System for amusement facilities

Abstract

This system allows for appropriate countermeasures against fraudulent practices such as setting the game to a high mode before gameplay begins and then returning to the original mode after gameplay ends. [Solution] In a gaming arcade system, in order to extract gaming machines in which the door is confirmed to be open during either the first or second period, it is possible to appropriately extract gaming machines even in cases of fraud where the machine is set to high mode before the start of play and then returned to the original mode after the end of play.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a casino system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a casino, when confirming fraud detected by a casino system, the video recorded by a surveillance camera is checked. For example, in Patent Document 1, a system has been proposed that cuts out and saves videos before and after a specific event such as an illegal door opening, even for videos to be deleted. According to this system, a casino can easily save videos of events that it wants to keep for future reference.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, simply cutting out videos before and after fraud as in the above system, for example, when internal fraud occurs such as an employee changes the setting of a gaming machine to a high mode in the morning and allows a acquaintance to play it, and then returns it to the low mode after evening, the two door openings performed by the employee at the time of setting change are difficult to distinguish from the door openings for normal maintenance work, and there is a risk that it will not be detected as fraud. On the other hand, even if videos before and after all door openings are left, not only for fraud, it is impossible to limit which videos should be checked, and there is also a problem that since there is no change in the mode before and after business hours, it is impossible to narrow down the gaming machines targeted for fraud during the closing check.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gaming system that can appropriately deal with fraudulent practices such as setting the game to a high mode before the game starts and then returning it to the original mode after the game ends. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a management system for amusement arcades that manages amusement machines (e.g., slot machines) whose payout rates can be changed by changing the settings of the amusement machine settings (e.g., 6 modes "1" to "6"). The system manages the open state of a door that is opened when such settings are changed (e.g., the door open state where the front door 1a of the slot machine is open) using a game signal (e.g., a door open signal), and manages the open state on a per-amusement-machine basis. A period setting means (e.g., management device 6) that distinguishes and sets a period for one business day at a gaming facility into a first period (e.g., the time period from 9:00 to 12:00) and a second period that follows the first period (e.g., the time period from 17:00 to 23:00), A determination means (for example, a management device 6) that determines the open state by distinguishing between the first period and the second period, The system includes an extraction means (e.g., a management device 6) that extracts gaming machines in which the determination result by the determination means indicates that the open state occurred in either the first period or the second period (for example, extracting machine numbers in which the door opened at least once in either of the door open (1) and (2) time periods shown in Figure 8).

[0007] According to the configuration described above, in order to extract gaming machines in which the door was confirmed to be open during either the first or second period, it is possible to appropriately extract gaming machines even in cases of fraud, such as setting the gaming machine to a high mode before the start of play and then returning it to the original mode after the end of play. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a game arcade system in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Front view of a gaming machine [Figure 3] Diagram showing specifications [Figure 4] Front view of the gaming device [Figure 5] An explanatory diagram showing one gaming machine on a gaming island with its door open. [Figure 6] A diagram showing a list of door opening incidents. [Figure 7] This diagram shows aggregated data for each machine number as a list of game information. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the extraction results of gaming machines related to fraudulent activity in the report output. [Figure 9] Diagram showing the extraction condition setting screen in the control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the amusement arcade system, and Figure 5 shows a gaming island 100 on which gaming machines 1 are installed. As shown, numerous gaming machines 1 are installed in the amusement arcade, and a gaming device 2 and an information display device 3 are attached to each of these gaming machines 1 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the gaming machine 1 is connected to the gaming device 2, and two units each of the gaming device 2 and the information display device 3 are connected to the relay device 4, which is connected to the management device 6 via LAN 5. The management device 6 manages game information on a per-game-machine basis by receiving various game information from the game machine 1. In this case, the game information from the game machine 1 includes the game signal related to door opening, which will be described later, output from the game machine 1, and is received by the management device 6 sequentially via the game device 2 and relay device 4. On the other hand, various setting information reports managed by the management device 6 are received by the game device 2 via the relay device 4 from the management device 6, and setting updates and transmission / reception of various information based on such setting information are possible.

[0011] The gaming area is also equipped with prize exchange terminals (hereinafter referred to as "POS7") and payment machines (not shown), and both POS7 and the payment machines are connected to the management device 6 via LAN5. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, POS7 is equipped with a card slot into which IC cards such as membership cards and general cards issued by the gaming device 2 are inserted. When an IC card is inserted, the POS7 accepts the inserted IC card and reads the game value (points, etc., as described later) and card identification information recorded on the IC card using a card reader. Based on the read points and card identification information, it then performs a prize exchange process. Furthermore, the payment machine is equipped with a card slot into which an IC card is inserted. When an IC card is inserted, the machine accepts the inserted IC card, reads the deposit balance recorded on the IC card using a card reader, and returns banknotes and coins based on the read deposit balance. The payment machine is also equipped with a banknote slot into which banknotes are inserted. When banknotes are inserted, the machine performs a balance addition process, adding the inserted amount to the deposit balance recorded on the IC card.

