Gaming system, management device, and method for restricting prize exchange

Abstract

To secure the effectiveness of a self-discretion program and prevent excessive immersion in games.SOLUTION: As shown in Fig. 1 (a), if an application is made to regulate a prize exchange based on the number of obtained balls within a target period and if an amount used within one month reaches Yen 50,000, as shown in Fig. 1 (b), on the start day of an applied condition, that is Oct. 1, 2022, a balance is 2,000 balls, and the day when reaching the applied condition is Oct. 21, 2022, and the balance at the end of games is 5,150 balls. As shown in Fig. 1 (c), when a prize exchange is conducted in a prize management device 60, the number of exchangeable balls and the number of exchange regulation balls are displayed. Specifically, the number of exchange regulation balls is displayed as 3,150 balls by subtracting the balance at the time of starting the applied condition from the balance at the end of games. Further, the number of exchangeable balls is displayed as 2,000 balls by subtracting the number of exchange regulation balls from the balance at the end of games.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming system, a management device, and a prize exchange restriction method capable of restricting prize exchange when the gaming situation of a player reaches the application conditions.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in gaming stores such as pachinko parlors, a self-reporting program has been introduced as part of efforts to provide enlightenment and prevention regarding the problem of dependence on gaming. In the self-reporting program, players declare the upper limit of the amount of money used for gaming in a day, etc., thereby suppressing the player's immersion in gaming.

[0003] For this reason, prior art related to such a self-reporting program is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for displaying different warning screens when reading a card, at the end of a game, at settlement, and at prize exchange for a self-declarer who plays games.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the one in Patent Document 1 only gives a warning display when the application conditions of the self-reporting program are reached for the player. For this reason, the player can continue playing while ignoring the warning display, and the effectiveness of the self-reporting program cannot be ensured.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a gaming system, a management device, and a method for restricting prize exchange that can ensure the effectiveness of a self-reporting program and prevent excessive addiction to gaming. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a gaming system comprising a management device provided to communicate with each machine device attached to a gaming machine, and a prize management device for exchanging prizes, wherein the management device includes an application condition receiving means for receiving application conditions related to a self-declaration program in which a player declares their gaming conditions, a determination means for determining whether or not the application conditions have been met, a first calculation means for calculating the number of exchange-restricted gaming media that limit the exchange of prizes from the number of gaming media acquired by the player when the determination means determines that the application conditions have been met, and a notification means for notifying the prize management device of the exchange-restricted gaming media calculated by at least the first calculation means.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention further comprises a second calculation means for calculating the number of exchangeable game media by subtracting the number of exchange-restricted game media from the number of acquired game media, and the notification means notifies the prize management device of the number of exchangeable game media along with the number of exchange-restricted game media.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the prize management device comprises a display control means for displaying and controlling the number of exchangeable game media and the number of exchangeable game media on a predetermined display unit, and a prize exchange processing means for performing prize exchange processing for the number of exchangeable game media.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, if the restriction on the exchange of game media is the total number of game media, the first calculation means calculates the total number of game media possessed on the day the application conditions are met as the number of game media to be exchanged.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, if the restriction on the exchange of game media is within the specified period, the first calculation means calculates the number of game media acquired from the start of the application conditions within the specified period to the day the application conditions are met as the number of game media to be exchanged.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, if the restriction content that restricts the exchange of game media is the date on which the application conditions are met, the first calculation means calculates the number of game media acquired on the date on which the application conditions are met as the number of game media that are restricted from being exchanged.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the first calculation means calculates the number of acquired game media acquired between the time the application conditions are met and the time the game ends as the number of game media to be exchanged, provided that the restriction on the exchange of game media is reached after the time the conditions are met.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the application conditions are an upper limit amount indicating the maximum amount of money that can be used during the specified period, an upper limit number indicating the maximum number of times a player can visit the amusement parlor during the specified period, an upper limit time indicating the maximum amount of time spent playing during the specified period, or an entry restriction that prevents entry into the designated amusement parlor.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a management device that is provided to communicate with each machine device attached to a gaming machine, and includes an application condition receiving means for receiving application conditions related to a self-declaration program in which a player declares their game conditions, a determination means for determining whether or not the application conditions have been met, a calculation means for calculating the number of exchange-restricted game media that restrict the exchange of prizes from the number of acquired game media obtained by the player when the determination means determines that the application conditions have been met, and at least the number of exchange-restricted game media calculated by the calculation means to award It is characterized by comprising a notification means for notifying a product management device.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for restricting prize exchange in a gaming system having a management device provided to communicate with each machine device attached to the gaming machine, and a prize management device for exchanging prizes, characterized in that the management device includes an application condition acceptance step in which it accepts application conditions relating to a self-declaration program in which a player declares their gaming conditions; a determination step in which the management device determines whether or not the application conditions have been met; a calculation step in which, if the management device determines in the determination step that the application conditions have been met, it calculates the number of exchange-restricted gaming media from the number of acquired gaming media obtained by the player to restrict prize exchange; and a notification step in which the management device notifies the prize management device of at least the number of exchange-restricted gaming media calculated in the calculation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, the effectiveness of the self-reporting program can be ensured, and excessive addiction to gaming can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overview of the gaming system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the external configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine and gaming machine shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the device status data and card data shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine shown in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the card management data, device management data, and member management data shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of application condition data, game situation data, and exchange restricted ball number data shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of prize exchange restriction according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram (Part 1) showing an example of display related to prize exchange restriction according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram (Part 2) showing an example of display related to prize exchange restriction according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the management device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of a game system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the immersion detection condition according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of processing contents at the time of immersion detection according to Embodiment 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, embodiments of the game system, management device, and prize exchange restriction method according to Embodiment 1 will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0020] In the self - declaration program of Embodiment 1, within a specified period (including one day), the upper limit amount, upper limit number of times, upper limit time, and store entry restriction can be set as application conditions. The upper limit amount is the upper limit of the amount that can be used within a specified period (for example, one month), the upper limit number of times is the upper limit of the number of times a game customer visits the game store within a specified period (for example, one month), the upper limit time is the upper limit of the game time within a specified period (for example, one month), and the store entry restriction is a condition for not entering the specified game store.

[0021] This embodiment 1 describes the case where the specified period and the amount spent, number of games played, or game time during that period reach a specified value. Note that for entry restrictions, the number of games played is set to "1".

[0022] Furthermore, once the application conditions are met, the exchange of prizes by players will be restricted. The number of balls restricted will be determined by the following categories: all balls, within the period, on the day the conditions are met, and after the conditions are met. In the case of "all balls," all balls earned will be included. In the case of "within the period," the number of balls earned within the specified period (e.g., one month, one week, etc.) will be included. In the case of "on the day the conditions are met," all balls earned on the day the application conditions are met will be included. In the case of "after the conditions are met," the number of balls earned from the time the application conditions are met until the end of the game will be included.

[0023] In this specification, "balls held" refers to data indicating the gaming media acquired by a player during gameplay, which can only be used again on the same day (before the arcade's closing time). "Number of balls held" refers to the number of gaming media acquired by a player through gameplay. "Stored balls" refers to data indicating gaming media deposited by a player with the arcade, which can be used again on subsequent days (after the arcade's closing time). "Number of stored balls" refers to the number of gaming media deposited by a player with the arcade. Balls held can be used by both general and member players, and are used when moving to a different gaming machine, etc. Stored balls can, in principle, only be used by member players, and are used when acquiring gaming media to play on a gaming machine on subsequent days. "Number of game balls" refers to the number of game balls available for a player to play.

[0024] <Overview of the gaming system according to Embodiment 1> First, an overview of the gaming system according to this first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overview of the gaming system according to this first embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1(a), here we assume that the application condition for the self-declaration program is set at "50,000 yen" for the amount spent within one month. In this case, if the amount spent within one month reaches "50,000 yen", there will be restrictions on prize exchange based on the number of balls earned during the target period.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1(b), the balance of acquired balls on October 1, 2022 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "2022 / 10 / 01"), which is the start date of the application conditions, is "2000 balls". Furthermore, it shows that the balance of acquired balls at the time the amount spent reached "50,000 yen" on October 21, 2022 (within one month) is "4150 balls". It also shows that the balance of acquired balls at the end of gameplay on October 21, 2022 is "5150 balls".

[0027] As shown in Figure 1(c), when exchanging prizes in the prize management device 60, the number of exchangeable balls and the number of exchangeable balls are displayed. Here, if the category for the number of exchangeable balls is "within the period", the number of exchangeable balls will be "3150 balls", which is the balance at the end of the game (5150 balls) minus the balance at the start of the application conditions (2000 balls). The number of exchangeable balls will be "2000 balls", which is the balance at the end of the game (5150 balls) minus the number of exchangeable balls (3150 balls). Therefore, the number of exchangeable balls "2000 balls" and the number of exchangeable balls "3150 balls" are displayed. The prize management device 60 then exchanges prizes only for the number of exchangeable balls "2000 balls".

