S2108, 32 is entered into the CZ counter, and the process for the advantageous section transition game is terminated.

[0289] In other words, if the player transitions to the advantageous section while carrying over a BB win or while in a BB state, they transition to normal mode. If the player transitions to the advantageous section without carrying over a BB win and without being in a BB state, they transition to CZ mode. The mode when transitioning to the advantageous section differs depending on whether or not a BB win has been carried over and whether or not the player is in a BB state. Furthermore, since the probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery is higher in CZ mode than in normal mode, it is more advantageous for the player to transition to the advantageous section in situations where a BB win has not been carried over or while in a BB state, i.e., before winning a BB or during the BB winning game.

[0290] Returning to the explanation of the first section display process, if the advantageous section flag is set in step S2002, the process proceeds to step S2008. In step S2008, it is determined whether the AT mode flag or the CZ mode flag is set. As already explained, after the AT mode winning notification performance is performed, the AT mode flag is set, which creates a state where a push-order notification can occur when a push-order role is won, and the notification start condition for the section display is met. In addition, in this slot machine 10, the notification start condition for the section display is not only a state where a push-order notification can occur when a push-order role is won, but also a transition to CZ mode, which makes it easier to win the lottery to transition to AT mode where a push-order notification can occur. Note that the configuration may be such that a push-order notification can occur in CZ mode, and the transition to said CZ mode itself may be considered a state where a push-order notification can occur when a push-order role is won, thus meeting the notification start condition.

[0291] If it is determined in step S2008 that the AT mode flag or the CZ mode flag is set, the display of the section indicator is started in step S2009 by lighting up the eighth display segment N8. In addition, when the main control device 101 starts displaying the eighth display segment N8 as a section indicator by lighting it up, it outputs a sound output command to the display control device 81 so that a predetermined sound effect (for example, a mechanical sound like "Gago!") is output from the speaker 64. The display control device 81 controls the speaker 64 based on the sound output command so that the predetermined sound effect is emitted. It is also possible to configure the system to generate an effect in the auxiliary display unit 65 or other display units when the display of the eighth display segment N8 is started. In this case, it is preferable to output a corresponding command to the display control device 81 and to configure the system to control the auxiliary display unit 65, etc., so that the corresponding effect is performed by the display control device 81.

[0292] If step S2001 determines that the eighth display segment N8 is being displayed as a section indicator, step S2010 determines whether or not the system is in normal mode. If it is in normal mode, step S2011 executes a process to terminate the display during the advantageous section. Specifically, this involves switching the eighth display segment N8 from the lit state to the off state. On the other hand, if step S2010 determines that the system is not in normal mode, the display during the advantageous section continues. Specifically, this involves performing a process to keep the eighth display segment N8 in the lit state.

[0293] If it is determined in step S2003 that the advantageous section winning game flag is not set, or if it is an advantageous section winning game (after the processing in step S2007), or if it is not a situation where a push-order notification can occur or a situation where it is easy to win the lottery to transition to a state where a push-order notification occurs (if it is determined in step S2008 that neither the AT mode flag nor the CZ mode flag is set), or if the display on the section indicator ends in step S2011, the process proceeds to step S2012. Also, after the display start processing is executed in step S2009, or after it is determined in step S2010 that it is in normal mode, it is determined in step S2013 whether or not the CZ mode flag is set, and if the CZ mode flag is set, the process proceeds to step S2012. In step S2012, the process of adding 1 to the first role ratio counter provided in the various counter areas 106e is executed. 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 section and the non-specific section.

[0294] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S2013 that the AT mode flag is set instead of the CZ mode flag, the process proceeds to step S2014. In step S2014, the process of adding 1 to the second role ratio counter located in the various counter areas 106e is executed. The second role ratio counter is a counter used to count the number of games in which push order notification can be generated, that is, the number of games in a specific section.

[0295] After executing the process in step S2012 or step S2014, the role ratio calculation process is executed in step S2015. 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 calculates the proportion of games in which a button press order notification can occur out of the total number of games. Then, in step S2016, the process is executed so that the calculation result of step S2015 is displayed on the role ratio monitor 77.

[0296] As shown in Figure 5, the payout ratio monitor 77 has multiple 7-segment display units, each consisting of seven display segments. Specifically, the payout ratio monitor 77 has a first display unit 77a, a second display unit 77b, a third display unit 77c, a fourth display unit 77d, and a fifth display unit 77e, which function as 7-segment display units. The display segments in the first to fifth display units 77a to 77e each 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 state of these individual light sources, it is possible to illuminate only one display segment or any combination of display segments. As a result, the payout ratio monitor 77 displays predetermined symbols (including letters and numbers) individually, and in particular, the payout ratio monitor 77 is capable of displaying five-digit numbers.

[0297] In step S2016, the result of the calculation process in step S2015 is output to the role ratio monitor 77, and the display control of each display unit 77a to 77e in the role ratio monitor 77 is performed so that a four-digit number is displayed on the role ratio monitor 77. Specifically, the role ratio monitor 77 displays a number less than 1, up to four decimal places, such as "0.5012", as the percentage of the total number of games in which a push order notification may occur. After the processing in step S2016 is completed, the first section display processing is terminated.

[0298] Furthermore, the calculation process in step S2015 may be configured to round the number to the fifth decimal place before controlling the display of the role ratio monitor 77. Also, since the first display unit 77a of the role ratio monitor 77 basically displays "0", the first display unit 77a may be omitted, or the first display unit 77a may be configured to always display "0" by printing or other means. In addition, it is preferable to configure the system so that a decimal point is displayed between the first display unit 77a and the second display unit 77b by printing or other means.

[0299] <Second processing for displaying the interval> Next, the second section display process will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 48. As already explained, the second section display process is performed in step S516 of the reel control process, and is performed at the end of one game after the payout of medals (payout determination process) and the transition of the game state based on the winning result (bonus state processing, winning result corresponding processing).

[0300] In step S2201, it is determined whether the advantageous section flag is set or not. If it is not set, the second section display process is terminated. If the advantageous section flag is set, in step S2202, the process of counting the number of games in the advantageous section is executed. Specifically, the process of incrementing the above advantageous section game count AG by 1 is performed. After executing the process in step S2202, in step S2203, the process of updating the advantageous section increase / decrease amount MY (MY counter) provided in the various counter areas 106e is executed.

[0301] In the MY update process in step S2203, provided that the result of this game is not a re-spin win, the number of coins inserted (bet amount) is subtracted from the number of coins paid out, and the result of this subtraction is added to the advantageous section coin increase / decrease MY to update the advantageous section coin increase / decrease MY.

[0302] After executing the MY update process in step S2203, the remaining game count management process is executed in step S2204, followed by the remaining coins management process in the subsequent step S2205. The remaining game count management process is a process for managing whether the advantageous section will reach its upper limit of games (1500 games) with the current remaining game count, based on the remaining game count of the AT mode, etc. In the remaining game count management process, for example, if the advantageous section game count AG is 1450 at the start of the AT mode, it determines whether the advantageous section will reach its upper limit of games before the termination condition of the AT mode (consuming at least one Big Bonus) is met if the AT mode continues as is. If such a situation is found, the first excess flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d as a flag to identify that situation. The remaining coins management process is a process for managing whether the advantageous section will reach its upper limit of increased coins (2400 coins) with the current remaining game count, based on the remaining game count of the AT mode, etc. In the remaining payout management process, for example, at the start of AT mode, the system determines whether the advantageous section increase / decrease amount MY is 2300, and whether continuing AT mode will result in reaching the upper limit of the advantageous section increase before the AT mode termination condition (upper limit payout for BB = 140). If such a situation exists, a second excess flag is set in the various flag storage area 106d as a flag to identify that situation.

[0303] In the following step S2206, it is determined whether the number of games in the advantageous section AG has reached the upper limit of 1500, or whether the increase / decrease in the advantageous section MY has exceeded the upper limit of 2400. If either of these forced termination conditions is met, in step S2207, the number of games in the advantageous section AG and the increase / decrease in the advantageous section MY are cleared to 0. In the following step S2208, the display of the 8th display segment N8, which serves as the section indicator, is terminated. Then, in step S2209, the parameters and information such as various flags and counters in the advantageous section are initialized, and then this section display second process is terminated.

[0304] More specifically, the data initialization process in step S2209 is the process of resetting the flags and counters set during the transition to the advantageous section, as well as those set during the advantageous section, back to their initial values. For example, if the advantageous section flag, AT mode winning flag, AT mode flag, continuation flag, etc., are not cleared and are set, these flags are cleared. Furthermore, if the advantageous section game count AG, the advantageous section increase / decrease amount MY, the pre-announcement counter for the pre-announcement mode, the counter for the continuation game count of the CZ 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 related to the push-order notification in relation to the advantageous section as an advantageous state using push-order notification, and it is a process of clearing the RAM for such variables or parameters.

[0305] Incidentally, the initialization process for the advantageous interval information in step S205 of the main process described above also involves clearing RAM with respect to variables or parameters related to the advantageous interval, similar to step S2209.

[0306] If it is determined in step S2206 that the number of games in the advantageous section AG has not reached its upper limit and the number of coins added or removed in the advantageous section MY has not reached its upper limit, the process proceeds to step S2210, where it is determined whether any BB winning game flags are set, thereby determining whether any BB wins occurred in the current game. If any BB wins occurred, step S2211 determines whether any of the AT mode winning flags, AT mode flags, or various CZ mode flags are set. In other words, the processing in steps S2210 and S2211 determines whether the BB winning game occurred in normal mode before winning AT mode.