[0012] The management device 6 shown in Figure 1 is an in-house management device (management means) installed in a gaming facility, for example, in an office, and includes a keyboard 6b, monitor 6a, and a printer (not shown) operated by the gaming facility manager. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the control unit of the management device 6 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU and memory units such as ROM and RAM. In the management device 6, the control unit (simply referred to as "management device 6"), which is the main control unit, is connected to a keyboard 6b, a monitor 6a, and the printer, as well as a transmitting and receiving unit that sends and receives various signals to and from the gaming machines (gaming machine 1 and gaming device 2), etc. Although not shown in Figure 1, hundreds of gaming machines 1, including so-called pachinko gaming machines, are managed by the management device 6, and the management device 6 manages the operating status of all the equipment in the gaming hall (including gaming machine 1, gaming device 2, information display device 3, POS 7, payment machines, etc.).

[0013] Next, we will explain gaming machine 1, focusing on the slot machine shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the gaming machine 1 includes a display window 11, reels 12, a start lever 13, stop buttons 14a to 14c, a liquid crystal display unit 15, a speaker 16, a MAXBET button 17, a count button 18, a granted number display unit 19, a credit number display unit 20, and the like. A player can visually recognize the symbols drawn on the reels 12 provided inside through the display window 11. When a player operates the MAXBET button 17, a predetermined number of credit points (game values) are bet (the game values are consumed). When the start lever 13 is operated in this state (when a game start operation is performed), an internal lottery is executed and the variation of the symbols is started. When the stop buttons 14a to 14c are operated, the variation of the reels 12 is stopped by a so-called retraction control (for example, a control to retract the symbols onto the effective line up to 4 symbols within a predetermined retraction range and stop and display them). The gaming machine 1 is not limited to one provided with the above-described physical reels 12, and may be of a type in which the display window 11 is constituted by a liquid crystal display or the like, and the symbols are displayed and varied as images. In that case, when the start lever 13 is operated, the variation of the symbols displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display is started, and when the stop buttons 14a to 14c are operated, the corresponding symbols are stopped and displayed.

[0014] As is well known, roles such as a bonus role, a minor role, a replay role, etc. are set in the gaming machine 1. When the stop buttons 14a to 14c are operated by the player in a state where any role is internally won during the above-described internal lottery, and when the symbols corresponding to the internally won role are stopped and displayed on the preset effective line (when the symbols are aligned), a winning occurs. When a winning occurs, the corresponding number of points is granted or a transition to a jackpot state (bonus state) or the like is performed.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the gaming machine 1 is provided with gaming machine setting values (so-called modes) for setting the internal winning probabilities of winning combinations in, for example, six levels from "1" to "6", and one of the modes is activated. The higher the value of the mode, the more advantageous the setting (high setting) is for the player, and the lower the value, the more disadvantageous the setting (low setting) is for the player. As the setting becomes higher, the winning rate of the bonus winning combination increases, so that the payout rate, that is, the "grant rate" of the gaming value shown in the same figure, increases, and the grant rate and the like of the gaming machine 1 are adjusted according to the mode. Note that the probability of small winning combinations is common to all settings.

[0016] The above is an example, and depending on the model, specifications are different according to the model, such as a special state different from a bonus such as ART occurring. Also, for example, a gaming machine in which the internal winning probabilities are set so that the same payout rate is obtained between mode "4" and mode "5", or the payout rate of mode "4" is higher than that of mode "5" may be set as a management target. In any case, the gaming machine 1 in which the payout rate can be changed by changing the mode setting is set as a management target. In addition, the above modes 1 to 6 are selected by a setting change operation on the setting change operation unit 10a (see FIG. 5) that is exposed by opening the front door (door 1a shown in FIGS. 2 and 5) of the gaming machine 1. Details will be described later.

[0017] The gaming machine 1 includes an I / F unit (not shown) that transmits and receives gaming information by a data signal to and from the gaming device 2, and transmits the following various types of gaming information to the gaming device 2 according to the execution of the game. · Score consumption information (out information) = Information indicating the number of scores consumed in the game. · Score grant information (safe information) = Information indicating the number of scores granted by winning. · Gaming point information = Information indicating the current gaming points (loaned points + granted points (safe) - consumed points (out)). · Game information = Information indicating that the game has been executed. · Bonus information = Information indicating that it is in a bonus state (special state). It is possible to distinguish the types of bonuses such as BB and RB. Also, other special states such as so-called ART may be targeted.

[0018] Such game information can be output to the game device 2 at regular intervals (for example, every 300 milliseconds) as a data signal, such as a telegram, that can identify it, and cumulative data (updated data) since the last transmission can be output. Furthermore, various types of information that differ depending on the model can be output. The total of the above-mentioned game points (credits) and the points held can also be displayed on the information display device 3 as the total points held.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, the gaming device 2 includes a coin slot 21 into which the player inserts money (of value), a camera 22, a card slot 23 into which the player inserts an IC card such as a general card, a loan button 24 operated when performing a loan operation, a replay button 25 operated when performing a replay operation, an issuance button 26 when performing an issuance operation, a touch panel type liquid crystal display 27, a small item compartment 28 for storing small items, and the like.

