HK40089901A - Game management system - Google Patents

Description

Game Management System

Divisional application

This application is a divisional application of the patent filed on February 19, 2019, with patent application number 201910121731.4 and invention title "Game Management System".

Cross-referencing of related applications

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-27023, filed on February 19, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

This invention relates to a game management system for managing casino games played at game tables in casino facilities (amusement parks).

Background Technology

The casino facility has multiple game tables. As the casino operator, the goal is to increase the overall revenue of the casino facility, i.e., the total revenue from all players. Multiple game tables are opened or closed depending on the number of players. At closed game tables, the game is not running, and players cannot play. At open game tables, a dealer is assigned, the game is running, and players can play.

Set a minimum placement amount for each game table. The minimum placement amount is the lowest possible amount that a player must place in a game that day, and players must place at least the minimum placement amount set for that game table. This minimum placement amount is set for each game table.

The number of players at each game table is not fixed; some tables have a small number of players, while others have a large number. Currently, if the number of tables with a large number of players increases, the casino operator will be aware of this and take actions such as reopening closed game tables.

Summary of the Invention

At a game table, if players who place bets significantly higher than the minimum bet (high-stakes players) are mixed with players who place bets at or slightly higher than the minimum bet (low-stakes players), the overall revenue of the casino facility may be suppressed.

Figure 19 illustrates this situation. Here, as shown at the top of Figure 19, a game table has its minimum bet set at 1000 points. A high-betting player with a bet of 10000 points is assumed to be playing. At this point, the average game time is 60 seconds, and the average revenue per hour is 600,000 points.

At this gaming table, if three more low-stakes players (those with a stake of 1000 points or less) join, the total stake increases to 13,000 points. However, as the number of players increases, the average game time also increases. Assuming each additional player adds 10 seconds to the game time, when there are four players, the average game time becomes 90 seconds. Consequently, hourly revenue decreases from 600,000 points to 520,000 points. Thus, high-stakes and low-stakes players are mixed at the same gaming table, so even with an increase in the number of players, the casino operator's revenue decreases.

Figures 20A and 20B illustrate other examples. Here, as shown in Figure 20A, the minimum bet for one of the two game tables is set to 10,000 points, and the minimum bet for the other is set to 1,000 points. The average time for a game at the high-stakes player's table is 70 seconds, and the hourly revenue is around 1.03 million points. On the other hand, the average time for a game at the low-stakes player's table is 90 seconds, and the hourly revenue is around 160,000 points. Therefore, the combined hourly revenue for the two game tables is around 1.19 million points.

In the example of Figure 20B, the two high-stakes players from Figure 20A are distributed across different game tables. That is, there are two game tables with a minimum bet of 1000 points. At each table, one high-stakes player (betting at 10000 points) plays against two low-stakes players (betting at 1000 points). In this case, the average game time at each table is 80 seconds, and the hourly revenue is approximately 540,000 points. The combined hourly revenue of the two game tables is approximately 1,080,000 points.

Thus, when high-stakes players are spread across multiple gaming tables and high-stakes players are mixed with low-stakes players at various gaming tables, the casino operator's revenue (from 1.19 million points to 1.08 million points in the cases of Figures 20A and 20B) will decrease.

As in the example above, if a minimum bet is not properly set and high-stakes players are mixed together at the game table, not only will the casino operator's revenue decrease, but the following problems will also occur: for high-stakes players, a game will take a long time and it will be difficult to play comfortably.

The purpose of this invention is to enable the operation of a casino facility that allows high-spending players to comfortably play games by determining an appropriate minimum placement limit for game tables in a game management system that manages casino games at game tables in casino facilities.

One aspect of the present invention is a game management system for managing casino games played at game tables in casino facilities. It comprises: an information processing device that determines the placement amount for each player position at the game table based on the location, type, and number of game coins placed there; a player count determination device that determines the number of players participating in the game at the game table; and a management control device that determines a recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on the placement amount information determined by the information processing device and the player count determination device's determination of the number of players.

According to this structure, since the recommended minimum placement amount is determined based on the placement amount at each player's position on the game table and the number of players, it becomes possible to increase the casino operator's revenue while enabling high-spending players to comfortably play games. Furthermore, the information processing device can determine the location, type, and quantity of game tokens based on images obtained from photographs of the placed tokens, or it can determine the location, type, and quantity of game tokens through other means.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can be configured to: be able to monitor the placement and movement of each player's position in multiple games.

The aforementioned game management system may also include a game result determination device that can determine the outcome of the game. The management control device may be configured to: based on the placement information determined by the information processing device and the game result information determined by the game result determination device, be able to grasp the wins and losses and income and expenditure of each player's position.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on information about the shift in placement amount at each player's location or the shift in income and expenditure at each player's location.

Based on this structure, the recommended minimum placement amount can be determined according to the trends in placement amount and income/expenditure. For example, at a table where many players' placement amounts are decreasing, a smaller amount can be determined as the recommended minimum placement amount. As another example, at a table where many players' income/expenditure is increasing, a larger amount can be determined as the recommended minimum placement amount.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can have the following functions: it can grasp the congestion level of each area within the entertainment facility based on the number of players determined by the player count determination device, and determine the recommended minimum placement value for each game table in each area based on the congestion level.

Based on this structure, a recommended minimum placement amount can be determined based on the congestion level within the casino facility to guide players to specific areas.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device may have the following function: based on the information of the number of players determined by the player number determination device, and the information of the minimum placement amount or the average placement amount among the placement amounts of each player position, determine the recommended value of the minimum placement amount divided into multiple levels.

Based on this structure, a recommended value for the minimum placement amount can be determined when the minimum placement amount or the average placement amount is high.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device may have the following function: when the number of players placed at a rate greater than or equal to the minimum placement amount of the game table reaches a given ratio, the recommended value of the minimum placement amount is increased.

According to this structure, when the ratio of high-spending players is above a given value, the recommended minimum placement amount is increased, thereby excluding low-spending players.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device may have the following functions: it can grasp the number of open game tables in the entertainment facility and determine the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each area based on the congestion level.

According to this structure, game tables can be opened in appropriate areas based on congestion levels, thereby increasing the overall revenue of the casino facility.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device may have the following functions: it can record the congestion level shift for each region and determine the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each region based on the recorded shift information.

Based on this structure, the congestion level can be predicted based on the congestion level and the game tables can be opened accordingly.

The aforementioned game management system may further include: a player determination unit, which determines the players participating in the game at the game table; the management control device has the function of storing the information of each player determined by the player determination unit in association with the placement of each player's position determined by the information processing device in a database; and has the function of determining the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each area based on the information of each player's past placement trends.

Based on this structure, the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each area can be determined according to the placement trends of each player.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can determine the minimum placement limit of the newly opened game table based on the minimum placement limit of the game tables surrounding the newly opened game table.

According to this structure, when a new arcade table is to be opened, the minimum placement amount for that arcade table can be determined to be the same as or different from the minimum placement amount for the arcade tables surrounding that arcade table.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can determine the minimum placement quota for the newly opened game table based on the placement quota determined by the information processing device for the game tables surrounding the newly opened game table.

According to this structure, when a new game table is to be opened, the minimum placement quota for that game table can be determined based on the actual placement quota of the game tables around it.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can manage the number of dealers and decide whether to open a new game table based on the number of dealers managed.

According to this structure, new game tables can be opened based on the number of dealers.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can, along with the newly opened game table, change the minimum placement limit of the game tables surrounding the newly opened game table.

This structure encourages players to move from an already open game table to a newly opened one.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table in order to increase operating profit.

According to this structure, the minimum placement amount is determined based on recommended values, thereby increasing operating profit margin. Furthermore, the management control device can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table to maximize operating profit margin.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table to increase the average number of games per unit time or the total placement amount for each game.

According to this structure, the minimum placement amount is determined based on recommended values, thereby increasing the average number of games per unit time or the average total placement amount for each game. Furthermore, the management control device can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table to maximize the average number of games per unit time or the average total placement amount for each game.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can, for each game table, grasp the total placement amount for each game and/or each player for each given time or period, and determine the recommended value for the minimum placement amount for each game table.