[0307] If the game is in normal mode and the BB (Big Bonus) is awarded before the AT (Attack Time) mode is won, the process proceeds to step S2207, and after the processing for ending the advantageous section from steps S2207 to S2209, the second section display processing ends. Conversely, if the game is not in normal mode and the BB is awarded before the AT mode is won, the second section display processing ends without ending the advantageous section. In other words, in this embodiment, the game in which the BB is awarded may or may not trigger the end of the advantageous section depending on the internal mode during the advantageous section. If the BB is awarded in normal mode during the advantageous section and before the AT mode is won, it triggers the end of the advantageous section. If it is awarded in a mode other than normal mode or before the AT mode is won during normal mode, it does not trigger the end of the advantageous section. By doing this, attention can be drawn to the timing (internal mode) at which the BB is awarded, making it possible to realize a novel gameplay experience that is significantly different from conventional slot machines where players simply win the BB, award it, and obtain the benefits associated with the BB.

[0308] If it is determined in step S2210 that this is not a game in which a BB (Big Bonus) is awarded, then in step S2212, it is determined whether or not any BB ending game flags are set, thereby determining whether or not this game is the ending game of the BB state. If it is the ending game of the BB state, then in step S2213, it is determined whether or not a continuation flag is set. As described above, the continuation flag is set when transitioning to AT mode, and is cleared at the start of the bonus AT state if the AT mode is not continued.

[0309] If the BB is won in a game where the continuation flag is set, the second section display process ends without ending the advantageous section. If the BB ends in a game where the continuation flag is not set, the process proceeds to step S2214 to determine whether the transitioned flag is set. The transitioned flag is set when the game transitions to the advantageous section during the BB state (step S2106). If the transitioned flag is set, the transitioned flag is cleared in step S2215, and then the second section display process ends. In this case, the advantageous section does not end.

[0310] In contrast, if the BB ending game occurs when the continuation flag is not set, and the transition flag is not set, the process for ending the advantageous section in steps S2207 to S2209 is performed, and then the second section display process is terminated.

[0311] In other words, in this embodiment, whether or not the conditions for continuing AT mode are met determines whether the end of the BB state triggers the end of the advantageous period or not. If the BB state ends when the conditions for continuing AT mode are not met, it triggers the end of the advantageous period, but if the BB state ends when the conditions for continuing AT mode are met, it does not trigger the end of the advantageous period. Thus, when the conditions for continuing AT mode are not met, not only does the BB state end, but the advantageous period also ends. This creates a situation where the advantageous period can end immediately after an advantageous situation such as a bonus AT state resulting from the overlap of the BB state and AT mode. As a result, the advantageousness of the bonus AT state stands out, and the difference in the degree of advantage makes it possible to appropriately increase the attention given to the bonus AT state.

[0312] <Regarding the display of the button press order indicator and section indicator, and the progress of the game> The relationship between the start and end of the advantageous period and the display of the eighth display segment N8 as a period indicator will be explained with reference to Figure 49.

[0313] In this slot machine 10, as shown in Figure 49, during the normal section, which is not the advantageous section, the 8th display segment N8, which serves as the section indicator, is off (not lit). During this normal section, no button press order notification is provided. In other words, while the advantageous section has the capability to provide instruction functions such as button press order notification, the normal section does not have such instruction functions. The situation where the display mode is normal mode mainly corresponds to the normal section.

[0314] In the normal section, if you win the lottery to transition to the advantageous section, for example by winning the second small role (watermelon), the advantageous section will start in the game in which the game result that triggered the win occurred (this game is the game in which the advantageous section transitions), and the counting of the number of games in the advantageous section (counting of the number of advantageous section games AG) will start from that game. Note that the above processing for the game in which the advantageous section transitions (Figure 46) is performed after the transition to the advantageous section occurs in the game in which the transition to the advantageous section was made based on the watermelon win.

[0315] Then, if the player wins the lottery to transition to AT mode during the advantageous period, and the conditions for triggering a button press order notification are met, such as when the winning notification and the AT mode flag are set, the conditions for starting the display on the section indicator are met, and the 8th display segment N8 lights up.

[0316] Subsequently, with the 8th display segment N8 lit, a button press order notification occurs using the 1st display segment N1 to the 7th display segment N7. In this case, as described above, the 1st display segment N1 to the 7th display segment N7 display the button press order information ("1" to "6"), and the player can understand the button press order based on this information. In the button press order notification, the button press order information is displayed starting when the start lever 41 is operated in the game, and the display ends when the 3rd reel is stopped ON in the game. If the game is not the last game of the advantageous section, when the 3rd reel is stopped ON, only the display of the button press order information by the 1st display segment N1 to the 7th display segment N7 ends, and the display of the advantageous section by the 8th display segment N8 continues. Then, if a button press order is won again in the next game or later, the button press order information corresponding to that button press order is displayed by the 1st display segment N1 to the 7th display segment N7.

[0317] When the number of games in the advantageous period reaches the upper limit, or when the number of medals increased in the advantageous period reaches the upper limit, and it becomes the final game of the advantageous period, the 8th display segment N8 also turns off, and the notification of the advantageous period ends. In this embodiment, in the final game of the advantageous period, the 8th display segment N8 turns off at the timing when medal payout is completed (by the second period display process, which is a process after the payout determination process). If no medals are paid out in the final game, the 8th display segment N8 turns off when the 3rd reel is stopped OFF. This allows the player to clearly understand that the game was the final game of the advantageous period.

[0318] As described above, the game count for the advantageous section begins from the game in which the transition to the advantageous section is won, while the button press order notification only occurs during the period when the 8th display segment N8 is lit. In other words, even within the advantageous section, the button press order notification does not occur in sections where the 8th display segment N8 is unlit (non-specific sections). In other words, by checking whether the 8th display segment N8, which acts as a section indicator, is lit, it is possible to clearly understand that within the advantageous section, at least the situation in which the benefits of the button press order notification can be enjoyed (specific section, effectively increased section). In this way, it is possible to prevent a difference in the degree of advantage between a player who ends the game without knowing that they are in a situation where they can enjoy the benefits of the button press order notification and the player who takes over after them. In other words, since the button press order notification does not occur when the 8th display segment N8 is not lit, it is also possible to end the game cleanly.

[0319] <Performance setting process> Next, the performance setting process executed by the CPU 181 of the display control device 81 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 50. The performance setting process is a process that is started by the CPU 181 at a predetermined period (for example, every 2 msec).

[0320] In the performance setting process, first, in step S2301, it is determined whether or not a new command has been received from the main control unit 101. If a new command has been received, in step S2302, the process of storing the received command in RAM 183 is executed. RAM 183 is provided with a command storage area, which is configured as a ring buffer capable of individually storing multiple commands and reading commands in the order they were stored.

[0321] If a negative determination is made in step S2301, or after the processing in step S2302 is executed, in step S2303 it is determined whether the newly received command was a bet command. A bet command is a command output from the main control unit 101 based on the fact that a bet operation has been performed, and is such as a bet command set in step S306 of the normal processing. If it is a bet command, the bet performance setting process is executed in step S2304. In the bet performance setting process, processing is performed to control the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 so that the performance based on the current bet operation is performed.

[0322] If a negative determination is made in step S2303, or after the processing in step S2304 is executed, in step S2305 it is determined whether the newly received command was a start command. A start command is a command output from the main control device 101 based on the operation of the start lever 41, and includes the lottery result command set in step S411 of the lottery processing, as well as premonition commands, pseudo-premonition commands, stock commands, prize permission commands, push order notification commands, etc., set in the lottery result corresponding processing (Figure 30). If it is one of these start commands, the start performance setting processing is executed in step S2306.

[0323] If a negative determination is made in step S2305, or after the processing in step S2306 is executed, in step S2307 it is determined whether the newly received command was a command for each stop operation. A command for each stop operation is a command output from the main control device 101 based on the fact that each reel 32L, 32M, and 32R has been stopped, and is a stop command set in step S505 of the reel control processing (Figure 21). If it is a stop command as such a command for each stop operation, the process for setting the effects for each stop operation is executed in step S2308. In the process for setting the effects for each stop operation, processing is performed to control the auxiliary display unit 65 and the speaker 64 so that the effects based on the current stop operation are performed.

[0324] If a negative determination is made in step S2307, or after the processing in step S2308 is executed, in step S2309 it is determined whether the newly received command is a command for when all reels have stopped. A command for when all reels have stopped is a command output from the main control device 101 based on the fact that all reels 32L, 32M, and 32R have stopped. This includes the winning result command set in step S517 of the reel control processing (Figure 21), as well as the AT start command, CZ end command, AT winning notification command, continuation command, non-continuation command, AT end command, etc., which are set in the winning result corresponding processing (Figure 42). If it is one of these commands for when all reels have stopped, the command for when all reels have stopped is executed in step S2310.

[0325] If a negative result is obtained in step S2309, or after the processing in step S2310 is executed, other processing is performed in step S2311 before the performance setting process is terminated. In step S2311, performances are set based on commands from the main control device 101 other than when betting, starting, or stopping (for example, performances based on the operation of the settlement switch 59), performances are set based on signals from sensors connected without going through the main control device 101 (for example, performance switch detection sensors), and settings for error notification are performed.

[0326] The following describes the startup animation setting process and the animation setting process when all animations are stopped. The explanation of each animation setting process will refer to the overview diagrams of the display animations in Figures 55 to 57.