[0020] The gaming device 2 performs the following operations. (1) When currency is accepted (currency acceptance processing), the amount received is added to the balance and displayed. When the loan button 24 is pressed while there is a balance (loan operation, grant operation accepted), points (loan points, value of consideration) equivalent to the grant unit (e.g., 1000 yen) are granted (added) to the credit (game points) managed by the game machine 1 (loan processing, value of consideration processing), and the amount of consideration according to the game rate is deducted from the balance. Furthermore, the system can accept multiple payments in currency (up to 10,000 yen, for example). The game rate is the rate of game value used in game machine 1 (for example, 50 points for 1,000 yen), and corresponds to the rental price per unit of game value (hereinafter also referred to as "rate").

[0021] (2) The game machine manages the points held, and when the counting button 18 of the game machine 1 is pressed (a counting operation is accepted), a counting process is performed to convert credits into points. Furthermore, when the replay button 25 is pressed (a replay operation or grant operation is accepted), a refund process (value granting process, replay process) is also possible to convert points into credits, and if a refund process is performed, the amount of the refund (the same number as the points granted) is deducted from the points. Note that the conversion rate for the counting process and refund process can also be arbitrarily set, similar to the lending process, and the rate to be converted may be changed as appropriate according to the said conversion rate.

[0022] (3) When the issuance button 26 is pressed while there is a balance or points remaining (the issuance operation is accepted), a general card that can identify the balance or points (acquired value) is issued (issuance process). When a general card is accepted, the balance or points are carried over. In this case, if a special operation such as leaving the seat is performed, it is possible to issue a card with credits remaining, but in the normal issuance process, in order to prevent forgetting to count the credits, the issuance process is permitted only on the condition that the game points are "0".

[0023] (4) Through serial communication with the relay device 4, the management device 6 can identify various information such as currency acceptance processing, payment processing, balance, points held, points lent, points refunded, deposit amount, counted points, points lent, sales amount which is the consideration for lent points, and general card acceptance and issuance processing. These can also be identified using pulse signals (for example, one pulse for every 1000 yen deposited, one pulse for every 100 yen sold, etc.).

[0024] (5) The player of the corresponding gaming machine 1 can be imaged by the camera 22 as the imaging means, and it is determined whether or not it is the same player based on the image taken, and if it is the same player, the gaming information of the gaming machine 1 during the period in which the player played is identified as the gaming information of that player. Note that the imaging means is not limited to the camera 22, but may also consist of surveillance cameras (not shown) that are separately installed around the gaming island 100.

[0025] As mentioned above, the higher the setting of the gaming machine's mode, the higher the winning rate, which in turn increases the payout rate, making it advantageous for the player. In this regard, the gaming facility manager (simply referred to as "manager") plans to achieve business targets and intentionally changes the mode settings outside of business hours. However, internal fraud is occurring where amusement arcade employees (simply referred to as "employees") who are not managers change the settings of the machines to a higher setting during business hours, have acquaintances play the machines, and then share the profits with them. In addition to having acquaintances play, it is also conceivable that they may sell information about changing the settings during gameplay via social media.

[0026] The aforementioned internal fraud involves employees reverting the settings (modes) to their original state before closing time to conceal the fact that the settings were changed. Therefore, even if the settings of gaming machine 1 are checked after business hours, no change from the settings set by the manager can be confirmed. This makes it difficult to determine which gaming machine was targeted by the fraud, and even if surveillance cameras such as camera 22 are used to check, it is difficult to narrow down the gaming machine 1 or the time period under investigation. Furthermore, since gaming machine 1, which has a mode setting function, may be subject to the above-mentioned fraud, it is expected that not only slot machines but also pachinko gaming machines with setting functions may be subject to fraud.

[0027] Therefore, the management device 6 of this embodiment manages the open state of the door 1a of the gaming machine 1, which is opened when the mode setting is changed, as a door open state on a per-gaming machine basis using a game signal that can identify the open state. The device sets the period for one business day in the gaming hall into a first period and a second period that follows, and determines whether the door is open separately for the first and second periods. The device extracts the gaming machine 1 in which the door was open in either the first or second period (for example, by extracting the machine number in list 85 of the report in Figure 8), thereby enabling appropriate response to such fraud. The following sections will explain the following topics in order, referring to the diagrams from Figure 5 onwards: "1. Door Opening and Internal Fraud," "2. History of Door Openings and Aggregated Data per Machine Number," and "3. Examples of Gaming Machine Extraction and Setting of Extraction Conditions in Report Output."

