JP7544926B2 - Gaming Systems - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a gaming system that can improve the accuracy of acquiring information about the gaming status of a gaming machine.

Conventionally, reel-type gaming machines are known as gaming machines installed in gaming establishments. In reel-type gaming machines, a predetermined number of gaming media is set as the bet amount (BET amount), and once the bet amount has been set, the reels can be rotated and a unit game begins. Then, in the unit game, all the reels are stopped by a stop operation, and when a predetermined symbol combination stops on the reels, gaming media is awarded as a prize.

In such a slot machine, if a recording medium processing device that processes recording media is installed adjacent to the machine, the player returns and removes the recording medium when the game is over. In this case, when the game is over, there may be a number of gaming media managed by the gaming machine, including the number of bets set on the gaming machine, separate from the recording media.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a recording medium processing device installed adjacent to a reel-type gaming machine determines that a player has finished playing the reel-type gaming machine when the recording medium is returned, thereby acquiring the gaming status of the gaming machine.

JP 2007-159970 A

However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, in a situation where the way in which players use recording media (general cards, membership cards, etc.) is diversifying, there is a lack of information to obtain the gaming status. Specifically, the behavior of the recording media alone does not provide information on whether or not there are gaming media managed by the gaming machine, and the accuracy of obtaining information on the gaming status cannot be improved.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology, and aims to provide a gaming system that can improve the accuracy of acquiring information about the gaming status of a gaming machine.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a gaming system having a gaming machine and a gaming device associated with the gaming machine and performing processing related to gaming, the gaming device comprising: a gaming machine managed media number acquisition means for acquiring the number of gaming machine managed media managed by the gaming machine; a management means for managing a number of possessed gaming media that can be transferred to and from the number of gaming machine managed media; a determination means for determining that the gaming machine is an abandoned gaming machine if, even if the number of gaming machine managed media is transferred to the number of possessed gaming media, a state in which playing using the number of possessed gaming media after the transfer and returning a specified storage medium associated with the number of possessed gaming media is impossible continues for a specified period of time ; and a notification means for notifying a management device connected to the management device so as to be communicatively connected of the determination result of the determination means, the management device, when receiving a notification of the determination result that the gaming machine is an abandoned gaming machine from the gaming device, indicates that the gaming machine is an abandoned gaming machine by a machine lamp provided corresponding to the gaming machine .

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above invention, the determination means determines that, when the number of possessed gaming media associated with the storage medium is not 0 and is less than a predetermined number of playable games, it is impossible to play using the number of possessed gaming media and impossible to return the specified storage medium associated with the number of possessed gaming media.

The present invention makes it possible to improve the accuracy of acquiring information about the gaming status of a gaming machine.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of the gaming system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the management slot machine and the management medal unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management medal unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the value data shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the determination condition table shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the card management device shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the card management data shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the device management data shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the management medal unit shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of automatic lending according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of association with a mobile terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the mobile terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of management data in card management device 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of collecting medals using a medal collecting card according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of moving the table using a card dedicated to medal collection in the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of prize exchange using a card dedicated to medal collection in embodiment 3. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a component according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a perfect lending button according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a lending process and a platform movement according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of clerk collection according to the ninth embodiment.

The gaming system according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that this embodiment shows the case where the present invention is applied to a gaming system in which a gaming machine consisting of an enclosed managed slot machine and a gaming device consisting of a managed medal unit are arranged side by side so that they can communicate with each other.

[Embodiment 1]
Overview of the gaming system according to the first embodiment
Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of a gaming system according to the present embodiment 1. The management slot machine 20 shown in Fig. 1 is an enclosed reel type gaming machine that does not pay out medals to the outside of the device. When coins are inserted into the management medal unit 10, the prepaid value of the amount of the coins is associated with a card ID and managed by the card management device 40.

When a player performs a medal lending operation on the managed medal unit 10, a predetermined amount (e.g., 1,000 yen) is subtracted from the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40, and then the managed medal unit 10 instructs the managed slot machine 20 to add game medals, and the number of game medals is stored in the memory unit of the managed slot machine 20.

The player uses this number of medals to play the game. Specifically, when the button called the MAX BET button is pressed, three medals are subtracted from the number of medals to set the bet number (BET number). When the player operates the start lever in this state, the three reels, or drums, rotate, and when the stop buttons corresponding to each drum are pressed, the drums stop sequentially. When a predetermined combination of symbols stops on the reels, the number of medals awarded according to this combination of symbols is added to the number of medals played. Note that in this embodiment 1, when the BET number is one, or two, the drums do not rotate even if the start lever is operated.

In this way, the player can play pachislot using the managed slot machine 20, and once a predetermined counting operation has been performed, the number of game medals stored in the managed slot machine 20 is transferred to the number of held medals stored in the managed medal unit 10. Furthermore, once a replay operation of held medals is performed on the managed medal unit 10, a predetermined number of the number of held medals stored in the managed medal unit 10 is transferred to the number of game medals stored in the managed slot machine 20.

If the player performs a card return operation in this state, the number of medals held is associated with the card ID of the general card (hereinafter simply referred to as the "card") stored in the managed medal unit 10, and the card is returned after storing the number of medals in the card management device 40. At this time, if the card return operation is performed while there is a number of game medals stored in the managed slot machine 20, the number of game medals stored in the managed slot machine 20 is left as it is, and the number of medals held is associated with the card ID and stored in the card management device 40, and the card is returned.

However, if the number of medals held stored in the management medal unit 10 is less than a specified number (e.g., less than five), even if a card return operation is performed, the number of medals held is not stored in the card management device 40 in association with the card ID, and the card is not returned. This is because if a card with a value less than the price of the card issued by the gaming establishment is returned, the player may discard the card, resulting in a loss for the gaming establishment.

In this way, when a pachislot game is played on the managed slot machine 20, there are the following valuable values: prepaid value (A), number of medals held (B), number of medals played (C), and number of bets (D).

As shown in Figure 1(a), cases frequently occur where the prepaid value (A) is "0", the number of medals held (B) is "0", the number of medals played (C) is "0", and the number of bets (D) is "2". In such cases, the player may make an additional deposit to add to the prepaid value and continue playing the slot machine, but there are also cases where the player may end the game.

When a player finishes playing pachislot, it is not possible to pay out physical medals equal to the number of bets (2 medals) as with conventional pachislot machines. This results in a situation where the player leaves with the number of bets remaining. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether a player who has finished playing with a managed slot machine 20 has left the managed slot machine 20 and the managed slot machine 20 has become an abandoned machine. This is because a store clerk must collect the number of medals equal to the number of bets.

