Excessive devotion prevention system and excessive devotion prevention method

Abstract

To appropriately prevent an excessive devotion of players in a game without causing them to move to other game parlors.SOLUTION: When a consumed amount of a membership card becomes equal to or more than an upper limit of the consumed amount, a control unit 102 of a token dispenser 1 prevents a game from being executed on a game machine. In this case, by using a rest area, an entry / exit processing unit of a reader / writer 3 functions to record a use time of the rest area on the membership card. When a player is to restart the use of the game machine after the consumed amount becomes equal to or more than the upper limit of the consumed amount, if the member card is inserted into the token dispenser 1, a consumed amount upper limit change processing unit 109 changes the upper limit of the consumed amount of the membership card, according to the use time of the rest area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for inhibiting (preventing) a player from becoming addicted to games using gaming machines such as pachinko gaming machines and pachinko-type slot machines. [Background technology]

[0002] In games using gaming machines such as pachinko machines and pachinko-type slot machines, players pay a fee to receive loan balls and medals, which they then use to play. In pachinko machines, players get prize balls by inserting loan balls into a prize slot, and in pachinko-type slot machines, players spin drum-type reels and get medals according to the pictures on the reels. For this reason, it is possible to receive more prize balls and medals than the fee paid, and players may become addicted to the game in an attempt to get as many prize balls and medals as possible. For this reason, players may pay an excessive fee, and measures have been considered for preventing such addiction.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1, which will be described later, proposes an amusement center management system that can prevent players from becoming addicted by granting so-called life points to the players and adjusting the number of life points that the players possess. In this amusement center management system, when the amount of money spent in a game (the amount of money that the player has charged) reaches a predetermined amount, the life points are subtracted and the execution of the game is prevented according to the life points. Also, by stopping the game for a certain period of time, the life points are added and the inhibition of the execution of the game is lifted. In this way, by preventing the execution of the game at the timing when the amount of money spent has increased to a certain degree, the player can return to a calm state and have an opportunity for the player to reflect on the course of the game, which contributes to preventing addiction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6974119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the case of the game center management system disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the life points are increased only by the time the game was stopped. Therefore, when the execution of a game is suppressed in a game center that employs the game center management system, it is possible to go to another game center nearby to play the same game, and after a certain amount of time has passed, return to the original game center to play the game again. In other words, since it does not take into account how the game was interrupted, it is thought that there are cases in which it is not possible to effectively prevent addiction. In addition, as mentioned above, if the execution of a game is merely suppressed according to the life points, it is thought that, as mentioned above, it is possible that the player will be induced to move to another game center nearby.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to appropriately prevent a player from becoming addicted to a game by releasing the inhibition of game execution when the player has taken an appropriate break without causing the player to move to another game facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the addiction prevention system of the invention described in claim 1 comprises: An addiction prevention system comprising: a gaming machine which can be used in response to a charge; a unit device which is connected to said gaming machine and controls the execution of a game on said gaming machine in response to charge-related information recorded on a predetermined recording medium provided for each player; and a read / write device which is installed in a rest area and reads information from said recording medium and writes information to said recording medium, the information regarding the charge recorded on the recording medium includes a balance to which a deposited amount is added and from which a charged amount is subtracted, a consumption amount to which the charged amount is added, and a preset upper limit of the consumption amount; The read / write device is a determination means for determining whether or not the consumption amount is equal to or exceeds the consumption amount upper limit in the information regarding the charge read from the recording medium; an entrance determination means for determining whether or not an entrance time to the rest area is recorded in the recording medium when the determination means determines that the consumption amount is equal to or greater than the consumption amount upper limit; an entrance time recording means for acquiring a current time and recording the current time in the recording medium as the entrance time when it is determined by the entrance determination means that the entrance time to the rest area has not been recorded; a usage time update means for, when it is determined by the entrance determination means that the entrance time to the rest area has been recorded, acquiring a current time, setting this as an exit time, calculating a usage time from the entrance time to the exit time, and updating the usage time in the recording medium; Equipped with The unit device includes: an information updating means for, in response to a charging operation, subtracting a charging amount corresponding to the charging operation from the balance of the recording medium and adding the subtracted charging amount to the consumption amount; a limiting control means for disabling execution of a game on the gaming machine when the consumption amount of the recording medium becomes equal to or exceeds the consumption amount upper limit; a change means for changing the upper limit of the consumption amount of the recording medium based on the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium when the player tries to resume playing on the gaming machine using the recording medium after the limit control means has limited the play on the gaming machine; an initialization means for initializing the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium when the change means changes the consumption limit of the recording medium; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0008] According to the addiction prevention system of the invention described in claim 1, the system comprises a gaming machine, a unit device, and a read / write device, and enables playing on the gaming machine by using a recording medium on which information regarding charging is recorded. The information regarding charging includes a balance to which a deposited amount is added and from which a charged amount is subtracted, a consumption amount to which the charged amount is added, and a preset upper limit of the consumption amount.

[0009] When the amount of consumption on the recording media exceeds the upper limit of consumption, the limit control means of the unit device prevents play on the gaming machine. In this case, by using the rest area, the entry time recording means and usage time update means of the read / write device function, and the usage time of the rest area is recorded on the recording media. When an attempt is made to resume use of the gaming machine after the amount of consumption exceeds the upper limit of consumption, the unit device changes the upper limit of consumption on the recording media according to the usage time of the rest area. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to this invention, the inhibition of game play can be lifted when the player has taken an appropriate break, without causing the player to move to another gaming facility, thereby appropriately preventing the player from becoming addicted to the game. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of an addiction prevention system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a machine for separating a machine according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a gaming machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a reader / writer according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a management server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of stored data in an additional amount table of the management server device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of information recorded on a membership card. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of information recorded on a membership card. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart for explaining a process performed by the inter-machine of the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart continuing from FIG. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a process performed by a reader / writer according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the system and method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, a gaming machine is a machine that executes a game in response to the operation of a player and generates an increase or decrease in points. Gaming machines include pachinko machines (automatic ball play machines), pachinko-type slot machines (reel-type gaming machines), and various gaming machines installed in so-called game centers. Note that pachinko machines are sometimes called pachinko gaming machines.

[0013] Therefore, the points that cause an increase or decrease in a gaming machine are the number of balls held (the number of so-called pachinko balls) if the gaming machine is a pachinko machine, and the number of medals held (the number of so-called slot medals) if the gaming machine is a pachinko type slot machine. Also, when the gaming machine is a variety of gaming machines, the points that cause an increase or decrease in a gaming machine are points (scores) or level values ​​that increase or decrease in each gaming machine, or may be functions or items that are acquired or lost.

[0014] In the following embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the gaming machine is a pachinko machine installed in a pachinko parlor. In the pachinko parlor of the following embodiment, a card medium is used so that players do not need to pay money every time they receive a loan ball, and players do not need to carry pachinko balls. The card medium has a so-called prepaid function and a ball management function.

[0015] [Example of an addiction prevention system configuration] 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of an addiction prevention system according to an embodiment. In the addiction prevention system according to this embodiment, a plurality of gaming machines (pachinko machines) 2(1), 2(2), ... and a plurality of space-between machines 1(1), 1(2), ... are installed. Space-between machine 1(1) is connected to gaming machine 2(1), and space-between machine 1(2) is connected to gaming machine 2(2). In other words, each of space-between machines 1(1), 1(2), ... is provided in one-to-one correspondence with each of gaming machines 2(1), 2(2), ....