[0028] <1. Door Opening and Insider Fraud> Figure 5 shows an image of the door opening. The door sensor 31 in the figure outputs a game signal (door open signal) indicating the open state of the door 1a of the gaming machine 1, which is then used to notify the management device 6 of the door opening of the gaming machine 1 via the relay device 4.

[0029] In other words, each gaming machine 1, such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine, has a door 1a on its front side. For example, the door 1a of the slot machine shown in Figure 5 is supported by a left-side pivot (hinge, not shown) on the main body 1b of the gaming machine so that it can be opened forward, and the door 1a is normally kept closed except when opened by an employee or the like. The gaming island 100 or each slot machine is equipped with a door sensor 31 that detects when the door 1a is opened, and a locking device 30 (both see Figure 5) that holds the door 1a in a lockable state so that it can be released. As shown in Figure 5, the locking device 30 includes a key rotor having a keyhole 30k located on the right side facing the slot machine (door 1a), a locking piece 30a provided on the back side of the door 1a to be interlocked with the key rotor, and a receiving part 30b on the gaming machine body 1b side (or gaming island 100 side) that receives the locking piece 30a in the locked position.

[0030] As a result, when the locking device 30 of the slot machine is unlocked (i.e., when the lock piece 30a is retracted from the receiving part 30b and enters the unlocked position), the door 1a of the slot machine rotates on the pivot point, allowing access to the inside of the gaming machine (the inside of the door 1a). This is what is known as door open. For example, in the door open state shown in the slot machine in the center of Figure 5, the main control board 10 mounted on the gaming machine body 1b is exposed, and setting changes can be made using the setting change operation unit 10a. The setting change operation includes, for example, inserting a setting key (not shown) into the keyhole of the setting change operation unit 10a, rotating it from the "Game" position to the "Setting" position, and selecting one of the modes "1" to "6" using a setting button (not shown). The selected mode is stored (changed) in the memory unit of the main control circuit on the main control board 10 and used.

[0031] Although not shown in the diagram, the pachinko game machine is equipped with a locking device similar to the locking device 30 described above, and a main control board box is provided on the rear side of the game machine 1. Therefore, similar to the door 1a described above, when the locking device is unlocked, the game machine 1 can be rotated to access the rear side. In a pachinko game machine, this open state is called the door open, and in this door open state, the main control board box is exposed, and if it has a mode setting function, the setting can be changed.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the door sensor 31 is positioned near the locking device 30 of the slot machine or pachinko game machine described above. It detects when the door 1a is opened (a gap is created) and outputs a detection signal (door open signal). By providing one for each game machine, it becomes possible to identify the open state of each door.

[0033] Here, I will explain the procedure for internal fraud and its relationship to opening the door. For example, in a case where an employee changes the game mode settings during business hours and allows an acquaintance (e.g., a friend of the employee) to play the game, the internal fraud is carried out in the following steps 1-3. Step 1: The employee changes the mode setting to a higher setting using the setting change operation unit 10a. Step 2: The acquaintance plays as a customer on the modified gaming machine 1. Step 3: An employee resets the mode of the gaming machine 1 from a high setting back to its original setting in order to conceal the fraud.

[0034] Therefore, when steps 1 and 3 are performed, the door opens on the gaming machine 1. Also, in order for the acquaintance to gain an unfair advantage in step 2, it is necessary to ensure sufficient gaming time by spacing out the times when steps 1 and 3 are performed. For example, it is assumed that step 1 is performed from opening time until noon, and step 3 is performed from evening until closing time. The time periods corresponding to steps 1 and 3 are set by the management device 6 (period setting means) to distinguish between a first period and a second period, which cover one business day at the gaming establishment. The method of setting these periods will be described later in Figure 9.

[0035] <2. History of door openings and aggregated data by machine number> Figures 6 and 7 show examples of a list of door open occurrences managed by the control device 6, and aggregated data for each unit number, both of which are displayed on monitor 6a. The occurrence history shown in Figure 6 displays the "occurrence content" for the target day (for example, April 15th) as "door open," the "machine number" of the corresponding gaming machine 1, and the "occurrence time" and "number of occurrences" recorded in association with it, in order from the most recent record of the occurrence time, as "No. 1," "No. 2," and so on.

[0036] Of these, "Machine Number" is the identification number of the gaming machine 1, "Time of Occurrence" is the time when the door open was identified by the door open signal, and "Number of Times" indicates the number of times the door open was identified at the time of occurrence. If multiple door open occurrences are identified (detected by the door sensor 31) within the same time of occurrence, the number is recorded. For example, in the "No. 4" column of Figure 6, machine number 124 shows that the door open was detected twice at "13:47".

[0037] In this regard, when changing the mode settings, as described above, an operation using a setting key is required at the setting change operation unit 10a inside the gaming machine 1, which causes the door to open. However, this can also occur during maintenance work on the gaming machine 1, so it is not possible to determine whether or not fraud has occurred based solely on the occurrence history list in Figure 6. While the example given is recording door opening as "incident details," other game information managed by the management device 6, such as security information generated when unauthorized radio waves are detected or inspection information generated when data anomalies are determined, may also be recorded on a per-game machine basis in the same way as door opening.