[0327] <Starting animation setting process> The startup animation setting process in step S2306 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 51.

[0328] In step S2401, a display mode setting process is performed. In this process, it is determined whether the display mode currently set on the main control unit 101 is normal mode, CZ mode, or AT mode, and the auxiliary display unit 65 is set to perform its display effects in the corresponding display mode. Specifically, in the various flag storage area 183a of the RAM 183 on the display control unit 81, there is an area for setting CZ mode flags and AT mode flags as flags to determine the display mode, and the corresponding flag is set when each mode starts and cleared when it ends. In step S2401, by knowing these various mode corresponding flags, the current display mode is identified, and the auxiliary display unit 65, speaker 64, upper lamp 63, etc. are controlled so that the corresponding effects are performed.

[0329] In the following step S2402, based on the received lottery result command, it is determined whether the lottery result for the game to be started is a push-order win. If it is a push-order win, in step S2403, it is determined whether a push-order notification command has been received. If a push-order notification command has been received, in step S2204, it is determined whether the lottery result for the game to be one of Normal Replay A to Normal Replay C. If a push-order notification command is set for a game that is Normal Replay A to Normal Replay C, it means that it is the start game of AT mode, and in this case, in step S2405, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled so that a push-order notification effect corresponding to the second re-play win is performed.

[0330] If a negative result is determined in step S2404, it means that the result of the lottery for this game is a push-order bell win. In this case, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled in step S2406 so that a push-order notification animation corresponding to the first small win is performed.

[0331] If, in step S2402, it is determined that the result of the current game is not a sequence-based win, then in step S2407, it is determined whether the result of the current game is a specific win. A specific win is a lottery result that is unlikely to appear (unlikely to be won) in each game, and is referred to as a rare win. In this embodiment, the specific wins are set to be chance symbols A to C, cherries A to C, and watermelons. As shown in Figure 34, in the AT mode transition lottery triggered by these lottery results, it is set to be easier to win an AT mode transition than when triggered by lottery results other than specific wins. If the result of the current game is a specific win, in step S2408, the specific win notification process is executed. In the specific win notification process, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled to notify that the result of the current game is one of the above specific wins. As a notification of a specific role, for example, as shown in Figure 55(b), a feature is set up in which three exclamation mark characters are displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65, corresponding to the three stop switches 42 to 44. As mentioned above, the probability of winning an AT mode transition differs depending on the type of specific role, so there is a great deal of interest in the type of specific role, and it is thought that when a notification of a specific role is given as described above, players will try to determine which result has been won.

[0332] Here, among the specific roles, there is a difference between Cherry A and Cherry B and Cherry C. If Cherry A or Cherry B is won, it is possible to win the 9th re-spin, which is a weak cherry replay, while if Cherry C is won, in addition to winning the 9th re-spin, which is a weak cherry replay, it is also possible to win the 11th re-spin, which is a strong cherry replay. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is Cherry A, Cherry B, or Cherry C, it is possible to win the 10th re-spin, which is a cherry spill replay. In other words, if the 9th re-spin or the 10th re-spin is won, there is a possibility that it was a win of any of Cherry A, Cherry B, or Cherry C, and if the 11th re-spin is won, it is confirmed that it was a win of Cherry C among Cherry A, Cherry B, or Cherry C. In this case, to determine whether the win is Cherry A, B, or C, one must aim for the symbol corresponding to the 11th re-spin win. If the symbol stops on an active line, it is determined to be a Cherry C win. If the symbol does not land on an active line despite being aimed for, it is determined to be either Cherry A or Cherry B. On the left reel 32L, the symbol corresponding to the 11th re-spin win is the "BAR" symbol. In other words, in this case, it is possible to determine whether or not it is Cherry C by aiming for and stopping at least the 9th "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L. Furthermore, if the left stop switch 42 is stopped between the time the 5th "Replay" symbol on the left reel 32L reaches the middle position and the time the 8th "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L reaches the middle position, it is possible to stop the "BAR" symbol on the middle position of the left reel 32L.

[0333] Incidentally, when operating in this manner, it is not possible to stop the "white 7" symbol, which corresponds to the 1st BB or 2nd BB, on the active line on the left reel 32L, nor is it possible to stop the "red shell" symbol, which corresponds to JAC, on the active line on the left reel 32L.

[0334] If a negative result is obtained in step S2403 or step S2407, or after the processing in step S2405, step S2406, or step S2408 is performed, the process proceeds to step S2409. In step S2409, the continuous performance setting process is executed. Then, in step S2410, the processing for the bonus AT is executed, and in step S2411, the setting process for other start performances is performed, and then the start performance setting process is terminated. In step S2411, for example, an effect that suggests the lottery result in response to the start of the game is set, or a process that turns off the lamps around the start lever 41 to notify that the operation has been accepted is performed.

[0335] <Continuous Performance Setting Process> The continuous performance setting process in step S2409 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 52. The continuous performance setting process is a process to execute a continuous performance before the number of games in the pre-announcement mode or pseudo-pre-announcement mode reaches 0. A continuous performance is a series of performances that take place over multiple games, and the result of that series of performances is either a favorable result notification or an unfavorable result notification. The result notification is set to take place in the final game of the series of performances, for example. More specifically, in a continuous performance as a battle performance where the main character and the enemy character face off, the battle performance takes place over multiple games, and the result notification is a favorable result if the main character wins, and an unfavorable result notification if the main character loses. For example, in a continuous performance that notifies whether or not the AT mode has been won, if a favorable result notification is given, the AT mode has been won, and if an unfavorable result notification is given, the AT mode has not been won.

[0336] Now, in the continuous performance setting process, first in step S2501, it is determined whether or not a premonition command is included in the start command that has been received. If a premonition command is included, in step S2502, the number of premonition games of the premonition mode included in the premonition command is input into the continuous performance counter provided in the various counter area 183b. The continuous performance counter is a counter that the CPU 181 uses to keep track of the remaining number of games in the premonition mode or pseudo-premonition mode and the start game of the continuous performance. When the continuous performance counter reaches a value corresponding to the start of the continuous performance, the continuous performance begins. After executing the process in step S2502, in step S2503, the process of setting the premonition flag in the various flag storage area 183a is executed. The premonition flag is a flag that the CPU 181 uses to keep track of whether or not the system is in premonition mode.

[0337] If it is determined in step S2501 that no premonition command has been received, then in step S2504, it is determined whether or not a pseudo-premonition command is included in the start command that has been received. If a pseudo-premonition command is included, in step S2505, the number of pseudo-premonition games of the pseudo-premonition mode included in the pseudo-premonition command is entered into the continuous performance counter mentioned above. Then, in step S2506, the process of setting the pseudo-premonition flag in the various flag storage area 183a is executed. The pseudo-premonition flag is a flag that allows the CPU 181 to recognize that the game is in pseudo-premonition mode.

[0338] If a negative result is obtained in step S2504, or after the processing in step S2503 or step S2506 is performed, the process proceeds to step S2507. In step S2507, it is determined whether or not a premonition flag or a pseudo-premonition flag is set. If either of these flags is set, the process of subtracting 1 from the continuous performance counter is performed in step S2508. Then, in step S2509, it is determined whether or not the continuous performance counter is a number corresponding to the continuous performance. In this embodiment, for example, if a continuous performance that takes place over 4 games is set, in this case, in step S2509, if the continuous performance counter is between 0 and 4, it is determined that it is a number corresponding to the continuous performance.

[0339] If the continuous performance counter is a number corresponding to a continuous performance, step S2510 determines whether or not the premonition flag is set. If the premonition flag is set, the process proceeds to step S2511, and the premonition performance table is obtained from the various table storage area 182a. Then, in step S2513, the performance data for the corresponding continuous performance is identified from the premonition performance table and the continuous performance counter, and the corresponding performance data is obtained from the performance data storage area 182b of ROM 182 and set as the current continuous performance. The performance data for the continuous performance identified from the premonition performance table is, if the continuous performance counter is 1 to 3, performance data indicating that the continuous performance will continue until the next game, and if the continuous performance counter is 0, performance data indicating that the current continuous performance will end with a favorable result notification.

[0340] If it is determined in step S2510 that the premonition flag is not set, that is, if the pseudo-premonition flag is set, the process proceeds to step S2512. In step S2512, the pseudo-premonition performance table is obtained from the various table storage area 182a. Then, in step S2513, the performance data for the corresponding continuous performance is identified from the pseudo-premonition performance table and the continuous performance counter, and the corresponding performance data is obtained from the performance data storage area 182b of ROM 182 and set as the continuous performance for the current game. The performance data for the continuous performance identified from the pseudo-premonition performance table is, if the continuous performance counter is 1 to 3, performance data indicating that the continuous performance will continue until the next game or not, and if the continuous performance counter is 0, performance data indicating that the current continuous performance will end with an unfavorable result notification.

[0341] After the processing in step S2513, step S2514 determines whether the continuous performance counter is 0 or not. If the continuous performance counter is 0, step S2515 clears the premonition flag or pseudo-premonition flag, and then the continuous performance setting process ends. If a negative determination is made in step S2507, step S2509, or step S2514, the continuous performance setting process ends as is.

[0342] <Processing for Bonus AT> Next, the bonus AT processing performed in step S2410 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 53.

