Management system for tokens for gaming

Abstract

To provide a game substitute coin management system and a game substitute coin that can prevent game substitute coins whose unauthorized use situation is suspected from being used in a game house in casinos and other game facilities in which game substitute coins are used.SOLUTION: In a management system of game substitute coins 1, a single RFID tag 2 having a region 21 where data cannot be rewritten and a region 22 where data can be rewritten is added to a game substitute coin 1, and information on the location of the game substitute coin 1 is stored in the region 22 where data can be rewritten. The management system includes: a writing device for additionally writing information on the location; a reading device for reading the information on the location from the plurality of game substitute coins 1; and a management control device for examining the information obtained from the reading device. The management control device has a function of determining whether there is not abnormality in a history of the information on the location obtained from the reading device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming token management system that prevents fraudulent gaming tokens from being used in casinos and other gaming establishments that use gaming tokens. [Background technology]

[0002] Among the many table games played in casinos and other gaming establishments are baccarat and blackjack. Casinos use gaming tokens to play these games.

[0003] The use of illegal gaming tokens must not occur in casinos. In order to prevent the use of counterfeit gaming tokens in casinos, there is a technology in which RFID tags are attached to gaming tokens to determine their authenticity and prevent the use of counterfeits. RFID-equipped gaming tokens are publicly known and are disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Application Publication No. WO2008 / 120749). It is also generally known that RFID tags have a memory area in which the user can write required information, in addition to a memory area in which the manufacturing information of the RFID tag itself is stored. In RFID-equipped gaming tokens, information indicating the value of the gaming token, a serial number, etc. are written. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Application Publication No. WO2008 / 120749 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventionally, gaming tokens with RFID tags have been operated in such a way that necessary information is written once in a memory area where information can be written by users, and then the memory area is locked to prevent unauthorized rewriting. In gaming tokens based on such conventional technology, it was possible to determine the authenticity of the gaming token itself by reading the RFID tag and grasping the information written in the memory area. However, RFID tags cannot store information obtained while the token is used at a casino. Therefore, gaming tokens that are genuine but have not been used for a long time, or that have been used or exchanged by a different owner from the original owner, and have an abnormal history in terms of usage, cannot be identified by reading the RFID tag, and it has not been possible to prevent such gaming tokens with abnormal usage history from being used in casinos. There is concern that the unknown provenance of gaming tokens (history of information regarding their location) could lead to casino gaming tokens being used for crimes such as money laundering, and there is an issue that needs to be resolved.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a gaming token and management system which allows additional information to be written to the RFID tag at a later time, and by having the RFID tag of the gaming token itself hold the usage history of the gaming token, makes it possible to discover fraudulent gaming tokens with abnormal usage history based on the written usage history.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the management system for game tokens of the present invention comprises: A single RFID tag having an area where data cannot be rewritten and an area where data can be rewritten is attached to the gaming token; The area of ​​the RFID tag where the data cannot be rewritten stores at least one of production information, product information, casino information, amount information, and serial number of the gaming token as fixed information, The rewritable data area stores, as variable information, information regarding the location of the gaming token, The variable information stored in a rewritable area of ​​the same RFID tag can be extracted from the fixed information stored in a rewritable area of ​​the RFID tag, The system comprises: a writing device for writing information regarding the location of the gaming token in the data rewritable area; a reading device capable of collectively reading the fixed information stored in an area of ​​a plurality of the game tokens where the data cannot be rewritten, and reading the location information stored in an area where the data paired with each of the fixed information can be rewritten based on the read fixed information; and a management control device that examines the location information obtained from the reading device, the rewritable data area stores a plurality of pieces of location information including at least the latest location information of all the location information written by the writing device; The management control device has a function of determining whether there are any abnormalities in the history of the location-related information obtained from the reading device, and if there is an abnormality, generates an error signal and is configured to be able to identify the fixed information of the gaming tokens that are determined to be abnormal.

[0008] Furthermore, the rewritable data area is configured to store information about the location and information about the time when the writing device wrote data into the gaming token, The management control device is configured to determine whether or not there is an abnormality based on the location-related information obtained from the reading device, by determining whether or not either of the following events has occurred: the device has not been used for a predetermined period of time since the last time it was written, or the location-related information that should have been written has not been written.