[0016] Therefore, one gaming system used by one player is made up of a gaming machine and a space-between machine, which correspond one-to-one. Space-between machines 1(1), 1(2), ... are independent devices that are formed by dividing up functions that gaming machines 2(1), 2(2), ... may have, and are also called unit devices. Also, while FIG. 1 shows only two gaming systems, in reality, dozens or even hundreds of gaming systems are installed in a pachinko parlor.

[0017] The gaming machines 2(1), 2(2), ... are gaming machines in which, by operating a handle, pachinko balls are shot, for example, from the bottom left of the board onto a board covered with a glass plate and with many nails driven into it, and when the pachinko balls that fall along the nails enter a prize hole, a prize ball is obtained. The inter-machine machines 1(1), 1(2), ... accept the insertion of money (currency) to lend out pachinko balls, and accept membership cards and general cards to cooperate with the corresponding gaming machines 2(1), 2(2), ... to manage the balls held.

[0018] Here, the member card is given to a player (customer) who frequently plays at the pachinko parlor and is registered as a member (member). The member card records information about the member, such as the member's name and phone number, the balance of the deposited money, and the balls held, and can be taken home by the member. The general card is temporarily lent to a player (customer) who is not a member, such as a person who occasionally uses the pachinko parlor or a person who happens to stop by the pachinko parlor. The general card can be moved to another game system in the pachinko parlor and used if the balance of the deposited money or the balls held are not 0 (zero), but is basically returned on the day it is lent after settlement or exchange for prizes. The member card and the general card can be configured as an IC (integrated circuit) card or a magnetic card, but the member card and the general card in this embodiment are assumed to be IC cards.

[0019] The reader / writers 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), ... are installed in different types of rest areas attached to the pachinko parlor. Each of the reader / writers 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), ... is a so-called reading / writing device that processes membership cards and general cards, reading information from the cards and writing information to the cards. As will be described in more detail later, each of the reader / writers 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), ... realizes the function of recording the usage time of each rest area on the membership card or general card.

[0020] In this embodiment, for simplicity, the reader / writer 3(1) is installed in the smoking area, and the reader / writer 3(2) is installed in the cafe area. The reader / writer 3(3) is installed in the massage chair area, and the reader / writer 3(4) is installed in the manga area where many manga books, chairs, and sofas are installed. In addition, if different types of rest areas are provided, reader / writers are also installed in those rest areas, making it possible to keep track of the usage times of those rest areas.

[0021] The management server device 4 realizes functions such as managing information recorded on member cards and general cards, managing the number of bills inserted into the inter-machine machines 1(1), 1(2), ..., and managing information provided to the inter-machine machines 1(1), 1(2), .... The POS (POS terminal) 5(1), ... performs processing to exchange the game value corresponding to the balls held associated with the member cards and general cards for prizes. Specifically, it accepts the member cards and general cards, records and outputs the number of balls stored in the cards, for example, on a paper medium, and performs processing to clear the number of balls held on the member cards and general cards to 0 (zero). General cards with both the deposit balance and the number of balls held of 0 (zero) are collected by the POS 5(1), ....

[0022] Some of the POS5(1), etc. are installed in so-called service counters and operated by store clerks. In addition, the POS5(1), etc. are used by the player to insert a membership card or general card and settle the balls held, and some are installed near the entrance or service counter, for example. The player can exchange the balls for a prize by taking the paper medium on which the number of balls held, output from the POS5(1), etc., is recorded, to the service counter.

[0023] The settlement machines 6(1), ... perform a process of refunding cash corresponding to the balance recorded on the membership card or general card (the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of lent balls from the amount deposited) . Specifically, the settlement machines 6(1), ... accept the membership card or general card, refund cash corresponding to the balance stored therein, and clear the balance of the membership card or general card to 0 (zero). In this embodiment, the settlement machines 6(1), ... are assumed to be installed, for example, near the entrance / exit or near the service counter. General cards with both the balance and held balls of 0 (zero) are collected by the settlement machines 6(1), ....

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the inter-machine machines 1(1), ..., the reader / writers 3(1), ..., the management server device 4, the POS 5(1), ..., and the settlement machines 6(1), ... are connected via a LAN (Local Area Network). This allows communication between the inter-machine machines 1(1) ... and the management server device 4 to update customer (member) information and receive necessary information in response to the execution of a game. Similarly, each of the reader / writers 3(1), ..., the POS 5(1), ..., and the settlement machines 6(1), ... can communicate with the management server device 4 to update customer (member) information and receive necessary information in response to the processing in each device.

[0025] In the above description, the management server device 4 and each device are connected via a LAN, but this is not the only option. For example, the management server device 4 may be provided on the Internet, and the machine-to-machine 1, the reader / writer 3(1), ..., the POS 5(1), ..., the settlement machine 6(1), ... may be able to access the management server device 4 via a gateway device. In this case, in the case of a chain of pachinko halls, each pachinko hall may share one management server device 4.

[0026] In an addiction prevention system configured as described above, the main parts of the system are particularly the inter-machine machines 1(1), ... and the reader / writers 3(1), .... In this embodiment, a spending limit is set on the membership card or general card, which is the upper limit of the amount a player can pay in one day at the pachinko parlor. This spending limit can be set for each player (customer), but to simplify the explanation of this embodiment, it will be described as being set to "10,000 yen."

[0027] In addition, since inter-machine machines 1(1), 1(2), ... are configured similarly, they will be collectively referred to as inter-machine machines 1, unless otherwise required to be distinguished. In addition, since gaming machines 2(1), 2(2), ... are configured similarly, they will be collectively referred to as gaming machines 2, unless otherwise required to be distinguished.

[0028] A player inserts a membership card or a general card into the machine 1, inserts bills to increase the balance, and in principle, if there is a balance, by pressing the ball loan button, which is a charge execution operation, the player can receive loaned balls and add them to the balls he has, and can play within the range of the balls he has. However, if the player presses the ball loan button to receive loaned balls and the amount spent exceeds the upper limit of the amount spent, and the balls he has become zero, he will not be able to receive loaned balls even if there is a balance remaining, and the game will be disabled (prohibited), and he will not be able to continue playing. In this case, the membership card or general card will be ejected from the machine 1.

[0029] In this case, the player can move to the smoking area, cafe area, massage chair area, or manga area in the pachinko parlor and take a break, thereby increasing the upper limit of the consumption amount according to the type of rest area used and the rest time. For this reason, when using each rest area, the player holds up his / her member card or general card to the reader / writer 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), or 3(4) installed near the entrance and exit of each rest area when entering and leaving. This allows the usage time from the time of entry to the time of leaving to be known when leaving, and this known usage time is recorded on the member card or general card so that the rest area used can be distinguished. In other words, if the player uses the attached cafe for two hours, the fact that the player used the cafe for two hours is recorded on the member card or general card.

[0030] In this way, when a pachinko parlor user takes a break and then inserts a membership card or general card into the machine 1 to resume playing, the machine 1 adds an amount to the upper limit of the consumption amount depending on which rest area was used and for how long. In other words, as will be described in detail later, an additional amount per unit of time is determined for each rest area, such as an additional 500 yen for 60 minutes of use in the smoking area and an additional 2000 yen for 60 minutes of use in the cafe. This makes it possible to raise the upper limit of the consumption amount by taking into account how the user took a break.