[0343] Step S2601 determines whether or not the game is in AT mode. If it is not in AT mode, the bonus AT processing ends. If it is in AT mode, step S2602 determines whether or not the game is in BB state. Being in AT mode but not in BB state means waiting for the start of the bonus AT, more specifically, the situation from when AT mode starts until a BB is awarded, the situation after the BB state has ended and waiting for the next BB to be awarded, or the situation after a BB has been awarded and waiting for permission to award. In this case, step S2603 controls the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 to display the effects for the BB award waiting state. The effects for the BB award waiting state include, for example, effects corresponding to the lottery results of each game (effects that suggest the lottery results), as well as effects that are different from those for other states so that the player can clearly recognize that the game is in a waiting state for the bonus AT.

[0344] In the following step S2604, it is determined whether or not a prize-winning permission command has been received. As already explained, the prize-winning permission command is a command output from the main control unit 101 in a game in which it is possible to win any BB while waiting for the start of the bonus AT. More specifically, it is a command output when the game's lottery result is a loss while waiting for the start of the bonus AT in which any BB has been won. If a prize-winning permission command has been received, in step S2605, the BB prize-winning permission notification process is executed. In the BB prize-winning permission notification process, as a BB prize-winning permission notification to let the player know that it is time to win a BB, for example, as shown in Figure 55(a), the auxiliary display unit 65 notifies the type of BB that has been won and displays a male character shouting "Aim for it!!". When notifying the type of Big Bonus (BB) that has been won, for example, if the 1st BB has been won, the 1st BB notification should display the stopping pattern that results in a 1st BB win (the stopping pattern where the "White 7" symbol aligns and stops on the middle line L2), and if the 2nd BB has been won, the 2nd BB notification should display the stopping pattern that results in a 2nd BB win (the stopping pattern where the "White 7" symbol, the "White 7" symbol, and the "Red 7" symbol stop from left to right on the middle line L2).

[0345] In step S2602, it is determined that the player is in BB state, and if the current state is Bonus AT state, the player proceeds to step S2606. In step S2606, the player adds 1 to the BB counter located in the various counter areas 183b. The BB counter is a counter used by the CPU 181 to keep track of the number of games played in Bonus AT mode. More specifically, in a situation where the player is in AT mode and BB state, the counter is used to determine the content of the game's presentation in order to notify the player whether or not the AT mode will end upon the end of the current BB state.

[0346] Here, an overview of the presentation during the bonus AT state in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 56 and 57.

[0347] In this embodiment, a battle sequence between the main character and enemy characters takes place during the bonus AT state. If the AT mode continues, a continuation sequence is performed in which the main character defeats all enemy characters and wins. If the AT mode ends, an ending sequence is performed in which the main character is defeated without defeating all the enemy characters. For example, in the first game of the bonus AT state, as shown in Figure 56(a1), the main character holding a machine gun is displayed, and then as shown in Figure 56(a2), three zombie enemy characters are displayed. In this case, if all three zombies are defeated by the end of the battle sequence, it becomes a continuation sequence, and if even one remains, it becomes an ending sequence.

[0348] For example, in the second game of the Bonus AT state, as shown in Figure 56(b1), the main character is shown attacking with a machine gun, and then as shown in Figure 56(b2), the number of enemy characters is shown to have decreased by one as a result of the attack (defeated). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 56(c1), in the third game of the Bonus AT state, the main character attacks again, and as shown in Figure 56(c2), the number of enemy characters is shown to have decreased by another one.

[0349] Subsequently, in the fourth game of the Bonus AT state, either the continuation or termination animation will be displayed as the result of the battle animation. In the case of the continuation animation, as shown in Figure 57(a1), the final enemy character is shown being blown away by the main character's attack, and as shown in Figure 57(a2), the main character is shown shouting in victory and celebrating, and the word "WIN" is displayed to clearly indicate that the result of the battle animation is a continuation animation. This allows the player to clearly understand that the AT mode will continue even after the current Bonus AT state. In the case of the termination animation, as shown in Figure 57(b1), the enemy character is shown attacking, and as shown in Figure 57(b2), the main character is shown falling on his back, and the word "LOSE" is displayed to clearly indicate that the result of the battle animation is a termination animation. This allows the player to clearly understand that the AT mode will end with the end of the current Bonus AT state.

[0350] Returning to the explanation of the processing for the bonus AT, after the BB counter is incremented in step S2606, it is determined in step S2607 whether or not the continuation flag is set in the various flag storage area 183a. The continuation flag is set when a continuation command is received from the main control device 101 at the start of the bonus AT state (when a BB is won), and is cleared when a continuation command is not received at the start of the next bonus AT state. This flag allows the CPU 181 to determine whether or not the battle performance during the bonus AT state will be a continuation performance. If the continuation flag is set, in step S2608 the performance table for continuation is obtained from the various table storage area 182a. Then, in step S2609 the performance data for the bonus AT state is identified from the continuation performance table and the BB counter, the corresponding performance data is obtained from the performance data storage area 182b of the ROM 182, and the process of setting it as the performance for this time is performed. As for the performance data for the bonus AT state identified from the performance table for continuation, in particular, if the BB counter is 4, which corresponds to the 4th game in which the result is announced, the continuation performance shown in Figure 57(a) is set.

[0351] In contrast, if the continuation flag is not set in step S2607, step S2610 determines whether the revival flag is set in the various flag storage area 183a. The revival flag is set based on receiving a continuation command from the main control device 101 during the bonus AT state (BB state), and is cleared when the continuation command is not received at the start of the next bonus AT state. If the revival flag is set, step S2611 retrieves the revival performance table from the various table storage area 182a. Then, in step S2609, the corresponding performance data for the bonus AT state is identified from the revival performance table and the BB counter, and the corresponding performance data is retrieved from the performance data storage area 182b of the ROM 182 and set as the performance for the current state. The bonus AT state performance data identified from the revival performance table includes, in particular, when the BB counter is 4, which corresponds to the 4th game in which the result is announced, the ending performance shown in Figure 57(b) is set. Additionally, when the BB counter is greater than 4, a revival performance is set in which the main character stands up and takes on the battle again, between the start of the next game after the BB ends and the bet operation. For example, if the revival performance is set during the BB ending game, as shown in Figure 57(c1), in the game in which the AT mode ending performance is performed, after the announcement that the AT mode has ended, the number of games in which the AT mode continued, and the number of medals acquired are announced, the revival performance shown in Figure 57(c2) is performed, allowing the player to clearly understand that the AT mode will continue.

[0352] If neither the continuation flag nor the revival flag is set in step S2710, the non-continuation performance table is obtained from the various table storage area 182a in step S2712. Then, in step S2609, the performance data for the corresponding bonus AT state is identified from the non-continuation performance table and the BB counter, and the corresponding performance data is obtained from the performance data storage area 182b of ROM 182 and set as the performance for the current state. As for the performance data for the bonus AT state identified from the non-continuation performance table, in particular, if the BB counter is 4, which corresponds to the 4th game in which the result is announced, the ending performance shown in Figure 57(b) is set.

[0353] Here, the performance data obtained using the performance data table for revival and the performance data obtained using the performance data table for non-continuation are set to have the same content from the game in which the battle performance begins until the game in which the result is announced, and the data tables are set to obtain the same performance data. Therefore, performance data is shared.

[0354] After setting the effects for the bonus AT state in step S2609, step S2613 determines whether the result of the lottery for this game is a JAC win or not. If a JAC win is obtained, step S2614 executes the JAC avoidance notification process. The JAC avoidance notification process is a process that notifies the player to avoid winning a JAC, and more specifically, it is a process to ensure that the win avoidance notification is displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65, etc. As described above, a JAC win is achieved when the "Red Shell" symbol, the "White Shell" symbol, and the "White 7" symbol stop from left to right on the active lines. However, it is possible to avoid winning a JAC by stopping the stop switch 42 at the timing when the "Red Shell" symbol cannot stop on the active line (middle) of the left reel 32L. More specifically, it is possible to avoid winning a JAC by stopping the left reel 32L from the timing when the 0th "Replay" symbol reaches the middle to the timing when the 4th "Red Shell" symbol reaches the middle.

[0355] As a notification to avoid winning a prize, as shown in Figure 55(b), an effect is set up in which three exclamation mark characters are displayed on the auxiliary display unit 65, corresponding to the three stop switches 42 to 44. As described above, if the lottery result for each game is a specific role win, the notification shown in Figure 55(b) is also given as a specific role notification. The notification to avoid winning a JAC prize has the same content as the notification for the specific role, thus sharing the effect data. This is because the timing of operating the stop switches 42 to 44 to avoid winning a JAC prize overlaps with the timing of operating the stop switches 42 to 44 to determine the type of specific role. In other words, in this embodiment, if the stop operation of the stop switches 42 to 44 is performed at the timing for determining the type of specific role, it is possible to avoid winning a JAC prize.

[0356] If a negative determination is made in step S2604 or step S2613, or after the processing in step S2605 or step S2614 is executed, the process proceeds to step S2615. In step S2615, it is determined whether or not a stock command has been received. If a stock command has been received, the stock notification process is executed in step S2616. In the stock notification process, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled to notify the player that they have won the stock lottery (see Figure 36) of the main control device 101. As a stock notification effect, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays the text "V Stock!!" and the speaker 64 emits a loud electronic sound such as "Kyupipipikyuiiiiiiin!", so that the player can clearly understand that they have won the stock lottery. In addition, by making the stock notification animation as intense as described above, not only the player playing the machine in question, but also players playing nearby machines (for example, up to three machines away) can be aware that the stock notification animation is taking place, thereby enhancing the sense of superiority of the player playing the machine in question. If a negative result is determined in step S2615, or after the processing in step S2616 is executed, the bonus AT processing is terminated.

