Reporting and wagering processing in server-centric wagering game systems

A method for operating a wagering game machine, the method comprising:

• receiving monetary value via a value input device of the wagering game machine;
• creating, on the wagering game machine, wagering credit equivalent to the monetary value;
• detecting a wager of at least a portion of the wagering credit on a wagering game;
• transmitting, to the remote wagering game server over a network, a message indicating that the wagering game credit is sufficient to cover the wager;
• after transmitting the message, receiving a result for the wagering game over the network from the remote wagering game server;
• and
• presenting, on a display device of the wagering game machine, the result for the wagering game.

A method for operating a wagering game server, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a wagering game machine via a network, data indicating player input initiating a wagering game on the wagering game machine;
• receiving, from the wagering game machine, a message indicating the wagering game machine has received monetary value sufficient to cover a wager on the wagering game;
• determining, based on the message, that the wagering game machine has received monetary value sufficient to cover the wager on the wagering game;
• determining, by the wagering game server, a result for the wagering game;
• and
• after determining the wagering game machine has received monetary value sufficient to cover the wager on the wagering game, transmitting the result to the wagering game machine via a network.