For this reason, in this embodiment 1, for example, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", the number of medals held (B) is "0", the number of game medals (C) is "0", the number of BETs (D) is "2", and it is detected that no pachinko slot game has been played for a predetermined time (e.g., 20 minutes) (S11), it is determined whether the managed slot machine 20 is an abandoned machine (S12). In the example of FIG. 1(a), only two BETs remain, and in this state, the player cannot play pachinko slot games or return the card, so the managed slot machine 20 is determined to be an abandoned machine.

Then, the management medal unit 10 notifies the card management device 40 that it is an abandoned machine (S13), and causes the machine lamp to light up in a specified manner to indicate that it is an abandoned machine (S14), prompting the store clerk to collect the number of bets. The store clerk will then collect the number of bets by inserting a store clerk card that allows the return of less than five cards, or by operating the remote control to switch the management medal unit 10 to a collection mode that allows the return of cards even if there are five or fewer cards.

Next, we will explain what happens when a player forgets to take the number of game medals (D). As shown in Figure 1 (b), it is assumed here that the prepaid value (A) is "0", the number of medals held (B) is "0", the number of game medals (C) is "70", and the number of BETs (D) is "2".

In this case, since the number of game medals (C) is "70", the player cancels the BET and adds the number of BET medals (D) to the number of game medals (C) to make it "72", and then the player performs a counting operation to make the number of held medals (B) "72", so that the number of held medals can be associated with the card and returned.

However, if a player is faced with an urgent matter, the player may not notice the existence of the number of game medals (C) and the number of BETs (D) and may end up returning the card. In such a case, the number of game medals may be forgotten to be taken.

For this reason, in this embodiment 1, for example, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", the number of medals held (B) is "0", the number of game medals (C) is "70", the number of BETs (D) is "2", and it is detected that no Pachislot game has been played for a predetermined time (for example, 20 minutes) (S21), it is determined whether or not the managed slot machine 20 is a machine that has been left behind (S22). In the example of FIG. 1(b), the number of game medals (C) is "70", and the card can be returned, so the managed slot machine 20 is determined to be a machine that has been left behind.

Then, the medal management unit 10 notifies the card management device 40 that the machine is one where a medal has been left behind (S23), and causes the machine lamp to light up in a specified manner to indicate that the medal has been left behind (S24), prompting the store staff to collect the number of medals and the number of BETs. This makes it possible for a card associated with the number of medals to be returned to the player when the player realizes that he or she has left a medal on the machine.

In this way, in this embodiment 1, the managed medal unit 10 attached to the managed slot machine 20 with the bet number set to three acquires the prepaid value, the number of game medals of the managed slot machine 20, the number of bets of the managed slot machine 20, and the number of medals held by the managed medal unit 10, and when the time during which pachislot play has not been performed exceeds a predetermined time, it determines whether the machine is an abandoned machine or a machine that has been left behind, and notifies the card management device 40 and alerts with a machine lamp, so that store staff can quickly respond to abandoned or left-behind machines.

Here, we have shown a case where the prepaid value, the number of game medals in the managed slot machine 20, the number of bets in the managed slot machine 20, and the number of medals held by the managed medal unit 10 are obtained, but it is also possible to configure the device to only obtain the number of bets in the managed slot machine 20, and to notify the card management device 40 and to notify with the machine lamp if there are any bets remaining. The time when no pachinko slot game is being played can be identified by starting timing from the time when the out data is no longer being output.

In the above series of explanations, the number of medals held in the management medal unit 10 is associated with a general card, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it can also be associated with a membership card. Since a membership card is unlikely to be discarded even if the number of medals held is small, even if there is only one medal, it can be associated with the membership card and returned. For this reason, it does not fall under the category of abandoned tables shown in Figure 1(a), but falls under the category of forgotten tables shown in Figure 1(b).

<System Configuration>
Next, the system configuration of the gaming system according to the present embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the gaming system according to the present embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, a gaming establishment is equipped with a plurality of managed slot machines 20 and managed medal units 10 provided corresponding to each managed slot machine 20. The managed medal units 10 are connected to a communication line, which is a network within the establishment, via an island controller 30. The island controller 30, a card management device 40, a member management device 50, a prize management device 60, and a settlement machine 70 are connected to the communication line.

The managed slot machine 20 is an enclosed type gaming machine that provides pachislot games based on the number of gaming medals stored in the memory unit, and does not accept physical medals from outside the device, nor does it pay out physical medals to outside the device. This managed slot machine 20 is provided with a MAX BET button, and when this MAX BET button is pressed, three medals are subtracted from the number of gaming medals and the BET number is set. When the player operates the start lever in this state, the three drums rotate, and when the stop button is pressed, the drums stop sequentially. When a predetermined pattern combination stops on the reel, the number of prize medals corresponding to this pattern combination is added to the number of gaming medals.

The managed slot machine 20 notifies the managed medal unit 10 of the number of game medals and the number of BETs. The managed slot machine 20 also notifies the managed medal unit 10 of safe data, out data, special prize data, etc. The safe data is data that is output when a predetermined number of prize medals are won. The out data is data that is output each time the number of BETs used in a game reaches a predetermined number. The special prize data is data that is output when a jackpot occurs. The safe data, out data, special prize data, etc. are transmitted from the managed medal unit 10 to a hall computer (not shown).

The management medal unit 10 accepts deposits, lends out game medals, and communicates with the card management device 40. When the management medal unit 10 accepts a bill inserted by a player, it transmits deposit notification data including the amount of the bill to the card management device 40, and adds a number corresponding to the amount to the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40. Then, when a specified medal lending operation is performed, it transmits a medal lending request to the card management device 40, subtracts the prepaid value managed by the card management device 40, and instructs the management slot machine 20 to add a number of game medals corresponding to the subtracted prepaid value.

When the management medal unit 10 accepts the insertion of a card, it sends card insertion notification data to the card management device 40. When the management medal unit 10 receives data including the prepaid value and the number of held medals from the card management device 40, it stores the received prepaid value and the number of held medals. Then, when the number of held medals is stored, the management medal unit 10 sends held medal subtraction request data to the card management device 40, thereby clearing the number of held medals managed by the card management device 40 to zero.

When the management medal unit 10 receives a medal replay operation, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of medals held stored in the device, and instructs the management slot machine 20 to add a number of game medals corresponding to the subtracted number of medals held.

In addition, when the management medal unit 10 accepts a card return operation, it transmits held medal addition request data, including the number of held medals managed by the unit, to the card management device 40, and after having the card management device 40 add the number of held medals, it transmits card ejection notification data to the card management device 40 and controls the ejection of the card.