[0357] <Processing for setting effects when all functions are stopped> Next, the process of setting the effects to be displayed when the game stops, which is performed in step S2310, will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 54. The process of setting the effects to be displayed when a game stops is performed is for setting the effects to be displayed when a game ends.

[0358] In step S2701, it is determined whether or not an AT win notification command has been received. If an AT win notification command has been received, the AT mode win notification process is executed in step S2702. In the AT mode win notification process, for example, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays "AT The message "GET!!" is displayed, and a corresponding sound effect is output from speaker 64.

[0359] If it is determined in step S2701 that an AT win notification command has not been received, it is determined in step S2703 whether or not an AT start command has been received. If an AT start command has been received, the process for notifying the start of AT mode is executed in step S2704. In the process for notifying the start of AT mode, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled so that an AT mode start effect is performed according to the continuation rate of the AT mode being started. For example, in the AT mode start effect, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays text such as "AT START!!", and the color of the text display and the effect of the text display are made different according to the continuation rate.

[0360] In this embodiment, after transitioning to AT mode, a transition to bonus AT state is permitted. If the bonus AT state ends without a continuation flag, the advantageous period ends temporarily. However, upon re-transitioning to the advantageous period, the system is set to CZ mode. If the AT mode transition lottery is not won within the set number of games in CZ mode, the system is set to normal mode. Thus, from the start of AT mode to the end of CZ mode, a series of advantageous states are executed while transitioning through each state and mode. The AT mode start animation described above is an animation for starting this series of advantageous states.

[0361] If it is determined in step S2703 that an AT start command has not been received, it is determined in step S2705 whether or not an AT end command has been received. If an AT end command has been received, the process for notifying the end of AT mode is executed in step S2705. In the process for notifying the end of AT mode, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled so that an AT mode end animation (see Figure 57(c1)) is performed to notify that AT mode is ending and to notify the number of games played in the AT mode that is ending and the number of medals acquired.

[0362] After the AT mode termination notification process is executed in step S2705, the CZ mode start notification process is executed in step S2706. As already explained, in this embodiment, if the BB state ends while the continuation flag is not set, the AT mode and the advantageous section end. Then, after the advantageous section ends when the BB state ends, if the BB carryover flag is not set and the player is not in the BB state (steps S2101 and S2105: NO), the player transitions to the CZ mode. The CZ mode start notification process in step S2706 is a process that sets the CZ mode start animation to be played at the start of the next game (for example, as a betting animation). In the CZ mode start notification process, although the AT mode itself has ended, a transition to the CZ mode, which has a high probability of being drawn to transition to the AT mode, has occurred, and in order to notify that there is a chance to bring back the AT mode, the auxiliary display unit 65 displays text such as "Aim for a comeback!!" and the speaker 64 outputs a sound effect for that purpose.

[0363] Here, the AT mode termination animation set in step S2705 and the CZ mode start animation set in step S2706 are configured to run without interruption. More specifically, the AT mode termination animation is performed until the bet operation at the start of the next game, and then switches to the CZ mode start animation based on that bet operation at the start of the next game. In this case, the animation data for the bonus AT state, identified from the above revival animation table, is set to execute the AT mode termination animation at the end of the bonus AT state, and then the revival animation is executed based on the bet operation at the start of the next game. In other words, even if the AT mode termination animation is executed, the end of the AT mode is not confirmed until the bet operation at the start of the next game. If the revival animation is performed at the time of the bet operation, the AT mode continues, and if the CZ mode start animation is performed at the time of the bet operation, the AT mode ends. In this way, in a configuration where the advantageous section ends if the continuation conditions are not met upon the end of the BB state, it is possible to avoid the situation where it becomes clear from the animation content that the continuation conditions have not been met.

[0364] To add to that, as mentioned above, the CZ mode is set when the player transitions to the advantageous section without the BB carryover flag being set. The CZ mode start animation notifies the player that they will be transitioning to the CZ mode before they are actually set to the CZ mode. In this way, it is possible to make the player feel as if the AT mode and the CZ mode are a series of advantageous sections, and when transitioning to the CZ mode, it is possible to make the player feel as if the information from the previous advantageous section has been carried over to the advantageous section.

[0365] Incidentally, the eighth display segment N8, which serves as a section indicator, stops displaying that it is in the advantageous section when the medal payout is completed in the bonus AT state ending game where the advantageous section ends. Then, based on the setting of the CZ mode flag, the display is started by the display start process (step S2009). In other words, the advantageous effects of the series of advantageous states from the start of AT mode to the end of CZ mode, as described above, are executed without interruption in the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64, even when transitioning to the normal section. On the other hand, the section indicator stops displaying once in conjunction with the transition to the normal section, and then starts displaying again based on the transition to the advantageous section. In this way, it is possible for the administrator of the gaming hall to suitably identify fraudulent activities that take advantage of the continuity of the advantageous section, while suitably expecting the effects of the effects directed at the player.

[0366] If it is determined in step S2705 that an AT termination command has not been received, it is determined in step S2708 whether or not a CZ termination command has been received. If a CZ termination command has been received, the process for notifying the end of CZ mode is executed in step S2709. In the processing for notifying the end of CZ mode, the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 are controlled so that a CZ mode end effect (for example, a text display such as "Too bad" and its accompanying sound effect) is performed to indicate that CZ mode has ended. The end of CZ mode marks the end of the series of advantageous states described above, and the CZ mode end effect can be said to be an effect that is performed at the end of the advantageous effects in that series of advantageous states.

[0367] If it is determined in step S2708 that a CZ termination command has not been received, it is determined in step S2710 whether or not a continuation command has been received. As already explained, the continuation command is output from the main control unit 101 at the start of a bonus AT state in which the continuation conditions have been met, as well as when the continuation conditions have been met during the bonus AT state. If a continuation command has been received, the process proceeds to step S2711 to determine whether or not the current game is the start game of the bonus AT state, that is, whether or not any BB win has occurred in the game. If it is the start game of the bonus AT state, the process of setting the continuation flag is executed in step S2712. By performing this process, the subsequent bonus AT processing (Figure 53) will use the continuation performance table to set the performance.

[0368] If it is determined in step S2711 that it is not the start of the bonus AT state, it means that the continuation condition was met while the bonus AT state was in progress. In this case, the process of setting the revival flag is executed in step S2713. By performing this process, the subsequent bonus AT processing (Figure 53) will use the revival performance table to set the performance.

[0369] If it is determined in step S2710 that a continuation command has not been received, the process proceeds to step S2714 to determine whether or not a non-continuation command has been received. As already explained, a non-continuation command is a command output from the main control unit 101 at the start of a bonus AT state where the continuation conditions have not been met. If a non-continuation command has been received, the process of clearing the continuation flag and revival flag is executed in step S2715. Specifically, if the continuation flag is set, it is cleared, and if the continuation flag is not set, that state is maintained. Also, if the revival flag is set, it is cleared, and if the revival flag is not set, that state is maintained. By performing this process, the subsequent bonus AT processing (Figure 53) will use the non-continuation performance table to set the performance.

[0370] After executing any of steps S2702, S2704, S2707, S2709, S2712, S2713, and S2715, or after a negative determination is made in step S2714, the process for setting all other stop effects is performed in step S2716, and then this all-stop effect setting process is terminated. In step S2716, for example, the upper lamp 63 is controlled to light up in a color corresponding to the winning combination, the sound effect corresponding to the payout amount of the winning combination is emitted from the speaker 64, and the sound effect corresponding to the automatic bet during a replay is emitted from the speaker 64.

[0371] <Gameplay in progress> The flow of the game will be explained with reference to the timing charts in Figures 58 to 60.

[0372] First, let's explain the start and end of the advantageous period.

[0373] If a setting change is made at timing t1, such as before the start of business at the gaming hall, the advantageous section flag is cleared in the initialization process for advantageous section information (step S205) of the main process (Figure 16) described above. As a result, the advantageous section ends and the system is set to the normal section. However, even if the above setting change is made, the information that various BBs have been won (BB carryover flag) is not cleared, and the BB carryover state is maintained. After the game starts, the system transitions to the advantageous section by winning the advantageous section transition lottery at timing t2. In this case, since the BB carryover flag is set, the advantageous section transition game process (Figure 46) transitions to the normal mode and performs the ceiling game count setting process (steps S2102 to S2404). At timing t3, for example, if the system transitions to AT mode triggered by the consumption of the ceiling game count, the continuation flag is set in the starting game of AT mode (step S1707). Although there is a slight difference between the timing when the AT mode winning flag is set and the timing when the transition to AT mode occurs, these are collectively shown as t3 in the diagram. Furthermore, upon transitioning to AT mode, the display of the 8th display segment N8 begins as a section indicator, the AT mode start animation is performed on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64, and the advantageous animations for AT mode are initiated.

[0374] Subsequently, the BB win in the game, which is the result of the timing mismatch at t4, is permitted. In this case, in the second section display process (Figure 48), the AT mode flag is set and the BB win occurs under conditions where the transition permission conditions are met, so the advantageous section is not terminated (step S2211: NO). Also, when a BB win occurs, the AT continuation setting process (Figure 44) performs the continuation determination at the time of the BB win (steps S1901 to S1908). For example, if the stock counter is 1 (step S1902: NO), or if the continuation lottery is won even if the stock counter is 0 (step S1906: YES), the continuation flag is maintained and a continuation command is output from the main control unit 101 to the display control unit 81. As a result, the bonus AT state that starts from the timing at t4 will perform performances using the performance table for continuation.