[0031] In this way, the addiction prevention system of this embodiment estimates the psychological state of the player by taking into consideration how the player took a break, and increases the amount added to the upper limit of the consumption amount when the player is in a calmer state. By adding an amount according to the break to the upper limit of the consumption amount, if there is a balance, the player can resume playing by pressing the ball lending button to lend balls. In this way, the addiction prevention system of this embodiment encourages the player to use the rest area attached to the pachinko parlor when the amount of consumption exceeds the upper limit of the consumption amount. By taking an appropriate break, the player can calm down from the so-called excited psychological state and decide whether or not to continue playing in a calm state.

[0032] In the following, a specific example of the configuration and operation of each device that constitutes the addiction prevention system of this embodiment will be described. Note that in the following, the reader / writers 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4), ... are configured in the same way, so they will be collectively referred to as the reader / writer 3 unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them.

[0033] [Example of configuration of machine 1] 2 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the machine 1 according to the embodiment. The management server communication unit 101 enables mutual communication with the management server device 4. The control unit 102 is a microprocessor including a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory, etc., not shown. The control unit 102 realizes the function of controlling each unit of the machine 1. The card processing unit 103 is configured with a mechanism for inserting and ejecting a membership card or a general card, a mechanism for reading information from a card / recording information to a card (reader / writer mechanism), etc.

[0034] When a player who has a membership card or a general card starts playing, he or she inserts the card into the card processing unit 103 of the machine 1. The card processing unit 103 reads necessary information such as the card ID, balance, and number of balls held from the inserted card, supplies it to the control unit 102, and records it in, for example, a non-volatile memory so that it can be updated.

[0035] The money processing unit 104 is configured to include a mechanism for inserting and ejecting money as payment for receiving loan balls, and a mechanism for storing the inserted money. In the machine 1 of this embodiment, the money processing unit 104 is configured to accept only bills such as 1000 yen bills, 5000 yen bills, and 10000 yen bills, and not accept coins. When the money processing unit 104 accepts money, it stores and holds it, and notifies the control unit 102 of the amount of money accepted. The control unit 102 adds the amount of money inserted to the balance of the card inserted in the card processing unit 103, which is information recorded in a non-volatile memory. A player can receive loan balls within the range of the balance.

[0036] The storage device 105 is a device unit that is configured with a recording medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) and its driver. The storage device 105 stores and holds programs and data required for various processes, and is also used as a work area that temporarily stores intermediate results in various processes. The operation unit 106 is configured with several operation button switches (hereinafter simply referred to as buttons) that accept pressing operation inputs from the player. The operation unit 106 is provided with, for example, a counting button, a card ejection button, a ball lending button, and the like.

[0037] The counting button is for counting the number of balls held when a game ends, and the card ejection button is for ejecting a membership card or a general card with remaining balance or balls held. The loan ball button is a button for inserting loan balls into the corresponding gaming machine 2 within the balance. In this embodiment, each time the loan ball button is pressed, an instruction is given to insert, for example, 125 pachinko balls (worth 500 yen, assuming 4 yen each) into the corresponding gaming machine 2.

[0038] The display unit 107 is configured using a display element such as an LCD or an organic EL display, and displays various display messages such as guidance messages. When the ball lending button, which is a charging operation, is pressed through the operation unit 106, the information update processing unit 108 performs a process of updating the balance and consumption amount of the card inserted in the card processing unit 103, which are information recorded in the non-volatile memory, in response to the operation. Specifically, the charge amount according to the ball lending is subtracted from the balance of the card, and the charge amount is added to the consumption amount of the card. In this embodiment, as described above, 500 yen is subtracted from the balance and 500 yen is added to the consumption amount by one pressing of the ball lending button.

[0039] In this embodiment, the control unit 102 realizes the function of the limit control means. That is, the control unit 102 disables execution of a game on the corresponding gaming machine 2 when the amount of consumption of the card inserted in the card processing unit 103, which is information recorded in a non-volatile memory, exceeds a predetermined upper limit of the consumption amount. More specifically, when the amount of consumption exceeds the upper limit of the consumption amount, the game is not immediately disabled, but the game can be continued as long as there are balls in hand. However, when the number of balls in hand becomes 0 (zero), it is not possible to receive the provision of loaned balls by pressing the loan ball button of the operation unit 106, even if there is a balance remaining.

[0040] As described above, suppose that after the control unit 102 disables the execution of a game on the corresponding gaming machine 2 because the consumption amount exceeds the consumption amount upper limit, the player attempts to resume playing on the gaming machine using a membership card or a general card. In this case, the membership card or general card is inserted again into the inter-machine machine 1, and information is read out. The consumption upper limit change processing unit 109 performs processing to change the daily consumption upper limit of the card based on information indicating the usage time of the rest area of ​​the card inserted in the card processing unit 103, which is read into the non-volatile memory. Specifically, if the player takes a one-hour break in the smoking area after the execution of a game on the gaming machine 2 is prevented, 500 yen is added to the consumption upper limit, and if the player takes a one-hour break in the cafe, 2000 yen is added to the consumption upper limit, so that the player can resume playing.

[0041] It is assumed that the consumption upper limit has been changed by the consumption upper limit change processing unit 109. In this case, the control unit 102 functions as an initialization means and initializes the information recorded in the non-volatile memory and indicating the usage time of the rest area on the card inserted in the card processing unit 103. This is to prevent the information indicating the usage time of the rest area that was used to change the consumption upper limit from being repeatedly used.

[0042] The gaming machine communication unit 110 realizes a function of communicating with the corresponding gaming machine 2. The gaming machine communication unit 110 provides information on held balls from the inter-machine machine 1 to the corresponding gaming machine 2, and receives information on balls dispensed and balls used from the gaming machine 2. When information on balls dispensed is received from the gaming machine 2, the control unit 102 functions to add balls dispensed to held balls, and when information on balls used is received, the control unit 102 functions to subtract balls used from held balls. In addition, although not shown, the inter-machine machine 1 is provided with a clock circuit, and when a member card or general card is inserted into the card processing unit 103, the current time at the time of insertion can be obtained from the clock circuit and recorded on the member card or general card.

[0043] In this way, it is assumed that the information recorded in the non-volatile memory is read from the card inserted in the card processing unit 103 and rewritten. In this case, when the membership card or general card inserted in the card processing unit 103 is ejected, the card processing unit 103 functions under the control of the control unit 102, and the latest card information held in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 102 is written back to the card. This allows the latest information to be managed for the membership card or general card.

[0044] When the count button on the operation unit 106 is pressed, the control unit 102 counts the balls held, etc., and the non-volatile memory is also recorded, and the information of the card inserted in the card processing unit 103 can be updated. When the card ejection button is pressed and the counting process of the balls held, etc. is not complete, the member card or the general card with remaining balance or balls can be ejected after the counting process is performed. In this case, the card processing unit 103 also functions under the control of the control unit 102.

[0045] Also, in the above description, the information recorded on a membership card or general card inserted into the card processing unit 103 is temporarily recorded in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 102, an update process is performed, and when the card is ejected, the card information in the non-volatile memory is written back. However, this is not limited to this. It is of course possible to adopt a method of directly updating the card information recorded on a membership card or general card inserted into the card processing unit 103.