[0009] Furthermore, the management control device determines that the information regarding the location includes at least one of information indicating a cage, information indicating entry or exit, and information indicating a backyard, The above-mentioned event of not being used for a specified period of time since the last write is 1) The latest location information indicates a cage, and the next information was written more than a certain amount of time ago. 2) The latest information on the location indicates an entry, and the next information has been posted more than a certain amount of time ago. 3) The latest information on the location indicates an exit, and the next information has been posted more than a certain amount of time ago. In either of the following situations: The event in which the information regarding the location that should have been written is not written is as follows: 4) When entering an arcade, no information indicating exit is written as information regarding the latest location of the data rewritable area of ​​the gaming token. 5) When using the cage, there is no information indicating the backyard. 6) When leaving the amusement facility, there is no information indicating a cage or back yard. It may be either of the above situations.

[0010] Furthermore, the information regarding location may include information regarding the owner of the gaming token.

[0011] Furthermore, the management device determines whether the abnormality is present based on the information about the owner obtained from the reading device, as an event. 1) A person other than the final owner of the token stored in the rewritable data area converts the token into cash or other currency within the gaming facility, or leaves the gaming facility. 2) A person other than the owner of the token stored in the rewritable data area at the time of exit brings the token into the gaming facility. The device may be provided with a function for determining the above-mentioned situation of either 1) or 2).

[0012] Furthermore, information regarding the owner of the gaming token may be identified by facial recognition or reading an ID card.

[0013] The location information may further comprise information indicating the location of a chip tray, or information indicating the location of a betting area, or information indicating a payout area of ​​the particular gaming table.

[0014] Furthermore, the management device determines whether the abnormality is present based on the information indicating the location of the chip tray of the gaming table, the information indicating the location of the betting area, or the information indicating the payment area obtained from the reading device, as an event for determining whether the abnormality is present: 1) A person other than the final owner of the gaming token stored in the rewritable data area uses the gaming token at a gaming table. 2) A person other than the person who purchased the gaming token at the cage redeems it for cash when the gaming token has no record of use at a gaming table. 3) Tokens that do not indicate a cage or backyard are used in the amusement facility. 4) The latest location information is information indicating a betting area or a payment area, and after a predetermined period of time, it is exchanged for cash in a cage or used at a gaming table. It may be one having a function of determining any of the above situations 1) to 4).

[0015] Furthermore, the information contained in the RFID tag may be encrypted.

[0016] Furthermore, the area where data cannot be rewritten may be configured so that data cannot be written functionally, or may be configured so that data cannot be written to the area.

[0017] Furthermore, the reading device is configured to read the fixed information stored in the non-rewritable area and the location information stored in the rewritable area at the same time, The management control device may be configured to extract and grasp the location-related information stored in an area of ​​the same RFID tag where the data can be rewritten from the multiple fixed information of the multiple gaming tokens read by the reading device.

[0018] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art, the gaming token of the present invention is provided with a single RFID tag having an area where data cannot be rewritten and an area where data can be rewritten, The area where the data cannot be rewritten stores at least one of production information, product information, casino information, amount information, and serial number of the gaming token as fixed information, The rewritable data area is configured to store, as variable information, information regarding the location of the gaming token, which is written by a writing device; The variable information stored in an area of ​​the same RFID tag where the data can be rewritten can be extracted from the fixed information stored in an area where the data cannot be rewritten.

[0019] Furthermore, the gaming tokens may be configured so that a reading device can read the fixed information stored in an area of ​​a plurality of the gaming tokens where the data cannot be rewritten all at once, and based on the read fixed information, the location-related information stored in an area where the data can be rewritten can be read. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an RFID tag possessed by a game token according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data on game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the entire management system for game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a reading device and a writing device for game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of a gaming token according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of a game token according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a database according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data on gaming tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example in which variable information is updated at all of the betting timing, the collection timing, and the payment timing). [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data on gaming tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at the betting timing and the collection timing). [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data of gaming tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at betting timing and payment timing). [Figure 7D] FIG. 7D is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data of game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at the time of collection and payment). [Figure 7E] FIG. 7E is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data of gaming tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at a betting timing). [Figure 7F] FIG. 7F is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data of game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at the time of collection). [Figure 7G]FIG. 7G is a conceptual diagram showing a method for recording data of game tokens according to an embodiment of the present invention (an example of updating variable information at the timing of payment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] First, a gaming token used in a gaming token management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 shows a gaming token 1 used in the system. In the figure, an RFID tag 2 capable of storing various information is embedded in the gaming token 1. The RFID tag 2 has an area 21 where data cannot be rewritten and an area 22 where data can be rewritten.

