Gambling addiction prevention device, gambling addiction prevention method, and computer program

Abstract

In order to assist prevention of gambling addiction or recovery from gambling addiction, this gambling addiction countermeasure device comprises an acquisition unit, a determining unit, and an assistance unit. The acquisition unit acquires subject information pertaining to a subject including action information representing the action of the subject, from an information source for outputting the subject information. The determining unit determines the addiction degree, which is the degree by which the subject is addicted to gambling. If the assistance unit uses the addiction degree of the subject to determine that an assistance countermeasure is necessary, the assistance unit determines assistance countermeasure specifics corresponding to the addiction degree and outputs information corresponding to the determined assistance countermeasure specifics.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for assisting recovery from gambling addiction. [Background technology]

[0002] In Japan, gambling is prohibited under the Criminal Code, but publicly managed sports events are held by public institutions in the hope of generating economic benefits. Publicly managed sports events include horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing.

[0003] There is no problem with enjoying publicly managed gambling as a healthy form of entertainment, but some people develop gambling addiction (also known as pathological gambling or gambling disorder). Gambling addiction is a mental illness in which people become so obsessed with gambling that they lose control and it interferes with their daily and social lives.

[0004] Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2019-180886) discloses a technology that sends images of a target person playing gaming machines such as pachinko machines or slot machines to a supporter, and sends a notification to the supporter when the target person's spending amount reaches a limit.

[0005] Patent Document 2 (JP 2020-135366 A) discloses a technology that acquires and analyzes a gambling user's gambling history and biometric information to provide advice tailored to the user's psychological state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-180886 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-135366 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Gambling addiction is a mental illness that is difficult for individuals to recognize, and recovery is difficult through the individual's will alone. For this reason, in order to recover from gambling addiction, it is necessary to provide support to those who have already developed a gambling addiction and those who are considered to be at risk of developing a gambling addiction.

[0008] The main object of the present invention is to propose a method for preventing people from becoming addicted to gambling and for supporting recovery from such addiction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the gambling addiction prevention device according to the present invention is: an acquisition means for acquiring subject information from an information source that outputs subject information relating to the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject; a determination means for determining the degree of gambling addiction of the subject, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling, using the subject information; a support means for determining the content of a support measure according to the degree of dependency in the subject when it is determined that the subject needs the support measure using the degree of dependency, and outputting information according to the content of the support measure determined; Equipped with.

[0010] In addition, one aspect of the gambling addiction countermeasure method according to the present invention is as follows: By computer, acquire subject information from an information source that outputs subject information about the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject; Using the subject information, determine the degree of gambling addiction of the subject, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling; If it is determined that support measures are necessary using the degree of dependency of the subject, the content of the support measures is determined according to the degree of dependency, and information according to the determined content of the support measures is output.

[0011] Furthermore, one aspect of the program storage medium according to the present invention is A process of acquiring subject information from an information source that outputs subject information regarding the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject; a process of determining a gambling addiction level, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling, using the subject information; a process of determining the content of a support measure according to the degree of dependency of the subject when it is determined that a support measure is necessary using the degree of dependency of the subject, and outputting information according to the content of the support measure determined; The computer program for causing a computer to execute the above is stored. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent people from falling into a state of gambling addiction and to support recovery from a state of gambling addiction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a gambling addiction prevention device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display mode for a seminar on a display device of a terminal device. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for restricting entry into a venue. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the gambling addiction prevention device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a gambling addiction prevention device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a gambling addiction prevention device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a gambling addiction countermeasure device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The gambling addiction countermeasure device (hereinafter also referred to as the countermeasure device) 1 of the first embodiment works in conjunction with an operating system 3 that operates publicly managed sports games. It prevents potential gambling addicts from becoming addicted to gambling and helps existing gambling addicts recover from their gambling addiction. Publicly managed sports games include horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing, and each type of publicly managed sports game has its own operating system that operates the game. In the first embodiment, the countermeasure device 1 is connected to at least one of these operating systems. It is assumed that when the countermeasure device 1 is connected to multiple operating systems 3, the types of information exchanged between each operating system 3 and the countermeasure device 1 and the procedures for doing so are the same. Therefore, in the following explanation, even when the countermeasure device 1 is connected to multiple operating systems 3, information communication between one operating system 3 and the countermeasure device 1 will be described, and information communication between the other operating systems 3 and the countermeasure device 1 will not be described.