Based on this structure, a recommended minimum placement amount can be determined for each game table.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can manage multiple game tables and, on a per-game-table basis, track the total placement amount for each game and/or each player for each given time or period, and, for each of the multiple game tables, determine a recommended value for the minimum placement amount.

Based on this structure, the recommended minimum placement amount can be determined by comprehensively considering multiple game tables.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management control device can manage multiple game tables, and control the total placement amount for each game and/or each player per given time or period, based on multiple game tables, and determine the recommended minimum placement amount for newly opened game tables.

Based on this structure, a recommended minimum placement value for newly opened game tables can be determined by comprehensively considering multiple game tables.

In the aforementioned game management system, the management and control device can manage multiple game tables and, on a per-game-table basis, acquire information on at least one of the following: the number of players, the minimum placement amount, or the concentration or dispersion of the number of players. Based on this information, the device determines a recommended value for the minimum placement amount for each game table.

Based on this structure, the recommended minimum placement value for each game table can be determined based on factors such as the number of players, placement amount, and the concentration or dispersion of players.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of a cheating detection system in an amusement park with multiple game tables according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2A is a perspective view of game coins showing examples of different overlapping states of game coins as understood in the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2B is a perspective view of game coins, showing examples of different overlapping states of game coins as understood in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the playing card dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a playing card according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a top view of the main part of the card guide section of the card dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a broken state.

Figure 6A is a side sectional view of the main part of a distribution restriction device that restricts the entry and exit of playing cards from the playing card storage section of a playing card dispensing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6B is a side sectional view of the main part of a modified example of a distribution restriction device that restricts the entry and exit of playing cards from the playing card storage section of a playing card dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the output waveform of the sensor class in the playing card dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the mark;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an entertainment facility with a game management system implemented according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is an example table showing the turnover (total amount of placement) of each game table according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 10 is an example table showing the revenue of each game at each game table in the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 is an example table showing the total amount of money placed, profit (gross profit), and interest rate for each game table according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 12 is an example of a line graph showing the shift in profits of each amusement table according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 13 is an example of a graph showing the overall profit trend of the casino facility according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 is an example of a bar chart showing the interest rate of each game table according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the game management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 16A is a diagram illustrating an example of a recommended minimum placement amount based on the actual placement amount.

Figure 16B is a diagram illustrating an example of a recommended minimum placement amount based on the actual placement amount.

Figure 17A is an example of a recommended value for determining the minimum placement amount based on table congestion.

Figure 17B is an example of a recommended value for determining the minimum placement amount based on table congestion.

Figure 18A is an example illustrating the opening of a new game table in a certain area;

Figure 18B is an example illustrating the opening of a new game table in a certain area;

Figure 18C is a diagram illustrating an example of opening a new game table in a certain area;

Figure 19 illustrates the situation where the overall revenue of casino facilities is suppressed to a low level;

Figure 20A is another example illustrating the situation where the overall turnover of casino facilities is suppressed to a low level;

Figure 20B is another example illustrating the situation where the overall turnover of casino facilities is suppressed to a low level.

Detailed Implementation

(First Implementation)

In a casino facility (amusement park), the casino operator's true "revenue" is the total amount of game tokens placed by players. Furthermore, the amount paid out, subtracted from this revenue, is the casino operator's profit (gross profit). However, in current casinos, it is impossible to manage this revenue and profit. Moreover, it is impossible to track in detail the changes in revenue and profit for each table and each game machine.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the purpose is to grasp the overall turnover or profit of the casino, or to grasp the turnover or profit of each table or each game table.

To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of this method is a game management system that manages entertainment games played on multiple tables in a casino facility. The system includes: a camera that captures images of placed game tokens; an information processing device that determines the placement object based on the position of the game tokens in the image and determines the placement amount based on the type and quantity of the game tokens in the image; a game result determination device that determines the game result of the entertainment game; a calculation device that calculates the casino operator's profit for each of the multiple tables and for each game, based on the placement object, the placement amount, and the game result; and a recording device that records the profit.

The game result determination device can be an electronic boot, which includes: a storage section for storing playing cards; a retrieval mechanism for retrieving playing cards one by one from the storage section; a detection section for detecting the contents of the playing cards retrieved by the retrieval mechanism; and a determination section for determining the game result of a certain card game based on the contents of the playing cards detected by the detection section and according to the rules of a certain card game.

In addition, another embodiment of this invention is a game management system for managing entertainment games played in casino facilities, and includes: a placement detection mechanism that detects placement content including the placement objects and placement amounts of the entertainment games; a game result determination mechanism that determines the game results of the entertainment games; and a calculation mechanism that calculates the casino operator's profit based on the placement content and the game results.

The placement detection mechanism may include: a shooting mechanism that captures images of the entertainment game and obtains images; and an information processing mechanism that determines the placement content based on the images.

The information processing unit can determine the placement content based on the location, type, and number of game coins in the image.

The information processing mechanism can determine the placement content based on the image using image recognition that employs a machine learning model.

The entertainment game is a game using playing cards, and the game result determination mechanism may include: an electronic shoe, which includes a storage part for storing the playing cards, a removal mechanism for removing the playing cards one by one from the storage part, and a detection part for detecting the contents of the playing cards removed by the removal mechanism; and a determination mechanism, which determines the game result of the entertainment game based on the contents of the playing cards detected by the detection part and according to the rules of the entertainment game.

It also has a dealer amount detection agency, which detects the total amount of game coins of the dealer, and the calculation agency can further calculate the profit based on the total amount.

The game coin may have an embedded RF tag that stores information that can at least determine its value, and the dealer's amount detection device may include an RF reader that reads the RF tag.

The placement detection mechanism can detect the placement content for each game, the game result determination mechanism can determine the game result for each game, and the calculation mechanism can calculate the profit for each game based on the placement content and the game result of the same game.

It may also include a table-making organization that produces a table representing the profits for each game.

The casino facility may have multiple tables for playing the entertainment games. The placement detection mechanism and the game result determination mechanism may be set on each of the tables. For the multiple tables, the calculation mechanism may calculate the profit for each table.

It may also have a table-making organization that produces a table showing the profit per table.

The calculation mechanism can further calculate the total placement amount based on the placement content.

The calculating agency can further calculate the interest rate based on the benefits and the total amount placed.

It may also include an alarm mechanism that generates an alarm for the interest rate falling below a specified threshold.

It may also include an alarm mechanism that generates an alarm for the interest rate exceeding a specified threshold.

Another embodiment of this invention is a game management system for managing entertainment games played on multiple tables in an entertainment facility. The system includes: a camera that captures images of placed game tokens; an information processing device that determines the placement amount based on the type and quantity of the game tokens in the images; a calculation device that calculates the total placement amount for each of the multiple tables; and a recording device that records the total placement amount for each table.

Another embodiment of this invention is a game management system for managing entertainment games played on tables in casino facilities. The system includes: a camera that captures images of placed game tokens; an information processing device that determines the placement amount based on the type and quantity of the game tokens in the images; a calculation device that calculates the total placement amount for each game; and a recording device that records changes in the total placement amount for each game.

The game management system of this embodiment can use the above structure to grasp the turnover (total amount placed) and profit of the entire casino facility or each part (table) therein.

The game management system of this embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall system. The game management system in an amusement park with multiple game tables 4 includes: a game recording device 11, which records the progress of the game at the game table 4, including the players 6 and the dealer 5, as images using multiple cameras 2; an image analysis device 12, which performs image analysis on the recorded game progress images; and a card dealing device 3, which determines and displays the win/loss results of each game at the game table 4. The card dealing device 3 is a so-called electronic shoe used by those skilled in the art. It is constructed such that the game rules are pre-programmed, and it can read the information of the dealt cards C and determine the win/loss of the game. For example, in a certain card game, the dealer's win, the player's win, and the draw are basically determined by the face value of 2 to 3 cards, and the determination result (win/loss result) is displayed by the result display light 13.