In this way, the managed medal unit 10 obtains the prepaid value from the card management device 40, and also obtains the number of game medals and the number of BETs from the managed slot machine 20, and stores them in its own device together with the number of medals held. Then, when the time during which the player is not playing the slot machine reaches a predetermined time or more, it judges whether the managed slot machine 20 is an abandoned machine or a machine where the number of game medals and the number of BETs have been left behind based on the prepaid value, the number of medals held, the number of game medals, and the number of BETs, and notifies the card management device 40 of the judgment result and controls the display of the machine lamp. Note that, when the out data from the managed slot machine 20 is no longer received, the timer starts timing the time during which the player is not playing the slot machine. When the time counted by this timer reaches a predetermined time or more (for example, 15 minutes), the above judgment process is performed.

A detailed explanation will be given later, but the management medal unit 10 determines that the machine is one that has been left behind if there is any remaining prepaid value. The management medal unit 10 also determines that the machine is one that has been left behind if there is no remaining prepaid value and the total number of held medals, game medals, and BETs is a predetermined number (e.g., 5 medals) or more. On the other hand, the management medal unit 10 determines that the machine is one that has been left behind if there is no remaining prepaid value and the total number of held medals, game medals, and BETs is less than a predetermined number (e.g., 5 medals).

However, the management medal unit 10 can also determine that a machine is an abandoned machine if there are BETs, and that it is not an abandoned machine if there are no BETs. The management medal unit 10 can also determine that a machine is a left-behind machine if the total number of game medals and BETs is a predetermined number (e.g., 5 medals) or more, and can determine that a machine is an abandoned machine if the total number of game medals and BETs is less than the predetermined number (e.g., 5 medals).

The island controller 30 is a relay device that bundles a group of managed slot machines 20 and managed medal units 10 installed on the game island.

The card management device 40 is a device that manages the prepaid value of the card and the number of medals held as card data. When the card management device 40 receives card insertion notification data from the management medal unit 10, it manages the card ID of the inserted card in association with the device ID of the management medal unit 10, and transmits the prepaid value and the number of medals held associated with the card ID to the management medal unit 10. In addition, if the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification data is the card ID of a member card, the card management device 40 transmits the card insertion notification data to the member management device 50, and transmits the saved ball replay data received from the member management device 50 to the management medal unit 10.

When the card management device 40 receives held medal subtraction request data from the management medal unit 10, it clears the held medal count to zero. When the card management device 40 receives held medal addition request data from the management medal unit 10, it adds the held medal count included in the held medal addition request data to the held medal count managed by the card management device 40.

When the card management device 40 receives medal lending request data from the management medal unit 10, it subtracts a predetermined value from the prepaid value associated with the card ID and transmits medal lending permission data to the management medal unit 10. When the card management device 40 receives saved medal replay request data, it transmits the saved medal replay request data to the member management device 50, and when the member management device 50 outputs saved medal replay data, it transmits the saved medal replay data to the management medal unit 10.

When the card management device 40 receives a card ID from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of medals held that are associated with this card ID. Furthermore, when the card management device 40 receives a card ID from the settlement machine 70, it notifies the settlement machine 70 of the prepaid value that is associated with this card ID.

When the card management device 40 receives card insertion notification data, it identifies the gaming machine ID of the managed slot machine 20 corresponding to the managed medal unit 10 that sent the data, matches the gaming machine ID with the card ID, and notifies the member management device 50 of the card insertion. Similarly, when the managed medal unit 10 ejects a card, it identifies the gaming machine ID of the managed slot machine 20 corresponding to the managed medal unit 10 that sent the data, matches the gaming machine ID with the card ID, and notifies the member management device 50 of the card ejection.

In addition, when the card management device 40 receives the deposit notification data, it identifies the gaming machine ID of the managed slot machine 20 that corresponds to the managed medal unit 10 that sent the data, matches the gaming machine ID with the card ID, and notifies the member management device 50 of the deposit.

Notifications from the card management device 40 to the member management device 50 regarding card insertion, card removal, deposit, etc. are output to a hall computer (not shown) as the operation history of the management medal unit 10.

The member management device 50 is a management device that manages the member management data of members who are registered with the gaming establishment. Specifically, it manages the number of medals saved, the number of points, the PIN number, the name, etc., in association with the member card ID issued to the member.

When the member management device 50 receives card insertion notification data from the management medal unit 10, it transmits saved medal replay data including the number of saved medals and the PIN number associated with the card ID indicated in the card insertion notification data to the management medal unit 10. In addition, when the member management device 50 receives saved medal replay request data from the management medal unit 10, it subtracts a predetermined number from the number of saved medals associated with the card ID indicated in the saved medal replay request data, and transmits saved medal replay data including the saved medal number after subtraction to the management medal unit 10. Note that communication between the management medal unit 10 and the member management device 50 is performed via the card management device 40.

In addition, when the member management device 50 receives an inquiry about the number of medals saved from the prize management device 60, it notifies the prize management device 60 of the number of medals saved corresponding to the specified card ID.

The member management device 50 also accumulates a history of operations such as depositing the managed medal unit 10, inserting the card, and ejecting the card, which have been notified by the card management device 40, and transmits this to the hall computer at a predetermined time, such as after closing time. The member management device 50 also accumulates a history of operations related to prize exchanges by the prize management device 60 and settlements by the settlement machine 80, and transmits this to the hall computer at a predetermined time, such as after closing time.

The prize management device 60 is a terminal device for prize exchange that is attached to the prize exchange counter in the gaming facility, and performs the prize exchange process of exchanging the number of held medals and the number of saved medals for prizes. A card reader that reads the card ID from the card and a prize payout device that pays out prizes are connected to this prize management device 60. When the prize management device 60 reads the card ID from a general card or a member card (or when it reads identification data corresponding to the card ID from a mobile terminal, etc.), it transmits the card ID to the card management device 40 and requests the number of held medals for that card ID. When exchanging the number of saved medals for a prize, it requests the number of saved medals from the member management device 50.

When a card associated with a prepaid value is inserted, the settlement machine 70 transmits the card ID of the card to the card management device 40 and receives the response data, thereby obtaining the prepaid value associated with the card and dispensing money according to the obtained prepaid value.

<External configuration of the management slot machine 20 and the management medal unit 10>
Next, the external configuration of the managed slot machine 20 and the managed medal unit 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the managed slot machine 20 and the managed medal unit 10 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in the figure, unlike conventional pachinko slot machines, the managed slot machine 20 does not have an upper tray and a lower tray. This is because it is an enclosed type gaming machine and medals are not paid out to the outside of the device. Also, unlike conventional pachinko slot machines, there is no concept of credits that accumulate 50 medals, and there is no credit display section. This is because instead of credits, a display section that stores the number of game medals without the restriction of 50 medals and displays the number of game medals is provided.

On the surface of the managed slot machine 20, there are provided drums 21a, 21b, and 21c (hereinafter collectively referred to as "drum 21"), a game medal count display unit 22, a max bet button 23, a start lever 24, stop buttons 25a, 25b, and 25c (hereinafter collectively referred to as "stop buttons 25"), a bet number display unit 26, and a count button 27. Although not shown here for ease of explanation, a liquid crystal display unit that displays effects and the like and a prize medal count display unit can also be provided.

