Wagering game with option to risk credit balance

A gaming system, comprising:

• a gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, the gaming machine including an electronic display device and one or more electronic input devices;
• and
• one or more controllers configured to:
• detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
• direct the electronic display device to display a symbol array and a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol arrangements in the array;
• initiate a play of the casino wagering game in a wager-on-all-paylines mode in response to an input indicative of a wager amount covered by the credit balance, the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode requiring the wager amount to be at least a minimum wager amount sufficient to cover all of the plurality of paylines;
• in response to the initiating, deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;
• determine an outcome of the play of the casino wagering game based on symbols in the array;
• in response to determining that the credit balance is less than the minimum wager amount, cease the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode and direct the electronic display device to display a plurality of player-selectable options for managing the credit balance, the plurality of options including (i) a cash-out option to initiate a payout from the credit balance, (ii) an insert-additional-credits option to increase the credit balance to at least the minimum wager amount, (iii) a wagering-event option to wager the credit balance for a chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount for use in another play of the casino wagering game, and (iv) a reduced-payline option requiring the player to wager the credit balance on less than all of the plurality of paylines in another play of the casino wagering game;
• and
• receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a selection from the player of one of the plurality of options.

A gaming machine primarily used for playing a casino wagering game, comprising:

• an electronic display device;
• one or more electronic input devices;
• and
• one or more controllers configured to:
• detect, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance;
• direct the electronic display device to display a symbol array and a plurality of paylines for indicating symbol arrangements in the array;
• initiate a play of the casino wagering game in a wager-on-all-paylines mode in response to an input indicative of a wager amount covered by the credit balance, the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode requiring the wager amount to be at least a minimum wager amount sufficient to cover all of the plurality of paylines;
• in response to the initiating, deduct the wager amount from the credit balance;
• determine an outcome of the play of the casino wagering game based on symbols in the array;
• in response to determining that the credit balance is less than the minimum wager amount, cease the wager-on-all-paylines operation mode and direct the electronic display device to display a plurality of player-selectable options for managing the credit balance, the plurality of options including (i) a cash-out option to initiate a payout from the credit balance, (ii) an insert-additional-credits option to increase the credit balance to at least the minimum wager amount, (iii) a wagering-event option to wager the credit balance for a chance to increase the credit balance to the minimum wager amount for use in another play of the casino wagering game, and (iv) a reduced-payline option requiring the player to wager the credit balance on less than all of the plurality of paylines in another play of the casino wagering game;
• and
• receive, via at least one of the one or more electronic input devices, a selection from the player of one of the plurality of options.