[0016] The management system 3 is equipped with an management device 7, which is a computer device that executes processes such as the sale of betting tickets (horse betting tickets, lottery tickets, and boat tickets) and refunds. The sale of betting tickets, refunds, and other processes are not necessarily executed by a single computer device, but may be executed by multiple devices. It is also conceivable that a computer device is provided for each process. In this way, the management system 3 may be equipped with multiple types and multiple computers, but the computers that execute processes related to the management of the management system 3 will be collectively referred to as the management device 7.

[0017] The operating device 7 is connectable to a terminal device 5. The terminal device 5 is an information device (computer device) operated by a user who connects to a voting site operated by the operating system 3 and votes, and has a communication function and a display control function that controls a display device to display information. The type of terminal device 5 is not limited as long as it is an information device that has a communication function and a display control function, and specific examples include a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer (PC). Note that if the terminal device 5 is a smartphone or a tablet, the display device may be integrated with the terminal device 5, and if the terminal device 5 is a PC, the display device may be external.

[0018] The management device 7 has the function of executing processes related to betting tickets, such as purchasing and refunding betting tickets in response to commands such as betting ticket purchase requests transmitted from the terminal device 5. Incidentally, services related to betting tickets, such as purchasing and refunding betting tickets (hereinafter also referred to as betting ticket-related services), are services that involve money. For this reason, the management device 7 provides betting ticket-related services only to users (also referred to as members) who have completed membership registration in advance. That is, the database (not shown) to which the management device 7 is connected stores member registration information registered by users (members). The member registration information includes, for example, name, age, occupation, contact information, information indicating the name and account number of the financial institution used to purchase and refund betting tickets, a member ID (Identification) assigned to the user (member) by the management system 3, and the user's (member's) password.

[0019] When providing betting ticket-related services, the management device 7 confirms that the user receiving the services is a member by referencing the member registration information in the database. The management device 7 then provides the betting ticket-related services to the user by executing processes related to the purchase of betting tickets, including interactions with the financial institution registered by the user. When information from this betting ticket-related service is sent from the management device 7 to the terminal device 5, the terminal device 5 receives the information and presents it to the user on a display device.

[0020] In addition, the management device 7 stores the history of the users who have been provided with betting ticket-related services, such as the dates of the events on which they bet, the purchase amounts, and the refund amounts, in a database as betting history information for each user, and updates it as appropriate.

[0021] The countermeasure device 1 is a computer device and includes an arithmetic unit 10 and a storage device 20. The storage device 20 includes a storage medium for storing data and a computer program (hereinafter also referred to as a program) 21. There are multiple types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk drives and semiconductor memory devices, and there are many types of semiconductor memory devices, such as multiple types of RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The type of storage device 20 included in the countermeasure device 1 is not limited to one. Computer devices are often equipped with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the types and number of storage devices 20 included in the countermeasure device 1 are not limited, and their description will be omitted. Furthermore, when the countermeasure device 1 is equipped with multiple types of storage devices 20, they will be collectively referred to as the storage device 20. Note that the countermeasure device 1 may be connected to an external storage device (database) 2 and may read and write data to and from the external storage device 2. However, even if data is read and written to and from the external storage device 2, a description of such a case will be omitted here.

[0022] The arithmetic device 10 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The arithmetic device 10 can have various functions based on a program 21 by reading and executing the program 21 stored in a storage device 20. Here, the arithmetic device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a support unit 13 as functional units for countering gambling addiction.

[0023] The acquisition unit 11 acquires subject information from an information source that outputs subject information related to the subject. The information source here is the operating system 3 to which the countermeasure device 1 is connected. The subject is a member who is registered with the operating system 3 and whose information is acquired by the acquisition unit 11, and is, for example, a member who has agreed to have his / her information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 or a member who desires countermeasures against gambling addiction, and meets predetermined conditions. The subject may be all members who are registered with the operating system 3.

[0024] The subject information is information about the subject, and includes behavioral information about the subject. Specific examples of the subject's behavioral information that the acquisition unit 11 acquires from the operating system 3 include information about the purchase date when the subject purchased a betting ticket and information about the betting method (for example, information about the type of betting ticket purchased and the purchase amount). From the purchase date information, information about the time (number of years) since becoming a member and purchase frequency can be obtained. Furthermore, from the betting method information, information about the subject's relationship with gambling and the total purchase amount per unit period can be obtained.