[0375] If the BB state ends at timing t5, the continuation determination at the end of the BB (steps S1914 to S1918) performs processing to continue the AT mode, and the continuation flag is maintained (step S1916: YES). As a result, in the second section display processing (Figure 48), the continuation flag is set and the BB ends under conditions where the continuation condition is met, so the advantageous section is not terminated (step S2213: YES).

[0376] Shortly after the BB state ends at timing t5, one of the BBs is won at timing t6. Subsequently, in the game resulting from the failure at timing t7, the BB that was won at t6 is allowed to be awarded. In this case as well, since the BB is awarded while the AT mode flag is set, the advantageous period does not end. However, in the AT continuation setting process at timing t7, the continuation lottery is unsuccessful, indicating that the continuation condition is not met. In this case, the continuation flag is cleared (step S1907), and a non-continuation command is output from the main control unit 101 to the display control unit 81. As a result, the bonus AT state that starts from timing t7 will use the non-continuation performance table for its performance.

[0377] If the BB state ends at timing t8 and the stock lottery has not been won by timing t8, the AT mode flag is cleared in the continuation determination at the end of the BB at t8 (step S1917). Then, in the second section display processing (Figure 48), since the continuation flag is not set and the continuation conditions have not been met, the processing for the end of the advantageous section is performed (step S2213: NO). Note that during the BB state ending at timing t8, the transition to the advantageous section has not occurred, so the transitioned flag is not set. Also, at the end of the advantageous section, the display of the 8th display segment N8 as a section indicator ends. In response to this, at timing t8, an AT termination command is output from the main control unit 101 to the display control unit 81, so the AT mode termination effect is performed, as well as the CZ mode start effect, and the series of advantageous effects, including the AT mode start effect and the effects during CZ mode, are continued on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64.

[0378] Shortly after the BB state and advantageous period end at t8, the advantageous period transition lottery process triggers a return to the advantageous period (t9). In this case, the transition to the advantageous period occurs before the first or second BB is carried over, and the advantageous period transition game processing (Figure 46) performs the CZ mode transition processing (steps S2107 and S2108). In other words, the advantageous period transitioned to at t9 is set to CZ mode. Subsequently, at timing t10, one of the BBs is won, and the BB carryover state is established. Also, if a transition to CZ mode occurs at timing t9, the display on the period indicator resumes. Note that the advantageous effects on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 continue, including at timings t8 and t9.

[0379] In CZ mode, the probability of winning the AT mode transition lottery is set higher than in normal mode. Therefore, for example, if the AT mode transition lottery is won at timing t11 while in CZ mode, the transition to the bonus AT state is allowed again (t12). The diagram shows the case where the continuation judgment at the time of BB entry (steps S1901 to S1908) determines that it is not a continuation, and the continuation flag set at timing t11 is cleared at timing t12.

[0380] At timing t13, when the BB state ends, the continuation flag is not set, so when the BB state ends at t13, the advantageous section also ends. Then, at timing t14, if the 1st BB or 2nd BB is won, that is, if the 1st BB or 2nd BB is won with a replay overlap, the game transitions to the advantageous section. In this case, since the transition to the advantageous section occurs without carrying over the BB win, the game is set to CZ mode. The BB carryover flag is set at the end of the game if a BB win is not achieved in the game in which the BB was won. Therefore, from the game following t14, when the game transitions to the advantageous section, the BB carryover state is established (t15). Also, similar to timings t8-t9 above, the section indicator display ends at timing t13 and resumes at timing t14. In contrast, the series of advantageous effects for AT mode and CZ mode on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 continue, including timings t13-t14.

[0381] If the CZ mode, which was entered at t14, ends at timing t16 without winning the AT mode transition lottery, the advantageous section is maintained, but the game transitions to normal mode. In this case, when transitioning to normal mode (when CZ mode ends), the process of setting the ceiling game count is performed (step S1806). In normal mode, the game transitions to AT mode either by playing through the set ceiling game count or by winning the AT mode transition lottery. Also, since the game transitions to normal mode at timing t16, the section indicator display ends, and the advantageous effects on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 also end.

[0382] If the settings are changed at timing t17, the advantageous section flag is cleared as described above, so after the settings are changed, the game starts from the normal section. In this case as well, the BB winning information (BB carryover flag) is not cleared by the settings change, so the game starts with the carryover in place. Then, when transitioning to the advantageous section at timing t18, the advantageous section is set to normal mode rather than CZ mode.

[0383] Next, we will explain what happens when a BB (Big Bonus) is awarded in a situation where the conditions for awarding a BB are not met (i.e., not in AT mode), referring to Figure 59.

[0384] When the game transitions to the advantageous section at timing t21, while the BB (Big Bonus) is being carried over, the game is set to normal mode and the ceiling game count is set. As described above, although the transition to AT mode occurs when the ceiling game count is consumed (t24), this example shows the case where a BB is won at timing t22, before the ceiling game count is consumed. In this case, in the second section display process, the process for ending the advantageous section is performed as a BB win under circumstances where the conditions for granting permission to win have not been met (step S2211: YES).

[0385] Even in the BB state, the advantageous section transition lottery is conducted, and shortly after transitioning to the BB state, at timing t23, the advantageous section transition lottery is won, and the transition to the advantageous section occurs. In this case, the processing for the advantageous section transition game (Figure 46) is performed as an advantageous section transition during the BB state, and the transition flag is set and the ceiling game count is set (step S2105: YES).

[0386] Here, during the BB state, the AT mode transition lottery is not performed (Step S1201: YES). Also, the ceiling game count (Step S1216) is not performed during the BB state. Therefore, no matter how long the BB state continues, a transition to AT mode will not occur during that BB state, nor will each game in the BB state contribute to the ease of transitioning to AT mode. Moreover, since the push order notification does not occur during the BB state when the player is not in AT mode, the number of medals held will decrease. In other words, if the player is allowed to transition to the BB state without transitioning to AT mode, an unfavorable outcome will occur for the player. Incidentally, the BB state will continue until the maximum payout of 140 medals is paid out.

[0387] If the BB state ends at timing t25, the continuation flag is not set, but the advantageous period does not end due to the transition flag set in step S2106 as described above. Then, shortly after the BB state ends, a BB is won at timing t26, and the BB carryover state is returned.

[0388] Similarly, if a Big Bonus (BB) is won at t27, before the timing of t31 which is the ceiling game count set at t23, and before the transition to AT mode occurs, the advantageous section ends. Then, at t28 while in the BB state, the game transitions to the advantageous section, and the transition flag is set and the ceiling game count is set. Then, when the BB state ends at t29, shortly thereafter, at t30, the game transitions back to the BB carryover state.

[0389] The AT mode winning flag is set when the normal mode games are played until the timing of t32, which is the ceiling game count set at t28. However, the ceiling game count is not counted during the BB state from t28 to t29, so the games that contribute to the reduction of the ceiling game count are the games from t29 to t32. Also, as mentioned above, when the AT mode winning flag is set, the game is set to pre-announcement mode. However, if a BB is won at t33 before the AT mode winning notification (before transitioning to AT mode), the advantageous section does not end, and the AT mode winning flag is not cleared. However, the BB state won at t33 is not a BB during AT mode, so it is not a bonus AT state, and no medal increase can be expected, nor does the pre-announcement mode progress during that BB state. In this case, the pre-announcement mode restarts at t34 when the BB state won at t33 ends, and the AT mode winning notification is made at t35 when the number of games in that pre-announcement mode becomes 0.

[0390] Next, we will explain the mechanism by which medals increase during the bonus AT state, referring to Figure 60.

[0391] If a transition to the advantageous period occurs at timing t41 while the BB carryover state is active, the game will be set to normal mode as described above. At timing t42, if a BB is won while in normal mode, the advantageous period ends, and at timing t43 while in the BB state, the game will transition back to the advantageous period, as described above.

[0392] As already explained, the BB state has three settings: BB state 1 before JAC win, BB state 2 after JAC win and carrying over the JAC win, and BB state 3 after JAC win. When the BB state starts at t42, it first enters BB state 1. In this BB state 1, in addition to the push-order bell, it is possible to win a JAC. And, when the JAC carryover flag is not set, the number of symbols takes priority control (see Figure 29), so even if the push order when the push-order bell win matches the first small win, the 4th to 27th small wins, which pay out 1 coin other than the first small win, will take priority in being awarded. In other words, when the push-order bell win, the 1st small win which pays out 15 coins will not occur.

[0393] If a JAC is won at timing t44, but the JAC win is not achieved in that game, the JAC is carried over and the game enters the BB 2 state. In this case, since the JAC carryover flag is set, priority control for the number of coins is performed (see Figure 29), and if the button press order when the push-order bell is won matches the first small win, the first small win is achieved and 15 coins can be paid out. However, this situation is in normal mode and there is no notification of the button press order, so it is rare (1 in 6 probability) for the button press order when the push-order bell is won to match the first small win, and a large increase in coins cannot be expected.