This game management system also includes a control device 14, which compares the actual card values based on the image analysis results from the image analysis device 12 with the win/loss results determined by the card dealing device 3, and detects cheating behavior (such as discrepancies between the total card values and the win/loss results) occurring at the game table 4. The card dealing device 3 is configured to read the card values (A, 2-10, J, Q, K) and suits (hearts, spades, etc.) of the cards C manually dealt by the dealer 5. The control device 14 is configured to compare the card values and suit information obtained by the image analysis device 12 (using artificial intelligence) from the images of the cards dealt at the game table 4 (captured using the camera 2) with the card and suit information read by the card dealing device 3, and determine whether they match or not. The image analysis device 12 and the control device 14 in this game management system are integrated or combined, and include a computer, program, and memory consisting of multiple components.

The image analysis device 12 and the management control device 14 are equipped with an AI-efficient or deep learning architecture capable of obtaining information about the face value of playing cards C, even when they are dealt on the game table 4 and bent or soiled by player 6. As shown in Figure 4, soiled playing cards C are difficult to distinguish as either clubs or spades. Even in such cases, by analyzing and judging the image using an AI-efficient computer or control system and deep learning (architectural) technology, suit identification becomes possible. Furthermore, even if a playing card is bent due to repeated pressure from players in a card game, the suit and face value of the card before deformation can be identified using AI-efficient computer or control system and deep learning (architectural) technology through self-learning from multiple image deformation examples. Since AI-efficient computer or control system and deep learning (architectural) technology are well-known and usable by those skilled in the art, detailed descriptions are omitted.

The management and control device 14, equipped with artificial intelligence or deep learning technology, can, with the aid of the camera 2 and image analysis device 12, determine the location (player, banker, or pair) of each player's coin 9 in the placement area 8, the type of coin 9 (coin 9 is assigned a different value for each color), and the number of coins placed. Since the coins 9 may overlap vertically, there may be instances of staggered overlap as shown in Figure 2A. In such cases, when the camera 2 is positioned in the direction of arrow X as shown in Figure 2A (or when the coin 9 is facing a blind spot), as shown in Figure 2B, it can be assumed that the coin 9 is not visible (entering a blind spot). The computer or control system, equipped with artificial intelligence and deep learning (construction) technology, can use self-learning functions to identify instances of coins 9 being hidden due to blind spots (partial or complete concealment of a single coin), and accurately determine the number of coins. In this way, since it is possible to know which position (player, banker, or pair) the game coin 9 is placed in the placement area 8, the type of game coin 9 (game coins 9 are assigned different values for each color), and the number of coins, in each game, according to the winning or losing result determined by the card dealing device 3, the management control device 14 analyzes the image of the game's progress using the image analysis device 12 to determine whether the lost game coins placed by each player 6 have been correctly recovered (indicated by arrow L) and whether the winning game coins (9W) have been paid to the winning player 6W according to the winning or losing result of the game.

The management and control device 14 can use the image analysis device 12 to analyze and monitor the total amount of game coins 9 in the coin tray 17 of the dealer 5 at the game table 4. After the game ends and is settled, it can compare and calculate whether the total amount of game coins 9 in the coin tray 17 corresponds to the recovery of lost game coins 9 placed by each player 6 and the payment of 90,000 won game coins to the winning player 60,000, based on the game's outcome. Even though the total amount of game coins 9 in the coin tray 17 is monitored in real time through RFID and other means, the accuracy of the increase or decrease is determined by the control device 14 by analyzing the game's progress using the image analysis device 12. This also effectively utilizes artificial intelligence or deep learning structures.

In this example, cheating or errors can be detected based on information such as the outcome of the game, which type of token 9 was placed in which position (player, dealer, or pair) in the placement area 8, and the increase or decrease of token 9 in the token tray 17 after the return of lost tokens and the repayment of won token 9. Therefore, even without knowing the changes of token 9 after the game ends, i.e., without knowing whether the placed token 9 moved to the player's side or the dealer's side, cheating or errors can be detected.

Here, for example, in the case of a card game, the winner can be determined by reading the face value of the cards C drawn successively in the game through the card dealing device 3, according to the rules of the card game. Alternatively, the camera 2 can capture images of the game table 4, the image analysis device 12 can analyze the images, and the control device 14 can compare the analysis results with the rules of the game to determine the winner. In this case, the camera 2, the image analysis device 12, and the control device 14 constitute the winner determination device. Information about which type of game coin 9 each player at each playing position 7 placed in which position (player, banker, or pair) of the placement area 8 and how many coins were placed can be obtained by the camera 2 capturing images of the game coins 9 placed in the placement area 8, and the image analysis device 12 analyzing the images for each playing position 7.

Furthermore, the increase or decrease in the amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 before and after the recovery of lost game coins 9 and the repayment of won game coins 9 can be calculated by comparing the total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 before the recovery of lost game coins 9 and the repayment of won game coins 9 with the total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 after the recovery of lost game coins 9 and the repayment of won game coins 9. The total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 before the recovery of lost game coins 9 and the repayment of won game coins 9, and the total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 after the recovery of lost game coins 9 and the repayment of won game coins 9 can be detected by the image analysis device 12 analyzing the images taken by the camera 2 of the game coin tray 17. Alternatively, the total amount of game coins 9 stored in the game coin tray 17 can be detected by embedding RFID tags indicating their value in the game coins 9 and installing RFID readers on the game coin tray 17.

For example, let's define the total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 before the game starts as Bb, and the total amount of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 after the game ends, including the recovery of lost game coins and the repayment of won game coins, as Ba. Additionally, in this game, let's define the total amount of all play positions 7 for game coins 9 placed in the player's area as bp, the total amount of all play positions 7 for game coins 9 placed in the banker's area as bb, and the total amount of all play positions 7 for game coins 9 placed in the tie area as bt. For example, if the banker wins the game, Ba - Bb = bp - bb + bt should hold true. Alternatively, the total amount Ba of game coins 9 in the game coin tray 17 after the game ends should be (Bb + bp - bb + bt). If this is not the case, it can be determined that there was cheating or error in the recovery or repayment of game coins.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the card dealing device 3 used in the table game system of the present invention will be described using Figures 3 to 7. The card dealing device 3 includes: a card storage section 102 that stores a plurality of shuffled game cards 1s; a card guiding section 105 that guides the shuffled game cards 1 one by one from the card storage section 102 to the game table 4 when the dealer 5 or the like manually pulls the shuffled game cards 1 from the card storage section 102; an opening section 106 for removing the card 1 guided by the card guiding section 105; a card detection section (card detection sensors 22 and 23) that detects the removal of the shuffled game cards 1; a card reading section 108 that reads information indicating at least the number (face value) of the shuffled game cards 1; and a control section 109 that controls the card reading based on the information obtained. The card dispensing unit 108 sequentially reads the amount (face value) of the shuffled game cards 1 to determine the winner of the card game; the result display light 13 displays the winner determined by the control unit 109; the dispensing restriction device 30 is provided at the opening 106 to restrict the cards 1 from entering and leaving the card storage unit 102; and the management control unit 114 has the same function as the control device 14. These are integrated, and the card dispensing device 3 has the following function: if the control device 14 detects an error or cheating by the dealer in the game, it prevents cards from being drawn from the card dispensing device 3 after the time point when the error or cheating is detected or at a predetermined time.

Next, the dispensing restriction device 30 that restricts the entry and exit of playing cards 1 in the playing card storage section 102 will be described using Figures 5 and 6A. The dispensing restriction device 30 is provided on the playing card guide 107 of the playing card guide section 105, which guides playing cards 1, taken one by one from the opening 106 at the front of the playing card storage section 102, onto the game table 4. The dispensing restriction device 30 is configured such that when a playing card 1 passes through the slit 33 between the playing card guide section 105 and the guide cover of the playing card guide 107, a locking member 34 presses down on the playing card 1, preventing the entry and exit of the playing card 1 within the slit 33. The locking member 34 is driven by a solenoid or piezoelectric element, etc., and can move in two states, as shown by arrow m: a position where the playing card 1 is pressed (restricted position) and a passable position that allows the playing card 1 to pass. The drive unit 35 is controlled by the control unit 109, which is directly or indirectly connected to the management control device 14 via wired or wireless means, so that the locking member 34 moves between two states: the position where the card 1 is pressed and the passable position where the card 1 can pass through. In the control unit 109, the rules of a certain card game are programmed and stored in advance.