[0025] Meanwhile, the operating system 3 can conduct a survey and obtain survey responses from members when registering as a member or when conducting a campaign. Therefore, the operating system 3 can, for example, include questions in the survey to obtain information that can be used to combat gambling addiction. When such a survey is conducted by the operating system 3, the information on the survey responses is stored in a database, for example, in association with the member ID. In such a case, the survey responses may be acquired by the acquisition unit 11 as behavioral information of the subject.

[0026] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 acquires attribute information representing the attributes of the subject as subject information from the operating system 3. The attribute information here includes information representing age and occupation. Furthermore, if information regarding the subject's bank balance can be acquired as subject information, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the information regarding the subject's bank balance, for example, via the operating system 3.

[0027] The acquisition unit 11 acquires subject information including the above-described behavioral information and attribute information of the subject at each predetermined acquisition timing. The acquired subject information is stored in the storage device 20 in association with, for example, a member ID representing the subject.

[0028] The determination unit 12 determines the degree of addiction of the subject using the subject information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. The degree of addiction here represents the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling, and is expressed, for example, by a numerical value or a letter or symbol indicating a level corresponding to the degree of addiction. The degree of addiction ranges from a state of no addiction to gambling to a state of severe addiction to gambling that requires treatment.

[0029] One method for assessing a subject's level of addiction using subject information is, for example, a method using addiction assessment data. The addiction assessment data is data relating the information used for assessment and the addiction level, which derives the subject's addiction level using, for example, multiple types of information (hereinafter also referred to as "information used for assessment") preselected from subject information including behavioral information and the subject's attribute information, each including at least one type of behavioral information. Here, the behavioral information used to assess the subject's level of addiction includes behavioral history information calculated from the subject's behavioral information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. Specific examples of behavioral history information include the subject's frequency of purchasing betting tickets and the total purchase amount per unit period (e.g., one month) over the past year. Here, the information used for assessment includes at least one type of behavioral information. Furthermore, the addiction assessment data is generated using, for example, the results of statistical processing of a large number of sample data including the addiction level assessed by a gambling addiction expert (e.g., a doctor) and the behavioral and history information of the person assessed for the addiction level. The generated addiction assessment data is stored in the storage device 20 of the countermeasure device 1.

[0030] When determining the degree of dependency of a subject using such dependency determination data, if the determination use information includes behavioral history information, the determination unit 12 calculates the behavioral history information from the behavioral information of the subject. Then, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of dependency of the subject by calculating the degree of dependency of the subject using the determination use information including the behavioral history information and the dependency determination data.

[0031] Another method for assessing a subject's level of addiction using subject information is to use AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. In this case, an addiction assessment model generated by machine learning using AI technology is stored in the storage device 20 of the countermeasure device 1. The addiction assessment model is a model that receives the aforementioned assessment use information as input and outputs information representing the subject's level of addiction. This addiction assessment model is generated by machine learning using as training data a large amount of sample data including the level of addiction assessed by a gambling addiction expert (e.g., a doctor) and behavioral information and history information of the person whose level of addiction has been assessed.

[0032] The judgment unit 12 judges the degree of dependence of the subject using the judgment method described above at each preset judgment timing, and stores the judgment results for each subject in the storage device 20 as judgment history information, for example, by associating them with a member ID.

[0033] The support unit 13 uses the degree of addiction determined by the determination unit 12 and the necessity determination data to determine whether the subject needs support measures for gambling addiction. That is, the necessity determination data is data for determining whether support measures are necessary, and includes, for example, information indicating the range of addiction levels that require support measures. This necessity determination data is generated in advance, for example, with reference to the opinions of gambling addiction experts, and stored in the storage device 20. Note that, here, the range of addiction levels that require support measures for gambling addiction is set to include those who are likely to develop gambling addiction.

[0034] The support unit 13 reads the latest addiction level information from the assessment history information for each subject, compares the read addiction level with the necessity determination data, and determines whether support measures for gambling addiction are necessary. The timing at which the support unit 13 makes such a determination on the necessity of measures may be set as appropriate, with one example being at predetermined intervals. Another example of the timing at which the support unit 13 makes a determination on the necessity of measures is when the determination unit 12 determines the addiction level. Another example of the timing is when the subject logs in to a betting site operated by the operating system 3 using the terminal device 5. Furthermore, if the subject has registered biometric information such as a facial image as membership registration information, the operating system 3 can detect that the subject is attempting to purchase a betting ticket at a betting machine at a public racetrack or an off-track betting station using the subject's biometric information and surveillance camera footage. Therefore, one example of the timing at which the support unit 13 makes a determination on the necessity of measures is when it is detected that the subject is attempting to purchase a betting ticket at a betting machine at a public racetrack or an off-track betting station. If the timing when a subject person as described above is about to vote is set as the timing to make a decision on whether or not countermeasures are necessary, information regarding the subject person's vote is transmitted from the management device 7 of the management system 3 to the countermeasures device 1.