[0046] Also, a player who does not have a card can create a membership card at a specified location, such as a service counter, and use it to play (pachinko). Also, as described above, by inserting bills into the money processing unit 104, a player can receive loaned balls and play a game. In the latter case, if there are any remaining balance or balls at the end of the game, they are recorded in an unrecorded state on a general card held in the inter-machine machine 1. After this, by pressing the card ejection button on the operation unit 106, the general card is ejected, and the player can move to another gaming machine 2, settle the balls held using the POS 5(1)..., or settle the balance using the settlement machine 6(1),...

[0047] [Configuration example of gaming machine 2] 3 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the gaming machine 2 of the embodiment which is a pachinko machine. The inter-machine communication unit 201 enables mutual communication with the inter-machine machine 1 connected to the own machine. This makes it possible to receive notification of the number of lent balls from the inter-machine machine 1 and to notify the inter-machine machine 1 of the number of dispensed balls and the number of used balls generated in the own machine. The control unit 202 is a microprocessor equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory (not shown), and controls each unit of the gaming machine 2.

[0048] The operation unit 203 is a part equipped with a handle that can be rotated to instruct the balls held to be ejected onto the surface of the board. The display unit 204 is composed of an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like, and displays the number of balls held (the number of pachinko balls that can be ejected), etc. The game function unit 205 is a mechanism for executing pachinko as a game, such as a board on which many nails are hammered, a pachinko ball ejection mechanism, a prize ball mechanism, and a pachinko ball supply mechanism linked to a pachinko ball supply system.

[0049] The control unit 202 controls the gaming function unit 205 to insert pachinko balls and make them available for use in the machine itself in response to an instruction to insert loan balls from the inter-machine 1. The control unit 202 can also grasp the number of pachinko balls that have received prize balls (number of balls dispensed) and the number of pachinko balls that have been ejected onto the board (number of balls used) based on information from the gaming function unit 205.

[0050] [Reader / Writer 3 configuration example] 4 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the reader / writer 3 according to the embodiment. The management server communication unit 301 enables mutual communication with the management server device 4. The control unit 302 is a microprocessor (not shown) that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a non-volatile memory, etc. The control unit 302 realizes the function of controlling each unit of the reader / writer 3. The storage device 303 is a device unit that includes, for example, a large-capacity semiconductor memory and its driver. The storage device 303 stores and holds programs and data required for various processes, and is also used as a working area for temporarily storing intermediate results in various processes.

[0051] The short-range wireless communication unit 304 can read information from a membership card or general card brought close to the device by short-range wireless communication, and can transmit information to a membership card or general card brought close to the device and write the information. The clock circuit 305 provides the current date, current day of the week, and current time. The entry / exit processing unit 306 functions together with the control unit 302 and the short-range wireless communication unit 304, and realizes the function as a discrimination means for determining whether or not the consumption amount is equal to or exceeds the consumption amount upper limit based on the information read from the membership card or general card via the short-range wireless communication unit 304.

[0052] Furthermore, as described above, when it is determined that the consumption amount is equal to or greater than the consumption amount upper limit, the entry / exit processing unit 306 functions as an entry determination means for determining whether or not the entry time into the rest area in which the reader / writer 3 is installed is recorded on the card. When it is determined that the entry time into the rest area is not recorded, the entry / exit processing unit 306 acquires the current time from the clock circuit 305. In this case, the entry / exit processing unit 306 also functions as an entry time recording means, in cooperation with the short-range wireless communication unit 304, for recording the acquired current time as the entry time on a membership card or general card brought close to the reader / writer 3.

[0053] Furthermore, if the entry / exit processing unit 306 determines that the entry time to the rest area has been recorded, it obtains the current time from the clock circuit 305 and uses this as the exit time to calculate the usage time from the entry time to the exit time of the rest area. In this case, the entry / exit processing unit 306 also functions as usage time updating means, in cooperation with the short-range wireless communication unit 304, for recording this calculated usage time on a membership card or general card brought close to the reader / writer 3.

[0054] In this way, the reader / writer 3 is provided near the entrance / exit of the rest area, and realizes the function of recording the usage history of the rest area for the membership card or general card of a player who has been disabled from playing on the gaming machine 2 because his / her spending amount exceeded the upper spending limit. Note that the reader / writer 3 may of course be provided at the entrance and exit of one rest area, with different reader / writers 3 being used at the time of entry and exit. In other words, multiple reader / writers 3 may be provided for one rest area, with different reader / writers 3 being used at the time of entry and exit.

[0055] [Example of configuration of management server device 4] FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of the management server device 4 according to the embodiment. The device communication unit 401 enables mutual communication with devices such as the inter-machine machine 1, the reader / writer 3, the POS 5(1), ..., the settlement machine 6(1), .... The control unit 402 is a microprocessor (not shown) that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a non-volatile memory, etc. The control unit 402 realizes a function of controlling each unit of the management server device 4. The storage device 403 is a device unit that includes a recording medium such as an SSD and its driver. The storage device 403 stores and holds programs and data required for various processes, and is also used as a working area for temporarily storing intermediate results in various processes.

[0056] The customer DB404 is a device unit composed of a recording medium, such as an SSD, and its driver, and stores and holds member information of members who have been issued membership cards, and information of customers who use general cards. Member information includes the member's name, sex, age, address, usage history, as well as detailed information such as balance, balls held, saved balls, consumption amount, and consumption limit. Information of customers who use general cards does not include information that identifies the customer, but does include detailed information such as the card ID (temporary member ID), balance, balls held, consumption amount, and consumption limit.

[0057] The additional charge table is a data table formed in a device section configured by a recording medium such as an SSD and its driver, and stores and holds the additional charge per unit time for each different type of rest area. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of data stored in the additional charge table of the management server device of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the additional charge table 405 consists of information such as area ID, area type, rest density, unit time / additional charge, usage time (upper limit), number of uses (upper limit), number of uses (upper limit), congestion level, and other information. The area ID is identification information for uniquely identifying each different type of rest area. The area type is information indicating the type (kind) of each rest area.

[0058] The rest density indicates the level (level) of effect of resting in each rest area in returning the player's mental state to normal. The unit time / additional amount is information indicating the additional amount per unit time to the upper limit of consumption when using each rest area. The usage time (upper limit) indicates the upper limit of the usage time of the rest area, which allows the upper limit of consumption to be updated by using the rest area. The number of usages (upper limit) indicates the upper limit of the number of times the rest area can be used, which allows the upper limit of consumption to be updated by using the rest area. The rest time (upper limit) and number of rests (upper limit) are set to prevent excessive updates to the upper limit of consumption.

[0059] The degree of congestion is information indicating the degree of congestion of each rest area, which is grasped based on the entry information and exit information from the reader / writer 3 installed in each rest area. Even if a player takes a rest in a rest area with a high degree of congestion, it is considered that the player cannot take a sufficient rest and the effect of returning the player's mental state to a normal state is not obtained. For this reason, the degree of congestion is used to not allow the update of the consumption limit or to keep the additional amount low when the rest area is used in a crowded state. In addition, information indicating the conditions specifically set for each rest area is recorded. According to the stored data of the additional amount table 405 of the management server device 4 configured as above, the consumption limit of the inter-machine machine 1 can be updated according to the rest area used by the player and the usage time.