Next, a variation of the dispensing restriction device 30 will be described using FIG. 6B. In this variation, the dispensing restriction device 40 is configured such that when the playing card 1 passes through the slit 33 between the playing card guide 105 and the playing card guide 107 (guide cover), the locking member 36 protrudes into the slit 33 to prevent the movement of the playing card 1. The locking member 36 is driven by a drive unit 37, such as an electromagnetic solenoid or piezoelectric element, to move in two states: a position that prevents the playing card 1 from moving (restricted position) and a passable position that allows the playing card 1 to pass, as shown by arrow m. The drive unit 37 is controlled by a control unit 109 connected to the control device 14, causing the locking member 36 to move between the two states: the position that prevents the playing card 1 from moving and the passable position that allows the playing card 1 to pass.

Next, the details of the card reading unit 108, which reads the code 52 representing the number (amount, face value) of the card 1 from the card 1 when it is manually removed from the card storage section 102, will be explained. Figure 5 is a top view of the main part of the card dispensing device 3. In the figure, the card reading unit 108 is provided on the card guide section 105, which guides the cards 1, which are manually removed one by one from the opening 106 at the front of the card storage section 102, onto the game table 4. The card guide section 105 is an inclined surface, and card guides 107, which also serve as sensor covers, are installed on the edges on both sides. Moreover, each of the two card guides 107 can be installed and removed by screws or the like (not shown). If the card guides 107 are removed, the sensor group 115 of the card reading unit 108 is exposed. The sensor group 115 consists of four sensors: two ultraviolet sensing sensors (UV sensors) 20 and 21, and object detection sensors 22 and 23.

Object detection sensors 22 and 23 are fiber optic sensors that detect the presence or absence of playing card 1 and can detect the movement of playing card 1. Object detection sensor 22 is located upstream of the playing card guide 105 along the moving direction of playing card 1, and another object detection sensor 23 is located downstream. As shown in the figure, the two object detection sensors 22 and 23 sandwich UV sensors 20 and 21 and are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides. UV sensors 20 and 21 are equipped with an LED (ultraviolet LED) that emits ultraviolet light and a detector. On playing card 1, a mark M with code 52 is printed using ultraviolet luminescent ink that will develop color when exposed to ultraviolet light. When ultraviolet light (near ultraviolet light) shines on playing card 1, the detector detects the reflected light of the mark M with code 52 on playing card 1. UV sensors 20 and 21 are connected to playing card reading unit 108 and control unit 109 via cables. In the code reading unit 108, the combination of marks M is determined based on the output signal of the detector of UV sensors 20 and 21, and the amount (card value) corresponding to each code 52 is determined.

For the card reading unit 108, the control unit 109 controls the start and end of the reading by the UV sensors 20 and 21 based on the detection signals from the object detection sensors 22 and 23. Furthermore, the control unit 109 also determines whether the card 1 has passed the card guide unit 105 normally based on the detection signals from the object detection sensors 22 and 23. As shown in Figure 7, quadrilateral markers M representing the face value (amount) and suit (hearts or spades, etc.) of the card are arranged in two columns and four rows along the edge of the card 1. If the UV sensors 20 and 21 detect marker M, they output an ON signal. In the card reading unit 108, the relative relationship between the two signals input from the two UV sensors 20 and 21 is determined. Therefore, the card reading unit 108 determines the code based on the relative difference between the two markers M detected by the two UV sensors 20 and 21, thus determining the corresponding card 1's face value (amount) and suit.

Figure 7 shows the relationship between code 52 and the outputs of the ON signals of the two UV sensors 20 and 21. Based on the comparison of the relative changes in the outputs of the ON signals of the UV sensors 20 and 21, the specified combination of marker M can be determined. As a result, if there are four combinations of marker M as the upper and lower columns, and they are printed in four columns, then four to the power of four, totaling 256 codes, can be formed. The 52 types of playing cards are assigned to one of the 256 codes, and stored as a lookup table in memory or by a program. The card reading unit 108 is configured to determine the amount (face value) and type (suit) of card 1 by determining each code 52, based on a pre-set lookup table (not shown). In addition, the 256 codes and 52 types of playing cards can be associated in a free combination manner and stored in a lookup table. Therefore, the combinations can be set to be complex, and the combinations of the 256 codes and 52 types of playing cards can vary with time and place. Preferably, the code is printed with a paint that is visible by receiving ultraviolet light and is printed in a position that does not overlap with the card type notation and index 103.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an entertainment facility in which the game management system 100 of this embodiment is implemented. As shown in Figure 8, multiple game tables 4 are provided in the entertainment facility, and entertainment games are played at each game table 4. One side of each game table 4 is designated as the dealer's side, and the other side is designated as the player's side. In the example in Figure 8, the upper part of each game table 4 is the player's side, and the lower part is the dealer's side.

On game table 4, place game coins 9. In each game, players place the type and number of game coins 9 they want to place on the corresponding area of game table 4.

The design of the surface and sides of coin 9 varies for each type, and the type can be determined by observing either the surface or the sides. In this embodiment, coin 9 is attached with a value that varies depending on its type (e.g., 1000 points, 100 points, 10 points, etc.). Therefore, by determining the type, the value of coin 9 can be determined.

An RF tag is embedded in the game coin 9, and this RF tag stores information that can at least determine its type. The information stored in the RF tag (RF tag information) may also include information indicating the type of the game coin 9, or it may include identification information that uniquely identifies the game coin 9. When the RF tag information is identification information, a database is prepared to store information on the type corresponding to the identification information. By referring to this database, the type corresponding to the identification information read from the game coin 9 can be determined. In this embodiment, the RF tag of the game coin 9 stores information indicating its type and identification information, and its value can be determined by the information indicating its type.

A coin tray 17 is provided on the dealer's side of the game table 4. The coin tray 17 holds the dealer's coins 9. An antenna 173 is provided both inside and outside the coin tray 17. This antenna 173 is used to read RF tag information from the RF tags embedded in the coins 9. The antenna 173 receives radio waves from the RF tags of the coins 9 stored in the coin tray 17.

A card dealing device 3 is placed and used at the game table 4. This card dealing device 3 also serves as a win/loss determination device. As described above, in this embodiment, the card dealing device 3 determines the win/loss outcome for each game based on the rules of a certain card game, including the player winning, the banker winning, and a tie. That is, the card dealing device 3 is an electronic shoe, which includes: a card storage section 102 that stores playing cards 1s; a card guide section 105 and an opening section 106 constituting a retrieval mechanism for retrieving playing cards 1s one by one from the card storage section 102; card detection sensors 22 and 23 and a card reading section 108 constituting a detection section that detects the contents of the playing cards 1s retrieved by the retrieval mechanism; and a control section 109 serving as a determination section that determines the game result of a certain card game based on the contents of the playing cards detected by the card reading section 108 and according to the rules of the certain card game.

A camera 2 is installed at each game table 4. The camera 2 is mounted on the front end of an upward-extending pole and positioned high on the game table 4. The camera 2 is set to capture an area that includes at least the area where the game table 4 is placed (the area where players place game coins 9), the card dispensing device 3, and the game coin tray 17. The camera 2 captures images of the placed game coins.

In addition, in the example of Figure 8, one camera 2 is set at each game table 4. However, multiple cameras 2 can also be set at each game table 4, with at least one difference in their setting position, shooting direction, or viewing angle, so as to shoot different ranges. For example, a camera 2 that shoots the placement area and a camera 2 that shoots the game coin tray 17 can be set separately, or multiple cameras with different heights and shooting directions can be used to shoot the same placement area.

Each game table 4 is also equipped with a management and control device 14. The management and control device 14 is connected to the camera 2 (or multiple cameras 2 if there are multiple cameras 2), the card dispensing device 3, and the RF antenna 173 of the game table 4. The management and control device 14 has multiple functions as an information processing device.