The drum 21 is a reel on which symbols are printed, and is controlled to rotate when the start lever 24 is operated with three coins bet. It is also controlled to stop when the stop button 25 is pressed.

The medal count display unit 22 is a display unit that displays the number of medals stored inside the managed slot machine 20. The MAX BET button 23 is a button for betting three medals. When the MAX BET button 23 is pressed, the number of bets is displayed in the BET number display unit 26. When the MAX BET button 23 is pressed when there are three or more medals, "3" is displayed in the BET number display unit 26. When the MAX BET button 23 is pressed when there are two medals, "2" is displayed in the BET number display unit 26, and when the MAX BET button 23 is pressed when there are two medals, "2" is displayed in the BET number display unit 26. Note that the BET payout button for canceling the BET is not shown in the figure.

The start lever 24 is a lever for controlling the rotation of the drum 21 on the condition that three of the game medals have been bet. Here, the managed slot machine 20 is a dedicated machine for betting three medals, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation of the drum 21 can also be controlled when the start lever 24 is operated in a state where one medal or two medals have been bet.

The stop button 25 is a button for stopping the drum 21. When the stop button 25a is pressed, the drum 21a is controlled to stop, when the stop button 25b is pressed, the drum 21b is controlled to stop, and when the stop button 25c is pressed, the drum 21c is controlled to stop.

The count button 27 is a button for transferring the number of game medals stored in the managed slot machine 20 to the number of held medals stored in the managed medal unit 10. When the count button 27 is pressed and held, the number of game medals is incremented while the button is pressed and held, and the number of game medals identified at the time the count button 27 is released is transferred to the number of held medals.

Next, we will explain the management medal unit 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the management medal unit 10 is provided with a base lamp 11, a bill insertion slot 12, a display operation unit 13, and a card insertion slot 14.

The machine lamp 11 is a status display lamp that displays the status of the managed slot machine 20 and the managed medal unit 10. If the managed slot machine 20 is determined to be an abandoned machine, the machine lamp 11 displays this (for example, flashes red). Also, if the managed slot machine 20 is determined to be a machine that has been left behind, the machine lamp 11 displays this (for example, lights up red). Furthermore, if any type of error occurs, a display is displayed to indicate this.

The bill insertion slot 12 is an insertion slot for inserting bills. Bills inserted into this bill insertion slot 12 are transported to a bill processing device called a bill validator and stored there. In this embodiment 1, an explanation of bills is omitted.

The display operation unit 13 is an input device and display device consisting of a liquid crystal panel or the like for displaying and inputting operations. By operating the display operation unit 13, it is possible to perform operations such as a held medal number replay operation that changes the number of held medals to the number of game medals.

The card insertion slot 14 is an insertion slot that accepts the insertion of a general card or a membership card. When a player acquires a certain number of medals using game medals lent by inserting a bill, the number of medals is associated with a card stored inside the device (not shown) and returned from the card insertion slot 14.

<Configuration of management medal unit 10>
Next, the configuration of the management medal unit 10 will be described. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the management medal unit 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the management medal unit 10 has a display operation unit 13, a reader/writer 14a, a communication unit 15, a communication unit 16, a memory unit 17, and a control unit 18. Note that the display operation unit 13 has already been described, so its description will be omitted here.

The reader/writer 14a is a processing unit that reads the card ID stored in the card inserted through the card insertion slot 14. Note that in preparation for offline operation, it is also possible to write the prepaid value and number of medals held to the card, but the data stored in the card management device 40 will be correct.

The communication unit 15 is a communication interface unit for communicating with the card management device 40 etc. via a communication line. The communication unit 16 is an interface unit for communicating with the management slot machine 20 via a board called an SC board.

The memory unit 17 is a storage device consisting of a non-volatile memory or a hard disk drive, etc., and stores a card ID 17a, value data 17b, and a judgment condition table 17c. The card ID 17a indicates a card ID that uniquely identifies the card.

The value data 17b includes the prepaid value, the number of medals held, the number of game medals, and the number of BETs. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the data includes the prepaid value (A) being "0", the number of medals held (B) being "0", the number of game medals (C) being "2", and the number of BETs (D) being "2". This value data 17b is updated from time to time. Note that the prepaid value (A) is stored as part of the value data 17b, but the prepaid value stored in the management medal unit 10 is not positive. When the card management device 40 stores a positive prepaid value and lends medals using the prepaid value, the card management device 40 is queried and subtracted each time, and then the management slot machine 20 is notified of the addition of the number of game medals. At this time, the prepaid value (A) stored in the value data 17b is updated. In addition, when the number of game medals or the number of BETs is received from the managed slot machine 20, the number of game medals (C) and the number of BETs (D) in the value data 17b are updated each time.

The judgment condition table 17c is a table used when judging whether or not a managed slot machine 20 is an abandoned machine or a machine left behind. As shown in FIG. 6, in this case, if there is a prepaid value (A) (it is not "0"), it is judged to be a machine left behind (E) regardless of whether or not there is the number of medals held (B), the number of medals played (C), or the number of bets (D).

In addition, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", and the sum of the number of medals held (B), the number of game medals (C), and the number of bets (D) is "5" or more, the machine is determined to be a machine left behind (E). On the other hand, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", and the sum of the number of medals held (B), the number of game medals (C), and the number of bets (D) is less than "5", the machine is determined to be an abandoned machine (E).

The control unit 18 is a control unit that performs overall control of the managed medal unit 10, and has a data management unit 18a, a medal lending processing unit 18b, a medal holding processing unit 18c, a timing unit 18d, a status determination unit 18e, a status notification unit 18f, and an alarm unit 18g. In practice, the programs corresponding to these functional units are stored in a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (not shown), and these programs are loaded into the CPU and executed, thereby executing processes corresponding to the data management unit 18a, the medal lending processing unit 18b, the medal holding processing unit 18c, the timing unit 18d, the status determination unit 18e, the status notification unit 18f, and the alarm unit 18g.

The data management unit 18a is a management unit that uses the value data 17b stored in the memory unit 17 to manage the prepaid value, number of medals held, number of game medals, number of BETs, etc. Although the explanation is omitted here for the sake of convenience, in reality, it also manages the number of medals held for other lending rates that are not handled by the management medal unit 10. If the number of medals held for other lending rates is a predetermined number (e.g., "5 medals") or more, it is determined to be a machine that has been left behind, and if the number of medals held for other lending rates is less than the predetermined number (e.g., "5 medals"), it is determined to be an abandoned machine. The data management unit 18a can also manage data on saved balls and saved medals.