[0028] Thus, in the gaming system according to this embodiment 1, when a player's gaming status reaches the application conditions, the exchange of prizes can be restricted. This ensures the effectiveness of the self-declaration program and prevents excessive addiction to gaming. Here, we have shown the case where the amount spent is used as the application condition for the self-declaration program, but the same processing can be applied when other application conditions are used. A detailed explanation will follow later.

[0029] <System Configuration> Next, the system configuration of the gaming system according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to this embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, a gaming parlor is equipped with multiple gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processing machines 10, each of which is provided in conjunction with a gaming machine 20.

[0030] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 is connected to the store's network, which is a communication line, via the island controller 30. The island controller 30, management device 50, prize management device 60, and settlement machine 70 are connected to the communication line.

[0031] The gaming machine 20 is a device that allows players to play by launching game balls, which are sealed inside the device, onto the game board. These game balls are physical "balls" used in the game and are different from "game balls" that the gaming machine 20 handles as data. The game board of the gaming machine 20 is provided with multiple prize areas (prize slots), and a predetermined number of game balls are awarded as prizes based on when a game ball passes through these prize areas. The game board is also provided with a predetermined number of starting areas (start slots), and a predetermined lottery is conducted based on when a game ball passes through these starting areas. If the lottery is a jackpot, predetermined movable parts are activated to improve the probability of the game ball passing through the aforementioned prize areas or other starting areas, thereby providing an advantage in the game. There may also be areas that serve as both starting areas and prize areas.

[0032] The prize-winning areas are equipped with prize-winning sensors to detect when a game ball passes into them. The prize-winning sensors detect when a game ball is played into a prize-winning area (i.e., wins a prize). The control unit of the game machine 20 also has a prize-winning ball memory that stores how many game balls are awarded as prizes for each prize-winning area, and a playable ball count memory that shows the number of game balls available. The control unit of the game machine 20 also periodically transmits the number of game balls to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0033] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a deposit from a player, it associates the prepaid value corresponding to the deposit amount with the identification information (card ID) of the card stored inside the machine. This prepaid value can be used to dispense game balls. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 can also accept the insertion of cards associated with prepaid value, held balls, stored balls, etc. At the end of the game, it ejects the card associated with the prepaid value, held balls, stored balls, etc., and returns it to the player. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 also transmits the history of operations such as deposit, card insertion, and card ejection to the management device 50.

[0034] The gaming machine 20 transmits out data to the inter-machine card processing unit 10 when a predetermined number of game balls have been launched onto the game board. The gaming machine 20 also transmits safe data to the inter-machine card processing unit 10 when a game ball passes through the winning area (so-called winning) and a predetermined number of prize balls have been added to the game balls. Furthermore, if a special state such as a jackpot occurs as a result of the game, the gaming machine 20 transmits special prize data indicating the occurrence of such a state to the inter-machine card processing unit 10.

[0035] Out data corresponds to the number of balls played by the player onto the game board. Safe data corresponds to the number of balls awarded for winning. Special prize data indicates the status of the game machine 20, such as a jackpot. Each piece of data is transmitted to the management device 50 via the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the management device 50 can obtain a history of the game machine 20's operation by accumulating the out data, safe data, and special prize data.

[0036] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 accepts deposits, dispenses game balls, communicates with the management device 50, and communicates with the game machines 20. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives banknotes inserted by a player, it sends a deposit notification including the deposit amount to the management device 50, adding the equivalent prepaid value to the prepaid value managed by the management device 50. Then, when a predetermined ball dispensing operation is performed, it sends a ball dispensing request to the management device 50, deducting the prepaid value managed by the management device 50, notifying the game machine 20 of the number corresponding to the deducted prepaid value, and adding it to the number of game balls.

[0037] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a card insertion notification, it sends a card insertion notification to the management device 50. Furthermore, when the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives the balance of prepaid value, held balls, or stored balls from the management device 50, it stores the balance. If it receives and stores the balance of held balls, it sends a ball deduction request to the management device 50, thereby clearing the balance (number of balls) of held balls managed by the management device 50 to zero.

[0038] When the inter-machine card processing unit 10 receives a request to replay held balls, it subtracts a predetermined number of balls from the number of balls it manages, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number of balls subtracted, and adds it to the number of game balls. Also, when the inter-machine card processing unit 10 receives a request to replay stored balls, it sends a request to the management device 50 to replay stored balls, causing the management device 50 to subtract a predetermined number of stored balls, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number of balls subtracted, and adds it to the number of game balls.

[0039] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a card return operation, it sends a request to the management device 50 to add the number of balls held, and after the management device 50 adds the number of balls held, it sends a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and controls the ejection of the card. If a counting operation is received from the gaming machine 20 before the card return operation, the number of game balls is added to the number of balls held.

[0040] The inter-machine card processing unit 10 has the function of obtaining a game machine ID from the game machine 20 and authenticating the game machine 20 using the obtained game machine ID and the authentication key received from the management device 50. This authentication is performed during opening procedures, etc., and the game machine 20 becomes playable only if the authentication is successful.

[0041] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives exchange restriction information from the management device 50, it calculates the number of balls that can be exchanged and the number of balls that can be exchanged using the total balance of the balls held and stored, and the total balance of the balls held and stored at the time the application conditions included in the exchange restriction information are met (number of balls at the time of meeting the conditions). The inter-machine card processing machine 10 displays the number of balls that can be exchanged, the number of balls that can be exchanged, and the application conditions included in the exchange restriction information together.

[0042] The island controller 30 is a device that bundles a group of gaming machines 20 and inter-machine card processing machines 10 installed on a gaming island, and relays various information to the management device 50.

[0043] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it manages the identification information of the inserted card (hereinafter referred to as "card ID") in association with the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and transmits the prepaid value and balance of tokens associated with the card ID to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Furthermore, if the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification is the card ID of a member card, it transmits the token replay data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0044] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a request to deduct balls from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it clears the balance of balls to zero, and when it receives a request to add balls from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds the number of balls indicated in the ball addition request to the balance of balls.

[0045] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a ball dispensing request from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and transmits permission to dispense balls to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When it receives a request to replay stored balls, it transmits stored ball replay data to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0046] Furthermore, if the management device 50 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of balls associated with this card ID. In addition, if it receives a card ID from the payment machine 70, it notifies the payment machine 70 of the prepaid value associated with this card ID.

[0047] Furthermore, the management device 50 obtains the gaming machine ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and manages the gaming machines 20 installed in its own store. It then obtains an authentication key for authenticating the gaming machines 20 set up in its own store from an authentication key management center (not shown) outside the gaming store and distributes it to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0048] Furthermore, the management device 50 manages member management data of members registered with the amusement parlor. Specifically, it manages the number of tokens stored, points, PIN, and name, etc., in association with the member card ID issued to the member.

[0049] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it transmits to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 stored ball replay data, including the balance of stored balls and the PIN corresponding to the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification. Also, when the management device 50 receives a stored ball replay request from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it subtracts a predetermined number of stored balls associated with the card ID indicated in the stored ball replay request, and transmits to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 stored ball replay data, including the remaining stored ball balance after the subtraction.

[0050] Furthermore, if the management device 50 receives an inquiry from the prize management device 60 regarding the number of stored tokens, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the balance of stored tokens corresponding to the specified card ID.

[0051] Furthermore, if the management device 50 receives application conditions related to the self-declaration program, it stores these application conditions in the application conditions data.

[0052] Furthermore, if the application item is the amount used, and the management device 50 receives a deposit notification related to the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds the deposit amount to the amount used in the game status data and updates it.

[0053] Furthermore, if the application item is the number of visits, the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification related to the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and updates the number of visits in the game status data by adding 1.

[0054] Furthermore, if the application item is game time, and the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification related to the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it calculates the game time for this game and adds it to the game time in the game status data to update it.

[0055] Furthermore, the management device 50 uses the application condition data and game status data to determine whether the game status has reached the application conditions. If it determines that the conditions have been reached, it stores the number of balls identified by the following process as the number of balls at the time of reaching the conditions.

[0056] Specifically, if the application condition's restriction is "all balls", the number of balls at the time of achievement will be set to "0". If the restriction is "within the period", the number of balls acquired at the start of the first game during the target period of the game status data will be set to the number of balls at the time of achievement. If the restriction is "on the day of achievement", the number of balls acquired at the start of the first game on the day the application condition is achieved will be set to the number of balls at the time of achievement. If the restriction is "after the time of achievement", the number of balls acquired at the time the application condition is achieved will be set to the number of balls at the time of achievement.

[0057] Furthermore, if the management device 50 determines that the game status has reached the application conditions, it notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that has reached the application conditions of the number of balls at the time of reaching the conditions and the application conditions as exchange restriction information.