[0035] When the support unit 13 determines that support measures are necessary, it determines the content of the support measures for the target person who needs the support measures (hereinafter also referred to as the target person of the measures) according to the degree of dependency, and outputs information according to the content of the determined support measures.

[0036] For example, one possible support measure is to encourage the countermeasure target to participate in a seminar on gambling addiction. In this case, for example, the support unit 13 outputs information corresponding to the support measure content (hereinafter also referred to as countermeasure information) to the terminal device 5 of the countermeasure target via the operating system 3, including information instructing the countermeasure target to participate in a seminar on gambling addiction and the member ID of the countermeasure target. In this case, for example, when the countermeasure target operates the terminal device 5 to vote using the betting ticket sales service provided by the operating system 3, the terminal device 5 controls the display of the display device in accordance with the instruction information from the support unit 13. That is, the terminal device 5 displays a pop-up display S, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, on the display screen to encourage the countermeasure target to participate in the seminar. Moreover, the display S may not be a pop-up display, but may be another display mode such as a highlighted display or a blinking display that is easily visible to the countermeasure target.

[0037] Another possible support measure is restricting entry into a publicly managed racetrack. For example, suppose a target person has a facial image registered as member registration information. A flapper gate 30, such as that shown in FIG. 3, is installed at the entrance to the racetrack, and entry into the racetrack can be controlled by opening and closing the flapper gate 30 using an opening / closing device 31 under the control of the management device 7. Furthermore, suppose a photographing device 33 photographs a person 15 approaching the flapper gate 30. In such a case, for example, the support unit 13 outputs, as countermeasure information, information to the management system 3 that includes an instruction to block entry and the member ID of the target person. Furthermore, upon receiving the countermeasure information, the management device 7 of the management system 3 has a function of detecting the target person, whose member ID is included in the countermeasure information, from an image captured by the photographing device 33 using a facial image included in the member registration and face recognition technology. If the operator device 7 detects a target person whose member ID is included in the received countermeasure information from the image captured by the camera device 33, it controls the opening / closing device 31 to keep the flapper gate 30 closed to prevent the target person from entering the venue. In such a case, since it is expected that the target person will become suspicious when the flapper gate 30 does not open, the operator device 7 may control the display of a display device 34 installed near the flapper gate 30 to display the reason why the flapper gate 30 does not open. Furthermore, the operator device 7 may control the display device 34 to display a message encouraging the target person to participate in a seminar on gambling addiction, as described above. While the above example uses facial recognition technology as a method for restricting entry to publicly managed racing venues, other biometric authentication technologies may also be used to restrict entry to publicly managed racing venues. Examples of biometric authentication technologies other than facial images include fingerprint authentication, palm print authentication, vein authentication, voice authentication, iris authentication, ear authentication, and ear acoustic authentication. The member registration information will include biometric information corresponding to the type of biometric authentication to be adopted. A device for acquiring biometric information corresponding to the type of biometric authentication to be adopted will be installed near the flapper gate 30.

[0038] Another possible support measure is for a public racetrack attendant to speak to a countermeasure target entering the racetrack, encouraging them to attend a seminar on gambling addiction or to refrain from excessive betting. For example, suppose a target has a facial image registered as member registration information, and a photograph of a person entering the racetrack is taken with a camera. In such a case, the support unit 13 outputs information including an instruction to speak to the target and the target's member ID as countermeasure information to the operating system 3. Furthermore, upon receiving countermeasure information, the operating device 7 of the operating system 3 has a function to detect the target person with the member ID included in the information by face recognition technology from an image captured by the camera 33 using the facial image included in the member registration. Then, when the operating device 7 detects the target person with the member ID included in the received countermeasure information from an image captured by the camera, the operating device 7 instructs the attendant to speak to the target person. That is, the management device 7 displays a face image of the countermeasure target (member) to be spoken to and the contents of the message to the staff member, and instructs the staff member to speak to the countermeasure target, by controlling the display of, for example, a display device connected to the management device 7. The contents of the message may be the same regardless of the degree of dependency of the countermeasure target, or may differ depending on the degree of dependency of the countermeasure target.