[0038] The aggregated data by machine number in Figure 7 is aggregated data for the same target day (business day) as the "Target Day" in Figure 6, and is an example of a list that aggregates game information managed including that business day on a per-game machine basis. As shown in Figure 7, the management device 6 manages each item of game information, such as "sale type," "out," "safe," and "payout rate," by associating them with the "machine number."

[0039] Of these, "Sales Type" indicates groups of gaming machines categorized by rate (rental price) and type. For example, "20 yen S" in the same diagram indicates a rental price of "20 yen" per unit of game value and the notation "S" for slot machine. In addition, for example, slot machines have multiple groups defined, such as "10 yen S" and "5 yen S," and pachinko machines have multiple groups defined, such as "4 yen P," "2 yen P," and "1 yen P" (see Figure 8(b)), which include the notation "P." Thus, a gaming machine group is composed of multiple groups, each of which is divided according to the rate and whether it is "S" or "P."

[0040] "Out" indicates the game value consumed in the gaming machine 1 as identified by the out information or out signal. For example, in the case of a slot machine, game value is consumed each time the game is started, so the value of "Out" increases proportionally. "Safe" indicates the game value awarded in response to a win in the gaming machine 1 as identified by the safe information or safe signal. "Payout rate" is the ratio of safe to out (payout rate, award rate), and is expressed as a percentage of safe ÷ out. Therefore, "Out" becomes an indicator of the time a player spends playing, and "Payout Rate" becomes an indicator of the profit a player earns on a per-machine basis (for example, the value of points earned). Because an employee's acquaintance is aware that the machines are set to high settings due to internal fraud, the "Out" increases with relatively long playing times, and the "Payout Rate" also increases as the rate of high-setting machines is more likely to be achieved with longer playing times.

[0041] The management device 6 is configured as a condition specification means that can specify predetermined conditions for this game information. For example, for "Out," the condition can be set to be higher than the standard value of the Out (see Figure 9 described later), and if that condition is met, it can be determined that the game has been played for a long time. Alternatively, for "Payout Rate," the condition can be set to be higher than the standard value of the Payout Rate, and if that condition is met, it can be determined that there is a possibility of a high setting. In the aggregated data in Figure 7, "Out" to "Payout Rate" are used as examples of game information items for "Sales Type," but any item related to the game machine 1 managed by the management device 6 can be linked to the machine number and aggregated, and various types of game information, such as the aforementioned security information and inspection information, may be included. In any case, various types of game information related to the game machine 1 are managed on a per-game-machine basis as information associated with the corresponding date and time or date, as shown in the "Time of Occurrence" or "Target Date" in Figures 6 and 7 above.

[0042] <3. Examples of extracting gaming machines in report output and setting extraction conditions> Figure 8 is an example of a report showing the results of extracting gaming machines 1 that may be subject to fraud. This report is displayed on monitor 6a by the management device 6 as an output means, or printed out by the printer. The report shown in Figure 8 is created by the management device 6 based on the occurrence history in Figure 6 and the aggregated data in Figure 7. The management device 6, as the condition specification means or extraction means, narrows down the gaming machines 1 to be investigated based on the set extraction conditions.

[0043] Specifically, in Figure 8(a), the topmost column "Report Name" 81 represents the name of the report to be displayed on monitor 6a. In this column 81, it is possible to select the report to be displayed. Game information items are set in advance and linked to the report name (items such as "Door Open (1),..." in the lower column 85 are stored), and by clicking the icon (inverted triangle icon) in this column 81 (in a pull-down format), a list of the report names is displayed. The following describes an example of setting items that allow for the filtering of internally fraudulent gaming machines 1 using a report named "Fraudulent Extraction". Note that operations related to report selection, settings, and condition specification in the management device 6 are performed using input means such as the keyboard 6b, but for simplicity, these will be referred to simply as "selection," "setting," or "operation." Furthermore, the contents of the report are stored in the storage unit of the management device 6 by operating the "Save" button in the upper right corner 82 of the screen in Figure 8(a), printed out by operating the "Print" button, or output as a CSV file by operating the "CSV" button.

[0044] In the "Period" column 83 of Figure 8(a), you set the business days to be extracted in the report as a period. For example, if you set the business days to span from "April 15th (Mon)" to "April 21st (Sun)" as shown in the figure, the list 85 of the report will display April 15th (Mon), April 16th (Tue), ... as the "Dates" corresponding to that one-week extraction period.

[0045] In the "Sales Type" column 84, the gaming machines 1 to be extracted are limited by the rates set in advance for each gaming machine 1. In this case, the sales type selection options shown in Figure 8(b) are displayed using a pull-down menu by operating the icons in column 84, and gaming machines 1 can be selected (limited) by groups of slot machines such as "20 yen S," "10 yen S," and "5 yen S," or by groups of pachinko machines such as "4 yen P available," "4 yen P not available," "2 yen P available," "2 yen P not available," etc. Furthermore, "4 yen P available" indicates a pachinko machine with a rate of 4 yen per unit of game value and a setting function. In other words, pachinko machines are classified (categorized) by the presence or absence of a mode setting function, such as "4 yen P available" or "4 yen P not available".

