Patent ID: 8070577

Claim:
An article of manufacture comprising: a display device; a processor; and a memory device configured to store a program, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to operate with the display device to: (a) display a credit balance having a first amount of credit greater than zero; (b) after displaying said credit balance, receive, from a player, a request to initiate a play of a primary game, the request including a placement of a wager amount greater than zero; and (c) after receiving said request: (A) initiate the play of the primary game; and (B) for each initiated play of the primary game: (i) deduct the wager amount from said displayed credit balance such that, after said deduction of said wager amount and prior to determining any outcome of the play of the primary game, said displayed credit balance has a second, different amount of credit; (ii) after deducting the wager amount, randomly determine one of a plurality of different primary game outcomes for the play of the primary game, the plurality of different primary game outcomes including at least one negative outcome; and (iii) if the randomly determined outcome of the play of the primary game is said at least one negative outcome, deduct a negative outcome amount greater than zero from said displayed credit balance such that, after said deduction of the negative outcome amount, said displayed credit balance has a third amount of credit, said deduction of the negative outcome amount occurring prior to any other wager amount being placed in association with another request to initiate another play of the primary game.