Game initiation in response to optical machine readable data representation images

A method of operating a wagering game machine, the wagering game machine comprising a value input device, an electronic display device, a barcode recognition unit, a digital camera physically housed in the wagering game machine, and a controller, the method comprising:

• capturing, by the digital camera, an image of a barcode displayed on a mobile device, the barcode being displayed by an application executing on the mobile device based on credentials representing a wagering account of a player, in lieu of a physical credential associated with the wagering account;
• decoding, by the barcode recognition unit, the image of the barcode to produce decoded barcode data, the decoded barcode data representing the wagering account;
• in response to the decoded barcode data, retrieving, by the controller, wagering account information from a wagering account server;
• and
• in response to the wagering account information, linking, by the controller, the wagering account to a wagering game session, such that the wagering game machine, upon the linking, conducts one or more wagering game cycles charged against the wagering account without receipt at the wagering game machine of a physical credential associated with the wagering account.