[0046] If someone attempts to gain unfair profits through internal fraud, they are likely to choose a gaming machine with a high payout rate. Therefore, by selecting "Gaming Machine 1" in the "Sales Type" column 84, it is possible to prioritize narrowing down the list to identify gaming machines that are highly likely to be involved in internal fraud. In Figure 8(a), the highest rate among slot machines, "20 yen S," is selected, and therefore, in the list 85 of this report, the extraction conditions for each item are defined for "20 yen S." Note that if the "sales type" is different, values ​​such as the "out" average may change, so it is desirable to be able to review the extraction conditions on a "sales type" basis.

[0047] Next, we will explain the items (game information items) within the report and the extraction conditions. In the list of reports 85 in Figure 8(a), extraction conditions can be set for each item, and the management device 6 determines and extracts the machine numbers (gaming machines 1) that satisfy all the set extraction conditions using a so-called AND condition. In this case, the "Date" in the report indicates the date on which the gaming information is aggregated, and the gaming information for each of the following items is displayed in the list 85 for each gaming machine, corresponding to the combination of the "Date" and the "Machine Number".

[0048] The items "Door Open (1)" and "Door Open (2)" show the aggregated results (judgment results) of the number of occurrences for each item, based on the occurrence history in Figure 6. In other words, "Door Open (1)" refers to the first period, for example, from 9:00 to 12:00 (see Figure 9(a)), and "Door Open (2)" refers to the second period, for example, from 17:00 to 23:00, and the management device 6, which is the determination means, determines whether the door is open in each of these periods. In this case, for all of the machine numbers "6, 130, 357, ..." shown in Figure 8(a), the value is "1" or "2" (determination information), indicating that the door was opened at least once in either the first period of Door Open (1) or the second period of Door Open (2). This is because, in the management device 6, the specified conditions are set in the extraction condition setting screen shown in Figure 9(a) later, for example, that the door open determination result shows a value of one or more times in each of the first and second periods, which is set as an extraction condition (predetermined condition).

[0049] The items "Out" to "Payout Rate" shown in the report in Figure 8(a) are game information corresponding to the aggregated data in Figure 7, and represent auxiliary judgment information indicating at least one of the following: game time and the value acquired by the player. In other words, the "Out" and "Payout Rate" in Figure 8(a) correspond to auxiliary judgment information that correlates with the playing time and the player's points, as described above. For all of the machine numbers "6, 130, 357, ..." in the figure, the "Out" value is 15,000 or higher, and the "Payout Rate" value is 120% or higher. This is because, in the extraction condition setting screen shown in Figure 9(b), it is possible to specify predetermined conditions for the auxiliary judgment information. For example, the extraction conditions include setting the output to 15,000 or more and the output rate to 120% or more.

[0050] Thus, the management device 6 extracts the gaming machine 1 that satisfies all four conditions set on the extraction condition setting screen in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), including door open (1), door open (2), out, and payout rate, and outputs a report (list 85 in Figure 8(a)) containing the determination information such as door open for the gaming machine 1 as the target for output. As shown in list 85, if the door 1a is confirmed to be open during both of the two time periods (1) and (2), it can be identified as a gaming machine 1 where internal fraud may have occurred. By using indicators such as payouts and payout rates, the target gaming machine 1 can be further narrowed down. By reviewing the game information extracted in list 85 and the occurrence history in Figure 6, as well as surveillance camera footage from around the time the door was opened and the employees in charge of the gaming machine 1 or gaming island 100, an appropriate investigation into internal fraud can be conducted.

[0051] The extraction criteria are set by clicking the inverted triangle mark (the icon in the lower right) in the item column of Figure 8(a), which will take you to the setting screen shown in Figure 9(a) or (b), depending on the item (specific game information). When extraction criteria are set, a funnel-shaped mark (the icon in the lower left) will appear in the item column, making it visually easy to see which item is set as a criterion. Furthermore, since the icon for setting extraction criteria is displayed in any of the item columns from "Machine Number" to "Payout Rate" shown in Figure 8(a), it is possible to specify or narrow down the range of machine numbers, for example. The extraction criteria set in this way can be saved in association with the report name by operating the "Save" button in the upper right corner of the screen (item 82), allowing for easy investigation of target gaming machines even when checking for fraud on a daily basis.

[0052] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show examples of the extraction condition setting screens for each item as described above. Figure 9(a) shows a settings screen that allows limiting the time periods for door opening (1) and (2). The top of the screen has a "filter" checkbox for enabling the aforementioned conditions, and the bottom of the screen has a checkbox related to "time period". The settings are made for the respective destination screens for door opening (1) and (2) (distinguishing between the first period and the second period).

