Patent ID: 8500547

Claim:
A method of operating gaming machines connected to a system computer associated with a database, each of said gaming machines associated with a card reader, and a controller assembly coupled to said system computer, comprising: storing information for a player account in the database, wherein the player account is associated with a player card and a personal identification number; detecting that the player card has been inserted into a card reader associated with a gaming machine; establishing credits on a credit meter of the gaming machine, wherein the credits are established in association with the player card; providing a time out signal, wherein the time out signal is representative of a lack of activity on the gaming machine, wherein the lack of activity is associated with the player card used to establish the credits on the credit meter; detecting the time out signal; in response to detection of the time out signal, determining whether the player card remains inserted in the card reader and determining whether credits exist on the credit meter; in response to determining that the player card remains inserted and that the credits exist on the credit meter, automatically uploading credits on the credit meter to the player account; and in response to determining that the player card has been removed from the card reader and that credits exist on the credit meter, making the credits on the credit meter subject to play on the gaming machine independent of the player card.