A method of operating a wagering game includes conducting a wagering game at a gaming terminal, and receiving inputs from a player that relate to a profile of the player. The inputs exclude a player's true identity. The method includes comparing the player inputs with a plurality of player-profile data sets to match the player inputs with a particular player-profile data set. In response to this comparison yielding a matched player-profile data set, the method includes activating one or more personalized attributes at the gaming terminal associated with the matched player-profile data set. The method can be practiced within a gaming system comprising a database, a controller, and at least one gaming terminal. The database stores the player-profile data sets. Each data set is associated with and maintains anonymity of a respective player. An input device at the gaming terminal receives player-profile inputs for comparison to the player-profile data sets.