[0039] Another possible support measure is to inform pre-registered supporters, such as the target's family, that the target has voted when the target has voted. In this case, information regarding the target's vote is transmitted from the management device 7 of the management system 3 to the countermeasure device 1. The storage device 20 of the countermeasure device 1 stores contact information that associates the member IDs of at least the target targets (which may be all target targets, for example) with information such as the contact phone numbers and email addresses of supporters who will notify the target targets of information related to their votes. In this case, when the support unit 13 detects that the target targets have voted using the information received from the management device 7, it extracts the contact information of the supporters associated with the target targets' member ID from the contact information in the storage device 20. The support unit 13 then outputs a notification to the registered supporters as countermeasure information, informing them that the target targets have voted. The notification output to the supporters may include not only information informing them that the target targets have voted, but also information such as the amount of the vote.

[0040] Furthermore, as another support measure, if the purchase amount of betting tickets in a unit period (e.g., month) reaches a set upper limit, it is possible to stop selling betting tickets until the end of that unit period. The upper limit is set appropriately with reference to the opinions of experts on gambling addiction. The upper limit may also be set variably for each target person depending on the target person's behavioral history information and level of addiction.

[0041] In this way, when an upper limit on the purchase amount of betting tickets during a unit period is set, for example, the support unit 13 outputs, as countermeasure information, information to the operating device 7 of the operating system 3, including an instruction to stop sales of betting tickets when the upper limit is reached, information indicating the upper limit, and the member ID of the countermeasure target. The operating device 7 receives the countermeasure information, monitors the purchase amount of betting tickets during a unit period for the countermeasure target whose member ID is included in the countermeasure information, and suspends sales of betting tickets to the countermeasure target when the purchase amount of betting tickets reaches the upper limit. Furthermore, when the operating device 7 suspends sales of betting tickets in this way, it outputs information explaining the reason to, for example, the terminal device 5 of the countermeasure target via the operating system 3. In this case, too, the operating device 7 may output, to the terminal device 5 of the countermeasure target, an instruction to display a message encouraging the countermeasure target to participate in the aforementioned seminar on gambling addiction.

[0042] Another possible support measure is encouraging the target to participate in a virtual competition, rather than a real competition. Virtual competitions are competitions held in a virtual space. Virtual competitions include those that involve enjoying competitions such as horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing displayed on a screen, as well as those that utilize virtual reality (VR) technology. However, the types and content of these competitions are not limited, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, since virtual competitions are a support measure, their primary purpose is to enjoy the competition without using money. It is preferable that the virtual competition is not a monetary gamble, but rather a gamble using, for example, points whose value changes depending on the value or cards whose type changes depending on the value. Furthermore, virtual competitions as a support measure may have a rule that first-time target participants are granted a predetermined number of points or cards to use in the competition. Furthermore, in these virtual competitions, the target may be able to exchange the points or cards they acquire for prizes or services based on the value of the points or type of cards. Furthermore, in this virtual competition, multiple countermeasure target persons may participate in the same competition, and a ranking of participants may be announced based on the number of points acquired in the competition, the type of card, etc. Furthermore, in this virtual competition, participants are not limited to countermeasure target persons, and other people who wish to participate may also participate as general participants. In this case, general participants may acquire points and cards to be used in the virtual competition by purchasing them with real money.

[0043] Such virtual competitions may be run by the operating device 7 of the operating system 3, or may be run by the countermeasure device 1. When such virtual competitions are used as support countermeasures, for example, the support unit 13 outputs countermeasure information to the operating device 7 of the operating system 3, including the member ID of the countermeasure target and instructions to encourage the target to participate in the virtual competition. The operating device 7 receives the countermeasure information and outputs information encouraging the target to participate in the virtual competition, rather than voting in the publicly managed race, to the terminal device 5 of the target whose member ID is included in the countermeasure information. Based on the information, the terminal device 5 that receives this information displays, for example, a pop-up message encouraging the target to participate in the virtual competition on its display device. Furthermore, instead of a pop-up display, the message may be displayed in another display format, such as highlighted or flashing, that is easily visible to the target.

[0044] As mentioned above, various support measures are possible. From among these support measures, a support measure selected according to the degree of addiction of the person being supported is set as the support measure content. The support measure content may be a type of support measure according to the degree of addiction of the person being supported, or a combination of types of support measures according to the degree of addiction of the person being supported, and is set appropriately with reference to the opinions of experts on gambling addiction.