The medal lending processing unit 18b is a processing unit that performs medal lending processing when new bills are inserted or when a medal lending operation is received from the display operation unit 13 while there is remaining prepaid value. This medal lending processing unit 18b does not pay out actual medals as in conventional medal lending machines, but rather instructs the management slot machine 20 to add a number of medals equivalent to, for example, 1000 yen to the number of game medals.

The held medal processing unit 18c is a processing unit that performs processing related to held medals. Specifically, when a payout operation for held medals is received from the display operation unit 13, it instructs the management slot machine 20 to subtract a predetermined number (e.g., 50 medals) from the number of held medals, and then to add 50 game medals to the number of medals played.

The timing unit 18d is a processing unit that measures the elapsed time from the timing start time. This timing start time is the time when the player stops playing the slot machine, for example, the time when out data is no longer received from the managed slot machine 20. Note that although the case where timing is performed by software has been shown here, timing can also be performed by hardware.

The state determination unit 18e is a determination unit that determines whether the managed slot machine 20 is a machine left behind or an abandoned machine based on the determination condition table 17c stored in the storage unit 17. Specifically, when the determination condition table 17c shown in FIG. 6 is used, if there is a prepaid value (A) (not "0"), it is determined to be a machine left behind (E) regardless of whether there is the number of medals held (B), the number of game medals (C), or the number of BETs (D). Also, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", it is determined to be a machine left behind (E) if the sum of the number of medals held (B), the number of game medals (C), and the number of BETs (D) is "5" or more. On the other hand, if the prepaid value (A) is "0", it is determined to be an abandoned machine (E) if the sum of the number of medals held (B), the number of game medals (C), and the number of BETs (D) is less than "5".

The status notification unit 18f is a processing unit that notifies the card management device 40 that the managed slot machine 20 is a machine that has been left behind or abandoned when the status determination unit 18e determines that the managed slot machine 20 is a machine that has been left behind or abandoned.

The notification unit 18g is a processing unit that, when the state determination unit 18e determines that the managed slot machine 20 is a machine that has been left behind or an abandoned machine, indicates that the machine is a machine that has been left behind or an abandoned machine by using the machine lamp 11.

<Configuration of Card Management Device 40>
Next, a configuration of card management device 40 will be described. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of card management device 40 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 7, card management device 40 is connected to display unit 41 and input unit 42, and has communication unit 43, storage unit 44 and control unit 45.

The display unit 41 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, a display device, or an organic EL display, and the input unit 42 is an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. The communication unit 43 is a communication interface unit for communicating with the management medal unit 10 via a communication line.

The memory unit 44 is a storage device consisting of a non-volatile memory or a hard disk device, and stores card management data 44a and device management data 44b. The card management data 44a is data including a prepaid value, the number of balls held for each lending rate, the number of medals held for each lending rate, and the device ID of the device to be used, in association with the card ID. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the card management data 44a shown in FIG. 7. Here, a ball 1 with a lending rate of "4 yen", a ball 2 with a lending rate of "2 yen", a ball 3 with a lending rate of "1 yen", a medal 1 with a lending rate of "20 yen", and a medal 2 with a lending rate of "5 yen" are shown in association. The card ID "1001" is used in the management medal unit "3002", and shows a situation in which the prepaid value is "2500 yen" and the number of medals held by medal 1 is "1500". Additionally, card ID "1002" is used in the management medal unit "3001," indicating that the prepaid value, number of balls held, and number of medals held are all "0."

The device management data 44b is management data for managing the status of the device, and includes the device ID, address, installation location, gaming machine ID, game type, model, and status. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the device management data 44b shown in Figure 7. Here, it shows the situation where device "3001" is an abandoned machine, and device "3002" is a machine that has been left behind.

The control unit 45 is a control unit that performs overall control of the card management device 40, and has a card management unit 45a and a device management unit 45b. In practice, the programs corresponding to these functional units are stored in a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (not shown), and these programs are loaded into the CPU and executed, causing the card management unit 45a and the device management unit 45b to execute the processes corresponding thereto.

The card management unit 45a is a management unit that uses the card management data 44a stored in the memory unit 44 to manage the prepaid value, the number of balls held for each lending rate, the number of medals held for each lending rate, and the device ID to which the card is used for each card ID.

The device management unit 45b is a management unit that uses the device management data 44b stored in the memory unit 44 to manage the device ID, address, installation location, gaming machine ID, game type, model, and status. At this time, it also manages whether the managed slot machine 20 is a machine that has been left behind or an abandoned machine. If it is a machine that has been left behind or an abandoned machine, an automated voice can be used to notify the store attendant of the fact that the machine has been left behind or an abandoned machine has occurred.

<Processing procedure of management medal unit 10>
Next, the processing procedure of the management medal unit 10 shown in Fig. 4 will be described. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the management medal unit 10 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in the figure, when the management medal unit 10 confirms that the player has not played for a certain period of time (for example, 20 minutes) by the out data and the timer unit 18d (step S101; Yes), it judges whether the card is a general card or a member card (step S102). Since the number system of the general card and the member card is different, such a judgment can be made.

As a result, if it is determined that the card is a member card (step S102; No), it is determined that the card is a left-behind card (step S103), and the card management device 40 is notified that the card is a left-behind card (step S104), and the card lamp 11 notifies the user that the card is a left-behind card (step S105).

In contrast, if it is determined that the card is a general card (step S102; Yes), it is determined whether there is a balance in the prepaid value (step S106), and if there is a balance in the prepaid value (step S106; Yes), it is determined that the card is a machine that has been left behind (step S103), and the card management device 40 is notified that the card is a machine that has been left behind (step S104), and the machine lamp 11 notifies the user that the card is a machine that has been left behind (step S105).

On the other hand, if there is no prepaid value balance (step S106; No), the total number of medals held, number of game medals, and number of BETs is calculated (step S107), and it is determined whether this total number is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 5 medals) (step S108).

As a result, if the total number is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 5 cards) (step S108; No), the machine is determined to be a machine where cards have been left behind (step S103), the card management device 40 is notified of this fact (step S104), and the machine lamp 11 notifies the user of this fact (step S105).

On the other hand, if this total number is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 5) (step S108; Yes), the machine is determined to be an abandoned machine (step S109), and the card management device 40 is notified that the machine is an abandoned machine (step S110), and the machine lamp 11 indicates that the machine is an abandoned machine (step S111).

As described above, in this embodiment 1, the managed medal unit 10 attached to the managed slot machine 20 with the bet number set to 3 acquires the prepaid value, the number of game medals of the managed slot machine 20, the number of bets of the managed slot machine 20, and the number of medals held by the managed medal unit 10, and when the time during which no pachinko slot game is being played exceeds a predetermined time, it determines whether the machine is an abandoned machine or a machine that has been left behind, notifies the card management device 40, and alerts with a machine lamp, so that the store staff can quickly respond to abandoned or left-behind machines.