First, the management and control device 14 functions as an RF reader, that is, based on the radio waves received by the antenna 173, it determines the types of all game coins 9 stored in the game coin tray 17, calculates and records the total amount of game coins 9 stored in the game coin tray 17. Furthermore, the control device 14 has the function of receiving and recording the winning and losing results of each game from the card dispensing device 3. Moreover, the management and control device 14 functions as an image recognition device, that is, it acquires captured images from the camera 2, performs image recognition on the captured images using a machine learning model, and, similarly to the first and second embodiments, identifies the placement content, that is, identifies which player placed which item and how much. The machine learning model can be a neural network constructed using deep learning. Specifically, the management and control device 14 determines the player and the placement item based on the position of the game coins 9 in the captured image, and determines the placement amount based on the type and number of game coins 9 in the captured image.

In this way, at each game table 4, for each game, the management control device 14 uses antenna 173 to monitor the total amount of game coins 9 stored in the game coin tray 17 (hereinafter referred to as the "dealer's amount"), uses card dealing device 3 to monitor the game's outcome (hereinafter referred to as the "game result"), and uses images from camera 2 to monitor the placement of items. Based on this information (total amount in the game coin tray, game result, and placement of items), the casino operator's turnover and profit for each game can be calculated.

The game management system 100 includes a management device 50 connected to management and control devices 14 for multiple game tables 4. The management device 50 is constructed from a general-purpose computer. The management device 50 includes a calculation device 51 and a recording device 52. The calculation device 51 is implemented, for example, by executing the computer program of this embodiment using a general-purpose processor. The calculation device 51 includes a calculation unit 511, a table generation unit 512, and an alarm unit 513.

The calculation unit 511 obtains information on the dealer's number of cards, game results, and placement of items for each game from multiple management and control devices 14, and calculates the turnover, profit (gross profit), and profit margin (gross profit margin) for each game table 4. The table production unit 512 creates tables and charts arranged by time for each game based on the turnover and profit calculated by the calculation unit 511.

Furthermore, the calculation unit 511 can calculate the revenue, profit, and profit rate for each player's position at each game table 4, and the table production unit 512 can also create tables and charts arranged by time for the revenue, profit, and profit rate for each player's position at each game table 4. In addition, if the game management system 100 has a mechanism for identifying players, it can calculate the revenue generated by the player's placement and the profit obtained from the player for each player, and create tables and charts accordingly.

The recording device 52 records the sales revenue, profit and interest rate calculated by the calculation unit 511 in the form of tables and charts produced by the table production unit 512.

Specifically, the calculation unit 511 calculates the total amount of betting (revenue) for each of the multiple game tables 4 and for each game. Based on the betting targets, betting amounts, and game results, it determines which betting targets received how much revenue or repayment, and calculates the casino operator's profit. The calculation unit 511 also calculates the casino operator's profit for each of the multiple game tables 4 and for each game by calculating the difference in the dealer's amount before and after the game. The former profit is the so-called theoretical value, and the latter profit is the so-called actual value; these two should be consistent. The calculation unit 511 can determine whether the theoretical value and the actual value are consistent. If they are consistent, the profit is adopted; if they are inconsistent, a warning is issued.

The calculation unit 511 also calculates the total amount of the placement (revenue) for each table in the multiple tables and for each game. In addition, the calculation unit 511 calculates the profit margin (gross profit margin) (= profit/revenue) based on the revenue and profit (gross profit) of the specified period or even the specified number of game sessions.

The table production department 512 compiles the turnover, profit, and interest rate calculated by the calculation department 511, and produces various tables and charts. Figure 10 is an example of a table showing the turnover (total amount of tokens placed) of each game table 4 produced by the table production department 512. As shown in Figure 9, the table production department 512 produces a table for each game table 4 showing the number of various types of game tokens 9 placed. The number of each game token 9 can be the number counted according to a specified time, such as from 0:00 to 0:00 the next day. If the casino facility is not open 24 hours a day, the number can be the number counted according to the daily operating hours. Furthermore, it can be the statistical result over a specified period of time based on the time of production. The table also includes the total amount of game tokens (turnover) of each game table 4. Through this table, the turnover of each game table can be compared for the same time period, and the total turnover of the casino facility as a whole during that time period can be known.

Figure 10 is an example of a table showing the revenue of each game at each game table 4 produced by the table production department 512. Figure 10 shows the revenue for table 1. As shown in Figure 10, the table production department 512 creates a table showing the number of various game coins 9 placed for each game. The table production department 512 can create a table based on a certain period (e.g., 24 hours or 1 business day), or it can create a table for a specified number of games (e.g., 80 games). In addition, the table production department 512 can also create a table for a specified time period or a specified number of games prior to the table production time.

Figure 11 is an example of a table showing the total amount (revenue), profit (gross profit), and profit margin for each game table 4 produced by the table production department 512. As shown in Figure 11, the table production department 512 produces a table for each game table 4, showing the total amount (revenue), profit (gross profit), and profit margin (= profit/revenue). The table production department 512 can produce a table with a certain period (e.g., 24 hours, a week, a month, etc.) as a node, or it can produce a table for a specified number of games (e.g., 100 games, 1000 games, etc.). In addition, the table production department 512 can also produce a table for a specified time period or a specified number of games prior to the table production time.

Figure 12 is an example of a line graph showing the changes in profit of each game table 4 produced by the table production department 512, and Figure 13 is an example of a chart showing the changes in profit of the casino facility as a whole. In the examples of Figures 12 and 13, the changes in profit are shown for a business day when the casino facility operates from 8:00 AM to 6:00 AM the following day. Based on these charts, the changes in profit can be easily understood, allowing for business analysis of the casino facility. Furthermore, by examining the changes in profit for each table shown in Figure 12, tables with unusual profit changes can be easily identified.

Figure 14 is an example of a bar chart showing the profit margin of each game table 4 produced by the table production department 512. Based on this bar chart, the amount of profit obtained at each game table 4 is readily apparent.

In addition, in the above example, the calculation unit 511 and the table production unit 512 calculate the turnover, profit and interest rate for each game table 4 and produce a table or chart. However, it is also possible to do so instead, or to calculate the turnover, profit and interest rate for a game field with multiple game tables 4 and produce a table or chart based on this.

The calculation unit 511 can calculate the turnover, profit, and interest rate based on the information obtained for each game, including the number of cards dealt, the game results, and the placement of items. The turnover, profit, and interest rate can be calculated when the table is created by the table production unit 512.

The table creation unit 512 can create tables for each period that is a table or chart. For example, when the table creation unit 512 creates a chart showing the changes in the daily (24-hour) revenue of each game table 4, it can do so automatically every 24 hours (once the data is complete). Alternatively, the table creation unit 512 can create tables or charts at manually specified times, regardless of the period to which the table or chart is located. Or, the table creation unit 512 can automatically create tables or charts at time intervals shorter than the period to which the table or chart is located. For example, it can perform statistics on the past 24 hours every 6 hours and create a table or chart.

The alarm unit 513, based on the sales revenue, profit, and interest rate calculated by the calculation unit 511 and the statistics of the table production unit 512, determines that a special situation is occurring and generates an alarm. For example, the alarm unit 513 can compare the interest rate calculated by the calculation unit 511 or the interest rate in a specified period or a specified number of games counted by the table production unit 512 with a specified first threshold, generating an alarm if the rate is below the first threshold; or it can compare the interest rate calculated by the calculation unit 511 or the interest rate in a specified period or a specified number of games counted by the table production unit 512 with a specified second threshold, generating an alarm if the rate is above the second threshold. The alarm unit 513 can also generate alarms by comparing profit and sales revenue with specified thresholds.

The alarm unit 513 can perform more complex analyses of turnover or profit to identify special cases. For example, it can generate an alarm based on changes in interest rates in tables or charts created by the table creation unit 512. In this case, a machine learning model can be used to determine the special case. This machine learning model can be one that takes changes in interest rates obtained through statistics from the table creation unit 512 as input, outputs a probability of the special case, and the alarm unit 513 can determine that the special case is below a predetermined threshold and generate an alarm.

