Patent ID: 8506389

Claim:
A gaming system comprising: at least one display device; at least one input device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to: (a) receive an identification of a player, (b) display an indication of an amount of non-monetary credits in a non-monetary credit meter, said indication being a positive number, (c) determine if the non-monetary credit meter indicates an amount of non-monetary credits less than a maximum wager amount, (d) if the non-monetary credit meter indicates an amount of non-monetary credits less than the maximum wager amount, determine whether to enable the player to place said maximum wager amount, said determination being based, at least in part, on said received identification of the player, (e) if the non-monetary credit meter indicates an amount of non-monetary credits less than the maximum wager amount and said determination is to enable the player to place said maximum wager amount, determine a negative non-monetary credit meter threshold, (f) enable the player to place one of a plurality of different wager amounts on a play of a game, and (g) if the player places one of the plurality of different wager amounts on the play of the game: (i) reduce the amount of non-monetary credits indicated in the non-monetary credit meter by the placed wager amount, (ii) if the non-monetary credit meter indicates an amount of non-monetary credits less than the maximum wager amount, said determination is to enable the player to place said maximum wager amount, and the player placed the maximum wager amount, display a negative number in said non-monetary credit meter, (iii) generate a game outcome for said play of the game, display the generated game outcome, (v) determine any non-monetary credit award amount associated with the generated game outcome, (vi) credit the amount of non-monetary credits indicated in the non-monetary credit meter by any non-monetary credit award amount associated with the generated game outcome, (vii) if the non-monetary credit meter indicates a negative number, determine if the negative non-monetary credit meter threshold is reached, (viii) if the negative non-monetary credit meter threshold is not reached, repeat (f) to (g) at least once, and (ix) if the negative non-monetary credit meter threshold is reached, cover the negative number indicated in the non-monetary credit meter, said non-monetary credit meter being covered, at least in part, based on information received from a player tracking system.