In this embodiment 1, the case where the number of bets is collected by inserting a card or operating the remote control is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of bets can also be configured to be collected by an employee operation other than inserting a card or operating the remote control (for example, a special operation on the display operation unit 13).

[Embodiment 2]
As explained in the above embodiment 1, the managed slot machine 20 performs a medal replay operation to transfer the medals stored in the managed medal unit 10 to game medals, and then performs a MAX BET operation and operates the start lever 24 to play a slot machine game. In this case, it is necessary to press the MAX BET button 23 for each game, which is troublesome for the player.

Also, if there are fewer than the minimum number of game medals to be returned (for example, five), a store attendant will use a remote control or the like to forcibly return the card. In this way, since the managed slot machine 20 runs out of physical medals, if one or two game medals remain, it may not be possible to return or play the card, which could lead to problems. If the minimum number of game medals to be returned was set to zero in order to prevent these problems, there is a possibility that many players will take the cards home or throw them away.

For this reason, in this embodiment 2, as shown in FIG. 11, an automatic bet function is provided in the management medal unit 10, and when the automatic bet is selected, three medals are automatically lent out from the number of medals held to the number of medals played for each game, making it possible to play pachislot without pressing the max bet button 23, and the automatic lending can be automatically stopped, automatically resumed, or canceled depending on the number of medals held or the game status.

It should be noted that there is a concern that by performing the above-mentioned automatic bet, the number of medals the player has left without realizing it may increase, and the player may be unable to play the slot machine or return the card. However, as shown in FIG. 12, when returning the card, if the number of medals held is less than the minimum number to be returned, a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display operation unit 13, and the card can be returned by reading the two-dimensional code with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. A QR code (registered trademark) can be used as this two-dimensional code.

This point will be explained in detail. Here, the managed slot machine 20 allows a player to play a slot machine game without pressing the max bet button 23 when the number of medals held is lent to the number of medals to be played.

As shown in FIG. 11, when a deposit is made or a card is inserted, the AUTO BET button is displayed on the display operation unit 13. Here, when the AUTO BET button is pressed, a process is started in which the number of held medals is automatically transferred to the number of playing medals by three medals for each game (here, this is called "automatic lending"). When the number of held medals falls below a specified threshold, automatic payout is stopped. In the automatic stop state, a counting operation is performed, the number of playing medals is transferred to the number of held medals, and when the number of held medals becomes equal to or greater than the threshold, automatic lending is resumed. Note that automatic lending is terminated when a card return operation is performed or when a deposit or card insertion is accepted while the number of held medals is equal to or less than the threshold, automatic lending is terminated.

In addition, if the number of medals held is less than the minimum number to be returned and a card return operation is accepted, a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display operation unit 13 as shown in FIG. 13(a), and the player or store clerk reads the two-dimensional code with an app on a mobile device. If the two-dimensional code is read with a camera, the value read is linked. This makes it possible to move the machine. As shown in FIG. 13(b), if the machine is to be moved to a pachislot machine that is not a conventional sealed-in type, actual medals can be paid out, and if the machine is to be moved to a managed slot machine 20, the number of medals held is used. If the two-dimensional code is read with the prize management device 60, prize exchange is possible. The number of medals held read with the two-dimensional code is managed as unprocessed medals by the card management device 40.

As shown in FIG. 14(a), the card management device 40 manages the number of possessed medals returned based on the application number on the application return management screen. However, since the card management device 40 only manages the number of possessed medals, it does not manage the attributes or PIN numbers of the application registrants.

If authentication is subsequently performed on another machine or on the prize management device 60, the status is updated and the number of medals held is transferred as shown in FIG. 14(b). When the arcade closes, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the store clerk determines whether medals whose status is "unprocessed" should be counted as unprocessed medals.

In this way, according to this embodiment 2, three medals are lent out from the number of medals held to the number of game medals for each game, eliminating the need for the player to operate the MAX BET button 23, improving convenience. Furthermore, if the number of medals held falls below the minimum number to be returned, a two-dimensional code is displayed on the display operation unit 13, and the number of medals held can be linked by reading the two-dimensional code with a mobile terminal, preventing problems. Furthermore, since it is possible to return a small number of medals by reading the two-dimensional code with a mobile terminal, the minimum number of medals to be returned for general cards can be freely set.

If the managed slot machine 20 is designed to require a bet operation when it changes the number of held medals to the number of game medals and lends them out, it can be configured to automatically lend out three game medals each time the automatic bet button is pressed, when the number of game medals is between 0 and 2. This eliminates the need to count fractional parts of the number of game medals when lending out the number of held medals to the number of game medals and when returning the card. In addition, when performing an automatic bet, a jackpot signal can be received from the managed slot machine 20, and settings can be made for each model, so that the number of bets can be automatically switched when a single medal is acceptable. In addition, the number of held medals returned using an app on a mobile device can be added to other general cards.

[Embodiment 3]
Conventional slot machines use actual medals to play, so even in a three-coin slot machine, one or two remaining medals can be returned as actual medals, but in the case of the managed slot machine 20, actual medals are not used, so the only option is to return a valued card. Here, since the value of the card itself is higher than the value of several medals, the system is configured not to return the card in such cases, but it is necessary to return the medal value to the player by some means.

In this embodiment 3, a card dedicated to medal recovery is prepared, and by inserting the card dedicated to medal recovery into a management medal unit 10 in which one or two medals remain and the card cannot be returned, the number of remaining medals is automatically transferred to the medal recovery card, and the value of the medals is returned to the player, making it possible to move the machine or exchange for a prize.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the card management device 40 assigns and manages a specific card ID as a medal collection card. Then, when the player presses the counting button when the remaining prepaid value is 0 yen and the number of game medals is 1 or 2 (step S201), the management slot machine 20 responds with the number of medals to the management medal unit 10 (step S202). As a result, the number of remaining medals is transferred to the management medal unit 10 as the number of medals held. Specifically, the number of medals is linked to the card ID (steps S203-S204), and a response is returned to the management medal unit 10 (step S205). Here, when the card return button is pressed (step S206), the card cannot be returned because the number of medals held is small, so an employee is called (step S207).

The employee inserts the medal collection card into the management medal unit 10 (step S208), and the management medal unit 10 reads the card ID. It notifies the card management device 40 (step S209), and the card management device 40 replaces the remaining medals on the medal collection card (step S210) and returns a response to the management medal unit 10 (step S211). The management medal unit 10 returns the medal collection card (step S212) and erases the display of the remaining medals. The employee confirms the player's intentions and handles the move of the machine or the exchange of the prize.

