Embodiments of a wager gaming network that includes handheld wager gaming units and hotspots are described herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, in a handheld wager gaming unit, a wager associated with a wagering game. The method can also include wirelessly connecting the handheld wager gaming unit to a wireless access point in a wager gaming network. The method can also include transmitting, via the wireless access point, information from the handheld wager gaming unit to a device on the wager gaming network.