[0022] The area 21 where data cannot be rewritten stores, as fixed information 3, information that does not change while the gaming token 1 is being used, information that does not change, or information that must not be changed. Specifically, production information, product information, casino information, amount information, serial number, etc. of the gaming token 1 are stored as the fixed information 3. The production information includes the date and time when the gaming token was manufactured, the manufacturing machine, etc., while the product information includes, for example, information indicating that the token is a chip for the VIP area of ​​a casino and information indicating the type of chip (for example, information indicating that the chip is a rolling chip or a cash chip), etc.

[0023] The area 21 where data cannot be rewritten may be an area where writing is functionally impossible due to the specifications of the RFID tag, or it may be an area that is locked so that data cannot be written after the necessary information is written in an area where data can be written.

[0024] The rewritable data area 22 stores information that changes while the gaming token 1 is being used as variable information 4. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, location-related information 220 including information 221 about date and time, information 222 about place and event, and information 223 about the owner is stored as the variable information 4.

[0025] The fixed information 3 and the variable information 4 may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized reading or writing of the information by others, and may be stored as metadata.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows an example of a method for recording data of the variable information 4 of the gaming token 1. As shown in Fig. 2, location-related information 220 consisting of date and time, time information 221, location, event information 222, and owner information 223 is treated as one block, and the information of the block is linked in a chain so that the history of the information 220 regarding the location of the gaming token 1 can be grasped.

[0027] Figure 2 shows an example of the variable information 4 stored in the gaming token 1, from which the following movements of the gaming token 1 can be understood. At 16:02 on January 28, 2019, Mr. A exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in cage 5. At 16:15 on the same day, Mr. A places a bet using the gaming token 1 at table No. 325. At 16:43 on the same day, Mr. B receives the gaming token 1 as redemption money for a bet won at table No. 325. At 17:01 on the same day, Mr. B leaves the casino with the gaming token 1.

[0028] The variable information 4 may be configured to store only the latest information as in FIG. 2, or may store all written location-related information. Also, some of the information regarding multiple locations may be selected and stored. When some information is selected and stored, information regarding multiple locations may be stored, including at least the latest location information 220 of all location-related information 220. With the above configuration, the variable information 4 of a certain gaming token 1 can tell the history of use or movement of the gaming token 1. In other words, the traceability information of the gaming token 1 is written in the gaming token 1 itself, making it possible to understand the information.

[0029] Next, a management system for the gaming token 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 3 shows an overview of the entire system.

[0030] First, at the factory 6, the writing device 14 writes variable information 4 including information on completion of production or shipment from the factory as location-related information 220 into the data-rewritable area 22 of the RFID tag 2.

[0031] The gaming token 1 shipped from the factory 6 is accepted in the casino's backyard 7. In the backyard 7, the reading device 13 reads the variable information 4 stored in the area 22 where data of the gaming token 1 can be rewritten, and based on the reading result, the management control device 15 judges whether location information 220 indicating that the information was written in the factory 6 has been written as the latest variable information 4, as information that should have been written. If there is no record of writing in the factory 6, an error signal is generated as the gaming token suspected of being fraudulent. This makes it possible for the casino to refuse to accept the gaming token or to request an investigation from the factory. If there is no problem with the writing record, the writing device 14 writes location information 220 indicating the backyard in the area 22 where data of the RFID tag 2 can be rewritten. When writing, location information indicating the backyard may be written in addition to location information indicating the factory, or location information indicating the backyard may be written by deleting location information indicating the factory. Furthermore, the reading and writing of gaming tokens in the back yard 7 described above can also be performed in conjunction with the normal validation and activation work of gaming tokens.

[0032] The gaming token 1 that has completed the acceptance inspection in the back yard 7 is transported to the casino's warehouse 8 or cage 9. In the warehouse 8 or cage 9, the reading device 13 reads the variable information 4 stored in the data rewritable area 22 of the gaming token 1, and based on the reading result, the management control device 15 judges whether location information 220 indicating that the information was written in the back yard 7 has been written as the latest variable information 4, as information that should have been written. It may also be possible to check whether information indicating the factory 6 has been written in the history of the variable information 4. The management control device 15 judges whether there is an abnormality in the location information history, as in the inspection in the back yard 7 described above. If there is no problem in the reading result, the writing device 14 writes location information 22 indicating the warehouse 8 or cage 9 in the data rewritable area 22.