[0394] When a bonus (1st BB, 2nd BB, JAC) is won simultaneously with a small win or a re-spin, the small win or re-spin takes priority. Also, the system is set so that it will not result in a loss in the 2nd BB state (see Figure 27). Therefore, in the 2nd BB state, it is difficult to win a JAC, and basically, once the 2nd BB state is entered, it is maintained until the end of the BB state at timing t45. A JAC win in the 2nd BB state occurs when a winning small win is missed and the JAC symbol is stopped on an active line.

[0395] After the BB state ends at t45, the game transitions back to the BB carryover state at t46. At t47, the game transitions to AT mode, and if a BB win is achieved at t48, the bonus AT state begins as a BB state within AT mode. This bonus AT state starts from the BB 1 state as described above. If a JAC is won at t49, a win avoidance notification (Figure 55(b)) is generated by the JAC avoidance notification process (step S2614) as described above. This shows the case where the JAC win is achieved without following the win avoidance notification, and in this case, the game transitions to the BB 3 state from t48.

[0396] In BB state 3, the probability of winning an unassigned bell increases, making it easier to achieve the first small win. Since only the first small win is associated with the unassigned bell, the first small win will be achieved regardless of the button press order or priority control at the time of winning. Furthermore, the rate at which the first small win appears when an unassigned bell is won in BB state 3 is higher than the rate at which the first small win appears when an ordered bell is won in BB state 1 and BB state 2. Therefore, in situations where no button press order notification occurs, BB state 3 can be said to be a more advantageous state than BB state 1 and BB state 2.

[0397] At timing t50, the BB state ends, indicating that the continuation conditions are not met and the advantageous period also ends. Subsequently, at timing t51, a transition back to the advantageous period occurs, and since this transition occurs without carrying over a BB win, the game is set to CZ mode. If a BB is won at timing t52, and the BB win is achieved at timing t53, before the transition to AT mode occurs, the game enters a BB state where no push order notification occurs, similar to the case of t43.

[0398] However, since the BB win at timing t53 occurs during CZ mode, the advantageous period does not end, and CZ mode is maintained. Also, the game count in CZ mode is stopped during this BB state. Furthermore, no AT mode transition lottery is conducted during this BB state.

[0399] Since there is no notification of the button press order, if a JAC is won at timing t54 but the JAC entry is not achieved, the game enters BB state 2. In other words, t53 to t54 is BB state 1, and from t54 until t55 when the BB state ends is BB state 2. In BB state 2, if the button press order matches the first small win, the first small win can be achieved, but since there is no notification of the button press order in the first place, the appearance rate of the first small win is lower than in BB state 3.

[0400] As described above, even if the BB state is entered during the CZ mode, the AT mode transition lottery is not conducted during the BB state, but the number of games in the CZ mode is also not counted (see Figure 43). Therefore, even at the timing of t55 when the BB state ends, the CZ mode may continue again.

[0401] If a Big Bonus (BB) is won at timing t56 and a transition to AT mode occurs at timing t57, then if a BB is won at timing t58, the bonus AT state will begin. If a Jackpot (JAC) is won at timing t59, a JAC avoidance notification (Figure 55(b)) will be issued by the JAC avoidance notification process. This shows the case where the JAC win is avoided according to the avoidance notification, and in this case, the BB second state will begin at timing t59.

[0402] During the Bonus AT state, in the BB 2 state, it is possible to achieve the first small win by following the push-order notification when a push-order bell is won. In this case, the probability of achieving the first small win is six times that of the BB 2 state where no push-order notification occurs, and a large amount of medals can be expected to be won until the t60 timing when the BB state ends.

[0403] The embodiment described in detail above provides the following excellent effects.

[0404] In the second processing of the section display, if the first or second BB is won during AT mode, the advantageous section is not terminated and the game transitions to the bonus AT state. On the other hand, if the first or second BB is won during normal mode, the advantageous section is terminated. This configuration allows players to enjoy the benefit of a large increase in medals by treating each BB state as a bonus AT state during AT mode, while preventing them from enjoying the benefits of the bonus AT state during normal mode. This makes it possible to greatly differ the profit from the BB state depending on the timing of the BB win. Therefore, it becomes possible to increase interest in the timing of BB wins and encourage players to wait even if they have won a BB in normal mode, without winning a BB until they transition to AT mode.

[0405] In normal mode, if a Big Bonus (BB) is won and the game transitions to the normal section, and then transitions back to the advantageous section, the game is configured to return to normal mode. In other words, the advantageous section transition lottery process and the first section display process for the advantageous section transition are performed even during the BB state. Therefore, after the advantageous section ends due to a BB win, if the advantageous section transition lottery process during the BB state results in a win, the game will transition to the advantageous section. In this case, even if the BB carryover flag is not set when the advantageous section transition occurs, the game is configured to return to normal mode. In this way, the game is designed to prevent situations where winning a BB in normal mode results in a more advantageous subsequent transition to the advantageous section, thereby encouraging players to avoid winning BBs in normal mode.

[0406] Furthermore, when the advantageous period ends, the advantageous period information is initialized and the ceiling game count is erased (ceiling counter initialization). Also, when transitioning to normal mode, the ceiling game count is set. However, if a Big Bonus (BB) is won during normal mode, the ceiling game count is reset, rendering the previous games wasted. This configuration also encourages players to avoid winning a BB during normal mode.

[0407] In the bonus AT state, which is entered when a BB is won during AT mode, the JAC carryover flag is set by avoiding a JAC win that could be won during the BB state. Based on the fact that the push-order bell is won while the JAC carryover flag is set, the first small win, which pays out 15 coins, can be achieved. In other words, in the BB state, in order to achieve the first small win that pays out 15 coins, it is not enough for a push-order notification to occur when a push-order bell is won; the JAC carryover flag must also be set. In this way, even if a BB is won when not in AT mode, and the operation sequence when a push-order bell is won happens to correspond to the first small win, the first small win will not be achieved unless the JAC carryover flag is set. Furthermore, even if the JAC carryover flag is set, the first small win will not occur unless the operation sequence corresponding to the first small win is matched. This makes it possible to raise the bar for achieving the first small win in the BB state during normal mode, making it possible to prevent BB wins during normal mode and to increase the difference in advantage between the BB state (bonus AT state) in AT mode.

[0408] In the AT lottery process, the system is configured to allow the AT mode transition lottery to be executed when the BB carryover flag is set and the BB carryover state is in effect. Furthermore, the prize result processing is also configured to allow the system to execute the process of transitioning to AT mode when the BB carryover state is in effect. As a result, when a BB is won in the normal section or normal mode, the system maintains the BB win without establishing it until a transition to AT mode occurs, thus enabling a suitable gameplay experience.

[0409] In normal gameplay, the first Big Bonus (BB) is won when a replay coincides with the first BB, and the second BB is won when a replay coincides with the second BB. The probabilities of these wins are approximately 1 in 20.1 and 1 in 6.7, respectively, totaling approximately 1 in 5. These probabilities are higher than the probability of winning with any of the replays from normal replay A to normal replay C, chance eye A to chance eye C, or cherry A to cherry C (approximately 1 in 7.30), and it can be said that after the BB state ends, there is a relatively high probability of winning one of the BBs. This configuration allows for the desirable continuation of the bonus AT state.

[0410] Cherry A through Cherry C, which trigger the AT mode transition lottery, have significantly different winning probabilities in the AT mode transition lottery. Therefore, players are likely to be interested in which cherry triggered the AT mode transition lottery. Cherry A through Cherry C each have different ways of landing, and in order to determine which cherry was landed, it is necessary to aim for the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L and stop it. This method of aiming for the "BAR" symbol on the left reel 32L does not allow the "White 7" symbol, which corresponds to the 1st BB or 2nd BB landing, to stop on an active line. In this way, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of situations where players who are eagerly awaiting the transition to AT mode mistakenly land the 1st BB or 2nd BB landing.

[0411] If the AT mode winning flag is set, the advantageous period will not end even if a Big Bonus (BB) is won in normal mode. This prevents situations where a player has won AT mode but accidentally wins a BB, causing the advantageous period to end and the AT mode win to disappear. However, even if the AT mode winning flag is set, if a BB is won, the AT mode flag has not yet been set, so the player will not be able to enjoy the benefits of the bonus AT state. This ensures fairness between players who detect the AT mode win early and those who do not, and allows players to enjoy the pre-announcement mode and pseudo-pre-announcement mode's effects until the very end, indicating whether or not they have won AT mode.

[0412] In this embodiment, the advantageous period ends when the BB state ends, and the system transitions to the normal period. When transitioning back to the advantageous period, the system is set to CZ mode on the condition that the BB carryover flag is not set. In this way, when the bonus AT state ends, the advantageous period ends temporarily, but immediately after, when transitioning back to the advantageous period, the system is set to CZ mode because the BB carryover flag is not set. This makes it possible to set the system to CZ mode after the bonus AT state.

[0413] Furthermore, since the system is configured to set to normal mode if the BB carryover flag is set when transitioning to the advantageous section, for example, if the arcade closes while in AT mode, if the initialization process for the advantageous section information is performed afterward by changing the settings, it is possible to erase the information from AT mode and prevent the information from being carried over to the next day. In that case, even if it is set to the normal section, as long as the BB carryover flag is maintained, it is possible to avoid being set to CZ mode at the start of the day.

[0414] In contrast, when the reset switch 72 is operated while the gaming machine is powered on, the main process performs a RAM clear process, which initializes not only the information for the advantageous section but also various information stored in RAM 106, such as the BB carryover flag and BB status flag. In this case, after power is turned on, the machine enters the normal section and the BB carryover flag is not set, so if a transition to the advantageous section occurs afterward, it is highly likely to be set to CZ mode. This makes it possible for the administrator of the gaming hall to make it less likely or more likely to be set to CZ mode in the morning state, etc., and to make good use of the specifications of the gaming machine to set the game.