The alarm can be implemented by adding a mark to the element that is determined to be a special case in the table or chart produced by the table production unit 512, or by generating and outputting images, sounds, and drive signals for alarm devices (lights, buzzers, etc.) when such a special case occurs. In the example of Figure 11, the alarm is implemented by setting table 3, where the interest rate is less than 0%, to be shaded.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, in the game table 4, the placement content is monitored by the camera 2 and the control device 14, which is an image recognition device, the game results are monitored by the card dealing device 3, the number of cards dealt is monitored by the antenna 173 and the control device 14, which is an RF reader, and this information is centrally managed by the management device 50. Therefore, the sales, profits, interest rates, etc. of the casino operator can be automatically monitored.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the win/loss determination device is implemented by the card dealing device 3. That is, the card dealing device 3 is also a structure that can perform win/loss determination. However, the win/loss determination can also be performed by the control device 14. In this case, the information read from the dealt cards (card reading information) by the card dealing device 3 is sent to the control device 14. The control device 14, as the win/loss determination device, determines the win/loss result of the game according to the game rules based on the card reading information from the card dealing device 3.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the calculation unit 511 calculates the sales amount, profit, and interest rate, and the table creation unit 512 performs statistics on the calculated sales amount, profit, and interest rate and creates tables and charts. However, this method can be replaced by having the calculation unit 511 perform some or all of the statistics, and the table creation unit 512 uses the statistical results of the calculation unit 511 to create tables or charts.

(Second Implementation)

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a game management system 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The game management system 101 includes multiple game tables 4 for playing casino games, and a management control device 60 for managing the games played at each game table 4, and manages the casino games played at the multiple game tables 4 in the casino facility. The multiple game tables 4 are arranged in various areas of the casino facility. In this embodiment, each game table 4 has a rated capacity of 8 people, that is, each game table 4 has 8 player positions.

Each game table 4 is equipped with a camera 2. The camera 2 is fixed to the pole. The camera 2 captures images of the game coins 9 placed in the designated area on the game table 4. The camera 2 also captures images of the players participating in the game at the game table 4 by photographing their positions.

Furthermore, although Figure 15 shows an example of setting up one camera 2 at each game table 4, the camera for filming the placement area and the camera for filming the players can also be set up separately. Furthermore, multiple cameras can be set up to film different parts of the placement area, or multiple cameras can be set up to film different player positions. Additionally, one camera 2 can change its angle between filming the placement area and filming the players, thereby filming both the placement area and the players separately.

Each game table 4 is equipped with a display screen 15. The display screen 15 is fixed to a pole installed at the game table 4 and is positioned so that it is visible not only to the players participating in the game but also to people in the vicinity. The display screen 15 displays various information, including the minimum placement limit set for that game table 4.

Furthermore, while the display 15 is typically an LCD panel, it can also be a display device with LEDs arranged in a two-dimensional configuration. Additionally, although the camera 2 is positioned separately from the display 15 in the example of Figure 15, they can also be fixed to the same pole. For example, by positioning the camera 2 directly below the display 15, the camera 2 can be made inconspicuous.

Each game table 4 is equipped with a control device 14, which functions as an information processing unit. The control device 14 performs several functions, as described below, by executing a given program via a computer. The control device 14 first analyzes an image of the placement area obtained by the camera 2, and then determines the placement amount for each player's position at the game table 4 based on the position, type, and number of game coins 9 in the image. This image analysis can employ various image recognition techniques. For example, by inputting an image of the placement area into a learned deep neural network, the placement amount for each player's position can be obtained as output.

The control device 14 also functions as a player count determination device, which determines the number of players participating in the game at the game table 4 by analyzing the image of the players' positions. Player identification can utilize existing facial recognition technology or machine learning methods such as support vector machines (SVM).

The control device 14 also functions as a display control device, controlling the display to show given information on the display 15. Furthermore, an operation input device can be connected to the control device 14 (not shown) to receive operation input from the dealer. Additionally, it can be connected to a card dealing device with a win/loss determination function on the game table 4, an RFID system that reads RF tags embedded in the game coins 9, etc., to perform various information processing related to them.

Each game table 4 has a control device 14 that can be connected to the management control device 60 via wired or wireless means. The management control device 60 includes a calculation device 61 and a recording device 62. The calculation device 61 includes a recommendation value determination unit 611, a congestion determination unit 612, a table opening/closing determination unit 613, a dealer management unit 614, and a player management unit 615, which are implemented by a processor executing a given program.

The recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommended minimum placement value for each game table 4 based on the placement amount information determined by the control device 14 and the number of players determined by the control device 14, which functions as a player number determination device. The recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommended minimum placement value for each game table 4 to increase the operating profit margin. Furthermore, the recommendation value determination unit 611 can determine the recommended minimum placement value for each game table 4 to increase the average number of games per unit of time or the average placement amount for each game.

In the recommendation value determination unit 611, candidates for minimum placement amounts are set up in multiple levels. In this embodiment, the recommendation value determination unit 611 sets up five levels of minimum placement amounts: 100 points, 500 points, 1000 points, 5000 points, and 10000 points. The recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommendation value by selecting one of these minimum placement amount candidates. Furthermore, the recommendation value determination unit 611 can determine a more appropriate minimum placement amount recommendation value in addition to the set candidates, thereby enabling more detailed grading if the preset minimum placement amount candidates are inappropriate.

The management control device 60 outputs (sends) the determined minimum placement value to the control device 14 of the corresponding game table 4. The control device 14 displays the minimum placement value on the display 15 based on the recommended value received from the management control device 60. When the control device 14 receives the recommended minimum placement value from the management control device 60, it can either display the recommended value directly on the display 15, or initially only show it to the dealer, and then display it on the display 15 based on the dealer's actions.

(Recommendation of minimum placement amount based on actual placement amount)

The recommendation value determination unit 611 selects one from the candidates for minimum placement amount divided into multiple levels based on the information of the number of players determined by the control device 14, which is a player number determination device, and the information of the minimum placement amount or the average placement amount among the placement amounts for each player position.

The recommendation value determination unit 611 monitors the total amount placed by each player for each game and/or each given time or period at each game table 4, and determines the recommended value for the minimum placement amount for each game table 4. In this embodiment, when the number of players placing items at an amount that is a given ratio or higher than the current minimum placement amount of the game table 4 reaches a given ratio, the recommendation value determination unit 611 increases the recommended value for the minimum placement amount.

Specifically, the recommendation value determination unit 611, for each game table 4, classifies players whose minimum placement amount among the placement amounts of a given number of games (5 games in this embodiment) is at least a given percentage (150% in this embodiment) of the minimum placement amount as high-stakes players. If the percentage of high-stakes players is at least a given percentage (50% in this embodiment), the recommendation value determination unit 611 determines a minimum placement amount that is higher than the set minimum placement amount as the recommendation value for that game table 4.

Figures 16A and 16B are examples illustrating how to determine the recommended minimum placement amount based on the actual placement amount. In the examples of Figures 16A and 16B, four players participate in the game, and the minimum placement amount is set to 1000 points.

In the example of Figure 16A, the lowest placement amount in Player 1's past 5 games is 1000 points, Player 2's is 2000 points, Player 3's is 1500 points, and Player 4's is 1000 points. In this case, for Player 2 and Player 3, their lowest placement amount in the past 5 games is 150% of the current minimum placement amount of 1000 points, which is more than 1500 points, so they are evaluated as high-spending players. Moreover, the proportion of high-spending players (2 players) among the 4 players participating in the game is 50%, reaching the baseline of 50%, so the recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the minimum placement amount that is higher than the set minimum placement amount of 1000 points as the recommendation value.

On the other hand, in the example of Figure 16B, the lowest placement amount in Player 1's past 5 games is 1000 points, the lowest placement amount in Player 2's past 5 games is 1500 points, the lowest placement amount in Player 3's past 5 games is 1000 points, and the lowest placement amount in Player 4's past 5 games is 1100 points. In this case, regarding Player 2, the lowest placement amount in the past 5 games is 150% of the current minimum placement amount of 1000 points, i.e., more than 1500 points, and therefore he is rated as a high-spending player. Moreover, the percentage of high-spending players (1 person) among the 4 players participating in the game is 25%, which does not reach the baseline of 50%, so the recommendation value determination unit 611 does not change the set minimum placement amount of 1000 points, but determines the current minimum placement amount of 1000 points as the recommendation value.