[0033] A player purchases gaming tokens 1 in a cage 9. When a player purchases gaming tokens 1, a writing device 14 in the cage 9 writes, as variable information 4, the time when the gaming token was purchased and information indicating that the owner of the gaming token has changed from the casino to a customer. Players may be identified and recorded using face recognition technology or an ID card such as a casino member's card or a My Number card.

[0034] A player uses the gaming token 1 that has been converted into cash to place a bet in a betting area 11 at a gaming table. The reader 13 reads location-related information 220, consisting of date and time information 221, location and event information 222, and owner information 223, from the RFID tag 2 of the gaming token 1 that has been bet, and the management control device 15 judges whether there is any abnormality. For example, if a certain period of time has passed since the date and time of the last written information on use at the gaming table or information on conversion to cash in the cage, or if the owner information 223 stored in the gaming token 1 differs from the owner information 223 identified by face authentication or an ID card, it can be judged that there is an abnormality.

[0035] If there is no problem with the read result, the writing device 14 writes location-related information 220 to the data rewritable area 22 for the bet gaming token 1. The location-related information 220 includes date and time information 221, location and event information 222, and owner information 223. At the table, for example, variable information 4 including the player position number where the gaming token 1 is placed and player information is written by the writing device 14. The player information may be identified by an ID card or face recognition. Usually, multiple gaming tokens 1 are stacked and placed in the betting area 11, so writing is performed collectively while they are stacked.

[0036] When a player takes gaming token 1 off the casino floor, the player performs an exit process at gate 10. When exiting, location information 220 is read by reading device 14, and management control device 15 determines whether there is an abnormality in variable information 4. Also at gate 10, writing device 14 writes variable information 4 including location and event information 222 information indicating the exit, and owner information 223.

[0037] When a player brings in gaming tokens 1 that he or she has previously taken out when entering the casino floor, information regarding their location is read by the reading device 13, and the management control device judges whether there are any abnormalities in the variable information 4. For example, if the owner of gaming tokens 1 once taken out of the casino is different when the player leaves the casino from when the player enters, it can be determined that the gaming tokens have been handed over outside the casino.

[0038] The above-mentioned management control device 15 may output an alarm to the cage 9 or gate 10 when the judgment based on the reading result of the reader 13 is abnormal. When the owner of the gaming token 1 exchanges it for cash in the cage 9 or when he / she leaves through the gate 10, the management control device 15 may refuse the exchange based on the alarm outputted by the management control device 15, or may perform an individual check at the time of exit. In addition, when the judgment result is abnormal, the management control device 15 may issue a warning to the dealer at each game table to suspend the game, or issue a warning to the pit, and the pit manager may decide to suspend or continue the game, or to take measures such as exchanging the gaming token 1. Alternatively, the management control device 15 may be connected to the overall management control device 18 of the casino and may be configured to issue a warning to the overall management control device 18.

[0039] Similarly, the management control device 15 may read the variable information 4 by the reading device 13 when cashing in the cage, and determine whether there is an abnormality. Specifically, it may determine whether there is an abnormality when a certain period of time has passed since the date and time of the last written information on use at the game table or information on cashing in the cage, or when a person other than the owner information 223 stored in the gaming token 1 is attempting to cash it. If an abnormality is determined, the management control device 15 may output a warning and refuse to cash the gaming token 1 determined to be abnormal.

[0040] In the above description, reading is performed by the reading device 13, and writing is performed by the writing device 14 after determination by the management control device. However, reading and writing may be performed simultaneously.

[0041] In the following, details of an embodiment of the application of the present invention are given.

[0042] In the factory 6, when production is completed or when the product is shipped, the RFID tag 2 is read and / or written. Production information and product information are written as fixed information 3, and if necessary, this is locked so that it cannot be rewritten, and variable information 4 is written.

[0043] In the back yard 6, the gaming token 1 shipped from the factory is received, and when it is activated as a usable gaming token 1, the RFID tag 2 is read and / or written.

[0044] In the warehouse 8, the RFID tag 2 is read and / or written when the gaming token 1 is moved from the warehouse 8 to the cage 9 or when the gaming token 1 is moved from the cage 9 to the warehouse 8. Alternatively, the RFID tag 2 may be read and / or written for the gaming token 1 stored in the warehouse 8 at regular intervals or at a predetermined timing.