[0060] Specifically, in the additional charge table shown in FIG. 6, the rest area with area ID "01" is a "smoking area" and the rest density is "low", so the additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is "500 yen for a 1-hour rest". Furthermore, the usage time (upper limit) of the "smoking area" is "60 minutes", so even if a person takes a rest in the "smoking area" for more than 60 minutes, no increase in the additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed. Furthermore, the number of times (upper limit) of use is three times, so even if a person takes a rest three times or more, no increase in the additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed. Furthermore, at the present time, the congestion level of the "smoking area" is "high", so based on the information in the other columns, no increase in the additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed even if a person takes a rest in the "smoking area".

[0061] Furthermore, the rest area with area ID "02" is a "cafe area" with a "high" rest density, and therefore an additional charge of "2,000 yen for a one-hour break" is allowed to be added to the upper limit of the consumption amount. Furthermore, the usage time (upper limit) of the "cafe area" is "120 minutes," and even if a user takes a break in the "cafe area" for more than 120 minutes, no additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed. Furthermore, the number of times (upper limit) that the user can use the area is two times, and even if a user takes a break in the "cafe area" more than two times, no additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed.

[0062] Also, at the present time, the degree of congestion in the "cafe area" is understood to be "low." In addition, as "other" information, an addition (increase) to the upper limit of consumption is permitted depending on the order. For example, if a customer orders more than 1000 yen, it is highly likely that the customer has ordered not only a drink but also a light meal, so in this case the addition to the upper limit of consumption is adjusted to, for example, 2500 yen. Therefore, payment in the café area is possible using the remaining balance on a membership card or a general card. In this case, the settlement process is performed by the POS 5(1)... installed in the café area, and the amount paid by the player in the café area can be managed in the customer DB 404 of the management server device 4.

[0063] In addition, the rest area with area ID "03" is a "massage chair area" and the rest density is "high", so the amount added to the upper limit of the consumption amount is "2000 yen for a one-hour rest". In addition, the usage time (upper limit) of the "massage chair area" is "120 minutes", so even if you take a rest in the "massage chair area" for more than 120 minutes, the amount added to the upper limit of the consumption amount will not be increased. In addition, the number of times (upper limit) of use is two times, so even if you take a rest in the "massage chair area" more than two times, the amount added to the upper limit of the consumption amount will not be increased. In addition, the congestion level of the "massage chair area" is currently understood to be "low". No information is entered in the "Other" column.

[0064] In addition, the rest area with area ID "04" is a "manga area" with a "medium" rest density, and therefore an additional charge of "1,000 yen for a one-hour break" is allowed to be added to the upper limit of the consumption amount. In addition, the usage time (upper limit) of the "manga area" is "60 minutes," and even if a break is taken in the "manga area" for more than 60 minutes, no additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed. In addition, the number of times (upper limit) of use is three times, and even if a break is taken in the "manga area" three times or more, no additional charge to the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed. In addition, the congestion level of the "manga area" is currently understood to be "medium." No information has been entered in the "Other" column.

[0065] The rest area with the area ID "05" is "neighborhood store A" and the rest density is "low", so the amount added to the upper limit of the consumption amount is "500 yen for a 1-hour break". Since the "neighborhood store A" is a supporting store such as a coffee shop outside the pachinko parlor of this embodiment, the usage time, number of times of use, and congestion degree are not recorded in the additional amount table 405. Therefore, when using the "neighborhood store A", the customer brings the receipt received at the time of payment to the counter of the pachinko parlor of this embodiment, and the clerk adds 500 yen to the upper limit of the consumption amount of the member card or general card through the POS 5(1), etc., according to the amount of payment. In this case, if the payment amount written on the receipt is, for example, 2000 yen or more, the additional amount is set to 1000 yen, and other additions according to the amount of payment are possible, as described in the other columns of FIG. 6.

[0066] The information provision processing unit 406 performs processing to provide information in the customer DB 404 and information in the additional amount table 405 in response to requests from the inter-machine machine 1, the reader / writer 3, the POS 5(1), ..., and the settlement machine 6(1), .... The information update processing unit 407 performs processing to update information in the customer DB 404 and information in the additional amount table 405 in response to requests from the inter-machine machine 1, the reader / writer 3, the POS 5(1), ..., and the settlement machine 6(1), .... In this way, the management server device 4 stores and holds various information required by each device installed in the pachinko parlor. The management server device 4 is capable of providing and updating the stored information in response to requests from each device.

[0067] [Examples of membership card information] A specific example of updating of membership card information used by players in the addiction prevention system of this embodiment, which is composed of the above-mentioned devices, will be described. As described above, in the pachinko parlor of this embodiment, there are membership cards used by registered members and general cards lent to players (customers) who are not registered but play at the pachinko parlor. General cards basically manage the same information as membership cards, except that they cannot identify individual customers who are players. For this reason, the following will be described using the case of a membership card as an example to simplify the explanation, but general cards are also processed in the same way.

[0068] 7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining examples of information recorded on a membership card. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the membership card initially given to a registered member records the member ID and the upper limit of consumption, and the storage fields for the remaining balance, balls held, saved balls, consumption amount, and rest information have the initial value of 0 (zero) input. In this example, the upper limit of consumption is the upper limit of consumption per day, and is set to 10,000 yen. In this embodiment, the consumption amount on the membership card is also the amount consumed per day.

[0069] As described above, in this embodiment, when a membership card is inserted into the machine separation device 1, the information of the inserted membership card is read into the non-volatile memory of the control unit 102 in order to speed up processing, and various values ​​are updated for this read information. Thereafter, when the membership card is to be ejected from the machine separation device 1, the information read into the non-volatile memory and updated is written back to the membership card and ejected. Of course, it is also possible to configure so that updates are made directly to the information on the membership card inserted into the card processing unit 103. In the following, to simplify the explanation, the explanation of updating the information on the membership card read into the non-volatile memory of the control unit 102 will be omitted.

[0070] Furthermore, the times at which various actions were performed on the membership card, such as the time of insertion into the machine 1, the time of ejection, the time of deposit, the time of entry into each rest area, and the time of exit from each entry area, are updated so that they can be distinguished from one another. However, to simplify the explanation, only the date and time corresponding to the most recently performed action is shown in Figures 7 and 8. Furthermore, the date and time are made up of the current year, month, date, and current time (hour and minute), but the year, for example "2023", is omitted.

[0071] A player begins playing by inserting his / her membership card into the inter-machine machine 1 connected to the gaming machine 2 on which he / she is playing. When the membership card is inserted into the inter-machine machine 1, the inter-machine machine 1 obtains the current time from its clock circuit and updates the date and time field. In the case of FIG. 7(A), it is recorded that the membership card was inserted into the inter-machine machine 1 at 10:05 a.m. on March 10th. At this point in time, the only thing that is set is the upper limit of spending, which is 10,000 yen.

[0072] After that, suppose that at 10:06 on March 10th, the player inserts a 10,000 yen note into the money processing unit 104 of the inter-machine 1 to make a deposit. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7(B), the control unit 102 obtains the current time from the clock circuit and updates the date and time column, and further updates the balance column to indicate that 10,000 yen has been deposited. This allows the player to play using the updated 10,000 yen balance.