When moving machines, as shown in FIG. 16, the employee inserts the medal collection card into the destination management medal unit 10 (step S301). This causes the management medal unit 10 to read the card ID and notify the card management device 40 (step S302), and the card management device 40 links the number of remaining medals linked to the medal collection card to the card ID of the first card in the management medal unit 10 (step S303) and responds to the management medal unit 10 (step S304). This causes the number of medals to be displayed on the management medal unit 10. The medal collection card is then returned from the management medal unit 10 (step S305).

When a prize is exchanged, as shown in FIG. 17, the floor employee hands the medal collection card to the counter employee (step S401). When the counter employee places the medal collection card in the reader of the prize management device 60 (step S402), the prize management device 60 reads the card ID and notifies the card management device 40 (step S403). In response to this notification, the card management device 40 notifies the prize management device 60 of the medal count (step S404). This causes the medal count to be displayed on the prize management device 60. This completes the prize exchange (step S405).

In this way, in this embodiment 3, even if the three-bet management slot machine 20 has one or two medals remaining, it is possible to return the medal value to the player using the medal recovery card.

In addition, for abandoned machines with a remaining prepaid value of 0 yen and 1 or 2 medals remaining, by inserting a medal recovery card and having an employee perform an operation to recover an empty machine (for example, by touching the display operation section 13 of the management medal unit 10 or inputting from the employee remote control), the medals recovered by the management medal unit 10 can be treated as unprocessed medals, and the medal recovery process can be performed without moving the machine.

In addition, when the collection process is performed using the medal collection card, a receipt with a two-dimensional code printed by the prize management device 60 and carrying the value of one or two medals may be given to the player. In this case, the prize exchange is performed by reading the receipt with the two-dimensional code printed by the prize management device 60, and the medal value is transferred to the prize management device 60.

In addition, when moving machines, the receipt with the two-dimensional code printed on it is read by the management medal unit 10 equipped with a camera for each machine, and the medal value is transferred to the management medal unit 10, eliminating the need for store staff to accompany the customer to the new machine.

[Embodiment 4]
There is a known fraudulent act called wire fraud, in which a wire is inserted into the bill insertion port of the management medal unit 10 to remove bills. The area at high risk of being targeted by wire fraud is thought to be the stack bill validator unit (hereinafter referred to as "BV") in which the bills are inserted, but currently there are many gaps around the opening of the BV that allow the wire to enter.

As described above, in the management medal unit 10, the wire for the purpose of the goblin will enter through the gap around the mouth of the BV, so a measure to fill the gap is necessary. As the shape of this gap cannot be changed through field modifications, one idea is to attach a gasket or the like to fill the gap, but this would require multiple parts and the effort required for modification, as well as the problem of the possibility of gaps being created between the added parts.

Therefore, in this embodiment 4, as shown in Figures 18(a) to (c), a single part that surrounds the gap is attached to close it in a bag-like shape. Because it is a single part, the effort required for modification can be reduced, and gaps between the added parts can be prevented.

Specifically, a part that surrounds the gap is attached to seal it in a bag shape, preventing the intrusion of wire with just one part. As it is a single part, there are no gaps between the additional parts, so it can reliably prevent the intrusion of wire. Also, as it is a single resin part and can be attached with a snap fit, no tools are required, making it possible to quickly modify it in the field. Also, unlike filling the gap with a sticker, it is hooked with a tab, so there is no need to worry about the part coming off. Furthermore, not only modified machines but also produced machines need to have the same shape for the purpose of applying to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, but as the number of parts is small, the cost of the produced machine can be kept down.

[Embodiment 5]
Conventional coin dispensers do not communicate with slot machines, so they are unable to grasp the number of coins remaining in the slot machine. There is also a need to prevent cards from being discarded.

However, in the case of the managed slot machine 20, since it communicates with the managed medal unit 10, it is possible for the managed medal unit 10 to grasp the number of game medals in the managed slot machine 20. In this embodiment, when there are 1 to 2 game medals remaining in the managed slot machine 20, the managed medal unit 10 communicates with the managed slot machine 20, making it possible to lend out game medals so that the number of game medals becomes 3.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, a "perfect loan button" is provided on the display operation section 13 of the managed medal unit 10, and when the player presses this button, three medals are loaned out. When the number of game medals in the managed slot machine 20 reaches one or two, the player presses the perfect loan button. This causes the managed medal unit 10 to communicate with the managed slot machine 20, confirm the number of game medals, and loan out medals from the number of medals held so that the number of game medals in the managed slot machine 20 reaches three.

It is also possible for the number of medals to be automatically increased to three when the game establishment takes out the medals. The number of medals is determined when the card ID at the time of deposit is linked and the remaining prepaid value becomes zero yen. If the number of medals becomes one or two, the number of medals is automatically increased to three when the game establishment takes out the medals.

When the number of remaining medals in the managed slot machine 20 is one or two, medals are lent out so that the number of remaining medals becomes three, allowing the player to spin the drum for a minimum amount of money. This makes it possible to reduce the number of cards returned in small quantities.

[Embodiment 6]
Conventionally, in a medal lending unit, if only the number of medals stored is less than the card value, the card is not returned and actual medals are paid out. However, in the case of the management medal unit 10, which does not pay out medals to the outside, actual medals cannot be paid out.

For this reason, if one or two gaming medals remain in the managed slot machine 20, they cannot be used in a managed slot machine 20 that is dedicated to betting on three medals. If a player is playing with a normal card at this time and the remaining prepaid value is zero, the card cannot be returned even if the player associates medals with the card, and as a result, one or two gaming medals remain that cannot be used.

Therefore, in this embodiment 6, the deposit function is configured to be enabled/disabled depending on the payout characteristics of the management slot machine 20 to which the management medal unit 10 is connected and the type of card medium used.

Deposits will be determined by the remaining balance for general cards, and the method of handling deposits will be separated between the current machine slot unit and the management medal unit. Membership cards will not require a deposit. In addition, by having settings for "refuse to accept" and "accept only if there is media value" when the remaining balance is less than the deposit, it will be possible to make deposits based on the media value rather than just the remaining balance.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, a threshold is set for the remaining amount of prepaid value, and when lending medals to the managed slot machine 20, lending below the threshold is restricted. However, in the case of current slot machines, the deposit function is turned off, allowing the lending of media (medals) without restrictions.

When lending media to a unit that requires a deposit, if the deposit amount > current balance - media lending amount, the media will not be lent, and the display operation unit 13 will display a message stating "The amount is less than the deposit, so lending is not possible. Please make an additional deposit" and a return button will be displayed.

This reduces the loss to the store caused by discarded cards. It also encourages customers to play on other gaming machines with the deposit function turned off in order to use the value of the remaining deposit on the card. Furthermore, the convenience of membership cards with the deposit function turned off increases relatively, which is expected to lead to an increase in the number of members. In addition, the increased opportunities to use membership cards increase the opportunities to gather customer information, allowing membership information to be used more effectively.