[0045] The cage 9 reads and / or writes the RFID tag 2 when the coin is moved to or from the warehouse 8, and when the gaming token 1 is exchanged for customer cash. When the exchange is performed in the cage 9, the variable information 4 is written as the owner information 223, including the location indicating the exchange, event information 222, and information about the player who performed the exchange. The owner information 223 can be obtained from the player's casino ID card, a face authentication system, a credit card, etc.

[0046] At the gate 10, when a player enters or leaves the casino, the RFID tag 2 is read and / or written. When a player leaves the casino, location and event information 222 indicating the taking out and owner information 223 indicating the player taking out are written as variable information 4 for all gaming tokens 1 that the player takes out, and registration is performed, and when a player enters the casino, location and event information 222 indicating the bringing in and owner information 223 indicating the player bringing in are written as variable information 4 for the gaming tokens 1 that the player takes out, and registration is performed.

[0047] In the betting area 11, the RFID tags 2 of the gaming tokens 1 placed in the betting area 11 by the players to participate in betting are read and / or written. Also, the RFID tags 2 of the gaming tokens 1 placed in the betting area 11 by the dealer as redemption money for the players are read and / or written.

[0048] In the chip tray 12, the RFID tags 2 of the gaming tokens 1 collected in the chip tray and the gaming tokens 1 stored therein are read and / or written.

[0049] The gaming table further includes a payment area, which may read and / or write the RFID tags 2 of the gaming tokens 1 placed in the betting area 11 by the dealer as redemption money for the player.

[0050] In this way, in the gaming table, the variable information 4 (i.e., the information 220 regarding the location) can be updated at the timing when the gaming token 1 is bet (betting timing), at the timing when it is collected by the dealer (collection timing), and at the timing when the dealer makes a payment to the player (payment timing). The variable information 4 may be updated at all of the betting timing, collection timing, and payment timing, or at some of these timings.

[0051] FIG. 7A shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at all of the betting timing, collection timing, and payment timing. By updating the variable information 4 at these timings, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be grasped. At 16:27 on January 28, 2019, Mr. C exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U701). At 16:35 on the same day, Mr. C bets the gaming token 1 at the seat of player position No. 1 at table No. 321 (update U702). Mr. C loses the game, and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12 at 16:38 on the same day (update U703). After that, Mr. D wins the game at player position No. 3 at the same table, and the dealer pays Mr. D the gaming token 1 at 16:52 on the same day (update U704).

[0052] According to this example, first, the information of the dealer or any of the players can be written as the owner information 223 in the variable information 4, so that the history of the owner can be accurately understood. In particular, according to this example, a state in which the actual owner and the owner information always match can be realized. Note that, when a bet is placed, the owner information 223 may remain as it is, that of the player who placed the bet, or may be information indicating that a bet has been placed, not that of the player or the dealer.

[0053] FIG. 7B shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the betting timing and the collection timing. By updating the variable information 4 at these timings, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be understood. At 16:28 on January 28, 2019, Mr. E exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U705). At 16:36 on the same day, Mr. E bets the gaming token 1 at the seat of player position No. 2 at table No. 322 (update U706). Mr. E loses the game, and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12 at 16:39 on the same day (update U707). The gaming token 1 is paid from the chip tray 12 to Mr. F who won the game, and Mr. F bets the gaming token 1 at the seat of player position No. 4 at table No. 322 at 16:53 on the same day (update U708).

[0054] According to this example, it is possible to know from which player the gaming token 1 in the chip tray 12 (i.e. owned by the casino) has been collected. It is also possible to know that the gaming token 1 has certainly been collected from the player by the casino.

[0055] FIG. 7C shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the betting timing and the payment timing. By updating the variable information 4 at these timings, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be understood. At 16:29 on January 28, 2019, Mr. G exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U709). At 16:37 on the same day, G bets the gaming token 1 at player position No. 3 of table No. 323 (update U710). After Mr. G loses the game and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12, the dealer pays the gaming token 1 to Mr. H, who won the game at player position No. 5 at the same table, at 16:53 on the same day (update U711).

[0056] According to this example, it is possible to grasp the betting of each player and the payment (reimbursement) to each player. Also, for example, if Mr. H bets after Mr. G bets without going through payment to Mr. H, it is possible to grasp that Mr. G directly handed over the gaming tokens to Mr. H.

