Gaming machine with adjustable return to player

A method for use with a gaming machine that is arranged to provide a game including displaying symbols on a display and awarding an award if a winning outcome occurs. 5 The gaming machine operates to have an overall statistical return, which is influenced by a pay characteristic. The method includes, prior to determining the outcome of a game play of the game, allocating to that game play one of a plurality of different said pay characteristics, wherein if a first said pay characteristic was permanently the allocated characteristic, the game would have a first statistical return less than the 10 overall statistical return, and if a second said pay characteristic was permanently the allocated characteristic, the game would have a second statistical return greater than the overall statistical return. The method includes allocating the plurality of different pay characteristics to game plays according to a weighted random selection process so as to result in the gaming machine having the overall statistical return. 10960160_1 (GHMatters) P88022.AU.4 21/12/18