[0058] Furthermore, when the management device 50 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60 indicating that the game status has reached the application conditions, it calculates the exchange limit by subtracting the number of balls at the time of reaching the conditions from the number of balls acquired, and also calculates the exchangeable number of balls by subtracting the exchange limit from the number of balls acquired. The management device 50 then notifies the prize management device 60 of the exchange limit, the exchangeable number of balls, and the application conditions as exchange restriction information.

[0059] The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange located next to the prize exchange counter inside the amusement store, and it processes the exchange of acquired balls, stored balls, and held balls for prizes. The prize management device 60 is connected to a card reader that reads the card ID of a card and a prize dispensing device that dispenses prizes. When the prize management device 60 reads a card ID from a general card or a membership card, it transmits the card ID to the management device 50 and requests the balance of balls held for that card ID. Also, when exchanging stored balls for prizes, it requests the balance of stored balls from the management device 50.

[0060] Furthermore, if the prize management device 60 receives exchange restriction information from the management device 50, it will display this exchange restriction information.

[0061] When a card with associated prepaid value is inserted into the payment machine 70, it transmits the card ID of the card to the management device 50, retrieves the prepaid value associated with the card, and dispenses cash equivalent to the retrieved prepaid value.

[0062] Next, the ball dispensing process in the gaming system according to this embodiment 1 will be described. When a player performs a ball dispensing operation with the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, and a ball dispensing request.

[0063] When the management device 50 receives a message containing a request to borrow balls, it updates the card management data by subtracting a predetermined value (for example, 500 units, representing 500 yen if 1 unit is 1 yen) from the prepaid value associated with the card ID in the message, and sends a ball lending permission to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that sent the message. Upon receiving the ball lending permission, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends an addition signal to the gaming machine 20 requesting the addition of a number (for example, "125") corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value to the number of gaming balls.

[0064] Upon receiving the addition signal, the gaming machine 20 adds the number of game balls and transmits the added number of game balls to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 compares the sum of the number of game balls before addition and the number of balls dispensed with the added number of game balls to determine whether the addition of game balls was performed correctly.

[0065] Next, the process for replaying held tokens in the gaming system according to this embodiment 1 will be described. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives the insertion of a general card or a member card, it sends a message addressed to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a card insertion notification.

[0066] When the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 of the remaining balance of balls held at the rate specified in the message, from among the balls held that are associated with the card ID in the message.

[0067] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 stores the remaining balance of the player's balls received from the management device 50. It then sends a message to the management device 50 containing information identifying the card ID and rate, as well as a request to deduct the remaining balls. If the management device 50 receives a request to deduct the remaining balls, it clears the remaining balance of the balls identified by the card ID and rate to zero. Furthermore, if the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a request to replay the remaining balls, it deducts a certain number of balls from the remaining balance, notifies the gaming machine 20 of the corresponding number, and has it added to the number of game balls.

[0068] When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a management transfer request from the gaming machine 20 to transfer the number of game balls in the gaming machine 20 to the inter-machine card processing machine 10's holdings, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 adds the number of game balls indicated in the management transfer request to its own holdings. Subsequently, upon receiving a card return operation, it sends a message to the management device 50 including a request to add to the holdings. This message includes the card ID of the card to be ejected, an address or arbitrary identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, information to identify the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the remaining balance of the holdings, and the request to add to the holdings.

[0069] If the management device 50 receives a request to add to the number of balls held, it updates the balance (number of balls held) of the balls associated with the card ID in the message for the rate specified in the message with the received value. Subsequently, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and controls the ejection of the card.

[0070] Next, the process for replaying stored tokens in the gaming system according to this embodiment 1 will be described. When the inter-machine card processing machine 10 receives a member card, it sends a message to the local address of the management device 50. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification information that identifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 as the sender, information for identifying the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a card insertion notification.

[0071] The management device 50 transmits to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 stored ball replay data, which includes the PIN associated with the card ID in the message and the balance of stored balls at the rate specified in the message.

[0072] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 stores the received stored ball replay data, and if the balance of stored balls indicated in the stored ball replay data is equal to or greater than the number of game balls dispensed in stored ball replay (stored ball replay unit number; for example, "125 balls"), it accepts the stored ball replay operation.

[0073] After storing the stored ball replay data, the inter-machine card processing machine 10, upon receiving the first stored ball replay operation, prompts the player to enter a PIN and verifies whether the entered PIN matches the PIN shown in the stored ball replay data.

[0074] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 sends a message to the local address of the management device 50 when the PIN matches. This message includes the card ID of the card inserted in the inter-machine card processing machine 10, an address or arbitrary identification information that identifies the sending inter-machine card processing machine 10, information to identify the rate of the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and a request for replay of stored tokens.

[0075] The management device 50 subtracts a predetermined amount from the balance of stored balls associated with the card ID in the message, specifically those at the rate specified in the message, and transmits the stored ball replay data, including the remaining balance, to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0076] The inter-machine card processing unit 10 receives the stored ball replay data, updates the stored ball balance, and notifies the gaming machine 20 of the number corresponding to the stored ball replay unit, adding it to the number of game balls. It also determines whether the updated stored ball balance is less than the number of stored ball replay units. If the updated stored ball data balance is equal to or greater than the number of stored ball replay units, it can accept another stored ball replay operation, and if it accepts the stored ball replay operation, it sends a stored ball replay request. For the second and subsequent stored ball replay operations, verification of the PIN is not required. If the updated stored ball data balance is less than the number of stored ball replay units, it will not accept a stored ball replay operation.

[0077] Next, we will explain the transfer from held balls to stored balls during the closing process. The management device 50 checks the balance of held balls in the card management data during the closing process, and if there are held balls with a balance greater than "0", it adds the balance of those held balls to the stored ball balance and updates it. After that, the management device 50 clears the balance of those held balls to zero.

[0078] <External configuration of the inter-machine card processing unit 10 and the gaming machine 20> Next, the external configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and gaming machine 20 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and gaming machine 20 shown in Figure 2. The diagram shows an inter-machine card processing machine 10 that accepts only banknotes, but a unit that can accept electronic money can also be provided.

[0079] As shown in Figure 3, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is equipped with a status display unit 11 that indicates the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 by the illumination or flashing of a lamp of a predetermined color, a banknote slot 12a that accepts various banknotes, a display operation unit 13 such as a touch panel display, a card slot 14a that accepts cards associated with a card ID, and a tapping unit 14b that accepts a mobile terminal held by a player in order to associate a unique ID. The tapping unit 14b also accepts a mobile terminal associated with a unique ID and reads the unique ID.

[0080] The gaming machine 20 is equipped with a game board, a handle 21 used to dispense the enclosed game balls onto the game board, and a counting button 22.

[0081] The counting button 22 is an operation button for transferring the management of the number of playable balls from the gaming machine 20 to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 by subtracting the number of playable balls from the gaming machine 20 and adding the corresponding number to the number of playable balls held by the inter-machine card processing machine 10. In the case of an open-type gaming machine 20 where physical playable balls are dispensed upon winning, this management transfer corresponds to the counting process in which the inter-machine card processing machine 10 counts the dispensed playable balls and adds them to the number of playable balls held.

[0082] <Configuration of the inter-unit card processing machine 10> Next, the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 4, the inter-machine card processing machine 10 has a banknote transport unit 12, a display operation unit 13, a reader / writer 14, a communication unit 15, a storage unit 16, a control unit 17, and a game management unit 18.

[0083] The banknote transport unit 12 is a transport unit that transports banknotes inserted through the banknote insertion slot 12a to a banknote storage unit (not shown) while determining the denomination and authenticity of the banknotes. The display and operation unit 13 is an input / output device such as a touch panel display that displays various information such as monetary value and accepts various operations such as ball dispensing operations.

[0084] The reader / writer 14 is a reading unit that reads the card ID from the card inserted into the card slot 14a and the unique ID from the mobile terminal held over the tapping unit 14b. The card inserted into the card slot 14a is stored in a card storage unit (not shown) via this reader / writer 14. The communication unit 15 is an interface unit for data communication with the management device 50 via the island controller 30.

[0085] The storage unit 16 is a storage device consisting of a hard disk drive, non-volatile memory, etc. The storage unit 16 stores its own device status data 16a and card data 16b.

[0086] The self-device status data 16a is data indicating the status of the inter-machine card processing machine 10. This self-device status data 16a includes the inter-machine card processing machine ID, gaming machine ID, game type, etc. The inter-machine card processing machine ID is identification information for uniquely identifying the inter-machine card processing machine 10 within the gaming establishment. The game type is data indicating the rate set in the inter-machine card processing machine 10. When handling gaming balls of multiple rates within the gaming establishment, a game type name is set and managed for each rate, such as "Ball 1" for 4-yen rate gaming balls, "Ball 2" for 2-yen rate gaming balls, and "Ball 3" for 1-yen rate gaming balls. The inter-machine card processing machine 10 selects the rate to be used for the game from these game types and stores it as the game type. The game type may be fixed for each section in which the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is installed, or it may be changeable by the player.