[0057] FIG. 7D shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the collection timing and the payment timing. By updating the variable information 4 at these timings, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be understood. At 16:29 on January 28, 2019, Mr. I exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U712). As a result of Mr. I betting the gaming token 1 at player position No. 4 of table No. 324, Mr. I loses the game, and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12 at 16:40 on the same day (update U713). At 16:54 on the same day, the dealer pays the gaming token 1 to Mr. J, who won the game at player position No. 6 of the same table (update U714).

[0058] In this example, the information of the dealer or any player can be written as the owner information 223 in the variable information 4, so that the history of the owner can be accurately understood. In particular, according to this example, a state in which the actual owner and the owner information always match can be realized.

[0059] FIG. 7E shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the betting timing. By updating the variable information 4 at the betting timing, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be grasped. At 16:30 on January 28, 2019, Mr. K exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U715). At 16:38 on the same day, Mr. K bets the gaming token 1 at the seat of player position No. 5 of table No. 325 (update U716). After Mr. K loses the game and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12, Mr. L at player position No. 1 at the same table wins the game and receives the gaming token 1, and then Mr. L bets the gaming token 1 at the same player position at the same table at 16:50 on the same day (update U717). Mr. L wins the game, and after keeping the gaming token 1 for himself, he bets gaming token 1 at the same player position at the same table at 16:59 on the same day (update U718).

[0060] According to this example, it is possible to know how the player who owns the gaming token 1 has changed through the chip tray 12. It is also possible to know that the gaming token 1 has certainly been bet. This makes it possible to confirm that it is not being used for money laundering.

[0061] FIG. 7F shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the time of collection. By updating the variable information 4 at the time of collection, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be grasped. At 16:28 on January 28, 2019, Mr. M exchanges cash for the gaming token 1 in the cage 5 (update U719). When Mr. M bets the gaming token 1 at player position No. 6 of table No. 326 and loses the game, the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12 at 16:39 on the same day (update U720). After that, Mr. N wins the game at player position No. 2 of the same table and receives the gaming token 1, Mr. N bets the gaming token 1 at the same player position of the same table in the subsequent game, loses the game, and the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12 at 16:59 on the same day (update U721).

[0062] According to this example, it is possible to know at which gaming table the gaming token 1 was used and when, and if fraud is suspected, it is possible to verify the video of the relevant gaming table at the relevant time period and to confirm that it was not used for money laundering.

[0063] FIG. 7G shows an example of updating the variable information 4 at the timing of payment. By updating the variable information 4 at the timing of payment, the following movement of the gaming token 1 can be grasped. At 16:29 on January 28, 2019, Mr. O receives the gaming token 1 at player position No. 7 of table No. 327 (update U722). After that, Mr. O bets the gaming token 1 at the same table and loses the game, so that the gaming token 1 is collected in the chip tray 12, and then Mr. P wins the game at player position No. 3 at the same table, and the dealer pays Mr. P the gaming token 1 at 16:43 on the same day (update U723).

[0064] According to this example, it is possible to know at which gaming table the gaming token 1 owned by the player was used for payment. This makes it possible to confirm that the token was not stolen from the chip tray and was not used for money laundering.

[0065] As described above, in the management system of this embodiment, the variable information 4 (that is, the information 220 relating to location) is updated at least one of the betting timing, the collection timing, and the payment timing in the gaming table.

[0066] In the above example, the update of the variable information 4 at the time of collection may be performed in the bet area or in the chip tray. In the operation of a baccarat game, the bet chips of the losing player are collected first, and then the winning player is paid. Therefore, for the gaming tokens 1 of the winning player, a relatively long time can be secured for updating the variable information 4 in the bet area, and the variable information 4 can be updated relatively reliably in the bet area.

[0067] On the other hand, the gaming tokens 1 to be collected are present in the betting area for a relatively short time from when it is decided that they will be collected (when the game result is determined), so if an attempt is made to update the variable information 4 in the betting area, it is possible that the update will not be completed in time. Therefore, for gaming tokens 1 to be collected, it is advantageous to rewrite the variable information 4 in the chip tray, which is the collection destination.

[0068] The management control device 15 has a function of judging whether there is an abnormality in the location-related information 220 obtained from the reading result of the reading device 13 at each location. In judging whether there is an abnormality, it can judge whether there is any of the following events: the information has not been used for a predetermined period or more since the last time it was written, or the information on the location that should have been written has not been written.