[0045] That is, the storage device 20 of the countermeasure device 1 has countermeasure content data generated in advance, in which the dependency of the countermeasure target person is associated with the support countermeasure content corresponding to the dependency. The support unit 13 compares the dependency of the countermeasure target person with the countermeasure content data, extracts the support countermeasure content corresponding to the dependency of the countermeasure target person from the countermeasure content data, and determines the support countermeasure content for the countermeasure target person. Then, the support unit 13 outputs information corresponding to the determined support countermeasure content (i.e., countermeasure information) as described above. Note that the behavior of the countermeasure target person may be classified into multiple patterns based on the behavior history information of the countermeasure target person, and countermeasure content data may be set for each pattern. In this case, the support unit 13 may classify the behavior pattern of the countermeasure target person by referring to the behavior history information, and determine the support countermeasure content for the countermeasure target person by referring to the countermeasure content data corresponding to the classification. Furthermore, multiple countermeasure content data may be set according to the attribute information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 (or a combination of the attributes if multiple attribute information is acquired). In this case, the support unit 13 may determine the support countermeasure content for the countermeasure target person by referring to the measure content data corresponding to the attribute information of the countermeasure target person. When multiple countermeasure content data are set in this way, different support countermeasure content may be implemented depending on the behavior history information and attribute information of the countermeasure target, even if the dependency level is the same. In other words, the countermeasure device 1 can implement more appropriate support countermeasures for the countermeasure target.

[0046] The countermeasure device 1 is configured as described above. Next, an example of the operation of the countermeasure device 1 relating to support measures for countermeasure targets will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing steps relating to support measures for countermeasure targets in the countermeasure device 1.

[0047] For example, when the acquisition unit 11 detects that it is a predetermined acquisition timing, it acquires target person information from the operating system 3, which is an information source (step 101 in FIG. 4). Here, the target person information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 includes behavioral information and attribute information of the target person. The target person information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 is associated with the target person's member ID and stored in the storage device 20.

[0048] Thereafter, the determination unit 12 determines the degree of gambling addiction, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling, for each subject using the subject information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the addiction assessment data or addiction assessment model (step 102). The timing of this determination may be different for each subject depending on the subject's behavior, or may be a timing in which all subjects are assessed in turn at predetermined time intervals. The information on the degree of addiction determined in this manner is associated with, for example, a member ID for each subject and stored in the storage device 20 as assessment history information.

[0049] Thereafter, the support unit 13 uses the degree of addiction determined by the determination unit 12 and the necessity determination data to determine whether the subject needs support measures for gambling addiction. If the support unit 13 determines that support measures are necessary, it determines the content of support measures for the subject who needs the support measures (i.e., the person being supported) according to the degree of addiction (step 103). Furthermore, the support unit 13 outputs information according to the determined content of support measures (countermeasure information) (step 104). The output destination of the countermeasure information is an output destination according to the content of the countermeasure information, and may be a supporter registered in advance, the operating system 3, or the subject's terminal device 5 via the operating system 3.

[0050] As described above, the countermeasure device (gambling addiction countermeasure device) 1 of the first embodiment has a function of determining the degree of addiction of a subject by using subject information including behavioral information of the subject. Furthermore, when the countermeasure device 1 determines that support measures for gambling addiction are necessary by using the determined degree of addiction, it has a function of determining the content of support measures according to the degree of addiction and outputting information according to the content of support measures. In other words, the countermeasure device 1 can implement support measures according to the subject's degree of addiction, so that appropriate countermeasures for gambling addiction are implemented for the subject, thereby effectively supporting the prevention of gambling addiction and recovery from gambling addiction.

[0051] The determination unit 12 and the support unit 13 may be realized using a support model based on AI technology. That is, the support model is a model that receives subject information as input and outputs information representing the degree of dependency and, if support measures are needed, information representing the content of the support measures. The support model is generated by machine learning and stored in the storage device 20. In generating this support model, data including, for example, behavioral information, attribute information, information on the degree of dependency, and information on changes in the degree of dependency in response to support measures is used as training data. When this support model is used, for example, the determination unit 12 inputs subject information to the support model at a predetermined determination timing. As a result, the support model outputs information representing the subject's degree of dependency and, if support measures are needed, information representing the content of the support measures (countermeasure information). When the countermeasure information is output from the support model, the support unit 13 outputs the countermeasure information to a predetermined output destination. The support model may be an explainable AI (Artificial Intelligence) model that can output an explanation of the reason for determining the degree of dependency and the reason for determining the content of the support measures. In this case, the following is possible. For example, when a message encouraging the user to participate in a seminar on gambling addiction is displayed on the display device of the terminal device 5, a request for an explanation of the reason for the message can be accepted. When the request for explanation is output from the terminal device 5 by the subject operating the terminal device 5 and is received by the countermeasure device 1 via the operating system 3, an explanation corresponding to the request for explanation is sent back to the terminal device 5 of the subject.