[0415] Furthermore, even if it becomes necessary to temporarily shut off the power to a gaming machine (put it into an unpowered state) due to a malfunction in the gaming machine while it is in AT mode during the operation of the gaming hall, as long as no setting changes are made (as long as the setting key insertion hole 73 is not turned ON), the initialization process for the advantageous section information will not be executed in the main process. Therefore, the information from AT mode will be maintained, and the BB carryover flag will also be maintained. In this case, it is possible to resume playing while retaining the information from AT mode before the power was cut off.

[0416] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advantageous period is terminated when the BB state ends while the continuation flag is not set. In this way, when the AT mode ends, the advantageous period ends while the BB carryover flag is not set, and when transitioning to the advantageous period again, it will be set to CZ mode as an advantageous period transition without the BB carryover flag. This makes it possible to realize the pull-back mode after the end of the AT mode while temporarily terminating the advantageous period, and enables gameplay that allows a state that is substantially more advantageous than the normal mode (AT mode and CZ mode) to continue across the advantageous period. And by configuring it so that a substantially advantageous state can continue across the advantageous period, even in the advantageous period where a forced termination occurs due to forced termination conditions such as the upper limit of games or the upper limit of increased coins, the above advantageous state is allowed to exceed these upper limits of games and increased coins.

[0417] When the BB state ends and the advantageous period ends, the CZ mode start animation is performed immediately after the AT mode end animation. In other words, the CZ mode start animation is executed in the BB end game, before the transition to CZ mode. This makes it possible to let players enjoy the game without them being aware that the advantageous state continues across the advantageous period.

[0418] In contrast, when the advantageous period ends at the end of the BB state, the display of the 8th display segment N8, which serves as the period indicator, ends, and when the transition to the advantageous period is set to CZ mode, the display starts at the time of the transition. In other words, as described above, the advantageous effects for the advantageous state on the auxiliary display unit 65 and speaker 64 continue across the advantageous period, while the display on the period indicator does not continue across the advantageous period, and the display ends once the advantageous period ends. By doing this, for example, the manager of the amusement hall can confirm that the advantageous period has ended, and it becomes possible to help detect fraudulent activities that take advantage of the fact that the number of games and the increase / decrease in the advantageous state can be exceeded without being bound by the upper limit of the number of games and the upper limit of the increase in the advantageous period.

[0419] If the continuation flag is set, the advantageous period does not end when the BB state ends. Therefore, after the BB ends, if you win another BB, you can transition back to the bonus AT state, and you can create an interesting gameplay experience by continuing the first BB state and the second BB state as a bonus AT state, where the probability of small wins (JAC probability) can change.

[0420] In a configuration where the advantageous period ends when the BB state ends without the continuation flag being set, if the advantageous period ends when a BB is won, the advantageous period will not end again when the BB state in which the BB was won ends. More specifically, if the system transitions to the advantageous period during the BB state, it is considered that the advantageous period ended when the BB was won. In this case, the system is configured to set a transitioned flag when the system transitions to the advantageous period, and even if the continuation flag is not set when the BB state ends, the advantageous period will not end if the transitioned flag is set. This makes it possible to simplify the processing configuration by eliminating unnecessary processing without unnecessarily ending the advantageous period.

[0421] In a configuration where the game transitions to the advantageous section when the BB carryover flag is not set, and the game is set to CZ mode, the game is configured such that each BB is won when the first replay and overlap result, which are triggers for transitioning to the advantageous section, such as the first BB with overlapping replays and the second BB with overlapping replays, are used as triggers for transitioning to the advantageous section, and the game transitions to the advantageous section in the normal section when the first BB or second BB is won. In this way, in the normal section, when the BB carryover flag is not set, the game will be set to CZ mode whether the transition to the advantageous section is triggered by the overlap result of the first BB or second BB, or by another trigger result for transitioning to the advantageous section that does not overlap with the first BB or second BB (such as normal replay A). This prevents the inconvenience of not being set to CZ mode even though the advantageous section has ended when the AT mode ends, and also prevents the inconvenience of not being set to CZ mode even though the CZ mode start animation has been performed in advance when the AT mode ends.

[0422] <Example 1> In this modified example, the likelihood of fulfilling the conditions for granting a BB in AT mode differs depending on the type of BB that has been won. Figure 61 is a flowchart of the process for starting the bonus AT in this modified example. As already explained, the process for starting the bonus AT is a process (step S1006) that is performed in the lottery result response process (Figure 30) when AT mode has been won.

[0423] Step S2801 determines whether the machine is in BB state or not. If it is in BB state, the bonus AT start process ends. If it is not in BB state, the process proceeds to step S2802 to determine whether it is in AT mode or not. If it is not in AT mode, the bonus AT start process ends. If it is not in BB state and is in AT mode, the process proceeds to step S2803 to determine whether the transition permission flag is set or not.

[0424] If the transition permission flag is not set, step S2804 determines whether any BB winning flags are set. If a BB has been won, the process proceeds to step S2805 to determine the type of BB that has been won. If none of the BB winning flags are set in step S2804, or after the process in step S2805, step S2806 checks the stock counter to determine the current number of stocks. Then, in step S2807, the process of obtaining the transition permission lottery table from the various table storage area 105a is executed, and in step S2808, the transition permission lottery process is executed. In the transition permission lottery process, a transition permission lottery is conducted to determine whether or not the conditions for granting permission to win a BB are met.

[0425] As shown in Figure 62, the transition permission lottery table has different probabilities of winning the transition permission lottery depending on whether or not a Big Bonus (BB) has been won, the type of BB won if a BB has been won, the number of stocks, and the game's lottery result. Specifically, it is easier to win the transition permission lottery if a BB has been won than if a BB has not been won, and if a BB has been won, it is easier to win if the 2nd BB has been won than if the 1st BB has been won, and it is easier to win the transition permission lottery if there are few stocks (no stocks) than if there are many stocks (a lot of stocks). In other words, it is easiest to win the transition permission lottery if the 2nd BB has been won and there are few stocks, and it is most difficult to win if neither BB has been won and there are stocks.

[0426] In this embodiment, the probability of winning the transition permission lottery is uniform regardless of the game's lottery result, but the probability of winning may vary depending on the lottery result. Also, in this embodiment, the transition permission lottery is conducted even if the result is unsuccessful, but the system may not conduct the transition permission lottery in the case of unsuccessful results, or conversely, the system may conduct the transition permission lottery in the case of unsuccessful results, but not in the case of other minor wins or replay results.

[0427] After executing the migration permission lottery process in step S2808, it is determined in step S2809 whether or not the migration permission lottery was won. If it was won, the process to set the migration permission flag is executed in step S2810.

[0428] If it is determined in step S2803 that the transition permission flag is set, if it is determined in step S2809 that the transition permission lottery was unsuccessful, or if the process of setting the transition permission flag is executed in step S2810, then the process proceeds to step S2811. In step S2811, it is determined whether or not any BB winning flags are set. If they are not set, the process for starting the bonus AT...

Claims

[Claim 1] Multiple orbital bodies with multiple types of patterns applied in the circumferential direction, Each of the aforementioned circular bodies is provided with a display unit that makes some of the patterns visible, A starting operation means that, when operated, initiates the rotation of each of the aforementioned circulating bodies, A lottery means that, based on the operation of the aforementioned starting operation means, conducts a lottery to determine whether or not to grant a prize to the player, A stop operation means that stops the rotation of each of the aforementioned circular bodies when operated, A drive control means that starts the rotation of each of the circulating bodies when the start operation means is operated, and stops the rotation of each of the circulating bodies when the stop operation means is operated, A reward granting means capable of granting rewards corresponding to the results of the lottery in the aforementioned lottery means, A gaming machine equipped with, Three specific states are defined as the first specific state, the second specific state, and the third specific state, which are specific states in which a particular event advantageous to the player may occur. In the first specific state, the system is configured to perform termination processing for the specific state in a game where the lottery result by the lottery means is a predetermined result, and a predetermined combination of symbols corresponding to that predetermined result stops at a predetermined position visible through the display unit. In a game where the lottery result by the lottery means in the second specific state is the predetermined result and the predetermined combination of symbols stops at the predetermined position, the system is configured to perform a transition process to the third specific state. Means capable of performing a determination of transition to the second specific state, If the result of the transition determination makes it possible to transition to the second specific state, means for executing the transition process to the second specific state, Equipped with, In the first specific state, after the result of the transition determination makes it possible to transition to the second specific state, if the predetermined combination of symbols stops at the predetermined position before transitioning to the second specific state, the game is configured to not execute the termination process for the specific state. In the first specific state, in a game in which the predetermined combination of symbols can stop at the predetermined position, the system is configured to deliver a predetermined notification to the player, making the player aware that the predetermined combination of symbols can stop at that position. In the first specific state, the situation is before the result of the transition determination makes it possible to transition to the second specific state, and the game is configured to enable the execution of the predetermined notification in a game in which the predetermined combination of symbols can be stopped at the predetermined position. A gaming machine characterized in that, in the first specific state, after the result of the transition determination has made it possible to transition to the second specific state, the machine is configured to be able to perform the predetermined notification in a game in which the predetermined combination of symbols can be stopped at the predetermined position.

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