[0087] Card data 16b is data relating to the card being used by the player. Card data 16b includes card ID, PIN, prepaid value, balls held, stored balls, etc. The card ID is the card ID read by the reader / writer 14. When a card is transported from a card storage unit (not shown) to the card slot 14a and then ejected, card data 16b is updated with the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport. Similarly, when a card is transported from the card slot 14a to a card storage unit (not shown), card data 16b is updated with the card ID read by the reader / writer 14 during this transport. Prepaid value indicates the remaining balance of prepaid value usable for ball dispensing, and balls held and stored balls indicate their respective balances.

[0088] The game management unit 18 is a processing unit that performs authentication and communication with the gaming machine 20. It is desirable that this game management unit 18 be formed on a different circuit board from the control unit 17. The game management unit 18 includes an authentication processing unit 18a, an authentication key management unit 18b, and a gaming machine state management unit 18c. In practice, these programs are loaded into the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executed, causing the authentication processing unit 18a, the authentication key management unit 18b, and the gaming machine state management unit 18c to execute the processes corresponding to them, respectively.

[0089] The authentication processing unit 18a performs authentication of the gaming machine 20 using the authentication key received from the management device 50. If authentication is successful, the authentication processing unit 18a sends permission to operate to the gaming machine 20. If authentication fails, the authentication processing unit 18a prohibits the use of the gaming machine 20. However, even if authentication fails, the system may be configured to send permission to operate to the gaming machine 20 if it is within a predetermined period since the last successful authentication, and not send permission to operate to the gaming machine 20 after the predetermined period has elapsed since the last successful authentication, thereby prohibiting the use of the gaming machine 20.

[0090] The authentication key management unit 18b is a processing unit that manages authentication keys. Each authentication key has a set usage time, and when the cumulative operating time of the gaming machine 20 reaches the usage time of the authentication key, the authentication key becomes unusable. Specifically, the authentication key management unit 18b uses the power-on time of the circuit board on which the gaming management unit 18 is formed as the operating time of the gaming machine 20 and manages the usage time of the authentication key. If an authentication key becomes unusable, the authentication key management unit 18b obtains a new authentication key from an authentication key management center outside the store via the management device 50 and updates the authentication key.

[0091] The gaming machine status management unit 18c is a processing unit that communicates with the gaming machine 20 and manages the status of the gaming machine 20. Specifically, the gaming machine status management unit 18c obtains the gaming machine ID from the gaming machine 20, sends a request to add to the number of game balls when a ball is dispensed, sends a request to switch management from held balls to the number of game balls when a held ball is replayed, sends a request to add to the number of game balls when a stored ball is replayed, receives game results such as the number of balls played and the number of prize balls dispensed from the gaming machine 20, and receives a request to switch management from the number of game balls to held balls when counting. Communication between the inter-machine card processing unit 10 and the gaming machine 20 uses encrypted communication with a predetermined encryption method.

[0092] Furthermore, the gaming machine state management unit 18c acquires the current status of the gaming machine 20, such as the number of game balls, start status, jackpot status, jackpot type, and number of draws. It is desirable that the time interval at which the gaming machine state management unit 18c acquires the status of the gaming machine 20 be set shorter than the interval at which game balls are launched (used) in the gaming machine 20. Also, once the gaming machine state management unit 18c has acquired the number of game balls from the gaming machine 20, it hands over the number of game balls to the control unit 17.

[0093] Furthermore, the timing for the gaming machine status management unit 18c to acquire a new gaming machine ID from the gaming machine 20 is not limited to before opening. The gaming machine ID can be acquired or the determination of whether to replace the gaming machine 20 can be made when the inter-machine card processing unit 10 is powered on or off, during periodic communication, when processing related to the number of game balls (ball dispensing, replay, counting, etc.) is performed, or when the system returns from an offline state. These timings may also be used in combination.

[0094] The control unit 17 is a control unit that provides overall control for the inter-unit card processing machine 10, and includes a data management unit 17a and a display control unit 17b. In practice, these programs are loaded into the CPU and executed, causing the data management unit 17a and the display control unit 17b to execute their respective processes.

[0095] When a card is inserted, the data management unit 17a sends a card insertion notification to the management device 50, which includes the card ID and the inter-machine card processing machine ID. Furthermore, when the data management unit 17a receives data from the management device 50 that includes a monetary value (at least one of prepaid value, held balls, and stored balls), it updates the card data 16b with the received monetary value.

[0096] Furthermore, when a banknote is inserted into the banknote slot 12a, the data management unit 17a sends a deposit notification to the management device 50, which includes the amount of the inserted banknote, the card ID, and the inter-machine card processing machine ID.

[0097] Furthermore, when a player performs a ball dispensing operation, the data management unit 17a transmits a ball dispensing request, including the card ID and the inter-machine card processing machine ID, to the management device 50. Upon receiving permission to dispensing balls in response to this request, the data management unit 17a instructs the game management unit 18 to subtract the prepaid value of the card data 16b and add a predetermined number of balls to the number of game balls in the game machine 20.

[0098] Furthermore, if the data management unit 17a receives a request to replay the balls held, it instructs the game management unit 18 to subtract and update the number of balls held in the card data 16b, and to add the corresponding number of balls to the number of game balls in the game machine 20.

[0099] Furthermore, if the balance of stored balls shown in the card data 16b is equal to or greater than the number of stored ball replay units, the data management unit 17a displays a stored ball replay button on the display operation unit 13, making it possible to accept a stored ball replay operation. When a player performs a stored ball replay operation, the data management unit 17a transmits a stored ball replay request, including the card ID and the inter-machine card processing machine ID, to the management device 50. Upon receiving stored ball replay data in response to this stored ball replay request, the data management unit 17a updates the balance of stored balls in the card data 16b and instructs the game management unit 18 to add the number of balls corresponding to the number of stored ball replay units to the number of game balls in the game machine 20. Note that for the first stored ball replay operation, the player is required to enter a PIN, and the condition for transmitting the stored ball replay request is that the PIN matches the one shown in the card data 16b.

[0100] Furthermore, when the game management unit 18 receives a request from the game machine 20 to transfer game balls, the data management unit 17a adds the number of balls instructed by the game management unit 18 to the number of balls held in the card data 16b and updates it.

[0101] Furthermore, when the data management unit 17a receives a card return operation, it sends a request to the management device 50 to add to the remaining balls, including the card ID, the inter-machine card processing machine ID, and the remaining ball balance. After clearing the card data 16b, it sends a card ejection notification to the management device 50 and ejects the card.

[0102] The display control unit 17b is a processing unit that controls the display related to prize exchange restrictions. When the display control unit 17b receives exchange restriction information from the management device 50, it calculates the exchange restriction number by subtracting the number of balls required to reach the target amount included in the exchange restriction information from this acquired number of balls. If the calculated exchange restriction number is less than 0, it sets this exchange restriction number to 0. It also calculates the number of exchangeable balls by subtracting the exchange restriction number from the acquired number of balls. Finally, it displays this exchangeable number of balls, the exchange restriction number, and the application conditions included in the exchange restriction information together on the display operation unit 13.

[0103] Next, an example of data stored in the storage unit 16 of the inter-unit card processing machine 10 shown in Figure 4 will be described. Figure 5 shows an example of the self-device status data 16a and card data 16b shown in Figure 4.

[0104] The self-device status data 16a shown in Figure 5(a) indicates that the ID of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is "A101", the game machine ID of the connected game machine 20 is "B201", and "Ball 1" is set as the game type for the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0105] The card data 16b shown in Figure 5(b) indicates that the ID of the card inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is "2005". Here, the first digit of the card ID indicates the type of card, with cards whose first digit is "1" being general cards and cards whose first digit is "2" being membership cards. The card data 16b also indicates that the PIN for replaying stored tokens is "1234" and the prepaid value is "3000" units.

[0106] Furthermore, card data 16b indicates that the balance of balls held by ball 1 is "1150", the balance of balls held by ball 2 is "0", and the balance of balls held by ball 3 is "0". It also indicates that the balance of stored balls for ball 1 is "4000", the balance of stored balls for ball 2 is "0", and the balance of stored balls for ball 3 is "0".

[0107] <Configuration of the gaming machine 20> Next, the configuration of the gaming machine 20 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine 20 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, the gaming machine 20 has a communication control unit 23, a performance control unit 24, a game control unit 25, and a game ball control unit 26. The communication control unit 23 is a control unit for controlling data communication with the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Communication with the inter-machine card processing machine 10 uses encrypted communication using a predetermined encryption method.