[0073] After that, as shown in FIG. 7(C), the remaining balance of 10,000 yen is withdrawn in full for loan balls, so that the remaining balance becomes 0 (zero), and the consumption amount becomes the same as the daily consumption amount limit of 10,000 yen. In this way, when the daily consumption amount becomes equal to or exceeds the daily consumption amount limit, the control unit 102 of the inter-machine machine 1 prohibits the purchase of new loan balls after all the balls are consumed, disables the continued execution of the game, and ejects the membership card from the inter-machine machine 1. In this way, when the daily consumption amount becomes equal to or exceeds the daily consumption amount limit, it is considered that the player is addicted to the game and is in a situation where he or she may consume money excessively on the game. In this case, the current time is also obtained from the clock circuit and updated in the date and time column. In this example, as shown in FIG. 7(C), it is shown that the consumption amount became equal to or exceeds the daily consumption amount limit at 11:50 a.m. on March 10, and the execution of the game was disabled.

[0074] However, if the pachinko parlor is simply prohibited from playing, it is considered that the pachinko parlor may move to another pachinko parlor nearby to continue playing. Therefore, in this embodiment of the pachinko parlor, if a pachinko parlor takes a rest for a predetermined time or more in one of the four different types of rest areas or the nearby parlor A, the daily consumption limit can be updated to increase according to the rest area used and the duration of use. In other words, if a pachinko parlor takes a proper rest, the probability that the pachinko parlor will return to a calm mental state is high, so the daily consumption limit can be increased.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7(C), assume that a player whose daily spending exceeds the daily spending limit enters the cafe area attached to the pachinko parlor at 11:55 on March 10th. In this case, the player enters the cafe area by holding his / her membership card over the reader / writer 3 installed in the cafe area. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the reader / writer 3 installed in the cafe area records the time of entry into the cafe area (11:55 on March 10th) on the player's membership card, and records a value of 0 (zero) in the cafe area record column of the break information. This makes it clear that the player has entered the cafe area.

[0076] After that, the player takes a two-hour break for lunch, etc., and leaves the cafe area attached to the pachinko parlor at 13:55 on March 10th. In this case, the player leaves the cafe area by holding his / her membership card over the reader / writer 3 installed in the cafe area. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the reader / writer 3 installed in the cafe area records the necessary information on the player's membership card. Specifically, the time of leaving the cafe area (13:55 on March 10th) is recorded, and the elapsed time from the time of entry (11:55 on March 10th) to the time of exit (13:55 on March 10th) is recorded in the cafe area record column of the rest information in minutes. This makes it clear that the player entered through the cafe area and took a break in the cafe area for 120 minutes.

[0077] After that, the player's mental state returns to normal by taking a rest in the cafe area, and it is highly likely that the player will be able to make a calm decision. Therefore, the player is likely to be able to make an appropriate decision on whether to continue playing or to stop playing today and play next time, based on his / her own money and future plans. Therefore, in the pachinko parlor of this embodiment, as explained with reference to FIG. 6, the upper limit of the consumption amount is allowed to be changed depending on the rest area used and the duration of use.

[0078] Therefore, suppose that the player who took a break in the cafe area decides to continue playing and inserts his / her membership card into the machine 1 at 14:10 on March 10th. In this case, in the machine 1, the consumption upper limit change processing unit 109 functions under the control of the control unit 102, and performs processing to add an additional amount corresponding to the break time in the cafe area to the daily consumption upper limit. Specifically, as explained using FIG. 6, if a player takes a 60-minute break in the cafe area, an additional amount of 2,000 yen is allowed. Since the player takes a 2-hour break, an additional amount of 4,000 yen is allowed.

[0079] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8(C), 4000 yen is added to the daily consumption limit, making it possible to deposit 4000 yen. Furthermore, it is necessary to prevent the addition of an amount to the consumption limit according to break time from being repeatedly made based on the same break information. Therefore, when the consumption limit change processing unit 109 adds an amount to the consumption limit, it resets the break information that was used as the basis for adding the amount to the consumption limit, as shown in Fig. 8(D). In this example, the information of "120 minutes", which is the break time in the cafe area, is reset.

[0080] In this way, in the pachinko parlor of this embodiment, a daily consumption limit is set for each player, and this limit is managed in a member card or a general card. If the actual daily consumption exceeds the daily consumption limit, the player will not be able to receive loaned balls when he or she has used up all the balls he or she owns, and will be unable to continue playing. However, if the player takes a break in a rest area attached to the pachinko parlor or in a nearby store A, an amount will be added to the daily consumption limit depending on the rest area used for the break and the length of the break. This allows the player, who has returned to a normal mental state after the break, to appropriately decide whether to continue playing or to stop playing today, and if he or she decides to continue playing, to continue playing within the range of the added amount depending on the break.

[0081] [Explanation of processing in each device] Next, the processing performed by the inter-machine device 1 and the reader / writer 3 installed in each rest area, which are the main components of the addiction prevention system of this embodiment, will be described. In the following, first, the processing performed by the inter-machine device 1 will be described, and then the processing performed by the reader / writer 3 will be described.

[0082] <Processing performed by machine 1> Figures 9 and 10 are flow charts for explaining the processing carried out by the machine 1 of the embodiment. The machine 1 is set to operate when the pachinko parlor is open for business, and the processing in Figures 10 and 11 is carried out by the control unit 102 controlling each unit when a membership card or general card is inserted into the card processing unit 103 of the machine 1. Note that the same processing is carried out for membership cards and general cards, so in the following, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, the membership card and general card will be collectively referred to simply as card.

[0083] When a card is inserted into the card processing unit 103, the card processing unit 103 functions under the control of the control unit 102 to read information recorded on the card by short-range wireless communication (step S101). The control unit 102 determines whether the rest information has been updated in the rest information storage area of ​​the information read from the card (step S102). If the rest information has been updated, the control unit 102 controls the consumption upper limit change processing unit 109 to add an additional amount according to the rest information to the daily consumption upper limit of the information read from the card (step S103).

[0084] In step S103, the consumption upper limit change processing unit 109 refers to the additional charge table of the management server device 4 via the management server communication unit 101, and obtains the additional charge per unit time of the rest area used. The consumption upper limit change processing unit 109 multiplies the additional charge per unit time of the rest area used by the break time in the break information on the card to determine the additional charge. That is, in the case of the cafe area described above, the additional charge is 2000 yen per 60 minutes, so if you take a break for 120 minutes, it will be 2000 yen x 2 = 4000 yen.

[0085] If each inter-machine machine 1 is configured to receive the stored data of the additional amount table 405 from the management server device 4 in advance and retain this data in its own machine, there is no need to refer to the additional amount table 405 of the management server device 4 every time. If any change occurs to the additional amount table 405 of the management server device 4, it is necessary to provide the change information to all inter-machine machines 1 and change the additional amount table each time.

[0086] When it is determined in the determination process of step S102 that the information read from the card does not include rest information, or after the process of step S103, the process from step S104 is performed. That is, the control unit of the machine 1 accepts operations from the player through the operation unit 106 etc. (step S104). In step S104, not only is an operation input accepted through the operation unit 106, but also a monetary input is accepted through the monetary processing unit 104.