[0052] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the second embodiment, components with the same names as those used in the description of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the common parts will be omitted.

[0053] The gambling addiction countermeasure device (countermeasure device) 1 of the second embodiment has, in addition to the configuration of the countermeasure device 1 of the first embodiment, a configuration that increases the types of information used in processes such as determining the degree of addiction compared to the first embodiment.

[0054] That is, the subject includes a subject wearing a wearable device. A wearable device is a computer device worn on the wrist, arm, neck, head, etc., and in this case, it is a terminal device equipped with a function for acquiring biometric information, such as the pulse rate and body temperature, of the wearer. For example, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the subject's biometric information when voting in a competition from the wearable device worn by the subject via the operating system 3. The acquired biometric information is associated with the member ID and stored in the storage device 20 as behavioral information. By analyzing the subject's biometric information, such as the subject's pulse rate and body temperature, using emotion analysis technology, it is possible to estimate the subject's emotions at the time the analyzed biometric information was acquired. This makes it possible to estimate the subject's emotions at the time of voting using the biometric information acquired from the subject's wearable device. The subject's emotions at the time of voting are considered to be information that contributes to determining the subject's level of addiction.

[0055] As a result, in the second embodiment, the dependency assessment data or dependency assessment model used by the assessment unit 12 to assess the degree of dependency is generated using behavioral information that also includes information representing the subject's emotions at the time of voting. That is, in the dependency assessment data, the assessment use information that constitutes the data includes information representing the subject's emotions at the time of voting. Furthermore, in the dependency assessment model, machine learning is performed when the model is generated, including information representing the subject's emotions at the time of voting.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the judgment unit 12 judges the degree of dependence of the subject using data or a model for determining the degree of dependence that also reflects information representing the subject's emotions at the time of voting, and the subject's biometric information acquired by the acquisition unit 11.

[0057] As described above, the countermeasure device 1 of the second embodiment is configured to be able to execute processing that also utilizes information that indicates the subject's emotions. This allows the countermeasure device 1 of the second embodiment to improve the reliability of the subject's degree of addiction determined by the determination unit 12. In other words, the countermeasure device 1 of the second embodiment is expected to provide more appropriate countermeasures against gambling addiction for the subject, and can effectively support the prevention of gambling addiction and recovery from gambling addiction.

[0058] In the above example, information about the subject's emotions at the time of voting is acquired using the subject's biometric information acquired using a wearable device. Alternatively, for example, if a camera is installed at a public racetrack betting machine or off-track betting booth that can capture the subject's face and behavior when purchasing a betting ticket, information about the subject's emotions at the time of voting may be acquired using images captured by the camera. In other words, in this case, the subject's membership registration information includes information about the subject's facial image. For example, the management device 7 has a function for detecting the subject from the captured image using facial recognition technology using the facial image in the membership registration information. When the subject is detected, the management device 7 transmits the captured image containing the subject to the countermeasure device 1. The acquisition unit 11 of the countermeasure device 1 then acquires the captured image as the subject's behavior information. Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 12 analyzes the subject depicted in the captured image to estimate the subject's emotions at the time of voting. The determination unit 12 and the support unit 13 perform processing that also utilizes information indicating the subject's emotions.

[0059] Furthermore, when an assistance model using AI technology that realizes the determination unit 12 and the assistance unit 13 as described above is used, training data that also includes information about emotions at the time of voting is used to generate the assistance model. Furthermore, the determination unit 12 inputs subject information, also including information about emotions at the time of voting, into the assistance model at a predetermined determination timing. As a result, the assistance model outputs information that indicates the subject's degree of dependence, taking into account the subject's emotions at the time of voting, and, if support measures are necessary, information that indicates the content of the support measures.

[0060] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the first or second embodiment and may be embodied in various ways. For example, in addition to the configurations of the first or second embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the subject's location information as behavioral information. That is, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire location information, for example, by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) provided in a mobile device carried by the subject, as the subject's behavioral information from the mobile device as an information source. By using the behavioral information acquired in this manner, the countermeasure device 1 can acquire information on places the subject stops at on the way to a public racecourse or an off-track betting booth or on the way back from the public racecourse or an off-track betting booth. Such information on the places where the subject stops is considered to include information related to the subject's level of addiction. Therefore, by using the information on the places where the subject stops, it is considered possible to improve the reliability of determining the subject's level of addiction.