[0108] When the gaming machine 20 is started, the communication control unit 23 reads identification information from the control CPU provided in the gaming control unit 25 and / or the gaming ball control unit 26, checks whether the identification information is appropriate, and if it is appropriate, establishes communication with the inter-machine card processing unit 10 and enters a standby state. In the standby state, if it receives permission to operate from the inter-machine card processing unit 10, it starts the performance control unit 24, the gaming control unit 25 and the gaming ball control unit 26, making the machine ready for play.

[0109] The game control unit 25 is a control unit that controls the game played by the gaming machine 20. In practice, the process is executed by loading a program corresponding to the game control unit 25 into the CPU and executing it.

[0110] Specifically, the game control unit 25 controls the launch of game balls onto the game board based on handle operation detection, detects game balls that have entered the winning slots on the game board, acquires and draws random numbers (within a predetermined range of 0 to 65535, each number is assigned to a big win, small win, or loss) based on game balls that have entered the start slot (special symbols and regular symbols), controls movable members (such as tulips) on the game board, controls the display of special symbol display devices on the game board, and detects abnormalities that may indicate fraud (such as the front frame being open or vibration being detected) and notifies the higher-level device.

[0111] The game board is fitted with numerous obstacle pins, and when the game ball is launched onto the game board by operating the handle, it falls between the obstacle pins and either enters a prize entry hole or a start hole, or is ejected from the game board through an out hole without entering a prize. If the game ball enters the start hole, a lottery is held, and if a jackpot is won, a jackpot game is played in which the designated prize entry holes on the game board are controlled to open multiple times, making it easier for the game ball to enter these entry holes, and thus awarding prize balls to the player.

[0112] Furthermore, there are bonus jackpot games that grant players a predetermined bonus game after the jackpot game ends. Bonus jackpot games include probability variation jackpots and time-saving jackpots. Probability variation jackpots and time-saving jackpots grant probability variation games and time-saving games as bonus games after the jackpot, respectively. Time-saving games are bonus games that increase the number of draws per unit time and increase the probability of winning a jackpot per unit time by shortening the variation time (time from the start of the draw process to the display of the result) of the normal symbol draw (the draw for opening and closing the movable parts as described above) and / or special symbol draw (the draw for winning a jackpot by winning the game ball as described above). These bonus games may include normal symbol probability variation, which increases the probability of winning a normal symbol. Time-saving games due to time-saving jackpots end when the number of draws for special symbol draws has been performed a predetermined number of times after the jackpot. Probability-based games will be discussed later.

[0113] The game control unit 25 has a probability variation function. The probability variation function is a function that controls the random number range used for the next draw (generally by about 10 times) when the draw result falls within a particularly defined random number range for a jackpot. Probability variation game is a special symbol draw that uses this changed probability. Probability variation game continues until the next jackpot is won. In addition, probability variation game and time-saving game may be added at the same time. However, in order to prevent unforeseen losses to the amusement parlor, if the player acquires a certain amount of game media after the start of probability variation game or time-saving game, the game may be stopped (the card is ejected once, and the player is requested to exchange for a prize or move to another machine). In this case, the number of game media after entering the probability variation game state is counted by the game machine 20, and when this counted value reaches a predetermined value, game stop control is performed, such as stopping the launch of game balls.

[0114] The performance control unit 24 is a control unit that controls the performance during gameplay, and includes a performance symbol lottery unit 24a and a performance lottery unit 24b. In practice, by loading these programs into the CPU and executing them, the performance symbol lottery unit 24a and the performance lottery unit 24b are made to execute the processes corresponding to them, respectively.

[0115] The performance symbol lottery unit 24a performs a lottery for performance symbols (symbols to be displayed on the performance symbol display device, such as a display device on the game board) based on the special symbol lottery in the game control unit 25 (specifically, whether to stop the display at 7, 7, 7, etc.).

[0116] The performance lottery unit 24b performs a lottery to determine the type of performance to be performed before displaying the lottery result based on the performance symbols (such as a character appearing and a reach performance). The performances selected are set to differ depending on the main lottery result.

[0117] The performance control unit 24 stores performance data for each performance. Furthermore, the performance control unit 24 controls the display of the performance symbol display device, and when a performance is executed, it overlays the performance data on the background symbol data to display the performance. In addition, during probability fluctuations, it sets background color data different from the normal state.

[0118] The game ball control unit 26 is a control unit that controls the number of game balls. In practice, the process is executed by loading a program corresponding to the game ball control unit 26 into the CPU and executing it. The playable number management unit 26a is a management unit that manages the playable number, i.e., the number of game balls.

[0119] Specifically, the game ball control unit 26 stores the number of game balls in the playable number memory, deducts "1" from the number of game balls each time a game ball is launched, and adds the number of prize balls obtained through winning to the number of game balls. In addition, when the number of balls is notified by the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the notified number of balls is added to the number of game balls and a confirmation signal is sent to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 indicating that the number of balls has been added to the number of game balls. Furthermore, the game ball control unit 26 can also perform cleaning control of the game balls (circulating balls) sealed in the game machine 20.

[0120] Furthermore, the game ball control unit 26 periodically transmits the number of game balls stored in the playable number memory to the inter-machine card processing unit 10. In this case, the game ball control unit 26 transmits the number of game balls at the time of data acquisition to the inter-machine card processing unit 10 while continuing to update the number of game balls according to the game status, without resetting the contents of the playable number memory to zero.

[0121] Furthermore, the gaming machine 20 is equipped with a counting button 22, and a signal indicating that this counting button 22 has been pressed is input to the game ball control unit 26. The game ball control unit 26 detects the pressing operation of the counting button 22, and if the time from the rising edge to the falling edge of the detection signal is less than a certain period of time, it sends a management transfer request to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 along with data on the number of game balls in fixed increments (for example, 100 balls per operation). The number of balls that have been transferred to the management of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is then subtracted (invalidated) from the game ball count. In addition, if the pressing operation of the counting button 22 is detected and no falling edge is detected for a predetermined time or longer after the detection signal rises, it sends a management transfer request to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 along with data on the number of game balls in fixed increments (for example, 200 balls every 5 seconds) for each period of time that the detection signal remains in a rising state. The number of balls that have been transferred to the management of the inter-machine card processing machine 10 is then subtracted (invalidated) from the game ball count. When subtracting from the number of game balls, possible methods include decrementing the value to be subtracted from a value of 1 stored in memory, or updating the value stored in memory with the value after the subtraction and deleting or logically deleting the value before the subtraction to invalidate it. However, there are no particular limitations as long as the value after the subtraction can be identified.

[0122] The game control unit 25 and the game ball control unit 26 are each configured on separate circuit boards. The game control board on which the game control unit 25 is configured and the game ball control board on which the game ball control unit 26 is configured each have a unique ID. The gaming machine 20 combines the ID of the game control board and the ID of the game ball control board and uses them as the gaming machine ID.

[0123] <Configuration of the control device 50> Next, the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Figure 2 will be described. Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 50 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 7, the management device 50 is connected to a display unit 51 and an input unit 52, and has an external network communication unit 53, a store network communication unit 54, a storage unit 55, and a control unit 56.

[0124] The display unit 51 is a display device such as an LCD panel or display device. The input unit 52 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse. The external network communication unit 53 is an interface unit for data communication with an authentication key management center (not shown) via an external network. The store network communication unit 54 is an interface unit for data communication with the island controller 30, prize management device 60 and settlement machine 70 within the gaming store via a communication line.

[0125] The memory unit 55 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive or non-volatile memory, and stores card management data 55a, device management data 55b, member management data 55c, application condition data 55d, game status data 55e, and exchange limit ball count data 55f.

[0126] Card management data 55a is data that associates the card ID with the balance of prepaid value, the balance of held tokens, etc. Device management data 55b is data related to the devices installed in the amusement parlor. This device management data 55b includes the inter-machine card processing machine ID, installation location, game machine number, game machine ID, and game machine 20 model data, etc. Member management data 55c is data that associates the card ID of the membership card issued to the member with the member's name, stored token information, etc.

[0127] Application condition data 55d is data showing the application conditions for the self-declaration program. Game status data 55e is data showing the game status of players who have applied for the self-declaration program. Exchange limit ball count data 55f is data showing the exchange limit ball count, etc., for players who have applied for the self-declaration program.

[0128] The control unit 56 is a control unit that performs overall control of the management device 50, and includes a card management unit 56a, a device management unit 56b, a member management unit 56c, an application condition management unit 56d, a game status management unit 56e, a judgment unit 56f, an exchange limit ball management unit 56g, and a notification unit 56h. In practice, by loading these programs into the CPU and executing them, the processes corresponding to the card management unit 56a, the device management unit 56b, the member management unit 56c, the application condition management unit 56d, the game status management unit 56e, the judgment unit 56f, the exchange limit ball management unit 56g, and the notification unit 56h are executed, respectively.

