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A spinning reel slot machine has increased versatility, while having reels that are aesthetically similar to traditional mechanical reels. In one embodiment, the slot machine includes a plurality of optical fibers having first ends optically coupled to a surface of an image display device and second

A spinning reel slot machine has increased versatility, while having reels that are aesthetically similar to traditional mechanical reels. In one embodiment, the slot machine includes a plurality of optical fibers having first ends optically coupled to a surface of an image display device and seconds ends defining a curved display surface for displaying simulated mechanical reels to a player. In another embodiment, one or more of the mechanical reels has a transparent window at a location where a symbol would normally be present. A video display displays a video symbol in the transparent window. In yet a further embodiment, one of the plurality of mechanical reels has a miniature image display located at selected ones of the symbol regions for providing video symbols for the game. In yet further embodiments, a symbol region can produce more than one symbol in response to exposure at certain wavelengths or polarizations of light.

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What is claimed is: 1. A spinning reel slot machine, comprising: an image display device having a surface for producing images of simulated mechanical reels; a plurality of optical fibers have first ends optically coupled to said surface of said image display device and seconds ends for displaying

What is claimed is: 1. A spinning reel slot machine, comprising: an image display device having a surface for producing images of simulated mechanical reels; a plurality of optical fibers have first ends optically coupled to said surface of said image display device and seconds ends for displaying said simulated mechanical reels to a player of said slot machine, at least some of said second ends defining a curved display surface having a radius of curvature that approximates a radius of curvature of a mechanical reel; and a flat transmissive window in front of and separated from said curved display surface. 2. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein all of said second ends define said curved display surface. 3. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein at least some of said second ends define a flat display surface adjacent to said curved display surface. 4. The slot machine of claim 3, wherein said flat display is configured to display alphanumeric information and said curved display surface is configured to display symbols on said simulated mechanical reels. 5. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein said radius of curvature is in the range of from about 4 to about 7 inches. 6. The slot machine of claim 1, wherein said image display device is a CRT display. 7. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said image display device is an LCD display. 8. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein said image display device is an LED array. 9. A method of operating a slot machine, comprising: selecting a random outcome in response to receiving a wager; determining a symbol grouping corresponding to said random outcome; and displaying said symbol grouping on ends of an array of optical fibers, said ends defining a curved display surface having a radius of curvature that approximates a radius of curvature of a mechanical reel, said symbol groupings being representative of simulated mechanical reels. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying includes transmitting images of said symbol grouping through said optical fibers from an image source. 11. A gaming machine, comprising: a processor configured to randomly select an outcome from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager; an image display device having a surface for producing images, said images corresponding to said selected outcome of said plurality of outcomes; and a plurality of optical fibers have first ends optically coupled to said surface of said image display device and seconds ends for displaying said images to a player of said gaming machine to inform said player of said selected outcome of said plurality of outcomes, wherein at least some of said second ends define a flat display surface adjacent to said curved display surface. 12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein at least some of said second ends define a curved display surface having a radius of curvature that approximates the radius of curvature of a mechanical slot reel. 13. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein at least some of said second ends define a flat display surface. 14. A gaming machine for playing a slots game, the gaming machine comprising: a display region including at least one curved display surface that approximates a radius of curvature of a mechanical reel; and an image display device, spatially separated from the display region, for producing images of game indicia defining an outcome of the slots game, wherein the image display device projects the images of game indicia onto the at least one curved display surface such that the at least one curved display surface presents the projected images of the game indicia to a player. 15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein optical fibers are used to project the images from the image display device to the curved display surface. 16. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the game indicia comprise one or more reel symbols. 17. The gaming machine of claim 16, wherein the at least one curved display surface is stationary, and reel symbols are projected onto and caused to move across the at least one curved display surface in response to a wager input from a player. 18. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the image display device is selected from a group consisting of a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, dot matrix, vacuum fluorescent display, organic light emitting diode and LED array. 19. The gaming machine of claim 14, further comprising a panel located between the at least one curved display surface and a player, the at least one curved display surface being visible through the panel. 20. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the images comprise one or more animations. 21. A gaming machine for playing a slots game, the gaming machine comprising: a mechanical reel comprising a curved display surface that approximates a radius of curvature of a mechanical reel; and an image display device, spatially separated from the curved display surface, configured to project images onto the curved display surface such that the curved display surface presents the projected images to a player, the images including a plurality of symbols that indicate at least a portion of a randomly selected outcome of the slots game. 22. The gaming machine of claim 21, wherein optical fibers are used to transfer the image from the image display device to the curved display surface. 23. The gaming machine of claim 21, further comprising a panel located between the curved display surface and a player, the curved display surface being visible through the panel. 24. The gaming machine of claim 21, wherein the images comprise one or more animations. 25. The gaming machine of claim 21, wherein the image display device is disposed behind the curved display surface and wherein the image display device is not immediately adjacent to the curved display surface.