A gaming system includes a gaming machine for conducting a casino wagering game and logic circuitry. The logic circuitry establishes a gaming session of the casino wagering game for a player, during the gaming session, detects an object at a detected distance via a presence sensor of the gaming machine, determines whether or not the detected object is the player based on one or more object detection criteria including the detected distance, in response to the detected object being determined to be the player, maintains the gaming session, and in response to the detected object being determined to be an object other than the player, initiates an end-session counter to terminate the gaming session. A duration of the end-session counter varies at least partially as a function of the one or more object detection criteria.