[Embodiment 7]
Conventionally, if additional deposits are prohibited, deposits cannot be made to a card with remaining prepaid value and medals. In a management slot machine 20 for three-card play only, if one or two medals remain on a card, a special operation (returning the card with a special menu button or forced card return by an attendant) is required to return the card. In a management slot machine 20 in which a card returned by such a special operation is inserted, additional deposits are unconditionally allowed and play can be continued, regardless of the setting (prohibition of additional deposits).

For this reason, when a card is returned using a special procedure, a marker (flag) is set to indicate that the card was returned using a special procedure, and if the returned card is accepted, additional funds can be deposited unconditionally.

Since a player can continue playing on another managed slot machine 20 with a card that has one or two medals, it is possible to retain players who are about to leave, improving the operating rate. It is also possible to allow not only additional deposits, but also the addition of other medal cards. Also, the same can be done for the number of balls held, not just the number of medals held.

[Embodiment 8]
In the conventional medal lending unit, the remaining number of medals could be paid out as medals, but in the case of the managed slot machine 20, the remaining number of game medals cannot be paid out. Also, when returning a card, if the number of medals held falls below the card value due to the "minimum number of held cards to return", the card cannot be returned.

For this reason, in this embodiment 8, after playing the managed slot machine 20, the data on the number of medals remaining in the managed slot machine 20 can be exchanged directly at the counter or a receipt can be issued at the end of the island.

Specifically, if one or two medals remain after playing on a management slot machine 20 that is dedicated to betting three medals, the medals are saved on a membership card if the customer is a member. In contrast, if the customer is a general customer, a minimum number of medals is set in many cases, making it impossible to issue a card. For this reason, the remaining medal data is linked to the machine number and password input, and is sent from the management medal unit 10 to the card management device 40.

When using a receipt issuing machine, the player is identified by entering the machine number and password into the receipt issuing machine, or by linking it to a transportation IC card, and a receipt with the remaining medal data is issued.

When the prize management device 60 reads the remaining medal data receipt issued at the island end, it automatically exchanges the pre-set end prize for a prize. It can also be configured to automatically exchange the pre-set end prize for a prize when the receipt table number and password are entered directly at the counter.

By issuing receipts with lower unit prices instead of cards, the store can reduce losses. Also, as customers go to the counter to exchange their leftover balls for prizes, this can lead to an invitation to become members.

[Embodiment 9]
When the number of game medals in the management medal unit 10 becomes two or less, a player cannot play a Pachislot game in a three-game dedicated machine, and when the number of game medals is two, it falls below the minimum number of medals to be returned, which leads to a situation where the number of game medals cannot be returned by card.

In such a case, the player has no choice but to leave the managed slot machine 10 with the remaining medals. Furthermore, the next player will also avoid this managed slot machine 10 because there are medals remaining, which will result in a decrease in the operating rate.

In this embodiment 9, in order to solve this problem, a function for the attendant to collect the game medals is added, but it is possible to collect all the game medals. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21(a), the display content of the display operation unit 13 is shifted to an attendant operation screen by inserting an attendant card or performing a specific attendant operation, and "Attendant medal collection" is selected on this attendant operation screen.

When "Attendant collects medals" is selected on this attendant operation screen, if there are still medals remaining, the attendant will not collect them and will instead prompt the user to count them. For example, as shown in FIG. 21(b), the screen will display "There are medals remaining" and "Please count them."

In contrast, when "Attendant Medal Collection" is selected on this attendant operation screen, if there are no game medals remaining and only the number of BETs remains, the screen will display "Do you want attendant to collect medals?" as shown in Figure 21 (c), and then the user will be prompted to either collect the medals or cancel the action.

In this way, in this embodiment 9, when the managed medal unit has an attendant collection processing unit that stores the number of held medals in a memory unit, acquires the number of BETs from the managed slot machine, and processes the number of held medals in response to a specified attendant collection operation, the collection process by the attendant collection processing unit is configured to be restricted when the number of held medals and the number of BETs are not 0, so that the attendant collection operation can be restricted when the number of game medals or the number of BETs remains. For example, it is possible to prohibit the entry into collection mode, or to prevent the collection mode from ending. Here, the held balls and medals are counted by a counting operation, and when the number of game balls or BETs becomes 0, the collection operation becomes possible.

The number of game medals can be monitored during counting, and when the number of game medals reaches zero, an attendant can automatically collect the medals. In addition, although the example shown here is directed to the management medal unit 10, it can also be applied to management units that handle the number of game balls.

The configurations illustrated in the above embodiments are merely functional schematics, and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of the devices can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

The gaming system of the present invention is suitable for improving the accuracy of acquiring information about the gaming status of a gaming machine.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Management medal unit 11 Unit lamp 12 Bill insertion slot 13 Display operation unit 14 Card insertion slot 14a Reader/writer 15, 16 Communication unit 17 Memory unit 17a Card ID
17b Valuable data 17c Judgment condition table 18 Control unit 18a Data management unit 18b Medal lending processing unit 18c Held medal processing unit 18d Time measurement unit 18e Status judgment unit 18f Status notification unit 18g Notification unit 20 Managed slot machine 21, 21a, 21b, 21c Drum 22 Game medal number display unit 23 MAX BET button 24 Start lever 25, 25a, 25b, 25c Stop button 26 BET number display unit 27 Counting button 30 Island controller 40 Card management device 41 Display unit 42 Input unit 43 Communication unit 44 Memory unit 44a Card management data 44b Device management data 45 Control unit 45a Card management unit 45b Device management unit 50 Member management device 60 Prize management device 70 Payment machine

Claims (2)

A gaming system having a gaming machine and a gaming device that is provided in association with the gaming machine and performs processing related to the game,
The gaming device comprises:
a gaming machine management medium number acquisition means for acquiring a gaming machine management medium number managed by the gaming machine;
a management means for managing the number of gaming machine managed media and the number of possessed gaming media that can be transferred between the gaming machine managed media;
a determination means for determining that the gaming machine is an abandoned gaming machine if, even if the number of gaming machine managed media is transferred to the number of possessed gaming media, a state in which a game using the number of possessed gaming media after the transfer and a predetermined storage medium associated with the number of possessed gaming media cannot be returned continues for a predetermined period of time;
a notification means for notifying a management device that is communicably connected to the determination means of a result of the determination means ,
The management device includes:
A gaming system characterized in that when a notification of a determination result indicating that the gaming device is an abandoned gaming machine is received from the gaming device, a machine lamp provided corresponding to the gaming machine indicates that the gaming machine is an abandoned gaming machine . The determination means is
The gaming system described in claim 1, characterized in that when the number of owned gaming media associated with the storage medium is not 0 and is less than a specified number of playable media, it is determined that playing using the number of owned gaming media and returning the specified storage medium associated with the number of owned gaming media are impossible.

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