When the minimum placement amount needs to be increased, the recommendation value determination unit 611 increases the minimum placement amount by one level and performs the same calculation as described above. In the case of Figure 16A, if the current minimum placement amount is set to 5000 points, which is a higher level, the condition for determining a higher minimum placement amount as the recommended value is not met, so 5000 points is determined as the recommended value for the minimum placement amount. When the minimum placement amount is increased by one level and the same calculation is performed, if the above condition is met, the minimum placement amount is increased by another level, and this process is repeated until the above condition is no longer met.

Although in the example above, the recommendation value determination unit 611 evaluated the lowest placement amount among the past 5 games for each player position (player), it can be replaced by rating players who, for each game table 4, have an average placement amount (average placement amount) of a given number of past games (e.g., 5 games) that is higher than a given percentage (e.g., 300%) of the minimum placement amount as high-value players.

Additionally, although in the above example, when the minimum placement amount is changed to a higher level among the predetermined candidates when the high-spending player is above a given ratio, it can also be replaced by increasing it to a given ratio of the minimum placement amount (e.g., 150%). That is, in the example of Figure 16A above, 150% of the minimum placement amount of 1000 points, which is 1500 points, can be set as the recommended value of the minimum placement amount.

Furthermore, the recommendation value determination unit 611 can monitor the shift in the placement amount for each player position in multiple games and determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on this shift. Alternatively, the card dealing device 3 or the control device 14 can determine the game's outcome to monitor the wins, losses, and income/expenditure for each player position, and the recommendation value determination unit 611 can determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on the information regarding the shift in income/expenditure for each player position.

(Recommended minimum placement amount corresponding to desk congestion)

Next, the recommended minimum placement value will be explained based on table congestion. The congestion determination unit 612 calculates the table congestion of each game table based on the number of players determined by the control device 14, which functions as a player count determination device. Furthermore, table congestion is the ratio of the number of players participating in the game to the rated number of players for each game table 4. The recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommended minimum placement value for each game table 4 based on the table congestion determined by the congestion determination unit 612.

Figures 17A and 17B are examples illustrating recommended minimum placement values based on table congestion. Here, as shown in Figure 17A, there are four game tables 4a to 4d. The minimum placement for two of these tables, 4a and 4b, is set to 10,000 points, while the minimum placement for the other two tables, 4c and 4d, is set to 1,000 points.

As shown in Figure 17A, at two game tables 4a and 4b where the minimum placement is set to 10,000 points, the number of players participating in the game is high (table congestion is high), while at two game tables 4c and 4d where the minimum placement is set to 1,000 points, the number of players participating in the game is low (table congestion is low).

Under these circumstances, the recommendation value determination unit 611 increases the minimum placement value of game table 4d (which has the fewest players and the lowest table congestion) to 10,000 points, between game tables 4c and 4d with a minimum placement value of 1,000 points. Thus, as shown in Figure 17B, it is expected that players playing at game table 4d will move to game table 4c with a minimum placement value of 1,000 points, and some players playing at game tables 4a and 4b with a minimum placement value of 10,000 points will move to game table 4d with the minimum placement value increased to 10,000 points.

As illustrated in Figures 20A and 20B, compared to Figure 17A, the casino operator in Figure 17B clearly has higher revenue. Therefore, the recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommended minimum placement value for each game table 4 in each area based on the table congestion level determined by the congestion level determination unit 612, so that high-spending players can play at fewer game tables 4.

As explained above, in this example, the recommendation value determination unit 611 manages multiple game tables 4, controls the total placement amount for each game and/or each player per given time or period for each of the multiple game tables 4, and determines a different recommended value for the minimum placement amount for each of the multiple game tables 4.

(Opening/closing of game tables based on regional congestion)

The congestion determination unit 612 calculates the area congestion of each zone when the casino facility is divided into multiple zones, based on information about the number of players determined by the control device 14, which acts as a player count determination device. Area congestion is the ratio of the total number of players to the total number of player positions in that zone. Furthermore, the table opening/closing determination unit 613 can set the area congestion as the percentage of game tables 4 whose table congestion exceeds a given value (e.g., 80%) for each zone.

The table opening/closing decision unit 613 monitors all the game tables 4 within the casino facility and the number of open game tables 4 therein, and determines the recommended number of game tables 4 to be opened in each area based on the area congestion level determined by the congestion level determination unit 612. Specifically, when the area congestion level reaches a given value (80% in this embodiment) or higher, the table opening/closing decision unit 613 decides to open new game tables 4 in that area.

When a new game table 4 is opened, the recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the recommended minimum placement value for the game table 4. The recommendation value determination unit 611 can simply set the minimum placement value to the new game table 4 to be opened to be the same as the minimum placement value of the game tables 4 surrounding the new game table 4. This guides customers to that area, allowing them to play efficiently.

On the other hand, the recommendation value determination unit 611 can determine the minimum placement value to maximize the casino operator's revenue when opening a new game table 4. Figures 18A to 18C are diagrams illustrating an example of opening a new game table 4 in a certain area. Here, it is assumed that the average time for a game when playing with one player is 60 seconds, and the average time for a game increases by 10 seconds for each additional player. In addition, the average placement value for high-stakes players (shaded players in the diagram) is set to 5000 points, and the average placement value for low-stakes players (players filled in white in the diagram) is set to 1000 points.

In the scenario shown in Figure 18A, game tables 4a and 4c are open. Regarding each game table, 7 players participate in the game relative to the rated capacity of 8, of whom 4 are high-stakes players and 3 are low-stakes players. Figure 18B shows the scenario in Figure 18A where game table 4b is newly opened and its minimum placement amount is set to 5000 points. By setting the minimum placement amount of the newly opened game table 4b to 5000 points, as shown in Figure 18B, it can be assumed that all the high-stakes players playing at game tables 4a and 4c have moved to game table 4b.

In the case shown in Figure 18B, the average revenue per hour of 1.38 million points under the conditions of Figure 18A will decrease to 1.377 million points per hour. Therefore, with the addition of the new game table 4, depending on the minimum placement amount, revenue may not only not increase, but could even decrease. Furthermore, if the costs associated with opening the new game table 4 are also considered, the casino operator's profits will decrease.

In the case of Figure 18A, as shown in Figure 18C, the following approach is effective: while setting a low minimum placement amount for the newly opened game table 4b, increase the minimum placement amount for the already opened game tables 4a and 4c. In this way, the average revenue per hour will increase from 1.38 million points in the case of Figure 18A to 1.76 million points per hour.

Thus, the recommendation value determination unit 611 determines the minimum placement limit for the newly opened game table 4 based on the minimum placement limit of the surrounding game tables 4 and the actual placement limit. Furthermore, as shown in the example of Figure 18C, the recommendation value determination unit 611 periodically changes the minimum placement limit of the surrounding game tables 4 when the newly opened game table 4 is opened, thereby encouraging players to move from the surrounding game tables 4 to the newly opened game table 4.

The dealer management department 614 manages the dealers in attendance, and the table opening/closing decision department 613 decides whether to open a new game table 4 based on the number of dealers. Specifically, even when there are no standby (available) dealers (i.e., all dealers are at game table 4) when the area congestion is high, and when there are no new game tables 4 available (i.e., all game tables 4 are already open), the table opening/closing decision department 613 decides not to open a new game table 4, and the recommended value decision department 611 changes the minimum placement limit of the already opened game tables 4 accordingly.

The congestion determination unit 612 can record the trend of regional congestion for each region, and the table opening/closing decision unit 613 can determine the recommended number of game tables 4 to be opened in each region based on the trend information recorded by the congestion determination unit 612. That is, if there is an upward trend in regional congestion, the table opening/closing decision unit 613 decides to open new game tables 4 before the regional congestion in that region reaches a given value.

As explained above, in this example, the recommendation value determination unit 611 manages multiple game tables 4, and for each of the multiple game tables 4, it grasps the total placement amount for each game and/or each player per given time or period, and determines the recommended value of the minimum placement amount for newly opened game tables.

(Recommendation based on the player's determined minimum placement amount)

The player management unit 614 functions as a player identification unit to determine the players participating in the game at each game table. Specifically, the player management unit 615 determines the player at each player's position by analyzing images of the player's position sent from the control device 14 of each game table 4. Therefore, players pre-register their facial images with the management control device 60. The player management unit 615 identifies the player by comparing the images sent from the control device 14 with the pre-registered facial images.

