Gaming systems and methods for providing free plays of a game with increasing quantities of paylines, wherein for each of a plurality of free plays of a game of a free game sequence, any awards for the displayed plurality of symbols for that free play of the game are based on a quantity of paylines associated with the symbol display positions for that free play of the game, wherein the quantity of paylines for that free play of the game is greater than a previous quantity of paylines for a previous free play of the game of the sequence by a determined quantity of additional paylines.