[0087] Next, the control unit 102 determines whether the operation etc. accepted in step S104 is a pressing operation of the card ejection button of the operation unit 106 (step S105). In the determination process of step S105, it is determined that the pressing operation of the card ejection button has been accepted. In this case, the control unit 102 controls the information update processing unit 108 to notify the corresponding gaming machine 2 of the end of the game, and executes a counting process of the held balls (step S106). After this, the control unit 102 controls the card processing unit 103 to eject the card from the inter-machine machine 1 (step S107), and ends the process shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.

[0088] Also, suppose that it is determined in the determination process of step S105 that the card ejection button has not been pressed. In this case, the control unit 102 determines whether or not a deposit has been accepted through the money processing unit 104 (step S108). If it is determined in the determination process of step S108 that a monetary deposit has been accepted, the control unit 102 performs a deposit process of adding the deposit amount to the balance of the card information (step S109), and repeats the process from step S104.

[0089] When it is determined in the process of step S108 that a monetary deposit has not been accepted, the control unit 102 proceeds to the process of Fig. 10 and determines whether the operation accepted in step S104 is pressing the ball dispensing button (step S110). When it is determined in the determination process of step S110 that the operation accepted is pressing the ball dispensing button, the control unit 102 first determines whether the daily consumption amount in the read card information is less than the daily consumption amount upper limit (step S111).

[0090] In the determination process of step S111, it is determined that the daily consumption amount is not smaller than the daily consumption amount upper limit, but is already equal to or greater than the daily consumption amount upper limit. In this case, for example, a predetermined message such as "The daily consumption amount has exceeded the upper limit. Please take a sufficient break" is output (step S112), the card is discharged from the inter-machine 1 (step S113), and the process of Figs. 9 and 10 is terminated. Although not shown in Fig. 10, even if it is determined in the determination process of step S111 that the daily consumption amount is not smaller than the daily consumption amount upper limit, if there are balls in hand, it is possible to continue playing with the balls in hand.

[0091] Also, in the determination process of step S111, it is assumed that the daily consumption amount is determined to be smaller than the daily consumption amount upper limit. In this case, as described above, by pressing the ball dispensing button once, 500 yen (125 balls) of pachinko balls can be received, and the ball dispensing process is executed to subtract 500 yen from the balance and add 500 yen to the consumption amount (step S114). In the determination process of step S110, when it is determined that the accepted operation is not the pressing of the ball dispensing button, and after the process of step S114, the control unit 102 performs the process from step S115.

[0092] In this case, the control unit 102 judges whether the number of balls held in the card information is 0 (zero) or not (step S115). In the judgment process of step S115, it is assumed that the number of balls held is judged to be 0 (zero). In this case, the control unit 102 outputs a message such as "Please accept the provision of loaned balls" to the display unit 107 (step S116), and repeats the process from step S104 in FIG. 10.

[0093] Also, assume that in the determination process of step S115, it is determined that the number of balls held is not 0 (zero). In this case, the control unit 102 cooperates with the corresponding gaming machine 2 to execute game processing (step S117) so that the player can enjoy playing. After that, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the game on the corresponding gaming machine 2 has been interrupted (whether or not the handle operation has been interrupted) based on the operation information from the corresponding gaming machine 2 (step S118). When it is determined in the determination process of step S118 that the game on the gaming machine 2 has not been interrupted, the process from step S118 is repeated to continue the game processing on the gaming machine 2.

[0094] When it is determined in the determination process of step S118 that play on the gaming machine 2 has been interrupted, the process from step S104 in Fig. 9 is repeated, and operations on the operation unit 106 and input of money through the money processing unit 104 can be accepted. In this way, in the inter-machine 1, even if the daily consumption amount exceeds the daily consumption amount upper limit, the inter-machine 1 is able to change the daily consumption amount upper limit in the direction of increasing it by using the adjacent rest area through the processes of steps S102 to S103 in Fig. 9.

[0095] <Processing performed by reader / writer 3> 11 is a flow chart for explaining the processing performed by the reader / writer 3 of the embodiment. The reader / writer 3 is set to operate when the pachinko parlor is open and the rest area is available for use. When a card is brought close to the reader / writer 3, the reader / writer 3 reads the information recorded on the card by short-range wireless communication (step S201), and determines whether the entry time to the rest area where the reader / writer 3 is installed is recorded (step S202).

[0096] Assume that it is determined in the determination process of step S202 that the entry time is not recorded. In this case, under the control of the control unit 302, the entry / exit processing unit 306 functions to obtain the current time from the clock circuit 305 and updates the card with this as the entry time to the rest area (step S203). Furthermore, the entry / exit processing unit 306 initializes the usage time of the corresponding rest area in the rest information on the card to 0 (zero) (step S204), and ends the process shown in FIG.

[0097] On the other hand, suppose that it is determined in the determination process of step S202 that the entry time is recorded. In this case, under the control of the control unit 302, the entry / exit processing unit 306 functions and obtains the current time from the clock circuit 305 as the exit time from the rest area (step S205). Next, the entry / exit processing unit 306 calculates the usage time from the entry time to the rest area to the exit time from the rest area (step S206). The entry / exit processing unit 306 updates the calculated usage time to the usage time of the rest area corresponding to the break information on the card (step S207). Thereafter, the entry / exit processing unit 306 clears the entry time and exit time for the rest area (step S208) and ends the process of FIG. 11.

[0098] In this way, the reader / writer 3 acquires the entry and exit times for each rest area, calculates the usage time of that rest area from these, and records this on the card used by the player.

[0099] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the addiction prevention system of this embodiment, when the amount of consumption exceeds a predetermined upper limit, it is possible to prevent the player from receiving new loan balls and to disable the player from continuing playing. However, when the player takes a break by using a rest area attached to the pachinko parlor or a nearby store A, the upper limit of consumption can be updated to increase according to the rest area used and the duration of use.

[0100] This prevents players from moving to another gaming facility, and by releasing the inhibition of game execution when the player takes an appropriate break, it is possible to appropriately prevent the player from becoming addicted to the game. Moreover, since it is possible to encourage the use of the rest area attached to the pachinko parlor, it is expected that money will be spent in the rest area, and it is also expected that the pachinko parlor will be able to prevent a decrease in profits.

[0101] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the gaming machine is a pachinko machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. As described above, the present invention can be applied to pachinko-type slot machines (reel-type gaming machines), various gaming machines installed in so-called game arcades, and the like. In short, the present invention can be applied to the use of various gaming machines that allow playing by paying a fee, set a daily consumption limit, and disable playing when the daily consumption (amount of money inserted for the charge) exceeds the daily consumption limit.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the upper limit of the consumption amount has been described as 10,000 yen. However, this is not limited to this. The upper limit of the consumption amount can be set for each player based on the declaration of each player. This setting can be done through the POS terminal of the service counter. However, if the upper limit of the consumption amount is set at the discretion of the player, this will not prevent players from becoming addicted, so it is preferable to impose a restriction such as allowing the upper limit to be set within the range of 5,000 yen to 30,000 yen.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the rest areas are described as being divided into four areas: a smoking area, a cafe area, a massage chair area, and a manga area, but the present invention is not limited to these. For example, various areas may be provided, such as a foot bath area, a public bath area, an area for massage by a masseuse, and a nap area. In addition, it is possible to increase the number of supporting nearby stores such as restaurants, public baths, and massage parlors, and encourage use by distributing discount coupons, for example, and adding an amount to the upper limit of consumption upon presentation of a payment receipt.

