Gaming system and method providing a plurality of different player-selectable wager alternatives when a credit balance is less than a designated wager amount and greater than or equal to a lowest eligible credit balance

A gaming system comprising:

• a housing;
• a display device supported by the housing;
• an acceptor supported by the housing;
• a plurality of input devices supported by the housing;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• establish a credit balance based at least in part on a monetary value associated with a physical item following receipt of the physical item by the acceptor;
• place a wager on a play of a wagering game following receipt of an actuation of a wager button of the input devices, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;
• display, by the display device, the play of the wagering game;
• determine whether the credit balance after the play of the wagering game is nonzero and less than a designated wager amount;
• responsive to the credit balance being nonzero and less than the designated wager amount:
• enabling player selection of a designated quantity of a plurality of different wager alternatives that are each separate from any wagers that can be made on any plays of the wagering game, the designated quantity being at least two, and
• responsive to player selection of the designated quantity of different wager alternatives, providing the selected plurality of different wager alternatives each in exchange for part of the credit balance and reducing, by the processor, the credit balance by the part of the credit balance exchanged for each said different wager alternative;
• and
• initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following receipt of an actuation of the cashout button and responsive to the credit balance being nonzero.

A gaming system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• enable establishment of a credit balance;
• place a wager on a play of a wagering game following receipt of an actuation of a wager button, the credit balance decreasable by the wager;
• communicate data which results in a display device of a mobile device displaying the play of the wagering game;
• determine whether the credit balance after the play of the wagering game is nonzero and less than a designated wager amount;
• responsive to the credit balance being nonzero and less than the designated wager amount:
• enabling player selection of a designated quantity of a plurality of different wager alternatives that are each separate from any wagers that can be made on any plays of the wagering game, the designated quantity being at least two, and
• responsive to player selection of the designated quantity of different wager alternatives, providing the selected plurality of different wager alternatives each in exchange for part of the credit balance and reducing, by the processor, the credit balance by the part of the credit balance exchanged for each said different wager alternative;
• and
• initiate a payout associated with the credit balance following receipt of an actuation of the cashout button and responsive to the credit balance being nonzero.