[0053] Specifically, to set the extraction conditions for door open (1), first, check the "Filter" checkbox at the top of the destination settings screen (the screen shown in Figure 9(a)), and then select one of the following using the radio buttons: "Numerical Input," "Average Value (±)," or "Average Value (%)." This will activate the extraction conditions based on the selected numerical value. For example, if you select "Numerical Input," you can enter "1" in the left input field immediately below it, as shown in the diagram. This will specify a range of "1 or greater" with a lower limit of "1." If you select "Average Value Base (±)", you can specify the lower and upper limits that define the ± range based on the average value (for example, the average number of times the doors open on all slot machines) by entering them in the input fields on the left and right. Alternatively, if you select "Average Value Base (%)", you can specify the range by multiplying the average value by the respective percentages by entering the lower and upper limits as percentages in the input fields on the left and right.

[0054] The "time period" can be selected using a dropdown menu. Immediately below it, in the left and right setting fields, the extraction conditions for door open (1) are shown as an example, with the start time of the first period being "9:00" and the end time being "12:00". The right side of the same screen shows an example of selecting "9:00" from the dropdown menu. Similar to the setting screen in Figure 9(a) related to Door Open (1) described above, when setting the extraction conditions for Door Open (2), the setting screen to which it is transitioned displays fields for setting conditions and time periods related to the determination information for Door Open (2). In this way, the management device 6 (period setting means) makes it possible to set the end time of the first period of Door Open (1) (for example, "12 o'clock" in Figure 9(a)) and the start time of the second period of Door Open (2) (for example, 17 o'clock) to be different in the respective setting screens related to Door Open (1) and (2). In this case, to prevent the first and second periods from overlapping (or to ensure that the second period is after the first period), the overlapping time period (or time periods where the order of the first and second periods does not match) may be grayed out and made unsettable, for example, in the pull-down menu on the right side of the screen in Figure 9(a).

[0055] On the other hand, Figure 9(b) is a settings screen that uses items of aggregated data on a per-business-day basis, such as outs and attendance rates (auxiliary judgment information included in the aforementioned list 85), as the source of transitions, and does not have the "time zone" setting item of Figure 9(a). In other words, when setting the extraction criteria for "Out," you check the "Filter" checkbox on the settings screen shown in Figure 9(b), which is the destination screen, and then select one of the following options using the radio buttons: "Numerical Input," "Average Value (±)," or "Average Value (%)." This will activate the extraction criteria based on the selected numerical value.

[0056] Regarding the output, as shown in Figure 9(b), if you select "Numerical Input," you can enter "15000" in the left input field immediately below it. This sets the range "15000 or greater" with a lower limit of "15000" as the numerical condition. Furthermore, if you select "Average Value (±)" or "Average Value (%)," you can specify the corresponding range by entering "±" or "%" values ​​in the left and right input fields, respectively, using the average value as the basis.

[0057] Similar to the settings screen for output shown in Figure 9(b), when setting the extraction conditions for the output rate, the settings field for the output rate is displayed on the destination settings screen. Therefore, for the output rate, if you select, for example, "Average Value (%)", you can enter "120" in the left input field (not shown in the diagram) to specify "120 (%) or more" as the numerical condition. In this case, although not shown in the diagram, it is also possible to set an upper limit by entering a number in the right input field, which is adjacent to the left input field separated by a wavy line.

[0058] As explained above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to extract gaming machines 1 in which door opening was detected in two different time periods, such as morning and afternoon, for the first and second periods. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately extract gaming machines 1 in which internal fraud has occurred, such as having an acquaintance play a gaming machine 1 that has been changed to a high mode before the start of play during business hours, and then returning it to the original mode after the play is finished to conceal the setting change.

[0059] Furthermore, by allowing separate settings for time periods when the machine is likely to switch to a high mode (such as morning and evening) and time periods when it is likely to switch to a low mode (see, for example, Figures 8(a) and 9(a)), it becomes possible to further narrow down and extract gaming machines 1 in anticipation of the time periods when fraudulent activity is likely to occur.

[0060] By including game information in the report fields and specifying conditions for those fields, it is possible to extract game machine 1 even for items other than door open. Therefore, even in amusement facilities with many different types of game machines 1 installed, it becomes easier to change the extraction conditions while checking the game information, and information can be output appropriately.

[0061] By adding items to the report, such as an item indicating the playing time, like "Out" in Figure 8(a), or an auxiliary judgment information item indicating the probability of being assigned a high setting, like "Payout Rate," it becomes possible to further narrow down and extract gaming machines 1 that may have been changed to a high setting through fraud and played for a long time, or gaming machines 1 with an abnormally high payout rate.