[0129] The card management unit 56a is a processing unit that manages the card management data 55a. The card management unit 56a communicates with the inter-machine card processing machine 10, the prize management device 60, and the settlement machine 70 to update the prepaid value and balance of tokens associated with the card ID. In addition, when the card management unit 56a receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it notifies the card management unit 56a of the value and balance of tokens associated with the card.

[0130] The device management unit 56b is a processing unit that manages the device management data 55b. The device management unit 56b generates and updates the device management data 55b based on the inter-machine card processing unit ID, installation location, and gaming machine ID obtained from the inter-machine card processing unit 10.

[0131] The Member Management Unit 56c is a processing unit that manages the Member Management Data 55c. The Member Management Unit 56c communicates with the Prize Management Device 60 to update the balance of stored points associated with the card ID.

[0132] Here, the processing of stored balls for replay by the member management unit 56c will be explained. When the member management unit 56c receives stored ball replay request data from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it deducts the amount of stored balls associated with the card ID in the stored ball replay request data that matches the payout rate, and recalculates the number of available stored balls for replay. Then, it transmits stored ball replay data, including the balance after the deduction and the number of available stored balls for replay, to the inter-machine card processing machine 10.

[0133] The application condition management unit 56d is a processing unit that manages the application condition data 55d. When the application condition management unit 56d receives application conditions related to the self-declaration program from the input unit 52, it stores these application conditions in the application condition data 55d.

[0134] The game status management unit 56e is a processing unit that manages the game status data 55e. If the application condition data 55d is updated, the game status management unit 56e stores the card ID and application items of the application condition data 55d in the game status data 55e, and also stores the period specified in the application condition data 55d as a specific date period (for example, if the period is one month, then October 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022) in the game status data 55e.

[0135] Furthermore, if the application item in the game status data 55e is the amount used, and the game status management unit 56e receives a deposit notification related to the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it adds this deposit amount to the game status in the game status data 55e and updates it.

[0136] Furthermore, if the application item for the game status data 55e is the number of visits, and the game status management unit 56e receives a card insertion notification for the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing machine 10, it will update the game status data 55e by adding 1. However, if the unit receives two or more card insertion notifications for the same card ID on the same day, it will not update the game status data 55e from the second time onward.

[0137] Furthermore, if the application item in the game status data 55e is game time, and the game status management unit 56e receives a card insertion notification related to the corresponding card ID from the inter-machine card processing unit 10, it calculates the game time at predetermined intervals (for example, every 10 minutes) from the time of receipt and adds it to the game status in the game status data 55e to update it.

[0138] Furthermore, if the current date and time exceeds the target period for the game status data 55e, the game status management unit 56e updates this target period and clears the game status data 55e to zero.

[0139] The determination unit 56f is a processing unit that determines whether the application conditions have been met. If the game status data 55e has been updated, the determination unit 56f determines for each card ID whether the game status in the game status data 55e has met the conditions of the application conditions data 55d.

[0140] The exchange limit ball count management unit 56g is a processing unit that manages the exchange limit ball count data 55f. If the determination unit 56f determines that the limit has been reached, the exchange limit ball count management unit 56g stores "reached" in the condition reached status of the exchange limit ball count data 55f.

[0141] Furthermore, if the exchange limit ball management unit 56g determines that the limit has been reached by the determination unit 56f, it stores the number of balls identified by the following process as the number of balls reached in the exchange limit ball data 55f. If the limit content of the application condition data 55d is "all balls", the number of balls reached is set to "0". If the limit content is "within the period", the number of balls acquired at the start of the first game during the target period in the game status data 55e is set as the number of balls reached. If the limit content is "on the day of arrival", the number of balls acquired at the start of the first game on the day the application condition is reached is set as the number of balls reached. If the limit content is "after arrival", the number of balls acquired at the time the application condition is reached is set as the number of balls reached.

[0142] Furthermore, if the exchange limit ball count management unit 56g receives a card ID from the prize management device 60 whose exchange limit ball count data 55f condition has been met ("met"), it performs the following processing: It extracts the balance of balls held and stored associated with this card ID from the card management data 55a and member management data 55c, and calculates the total as the number of balls acquired. It subtracts the number of balls reached in the exchange limit ball count data 55f from this number of balls acquired to calculate the exchange limit ball count and stores it in the exchange limit ball count of the exchange limit ball count data 55f. If the calculated exchange limit ball count is less than 0, it sets this exchange limit ball count to "0". Then, it subtracts the exchange limit ball count from the number of balls acquired to calculate the number of exchangeable balls and stores it in the exchangeable ball count of the exchange limit ball count data 55f.

[0143] Furthermore, if the current date and time has passed the period covered by the game status data 55e, the exchange limit ball count management unit 56g updates the condition fulfillment status of the exchange limit ball count data 55f to "Not fulfilled", and sets the ball count at fulfillment, the exchange limit ball count, and the exchangeable ball count to "-".

[0144] The notification unit 56h is a processing unit that notifies exchange restriction information. If the determination unit 56f determines that the limit has been reached, the notification unit 56h notifies the inter-machine card processing machine 10 that has reached the application conditions of the exchange restriction information, using the number of balls reached in the exchange restriction ball count data 55f and the data corresponding to the relevant card ID in the application conditions data 55d.

[0145] Furthermore, the notification unit 56h receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, and if the condition of the exchange limit ball count data 55f corresponding to this card ID is met, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the exchange limit ball count data 55f, the exchange limit ball count and the exchangeable ball count, and the data in the application condition data 55d corresponding to the card ID as exchange limit information.

[0146] Next, an example of data stored in the storage unit 55 of the management device 50 shown in Figure 7 will be described. Figures 8 and 9 show an example of the card management data 55a, device management data 55b, member management data 55c, application condition data 55d, game status data 55e, and exchange limit ball count data 55f shown in Figure 7.

[0147] In the card management data 55a shown in Figure 8(a), card ID "1001" is associated with a prepaid value of "0", a balance of "0" balls for each rate, and usage ID "A101". In other words, the card with card ID "1001" is inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with device ID "A101", and the management of the balls held has been transferred to the inter-machine card processing machine 10. Therefore, the balance of balls held for each rate is zero.

[0148] Furthermore, in the card management data 55a, card ID "2001" is associated with a prepaid value of "3000" units and the number of balls held as follows: the balance of balls held by ball 1 is "100" balls, the balance of balls held by ball 2 is "50" balls, and the balance of balls held by ball 3 is "80" balls. However, the destination ID is not associated with it. In other words, the card with card ID "2001" is not inserted into the inter-machine card processing machine 10, and the management of the number of balls held is performed by the management device 50.

[0149] The device management data 55b shown in Figure 8(b) indicates that for the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with ID "A101", its installation location is "Island 1-1", its game machine number is "11", the ID of the connected game machine 20 is "B201", the game type is "Ball 1", the model of game machine 20 is "EV01", and the serial number is "a". It also indicates that this game machine 20 is in use.

[0150] Furthermore, the device management data 55b indicates that for the inter-machine card processing machine 10 with ID "A201", its installation location is "Island 2-1", its gaming machine number is "21", the ID of the connected gaming machine 20 is "B506", the game type is "Ball 3", the model of gaming machine 20 is "DX03", and its serial number is "g". It also indicates that this gaming machine 20 is currently in use.

[0151] The member management data 55c shown in Figure 8(c) indicates that for card ID "2005", the name is "Taro Patent", the balance of stored balls for "Ball 1" is "4000", the balance of stored balls for "Ball 2" is "0", and the balance of stored balls for "Ball 3" is "0".

[0152] The application condition data 55d shown in Figure 9(a) associates the application item "Amount Spent", period "1 month", condition "50,000 yen", and restriction content "Within the period" with card ID "2005", the application item "Number of Visits", period "1 week", condition "3 times", and restriction content "All balls" with card ID "2012", and the application item "Playing Time", period "1 day", condition "4 hours", and restriction content "After Reaching the Limit" with card ID "2037".

[0153] The gaming data 55e shown in Figure 9(b) associates the application item "Amount Spent", the target period "October 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022", and the gaming status "55,000 yen" with card ID "2005", the application item "Number of Visits", the target period "October 16, 2022 to October 22, 2022", and the gaming status "2 times" with card ID "2012", and the application item "Gaming Time", the target period "October 21, 2022", and the gaming status "5 hours" with card ID "2037".

[0154] The exchange limit ball count data 55f shown in Figure 9(c) associates the following with card ID "2005": condition fulfillment status "fulfilled", number of balls at fulfillment "2000", exchange limit ball count "3150", and exchangeable ball count "2000"; the following with card ID "2012": condition fulfillment status "not fulfilled", number of balls at fulfillment "-", exchange limit ball count "-", and exchangeable ball count "-"; and the following with card ID "2037": condition fulfillment status "fulfilled", number of balls at fulfillment "3000", exchange limit ball count "2500", and exchangeable ball count "3000".

