Patent ID: 7318775

Claim:
A gaming system, comprising: a gaming machine, said gaming machine comprising: a master gaming controller designed or configured to i) control a game of chance played on the gaming machine, ii) distinguish between two types of credits, cashable credits and restricted credits, iii) issue a first cashless instrument storing information regarding first amounts of one or more of the cashable credits, the restricted credits or combinations thereof, iv) receive a second cashless instrument storing information regarding second amounts of one or more the cashable credits, the restricted or the combinations thereof, and v) communicate information regarding the first cashless instrument or the second cashless instrument to a host device; wherein said game of chance comprises: a) receiving a wager, comprising an amount of at least one of the restricted credits, the cashable credits or the combinations thereof, on a game outcome for the game of chance wherein a face value of the cashable credits and the restricted credits are equal to one another for determining the amount of the wager, said cashable credits cashable at the face value and said restricted credits cashable at less than the face value, b) determining the game outcome for the game of chance, c) determining an award corresponding to the game outcome using a pay table that specifies the award for each possible game outcome for the game of chance wherein at least one award is an amount of the restricted credits and d) displaying the game outcome for the game of chance and the determined award corresponding to the game outcome wherein awarded restricted credits are stored on the gaming machine and available for wagers on subsequent games of chance until cashed out; a display device for displaying the game outcome of the game of chance; an output mechanism operable to issue the first cashless instrument; an input mechanism operable to receive the second cashless instrument a first communication interface for allowing the master gaining controller to communicate with the host device; the host device comprising a processor operable to 1) communicate with a plurality of gaming machines including the gaming machine, 2) receive information regarding the first cashless instrument or the second cashless instrument from the gaming machine and 3) store information regarding the first cashless instrument or the second cashless instrument to a memory device; the memory device operable to store the information regarding the first cashless instrument or the second cashless instrument; a second communication interface for communicating with the plurality of gaming machines including the gaming machine.