Patent ID: 8282490

Claim:
A gaming system, comprising a network; a handheld gaming machine configured to play at least one wagering game; and a controller configured to: determine if said handheld gaming machine is connected to the network; responsive to said handheld gaming machine being connected to the network, determine at least one of a location of said handheld gaming machine and a proximity of said handheld gaming machine to an external device; determine if said handheld gaming machine is eligible for a game-related feature, the controller basing eligibility of said handheld gaming machine for the game-related feature at least upon one of the location of said handheld gaming machine and the proximity of said handheld gaming machine to the external device; and responsive to said handheld gaming machine being eligible for the game-related feature, enabling an individual wagering game, a group wagering game, or both, in addition to the at least one wagering game already available for play on said handheld gaming machine.