[0069] Events that have not been used for a specified period of time since the last write are 1) The latest location information is information indicating cage 9, and the next information was written more than a predetermined time ago; 2) The latest location information indicates entry at Gate 10, and the next information has been written more than a certain amount of time ago. 3) The most recent location information indicates an exit at Gate 10, and the next information has been posted more than a certain amount of time ago. This is one of the following situations.

[0070] The event where the information regarding the location that should have been written is not written is as follows: 4) When entering an arcade, information indicating exit at gate 10 is not written as information regarding the latest location of data rewritable area 22 of gaming token 1. 5) When used in the cage 9, no information indicating the backyard 7 is written. 6) When leaving the playground, no information indicating the cage 9 or the backyard 7 is written. This is one of the following situations.

[0071] The management control device 15 judges whether an abnormality occurs based on the information 223 about the owner obtained from the reading device 13 as follows: 1) A person other than the final owner of the game token 1 stored in the data rewritable area 22 exchanges the game token 1 for cash or money within the game arcade, or leaves the game arcade. 2) A person other than the owner of the token at the time of exit, whose data is stored in the rewritable data area 22, brings the token into the gaming facility. It is possible to determine either of the above situations.

[0072] The management device 15 determines whether an abnormality occurs based on the information indicating the location of the betting area 11, the information indicating the location of the chip tray 12, or the information indicating the payment area obtained from the reading device 13, as follows: 1) A person other than the final owner of the gaming token 1 stored in the data rewritable area 22 uses the gaming token 1 at a gaming table. 2) A person other than the person who purchased the gaming token 1 at the cage 9 exchanges the gaming token 1, which has no record of use at a gaming table, for cash at the cage 9. 3) A gaming token 1 that does not have information indicating a cage 9 or a backyard 7 is used in an amusement facility. 4) The latest location information is information indicating the betting area 11 or the payment area, and after a predetermined period of time, the information is exchanged for cash in the cage 9 or used at the gaming table. Determine whether the situation is one of 1) to 4) above.

[0073] 6 shows a database according to another embodiment of the present invention. The management system further includes a database 17 that records the gaming token 1 as well as the similar fixed information 3 and variable information 4. The management control device 15 records information in the database 17 based on the reading result of the reading device 13, and can compare the fixed information 3 and variable information 4 stored in the gaming token 1 with the information in the database to determine whether there is an abnormality.

[0074] In the RFID tag 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the functionally unwritable area of ​​the unrewritable area 21 may be a TID. The area that is locked to prevent data writing after necessary information is written in the unrewritable area 21 may be an EPC or a user area. The rewritable area 22 may be an EPC or a user area.

[0075] The reader 13 and the writer 14 may take different forms depending on the location. For example, in the factory 6, they are on a stand as shown in FIG. 4, while at the gate 10 they are box-shaped, and in the betting area 11 and the chip tray 12, the betting area 11 and the chip tray 12 themselves may have the functions of the reader 13 and the writer 14. The gaming tokens 1 may be stacked as they are, or may be read and written while housed in a chip case or the like. The reader 13 and the writer 14 may be integrated.

[0076] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a gaming token has one RFID tag, and the single RFID tag has an area where data cannot be written and an area where data can be rewritten. Alternatively, a gaming token may have two RFID tags, one of which stores fixed information and is locked so that data cannot be written to it, and the other RFID tag records variable information and is set so that data can be rewritten.

[0077] However, in this case, when multiple gaming tokens are read at once, the information group of fixed information 3 and the information group of variable information 4 are read separately, as shown in Figure 5A, so that it is not possible to determine the combination of fixed information and variable information of a specific gaming token, and it is not possible to identify gaming tokens with abnormalities in the variable information.

[0078] In contrast, in the case of a single RFID tag, as shown in Figure 5B, even when multiple gaming tokens are read at once, the mutual correspondence between the fixed information and variable information read by the reading device can be understood, so it is considered better to use a single RFID tag.

[0079] Generally, the larger the diameter of an RFID tag, the higher the reading accuracy, so when placing an RFID tag in a gaming token, it is desirable for the RFID tag to have a diameter at least equal to or greater than the radius of the gaming token, but placing two RFID tags in a gaming token makes the diameter of each RFID tag smaller, which is undesirable. Also, placing two RFID tags increases the number of RFID tags to be read, which leads to a decrease in reading speed when reading multiple gaming tokens.