[0104] In this case, by providing a reader / writer 3 that can be connected to the addiction prevention system via the Internet in nearby stores, the upper limit of consumption can be updated in the same way as when using the adjacent rest area, without the need to present a payment receipt.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the member card and general card are configured to hold and update information related to charges, but this is not limited to this. The member card may have only a card ID, and all information related to charges, etc. may be stored and held for each card ID in management server device 4, and the information in this management server device may be updated.

[0106] That is, in this case, the card ID is read from the membership card or general card, and based on this card ID, necessary information such as information related to charging is obtained from the customer DB 404 of the management server device 4 and recorded in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 102. The information related to charging and the like recorded in this non-volatile memory is updated. Then, when the card is ejected from the inter-machine device 1, the information in the non-volatile memory is written back to the customer DB 404 of the management server device 4.

[0107] In this case, even if a member card is lost, the member information and information regarding charges will not disappear, so if the card ID can be identified based on member information such as name and address, a new member card can be issued and the player can play. In this case, information regarding charges can be carried over as is, so the player will not suffer any disadvantage. Of course, the same information regarding charges may be managed by both the member card, general card and management server device 4.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, a member card or a general card, which is a card-type recording medium, is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. In recent years, it has become possible to register the stored information of a card-type recording medium in a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone, and to use the mobile information terminal instead of the card-type recording medium. For this reason, it is also possible to register the stored information of a member card or a general card in a mobile information terminal, and to use the mobile information terminal instead of the member card or the general card. In this case, the card processing unit 103 of the inter-machine 1 is configured as a wireless communication unit that performs short-range communication with the mobile information terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1, 1(1), 1(2)...machine between machines, 101...management server communication unit, 102...control unit, 103...card processing unit, 104...money processing unit, 105...storage device, 106...operation unit, 107...display unit, 108...information update processing unit, 109...consumption upper limit change unit, 110...game machine communication unit, 2, 2(1), 2(2)...game machine, 201...machine between machines communication unit, 202...control unit, 203...operation unit, 204...display unit, 3, 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 3(4)...reader / writer, 301...management server communication unit, 302...control unit, 303...storage device, 304...short-distance wireless communication unit, 305...clock circuit, 306...entry / exit processing unit, 4...management server device, 401...device communication unit, 402...control unit, 403...storage device, 404...customer DB, 405...additional amount table, 406...information provision processing unit, 407...information update processing unit, 5(1)...POS, 6(1)...payment machine

Claims

1. An addiction prevention system comprising: a gaming machine which can be used in response to a charge; a unit device which is connected to said gaming machine and controls the execution of a game on said gaming machine in response to charge-related information recorded on a predetermined recording medium provided for each player; and a read / write device which is installed in a rest area and reads information from said recording medium and writes information to said recording medium, the information regarding the charge recorded on the recording medium includes a balance to which a deposited amount is added and from which a charged amount is subtracted, a consumption amount to which the charged amount is added, and a preset upper limit of the consumption amount; The read / write device is a determination means for determining whether or not the consumption amount is equal to or exceeds the consumption amount upper limit in the information regarding the charge read from the recording medium; an entrance determination means for determining whether or not an entrance time to the rest area is recorded in the recording medium when the determination means determines that the consumption amount is equal to or greater than the consumption amount upper limit; an entrance time recording means for acquiring a current time and recording the current time in the recording medium as the entrance time when it is determined by the entrance determination means that the entrance time to the rest area has not been recorded; a usage time update means for, when it is determined by the entrance determination means that the entrance time to the rest area has been recorded, acquiring a current time, setting this as an exit time, calculating a usage time from the entrance time to the exit time, and updating the usage time in the recording medium; Equipped with The unit device includes: an information updating means for, in response to a charging operation, subtracting a charging amount corresponding to the charging operation from the balance of the recording medium and adding the subtracted charging amount to the consumption amount; a limiting control means for disabling execution of a game on the gaming machine when the consumption amount of the recording medium becomes equal to or exceeds the consumption amount upper limit; a change means for changing the upper limit of the consumption amount of the recording medium based on the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium when the player tries to resume playing on the gaming machine using the recording medium after the limit control means has limited the play on the gaming machine; an initialization means for initializing the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium when the change means changes the consumption limit of the recording medium; An anti-addiction system comprising:

2. The anti-addiction system according to claim 1, The rest area includes a plurality of rest areas of different types, and an additional amount per unit time to the upper limit of consumption amount is determined in advance for each of the plurality of rest areas of different types; In the read / write device, The entrance determination means is capable of determining whether or not an entrance time has been recorded for each of the rest areas of different types, the usage time update means calculates the usage time for each of the rest areas having different types, and updates the usage time in the recording medium in a manner that allows the rest areas having different types to be distinguished; In the unit device, the change means determines an additional amount to be added to the upper limit of consumption amount based on the additional amount per unit time for each of the rest areas and the usage time for the rest areas, The initialization means initializes the usage time for each of the rest areas of the recording medium when the change means changes the consumption limit of the recording medium. The addiction prevention system is characterized by the above.

3. The anti-addiction system according to claim 2, The plurality of rest areas of different types include one or more of a rest area with eating and drinking, a rest area with body care, and a rest area with the use of various contents. The addiction prevention system is characterized by the above.

4. An addiction prevention method for use in an addiction prevention system comprising: a gaming machine that can be used in response to a charge; a unit device that is connected to the gaming machine and controls the execution of a game on the gaming machine in response to charge-related information recorded on a predetermined recording medium provided for each player; and a read / write device that is installed in a rest area and reads information from the recording medium and writes information to the recording medium, the method comprising: the information regarding the charge recorded on the recording medium includes a balance to which a deposited amount is added and from which a charged amount is subtracted, a consumption amount to which the charged amount is added, and a preset upper limit of the consumption amount; In the read / write device, a determination step in which a determination means determines whether or not the consumption amount is equal to or greater than the consumption amount upper limit in the information on the charge read from the recording medium; an entrance determination step in which, when it is determined in the determination step that the amount of consumption is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the amount of consumption, an entrance determination means determines whether or not an entrance time to the rest area is recorded in the recording medium; an entrance time recording step in which, when it is determined in the entrance determination step that the entrance time to the rest area has not been recorded, an entrance time recording means acquires a current time and records the current time in the recording medium as the entrance time; a use time update step in which, when it is determined in the entry determination step that the entry time to the rest area is recorded, a use time update means acquires a current time, sets this as an exit time, calculates a use time from the entry time to the exit time, and updates the use time in the recording medium; having In the unit device, an information updating step in which, in response to a charging operation, an information updating means subtracts a charging amount corresponding to the charging operation from the balance of the recording medium and adds the subtracted charging amount to the consumption amount; a limit control step in which a limit control means disables execution of a game on the gaming machine when the consumption amount of the recording medium becomes equal to or greater than the consumption amount upper limit; a change step in which, when an attempt is made to resume play on the gaming machine using the recording medium after the execution of play on the gaming machine has been restricted in the limit control step, a change means changes the upper limit of the amount of consumption of the recording medium based on the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium; an initialization step of initializing the usage time of the rest area of ​​the recording medium by an initialization means when the consumption limit of the recording medium is changed in the change step; A method for preventing addiction, comprising:

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