[0061] From this, for example, dependency determination data or a dependency determination model that reflects information about places visited is generated. The determination unit 12 determines the dependency of the subject using the dependency determination data or the dependency determination model and the subject information including the subject's location information acquired by the acquisition unit 11.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a gambling addiction countermeasure device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The gambling addiction countermeasure device 40 shown in FIG. 5 is, for example, a computer device, and includes an acquisition unit 41, a determination unit 42, and a support unit 43, which are implemented by executing a computer program. The acquisition unit 41 acquires subject information from an information source that outputs subject information about the subject, including behavioral information representing the subject's behavior. The determination unit 42 uses the acquired subject information to determine the subject's level of addiction, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling. If the support unit 43 determines that support measures are necessary based on the subject's level of addiction, it determines the content of the support measures according to the level of addiction and outputs information according to the determined content of the support measures.

[0063] Next, an example of the operation related to support measures in the gambling addiction countermeasure device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. For example, the acquisition unit 41 acquires subject information from an information source (step 201). Thereafter, the determination unit 42 uses the subject information to determine the subject's level of addiction (step 202). Thereafter, when the support unit 43 determines that support measures are necessary based on the subject's level of addiction, it determines the content of the support measures according to the level of addiction and outputs information according to the determined content of the support measures (step 203).

[0064] The gambling addiction countermeasure device 40 has the configuration described above, and is therefore able to prevent a person from falling into a state of gambling addiction and to assist in recovery from a state of gambling addiction.

[0065] The present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiments as exemplary examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, the present invention can be applied in various aspects that can be understood by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Countermeasures 3. Operating System 5 Terminal Devices 11,41 Acquisition Department 12,42 Judgment part 13,43 Support Department 40 Gambling addiction prevention device

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring subject information from an information source that outputs subject information regarding the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject and attribute information representing the attributes of the subject; a determination means for determining the degree of gambling addiction, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling, using the addiction determination data and the behavioral history information; a support means for determining the content of a support measure according to the degree of dependency in the subject when it is determined that a support measure is necessary using the degree of dependency in the subject, and outputting information according to the content of the support measure determined; the dependency assessment data is data that indicates a relationship between the dependency level and behavioral history information of the subject, the data being generated using a result of statistical processing of data including the dependency level assessed by a doctor and behavioral information of the person whose dependency level has been assessed by the doctor; The behavioral history information is included in the behavioral information of the subject, and includes the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket or the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket per unit period. Gambling addiction prevention device.

2. The behavioral information included in the target information is information related to betting in publicly managed competitions. The gambling addiction prevention device according to claim 1.

3. The support means outputs, as information according to the support measure content, an instruction to prevent the subject determined to require the support measure from entering the stadium, to a device that manages entry into the stadium. The gambling addiction prevention device according to claim 2.

4. By computer, acquiring subject information from an information source that outputs subject information regarding the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject and attribute information representing the attributes of the subject; Using the addiction assessment data and the behavioral history information, determine the degree of addiction of the subject, which is the degree to which the subject is addicted to gambling; a gambling addiction countermeasure method for determining whether support measures are necessary by utilizing the degree of addiction of the subject, determining the content of the support measures according to the degree of addiction, and outputting information according to the determined content of the support measures, the dependency assessment data is data that indicates a relationship between the dependency level and behavioral history information of the subject, the data being generated using a result of statistical processing of data including the dependency level assessed by a doctor and behavioral information of the person whose dependency level has been assessed by the doctor; The behavioral history information is included in the behavioral information of the subject, and includes the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket or the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket per unit period. How to combat gambling addiction.

5. A process of acquiring subject information from an information source that outputs subject information regarding the subject, the subject information including behavioral information representing the behavior of the subject and attribute information representing the attributes of the subject; a process of determining the degree of gambling addiction of the subject by using the addiction assessment data and the behavioral history information; When it is determined that a support measure is necessary using the degree of dependency of the subject, a support measure content is determined according to the degree of dependency, and information according to the determined support measure content is output. the dependency assessment data is data that indicates a relationship between the dependency level and behavioral history information of the subject, the data being generated using a result of statistical processing of data including the dependency level assessed by a doctor and behavioral information of the person whose dependency level has been assessed by the doctor; The behavioral history information is included in the behavioral information of the subject, and includes the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket or the subject's frequency of purchasing a ballot ticket per unit period. Computer program.

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