[0080] For these reasons, it is believed that using a single RFID tag would be more effective. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Substitute coin for games 2. RFID tags 3 Fixed information 4. Changes in Information 5. Blockchain Information 6. Factory 7 Backyard 8 Warehouse 9 Cage 10 Gates 11 Betting Area 12 Chip Tray 13 Reading device 14 Writing device 15 Management control device 16 RFID antennas 17 Database 21 Areas where data cannot be rewritten 22 Data rewritable area 220 Location information 221 Date and time information 222 Location and event information 223 Owner information

Claims

1. A gaming token management system, comprising: A single RFID tag having an area where data cannot be rewritten and an area where data can be rewritten is attached to the gaming token; The area of ​​the RFID tag where the data cannot be rewritten stores at least one of production information, product information, casino information, amount information, and serial number of the gaming token as fixed information, The rewritable data area stores, as variable information, information regarding the location of the gaming token, The management system includes: a writing device for writing information regarding the location of the gaming token in the data rewritable area; a reading device capable of collectively reading the location information stored in the data rewritable area of ​​the plurality of game tokens; a management control device that examines the location information obtained from the reading device; the rewritable data area stores a plurality of pieces of location information including at least the latest location information of all the location information written by the writing device; The management control device has a function of determining whether there are any abnormalities in the history of the location information obtained from the reading device, and if there is an abnormality, generates an error signal and is configured to be able to identify the fixed information of a gaming token that is determined to be abnormal.

2. the rewritable data area is configured to store information about the location as well as information about the time when the writing device wrote data into the gaming token; 2. The management system for gaming tokens as described in claim 1, wherein the management control device is configured to determine whether or not there is an abnormality based on the location information obtained from the reading device, by determining whether or not either of the following events has occurred: the token has not been used for a predetermined period of time since it was last written, or the location information that should have been written has not been written.

3. The information regarding the location includes at least one of information indicating a cage, information indicating entry or exit, and information indicating a backyard, The above-mentioned event of not being used for a specified period of time since the last write is 1) The latest location information is information indicating a cage, and the next information has been written more than a predetermined time ago. 2) The latest information on the location indicates an entry, and the next information has been written more than a predetermined time ago. 3) The latest information on the location indicates an exit, and the next information has been posted more than a certain amount of time ago. In either of the following situations: The event in which the information regarding the location that should have been written is not written is as follows: 4) When entering an arcade, no information indicating exit is written as information regarding the latest location of the data rewritable area of ​​the gaming token. 5) When using the cage, there is no information indicating the backyard. 6) When leaving the amusement facility, there is no information indicating a cage or back yard.

3. The gaming token management system according to claim 2, wherein the gaming token management system is in any one of the above situations.

4. 4. A gaming token management system according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to location includes information relating to an owner of the gaming token.

5. The management control device determines whether or not an abnormality occurs based on the information about the owner obtained from the reading device, as an event. 1) A person other than the final owner of the gaming tokens stored in the rewritable data area converts the gaming tokens into cash or other currency within the gaming arcade, or leaves the gaming arcade. 2) A person other than the owner of the token stored in the rewritable data area at the time of exit brings the token into the gaming facility.

5. The gaming token management system according to claim 4, further comprising a function for determining the situation of either 1) or 2) above.

6. 6. The gaming token management system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein information regarding the owner of the gaming token is identified by face recognition or reading an ID card.

7. A management system for gaming tokens as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the location information further includes information indicating the location of a chip tray on a particular gaming table, information indicating the location of a betting area, or information indicating a payment area.

8. The management control device determines whether or not the abnormality is present based on the information indicating the location of the chip tray, the location of the betting area, or the information indicating the payment area of ​​the specific gaming table obtained from the reading device, as an event for determining whether or not the abnormality is present. 1) A person other than the final owner of the gaming token stored in the rewritable data area uses the gaming token at a gaming table. 2) A person other than the person who purchased the gaming token at the cage exchanges the gaming token that has no record of use at a gaming table for cash at the cage. 3) Tokens that do not indicate a cage or backyard are used in the amusement center. 4) The latest location information is information indicating a betting area or a payment area, and after a predetermined period of time has passed, the information is exchanged for cash in a cage or used at a gaming table.

8. The gaming token management system according to claim 7, further comprising a function for determining any one of the above situations 1) to 4).

9. 9. The gaming token management system according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the RFID tag is encrypted.

10. A management system for gaming tokens as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the area where data cannot be rewritten is configured to be functionally unable to write data or is configured to be locked so that data cannot be written.

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