[0155] <An example of prize exchange restrictions related to Embodiment 1> Next, an example of a prize exchange restriction according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a prize exchange restriction according to this embodiment 1.

[0156] As shown in Figure 10(a), we will explain the case where the application conditions for the self-declaration program are limited to a monthly spending limit of "50,000 yen". As shown in Figure 10(b), the application conditions start on October 1, 2022, and the balance of acquired balls at this point is "2,000 balls".

[0157] The application requirements were met on October 21, 2022. At the start of play on that day, the monthly spending was 45,000 yen, and the remaining number of acquired balls was 4,000. When the monthly spending reached the application requirement of 50,000 yen, the remaining number of acquired balls was 4,150, and at the end of play, the remaining number of acquired balls was 5,150.

[0158] There are four methods for limiting the number of balls that can be exchanged when the application conditions are met, and the number of balls that can be exchanged and the number of balls that can be exchanged differ depending on the method. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10(c), if the restriction is "all balls", the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "5150 balls", and the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "0 balls". This is because all of the balls that the player possesses and the balance of stored balls will be subject to the exchange limit.

[0159] Furthermore, if the restriction is "within the specified period," the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "3150 balls," and the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "2000 balls." This is because the number of balls that can be exchanged is calculated by subtracting the number of balls stored at the start of the application period from the total number of balls held and stored.

[0160] Furthermore, if the restriction is based on the "date of achievement," the exchange limit will be "1150 balls," and the number of exchangeable balls will be "4000 balls." Here, only the balance of balls acquired by the player on that day will be used as the exchange limit for the date of achievement, and it is assumed that the balls held on that day have not been converted into stored balls. If some of the balls held on that day have been converted into stored balls, the exchange limit should be calculated by subtracting the previous day's stored ball balance from the current day's stored ball balance and adding that to the current ball balance.

[0161] Furthermore, if the restriction is "after reaching the limit," the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "1000 balls," and the number of balls that can be exchanged will be "4150 balls." This is because the number of balls that can be exchanged is calculated by subtracting the total balance of balls held and stored at the time the limit is reached from the total balance of balls held and stored at the time the player finishes playing on that day.

[0162] <An example of a display regarding restrictions on prize exchange related to Embodiment 1> Next, an example of a display regarding prize exchange restrictions according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams showing an example of a display regarding prize exchange restrictions according to this embodiment 1. The display regarding prize exchange restrictions is displayed in the inter-machine card processing machine 10 and the prize management device 60, respectively.

[0163] The inter-machine card processing machine 10 displays the following when the application conditions are met. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the balance of acquired balls is displayed as follows: game type is "4-pachinko", balls held are "1150 balls", and stored balls are "4000 balls". It also displays that the application conditions for the self-declaration program have been met, that the application period is "1 month", and that the amount spent is "50,000 yen". In addition, it displays that prize exchange is restricted, that the number of balls that can be exchanged is "2000 balls", and that the number of balls that can be exchanged is "3150 balls".

[0164] The prize management device 60 displays the information as soon as the card is read. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the remaining balance of acquired balls is displayed as follows: game type "4-pachinko", balls held "1200 balls", stored balls "2300 balls". It also displays that the application conditions for the self-declaration program have been met, that the application period is "1 day", and the playing time is "5 hours". Furthermore, it displays that prize exchange is restricted, that the number of balls that can be exchanged is "2500 balls", and the number of balls that are restricted from being exchanged is "1000 balls".

[0165] <Processing procedure in the control device 50 according to Embodiment 1> Next, the processing procedure in the management device 50 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in the management device 50 according to Embodiment 1.

[0166] As shown in Figure 13, the management device 50 receives a card insertion notification from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 (step S101: Yes), and if the application item (hereinafter referred to as "application item") of the data corresponding to the card ID included in the card insertion notification in the game status data 55e is "number of visits", and the content of the game status in the game status data 55e meets the conditions of the application condition data 55d (hereinafter referred to as "application conditions") (step S102: Yes), then the device proceeds to step S106.

[0167] If the application item is not "number of visits," or if the application conditions have not been met (Step S102: No), and no deposit notification has been received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 (Step S103: No), proceed to Step S105.

[0168] If a payment notification is received (Step S103: Yes), the application item is "Amount Used," and the application conditions are met (Step S104: Yes), proceed to Step S106.

[0169] If the application item is not "Amount Used" or if the application conditions are not met (Step S104: No), proceed to Step S105.

[0170] If the application item is "playing time" and the application conditions are met (Step S105: Yes), the exchange restriction information is notified to the inter-machine card processing machine 10 (Step S106), and the process proceeds to Step S107.

[0171] If the application item is not "playing time," or if the application conditions have not been met (Step S105: No), and no card ejection notification has been received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 (Step S107: No), proceed to Step S103.

[0172] If a card ejection notification is received from the inter-machine card processing machine 10 (Step S107: Yes) and a card ID is received from the prize management device 60 (Step S108: Yes), the exchange limit ball count data 55f is used to check whether the application conditions have been met (Step S109).

[0173] If the application conditions are not met (Step S109: No), the process ends. If the application conditions are met (Step S109: Yes), the exchange restriction information is notified to the prize management device 60 (Step S110), and the process ends.

[0174] As described above, the gaming system according to this embodiment 1 is configured to set application conditions for a self-declaration program, and when the gaming status reaches these application conditions, it displays the number of balls that can be exchanged and the number of balls that can be exchanged according to the set restrictions. Therefore, when a player's gaming status reaches the application conditions, it is possible to restrict the exchange of prizes.

[0175] In the above-described embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which the game status of a player is acquired by inserting a card. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the system to acquire the game status of players who do not use a card by identifying members using biometric authentication technology.

[0176] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration that displays the number of balls to be exchanged when the game status reaches the application conditions and restricts prize exchange, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of balls to be exchanged can be set to an exchange reservation state, and the system can be configured to automatically exchange prizes and deliver them to the home, etc., when the declared conditions are lifted.

[0177] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration in which the self-declaration program is applied to members, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be configured to be applied to general members.

[0178] Furthermore, while Embodiment 1 described above explains a configuration that restricts prize exchange by displaying the number of balls to be exchanged when the game status reaches the application conditions, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be configured to restrict exchange according to the prize category, such as special prizes and general prizes.

[0179] [Embodiment 2] By the way, in Embodiment 1 described above, a configuration was described in which the number of balls to be exchanged is displayed when the game status reaches the application conditions and the exchange of prizes is restricted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the system can also be configured to reduce the processing speed of the inter-machine card processing machine when it detects that a player is addicted to the game. By performing this process, it is expected that the player's addiction will be mitigated. In Embodiment 2, a game system is described in which the processing speed of the inter-machine card processing machine is reduced when it detects that a player is addicted to the game.

[0180] <Overview of the gaming system according to Embodiment 2> First, an overview of the gaming system according to this second embodiment will be described. Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overview of the gaming system according to this second embodiment.

[0181] As shown in Figure 14, in the gaming system according to this second embodiment, when it detects that a player is engrossed in the game (S1), the processing speed for subsequent player operations is reduced.

[0182] For example, if a player presses the dispensing button (S2), 125 balls will be dispensed, but the dispensing speed will be slower than usual, taking 6 seconds (S3).

[0183] Thus, in the gaming system according to this second embodiment, when a player's excessive gambling is detected, the processing speed of the inter-machine card processing machine is reduced, which is expected to mitigate the state of excessive gambling.

[0184] <An example of indentation detection conditions according to Embodiment 2> Next, an example of the addiction detection conditions according to this second embodiment will be described. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the addiction detection conditions according to this second embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, the addiction detection items include investment amount, time spent, number of operations, and machine status, and detection conditions are set for each.

[0185] Specifically, the detection items for investment amounts include using a set amount, using a certain amount, and deterioration of the balance. In the case of using a set amount, the detection condition is when an amount set by the store or the customer (including balls held and stored balls converted into monetary value) is used (for example, 30,000 yen or more).

[0186] For fixed-amount spending, the detection condition is that a predetermined amount (for example, 20,000 yen) is spent, including both existing and stored tokens. For deterioration of balance, the detection condition is the point at which the balance shifts from a win to a loss.

[0187] Furthermore, the detection criteria for dwell time include playing on the same machine for a certain period of time, dwell time within the store, and specified time. In the case of playing on the same machine for a certain period of time, the detection condition is the passage of a certain period of time set by the store (for example, every hour).

[0188] For in-store dwell time detection, the detection condition is the passage of a certain amount of time (for example, every hour) after entering the store. Detection is achieved through identity verification using images captured by in-store cameras and integration with an app linked to the GPS function of a smartphone. If a customer is not currently playing, a notification is sent to the app.

[0189] For the specified time, the detection condition is when the inter-machine card processing machine is operated at a time predetermined by the store (for example, every hour).