[0062] In order to limit the gaming machines 1 extracted by "rental price (rate)" (see, for example, "sales type" in Figures 8(a) and 8(b)), it is possible to appropriately narrow down the selection to target gaming machines 1 with "high rates" that would incur significant losses if fraudulent.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified or expanded as follows. Furthermore, the exemplary configurations, including modified versions, may be combined in any way, or configurations may be omitted as appropriate. Figure 8 illustrates a case where the number of times a door is opened is tallied to determine if the extraction condition is met. However, it is also possible to determine whether a door was opened during the set time period without tallying the number of occurrences. As shown in Figure 8, an example of outputting a report for gaming machines that meet the extraction criteria is provided. However, the extraction results do not necessarily have to be output as a report. For example, based on the information of gaming machines that meet the extraction criteria and the time of door opening that was the target of the extraction, the results may be output to save the corresponding surveillance camera footage or the content captured by camera 22.

[0064] While Figures 7 and 8(a) illustrate "out" as an indicator of game time, it is also perfectly acceptable to use game information that indicates game time, such as the period during which "out" was detected and the game machine 1 was deemed operational, or the period during which the camera 22 of the game device 2 detected a player. Furthermore, while Figures 7 and 8(a) illustrate "payout rate" as an indicator of the profit earned by players, it is also acceptable to use indicators such as the difference in balls or acquired balls, which are calculated using safe-out, as indicators of the value of the game acquired by the players.

[0065] In Figure 8(a), the extraction condition was set to exclude the time period between the first period of door open (1) and the second period of door open (2). However, in order to collect all occurrence history data without omission, the business hours may be divided into two time periods. For example, the extraction condition may be set so that the first period of door open (1) is the morning (opening time to 12:00) and the second period of door open (2) is the afternoon (12:00 to closing time). The time period to be set may also include time outside of business hours.

[0066] The settings information for the management device 6 can be configured by the administrator through manual input, pre-configured by the manufacturer of the management device 6, or downloaded from an external server (e.g., a chain store headquarters). In all cases, the settings will be those entered via manual input on the server. All of the game information exemplified can be identified directly by the input signal or indirectly by using a calculation formula.

[0067] The numerical values, number of digits, and items are examples only; any numerical values ​​may be used. Furthermore, the identification output can be any format, including adding symbols, in addition to those exemplified. Printing and display output are at least expected forms of output. Regarding "greater than" and "exceeding," either can be used, and expressions such as "reached" or "exceeded" can correspond to either. The same applies to "less than" and "less than," and expressions such as "did not reach" can correspond to both.

[0068] As an example of the target gaming machine 1, a so-called smart gaming machine that manages game value solely through data was used. However, as mentioned above, it is not limited to slot machines; pachinko machines may also be targeted, and conventional payout-type pachinko machines and slot machines can also be used. The term "value," as in "game value," is used to encompass both the acquired value managed by data as in this example and the game medium that is paid out.

[0069] While data signals were used as an example of game signals output from the gaming machine 1, pulse signals, as in the payout system, can also be used. Some of the processing performed by the gaming device 2 may be carried out by the relay device 4, the management device 6, or the information display device 3, etc., and may be configured in any way. Furthermore, the example configurations, including variations, may be combined in any way, and some configurations may be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] In the drawing, 1 is a gaming machine, 6 is a management device (management means, period setting means, determination means, extraction means, output means, condition specification means), 6a is a monitor (output means), and 6b is a keyboard (condition specification means).

Claims

1. The system manages gaming machines whose payout rates can be changed by changing the settings of the gaming machine, and manages the open state of a door that is opened when such settings are changed, using a game signal that can identify the open state of the door, on a per-gaming machine basis. A period setting means for distinguishing and setting a period for one business day at a gaming establishment into a first period and a second period that follows the first period, A determination means for determining the open state by distinguishing between the first period and the second period, A gaming arcade system comprising: an extraction means for extracting gaming machines in which the determination result by the determination means indicates that the open state occurred in either the first period or the second period.

2. The amusement arcade system according to claim 1, wherein the period setting means is capable of setting the end time of the first period and the start time of the second period to be different.

3. An output means capable of outputting a report that includes multiple game information items related to the aforementioned gaming machine and shows the game information of said game information items on a per-gaming machine basis, The system includes a condition specification means for specifying conditions for specific game information among the game information items shown in the aforementioned report, The game information items shown in the aforementioned report include judgment information indicating the respective judgment results for the first period and the second period. The condition specification means can specify predetermined conditions for the determination information, The extraction means extracts game machines that show game information that satisfies the conditions specified by the condition specification means, The amusement arcade system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output means outputs a report showing game information including the judgment information of a game machine, with the game machine extracted by the extraction means as the output target.

4. The game information items shown in the aforementioned report include auxiliary judgment information indicating at least one of the following: game time and profit obtained by the player. The amusement park system according to claim 3, wherein the condition specification means is capable of specifying predetermined conditions for the auxiliary determination information.

5. Multiple rates for the value of the game used in the aforementioned gaming machine are predetermined. The amusement arcade system according to claim 3, wherein the extraction means can limit the amusement machines to be extracted to groups of amusement machines classified by the rate.

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