The player management unit 615 can identify a player based on the facial image described above, or alternatively, through a storage medium held by the player (e.g., a membership card, points card, etc.). This storage medium stores an ID used to identify the player. When a player takes their place at game table 4, they hand the storage medium to the dealer, who reads the ID using a provided reading device. The control device 14 sends the ID read from the storage medium to the management control device 60. The player management unit 614 receives this ID, thereby identifying the player.

Alternatively, the player management department 615 can identify players based on their biometric information while playing at game table 4. In this case, for example, fingerprint recognition devices can be installed at each player's position on the game table, and players can authenticate their fingerprints when they take their seats.

Control device 14 sends game information (including placement amount, winnings, and losses) for each player's position to management control device 60. Player management unit 615 records this game information in association with the player ID determined for that player's position to recording device 62, which serves as a database for storage. In this way, player management unit 615 records past game content for each player to recording device 62.

The player management department 615 then calculates the average placement amount, average continuous game time at the same table, departure rate when the minimum placement amount increases, recent win rate, and lead amount for each player from past game content, and stores them as trend information for each player in association with the player's ID in the recording device 62, which serves as a database.

The table opening/closing decision unit 613 can determine the recommended number of newly opened game tables for each area based on the trend information of multiple players in that area stored in the recording device 62. Additionally, the recommendation value decision unit 611 can determine the recommended minimum placement value for currently opened game tables 4, or the recommended minimum placement value for newly opened game tables 4, based on the trend information of multiple players in that area stored in the recording device 62.

That is, as shown in Figures 18A to 18B, when a new game table 4b with a higher minimum placement amount is opened, it is assumed that all high-spending players will move to that game table 4b. However, in reality, there is also the possibility that players will not move, as shown in Figure 18B. Furthermore, although in Figure 18C, it is assumed that all low-spending players will leave when the minimum placement amount is increased by game tables 4a and 4c, it is also possible that low-spending players will increase their placement amount in response to the increased minimum placement amount and remain at the same game tables 4a and 4c. Therefore, the recommendation value determination unit 611 performs a probability-based simulation based on the trends of each player stored in the recording device 62 to determine the recommended value of the minimum placement amount to maximize revenue.

Furthermore, although the second embodiment described above envisions a table for playing card games, such as a card game, as a game table 4, the games played at the game table 4 are not limited to card games. The game management system 101 of the second embodiment can be applied to all games for which a minimum placement amount can be set.

Furthermore, although the second embodiment described above analyzes images of players captured by camera 2 to determine the number of players, the means of determining the number of players are not limited to this. For example, the number of players can also be determined by the number of game coins placed. That is, in the placement area, a placement position is designated for each player's location, so by knowing which position the coins were placed in, it is possible to know how many players participated in the game. In other words, the unit that determines the number of coins placed at each player's location can also serve as the unit for determining the number of players.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, if it is necessary to increase the minimum placement amount of the game table 4, the minimum placement amount can be increased up to the minimum placement amount of the players at that game table 4. For example, if there are players playing with 1000 points and players playing with 5000 points at a table with a minimum placement amount of 500 points, the minimum placement amount can be increased to 1000 points.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the recommended minimum placement amount can be determined based on past statistics (generally, the placement amount increases in the evening, etc.). For example, if past statistics show a trend of placement amount increasing in the evening, the placement amount can be increased at a given time in the evening.

In addition, in the second embodiment described above, the management control device 60 can manage multiple game tables, and for each of the multiple game tables 4, it can grasp information on at least one of the following: the number of players, the placement limit, or the concentration or dispersion of the number of players, and determine a recommended value for the minimum placement limit for each game table 4 based on the information.

Symbol explanation:

1. Card Games

1s Multiple Shuffled Solitaire Cards

2 cameras

3. Playing Card Dispensing Device

4. Game table

5. Dealer

6. Guests (Game Participants/Players)

9 game coins

11 Game recording device

12 Image Analysis Device

13 Result Display Lights

14 Control device

17 Game Coin Tray

30 Distribution Restriction Device

33 slots

34 Locking components

35 Drive Unit

36 Locking components

37 Drive Unit

40 Distribution restriction device

60 Management and control devices

61. Calculation device

611 Recommendation Value Decision Department

612 Congestion Determination Department

Table 613 Opening and Closing Decision Department

614 Dealer Management Department

615 Player Management Department

62 Recording device

102 Playing Card Storage Department

103 Index

105 Card Game Guidance Department

106 Opening

107 Card Game Guidance

108 Card Reading Department

109 Control Department.

Claims (20)

1. A game management system for managing casino games played at game tables in casino facilities, and comprising: An information processing device determines the amount of game coins to be placed at each player's position on the game table based on the location, type, and number of the game coins placed there. A player count determination device, which determines the number of players participating in the game at the game table; and The management and control device determines the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on the placement amount information determined by the information processing device and the number of players determined by the player number determination device. 2. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein, The management and control device is configured to monitor the placement and movement of each player's position in multiple games. 3. The game management system according to claim 2, wherein, The game management system also includes a game result determination device, which can determine the game result. The management and control device is configured to: based on the placement amount information determined by the information processing device and the game result information determined by the game result determination device, it can grasp the wins and losses and income and expenditure of each player's position. 4. The game management system according to claim 3, wherein, The management and control device determines the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table based on the information of the shift in the placement amount at each player's position or the shift in the income and expenditure at each player's position. 5. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein, The management and control device has the following functions: it can determine the congestion level of each area within the casino facility based on the number of players determined by the player count determination device, and determine the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table in each area based on the congestion level. 6. The game management system according to claim 5, wherein, The management and control device has the following functions: based on the information of the number of players determined by the player number determination device, and the information of the minimum placement amount or the average placement amount among the placement amounts of each player position, it determines the recommended value of the minimum placement amount divided into multiple levels. 7. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The management and control device has the following function: when the number of players placed at a rate greater than or equal to the minimum placement amount of the game table reaches a given ratio, the recommended value of the minimum placement amount is increased. 8. The game management system according to claim 5, wherein, The management and control device has the following functions: it can determine the number of open game tables in the entertainment facility and decide the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each area based on the congestion level. 9. The game management system according to claim 5, wherein, The management and control device has the following functions: it can record the congestion level shift for each region and determine the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each region based on the recorded shift information. 10. The game management system according to claim 5, wherein, The game management system also includes: a player determination unit, which determines the players participating in the game at the game table. The management and control device has the function of storing the information of each player determined by the player determination unit in association with the placement amount of each player's position determined by the information processing device in a database, and has the function of determining the recommended number of game tables to be opened in each area based on the information of each player's past placement trends. 11. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein, The management and control device determines the minimum number of game tables to be opened based on the minimum number of game tables around the game table to be opened. 12. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein, The management and control device determines the minimum placement quota for the new game table based on the placement quota determined by the information processing device for the game tables surrounding the new game table. 13. The game management system according to claim 1, wherein, The management and control device manages the number of dealers and determines whether to open a new game table based on the number of dealers managed. 14. The game management system according to claim 9, wherein, The management and control device, along with the newly opened game table, changes the minimum placement quota of game tables around the newly opened game table. 15. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device determines the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table in order to increase operating profit. 16. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device determines the recommended minimum placement amount for each game table in order to increase the average number of games per unit time or the total placement amount for each game. 17. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device, for each of the game tables, knows the total amount placed by each of the players for each game and/or for each given time or period, and determines the recommended value of the minimum placement amount for each of the game tables. 18. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device manages multiple game tables and, on a per-game-table basis, manages the total placement amount for each game and/or each player per given time or period, and, for each of the multiple game tables, determines a different recommended value for the minimum placement amount. 19. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device manages multiple game tables and, on a per-game-table basis, tracks the total placement amount for each game and/or each player per given time or period, and determines a recommended minimum placement amount for newly opened game tables. 20. The game management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The management and control device manages multiple game tables and, on a per-game-table basis, obtains information on at least one of the following: the number of players, the minimum placement amount, or the concentration or dispersion of the number of players. Based on this information, it determines a recommended value for the minimum placement amount for each game table.