[0190] Furthermore, the detection items for operation count include consecutive button presses and button setting presses. For consecutive button presses, the detection condition is when an attempt is made to operate the inter-machine card processing machine consecutively (for example, repeatedly pressing a button), such as pressing the lending button repeatedly. For button setting presses, the detection condition is when a certain number of operations are performed (for example, pressing a button 10 times).

[0191] Furthermore, the detection items for the machine status include the end of a big win, probability variation, and time reduction, the total number of spins, and the number of spins. For the end of a big win, probability variation, and time reduction, the detection condition is the first operation of the inter-machine card processing machine after each respective event.

[0192] For total spins, the detection condition is when the total number of spins set by the store (e.g., 1000 spins) has elapsed. For spin count, the detection condition is when the number of spins set by the store (e.g., every 100 spins) has elapsed between big wins.

[0193] <An example of processing content when indentation is detected according to Embodiment 2> Next, an example of the processing content when addiction is detected according to this second embodiment will be described. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the processing content when addiction is detected according to this second embodiment. As shown in Figure 16, the operations when addiction is detected include pressing the lend button, pressing the replay button, depositing money, combining cards, and inserting a card, and processing content is set for each of these.

[0194] Specifically, when the lending button is pressed, the lending time will be reduced. For example, when using 30,000 yen, the ball lending time will be changed from the usual 1 second to 10 seconds.

[0195] Furthermore, when the replay button is pressed, the payout time will be reduced. For example, when the 7500th ball is paid out, the payout time, which is normally 1 second, will be changed to 10 seconds. The same processing will be applied to the payout of balls held and the replay operation of stored balls.

[0196] Furthermore, the time between deposit and the availability of tokens will be reduced. For example, when inserting the 30,000 yen bill, the time from deposit to availability will be changed from the usual 2 seconds to 6 seconds.

[0197] Furthermore, when consolidating card balances, the time required to complete the consolidation will be reduced. For example, when consolidating cards while having a loss, the time required to complete the consolidation will be changed from the usual 2 seconds to 6 seconds.

[0198] Furthermore, the time from card insertion to operation will be reduced. For example, when inserting a member card that is currently in a losing position, the time until the inter-machine card processing machine becomes operational will be changed from the usual 3 seconds to 6 seconds.

[0199] As described above, the gaming system according to this second embodiment is configured to reduce processing time for actions such as pressing the loan button or the replay button by detecting when the amount invested by the player, the time spent at the game, etc., reaches predetermined conditions. Therefore, when it detects that a player is addicted to the game, it is expected that the processing speed of the inter-machine card processing machine will be reduced, thereby mitigating the state of addiction.

[0200] In the above embodiment 2, a configuration was described in which the processing speed for operations such as pressing the dispensing button is reduced when it is detected that a player is becoming addicted to gambling. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the system can also be configured to cancel the processing for operations.

[0201] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment 2 described a configuration in which the processing speed for operations such as pressing the dispensing button is reduced when it is detected that a player is addicted to the game, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the system so that when it is detected that a player is addicted to the game, it does not accept operations such as pressing the dispensing button for a predetermined period of time.

[0202] Furthermore, while Embodiment 2 described above explains a configuration that reduces the processing speed for operations such as pressing the loan button when it is detected that a player is becoming addicted, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be configured to display an advertisement to prevent addiction when it is detected that a player is becoming addicted.

[0203] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment 2 described a configuration in which the processing speed for operations such as pressing the dispensing button is reduced when it is detected that a player is engrossed in playing, the present invention is not limited to this, and the system can also be configured to change the processing speed of the inter-machine card processing machine according to the length of the video when displaying an advertising video.

[0204] Furthermore, the configurations illustrated in each of the above embodiments are functionally schematic and do not necessarily have to be physically represented as shown. In other words, the distributed and integrated forms of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. [Industrial applicability]

[0205] The gaming system, management device, and prize exchange restriction method according to the present invention are suitable for ensuring the effectiveness of a self-reporting program and preventing excessive addiction to gaming. [Explanation of symbols]

[0206] 10-unit card processing machine 11 Status display section 12. Banknote transport section 12a Banknote slot 13 Display operation section 14 Reader / Writer 14a Card slot 14b The part that holds up 15 Communications Department 16 Memory section 16a Device status data 16b Card Data 17 Control Unit 17a Data Management Department 17b Display Control Unit 18 Gaming Management Department 18a Authentication Processing Unit 18b Authentication Key Management Department 18c Gaming Machine Status Management Department 20 Gaming machines 21 Handle 22 Counting buttons 23 Communication Control Unit 24 Production Control Unit 24a Performance Symbol Lottery Section 24b Production Lottery Department 25 Game Control Unit 26. Game Ball Control Unit 26a Game Playable Number Management Department 30 Island Controllers 50 Management device 51 Display section 52 Input section 53 External Network Communication Unit 54 Store Network Communications Department 55 Storage section 55a Card Management Data 55b Device Management Data 55c Member Management Data 55d Application Requirements Data 55e Game Status Data 55f Exchange Limit Ball Count Data 56 Control Unit 56a Card Management Department 56b Equipment management department 56c Membership Management Department 56d Application Conditions Management Department 56e Gaming Status Management Department 56f Judgment section 56g Ball exchange limit management section 56h Notification section 60 Prize Management Device 70 Payment machine 100-unit card processing machine

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising a management device that is connected to each machine and capable of communicating with the individual machine devices, and a prize management device for exchanging prizes, The aforementioned control device is A means for receiving application conditions for a self-declaration program in which players self-declare their gaming conditions, A determination means for determining whether or not the aforementioned application conditions have been met, If the determination means determines that the application conditions have been met, a first calculation means calculates the number of exchange-restricted game media from the number of game media acquired by the player that will restrict the exchange of prizes, A notification means for notifying the prize management device of the number of exchange-restricted game media calculated by at least the first calculation means, and A gaming system characterized by having the following features.

2. The aforementioned control device is The system further comprises a second calculation means for calculating the number of exchangeable game media by subtracting the number of exchange-restricted game media from the number of acquired game media, The notification means is, The gaming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of exchangeable gaming media, along with the number of exchangeable gaming media, is notified to the prize management device.

3. The aforementioned prize management device is A display control means for displaying and controlling the number of exchangeable game media and the number of exchangeable game media on a predetermined display unit, Prize exchange processing means for processing the exchange of the aforementioned number of exchangeable game media as prizes. The gaming system according to claim 2, characterized by comprising the above.

4. The first calculation method is, The gaming system according to claim 2, characterized in that, if the restriction on the exchange of gaming media is the total number of gaming media, the total number of gaming media possessed on the day the application conditions are met is calculated as the number of gaming media to be exchanged.

5. The first calculation method is, The gaming system according to claim 2, characterized in that, if the restrictions on the exchange of gaming media are within a specified period, the number of gaming media acquired from the start of the application conditions within the specified period to the day the application conditions are met is calculated as the number of gaming media to be exchanged.

6. The first calculation method is, The gaming system according to claim 2, characterized in that, if the restriction on the exchange of gaming media is the date on which the application conditions are met, the number of gaming media acquired on the day on which the application conditions are met is calculated as the number of gaming media to be exchanged.

7. The first calculation method is, The gaming system according to claim 2, characterized in that, if the restrictions on the exchange of gaming media are in effect after the time the application conditions are met, the number of gaming media acquired between the time the application conditions are met and the time the game ends is calculated as the number of gaming media to be exchanged.

8. The aforementioned application conditions are: The gaming system according to any one of 1 to 7, characterized in that it specifies an upper limit on the amount of money that can be used during a specified period, an upper limit on the number of times a player can visit the gaming establishment during a specified period, an upper limit on the amount of time that can be spent playing during a specified period, or an entry restriction that prevents entry into a designated gaming establishment.

9. A management device installed in a manner that allows communication with each individual machine attached to the gaming machine, A means for receiving application conditions for a self-declaration program in which players self-declare their gaming conditions, A determination means for determining whether or not the aforementioned application conditions have been met, If the determination means determines that the application conditions have been met, a calculation means for calculating the number of exchange-restricted game media from the number of game media acquired by the player that will be used to restrict the exchange of prizes, A notification means for notifying the prize management device of the number of exchange-restricted game media calculated by the calculation means, and A control device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

10. A method for restricting prize exchange in a gaming system having a management device that is capable of communicating with each machine's equipment attached to the gaming machine, and a prize management device that performs prize exchange, The management device includes an application condition acceptance process that accepts application conditions related to a self-declaration program in which players self-declare their game conditions, The management device includes a determination step of determining whether or not the application conditions have been met, When the management device determines in the determination step that the application conditions have been met, it performs a calculation step to calculate the number of exchange-restricted game media from the number of game media acquired by the player that will be used to restrict the exchange of prizes. The management device includes a notification step of notifying the prize management device of the number of exchange-restricted game media calculated by at least the calculation step, and A method for restricting prize exchange, characterized by including the following:

Images