JP7282716B2 - ticket authentication system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to ticket authentication systems.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a casino cashless system. The cashless system includes a gaming machine that pays out credits using paper tickets. The gaming machine outputs, as a ticket, a sheet of paper printed with a barcode that encodes the amount corresponding to the credit balance. Also, the gaming machine reads the bar code printed on the ticket received from the player, and accumulates in the gaming machine the amount of credit corresponding to the amount of the read code. The cash dispenser reads a bar code printed on a ticket received from a player, and dispenses cash corresponding to the amount of money corresponding to the read code to the player. Other gaming machines or cash dispensers determine the legitimacy of tickets based on predetermined random numbers used when generating barcodes. This prevents ticket forgery.

JP-A-2003-175152

Since the system described in Patent Literature 1 does not have means for tracking tickets, it cannot detect the movement of tickets between players. Therefore, players can obtain and use other players' tickets. In view of stricter age restrictions in casinos, appropriate taxation on casino dividends, reduction of the risk of ticket theft or loss, prevention of money laundering using casinos, etc., this disclosure is intended to To provide a technique capable of preventing use.

A ticket authentication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal and an authentication server. The terminal includes ticket acceptance means and personal identification information acquisition means. The ticket accepting means accepts tickets from players and reads ticket information. The personal identification information obtaining means obtains personal identification information of the player who uses the ticket. The authentication server is configured to be communicable with the terminal, and has a storage unit that associates and stores ticket information and personal identification information. The terminal accepts the ticket from the player and transmits the read ticket information and the acquired personal identification information to the authentication server. The authentication server refers to the storage unit and determines whether the ticket information is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the terminal. If the authentication server determines that the ticket information is not associated with the personal identification information sent from the terminal, the terminal does not allow the player to use the ticket.

In this ticket authentication system, the personal identification information of the player using the ticket is acquired by the terminal where the ticket is used. The ticket information read by the terminal and the acquired personal identification information are sent to the authentication server. The relevance between the transmitted ticket information and personal identification information is determined based on the relevance between the ticket information and personal identification information stored in the storage unit of the authentication server. If the authentication server determines that the ticket information is not associated with the personal identification information sent from the terminal, the player is not permitted to use the ticket at the terminal. In this way, the ticket validation system can verify that a player's ticket is being used by another player by matching the personal identification information of the player using the ticket with the personal identification information of the player associated with that ticket. can be prevented.

In one embodiment, the terminal includes money receiving means for receiving money from a player and setting it as a credit balance, game execution means for providing a game to the player and changing the credit balance according to the game result, and credit balance. and ticket issuing means for outputting as a ticket, wherein the gaming machine acquires the player's personal identification information when money is received from the player, and combines the gaming machine's identification information with the personal identification information. to the authentication server, the authentication server stores the personal identification information sent by the gaming machine as the current player information of the gaming machine, and the authentication server outputs when the gaming machine outputs the credit balance as a ticket The information of the issued ticket may be stored in association with the current player information of the gaming machine.

When the player puts money into the gaming machine, the player's personal identification information is acquired by the gaming machine, and the gaming machine's identification information and the personal identification information are sent to the authentication server. The personal identification information sent by the gaming machine is stored in the authentication server as the gaming machine's current player information. When the credit balance is output as a ticket in the gaming machine, the information of the output ticket is stored in association with the current player information of the gaming machine. In this way, when paying out credits in a gaming machine, the authentication server can associate and store the ticket information to be output and the player information.

In one embodiment, the gaming machine acquires the player's personal identification information when accepting a ticket from the player, and the authentication server associates the personal identification information acquired by the gaming machine with the ticket information read from the ticket. It may be determined whether it corresponds to the stored personal identification information. When accepting a ticket from a player on a gaming machine, the ticket authentication system checks the personal identification information of the player using the ticket with the personal identification information of the player associated with the ticket, so that the ticket of the player can be used by others. can be prevented from being used by any player.

In one embodiment, the terminal is a money exchange device that pays out money corresponding to a ticket accepted from a player, and the money exchange device acquires the player's personal identification information when accepting the ticket from the player, and authenticates the ticket. The server may determine whether the personal identification information acquired by the money exchange device corresponds to the personal identification information stored in association with the ticket information read from the ticket. When the ticket authentication system accepts a ticket from a player at a cash exchange device, the ticket authentication system compares the personal identification information of the player who uses the ticket with the personal identification information of the player associated with the ticket, so that the ticket of the player can be used by other people. can be prevented from being used by any player.

In one embodiment, a ticket authentication system includes a ticket server configured to be able to communicate with a terminal and an authentication server, and having a ticket verification unit that verifies the validity of a ticket and a ticket management unit that stores ticket management information. In addition, when the authentication server determines that the ticket information is associated with the personal identification information sent from the terminal, it instructs the ticket server to verify the ticket, and the ticket server sends the ticket information and the ticket management unit Based on the stored information, the result of determining whether or not to approve the ticket is transmitted to the terminal, and when the terminal receives the result of ticket approval from the ticket server, the terminal makes the ticket usable and accepts the ticket. If a result of non-authorization is received from the ticket server, a process of disabling the ticket may be executed. By configuring in this way, the ticket authentication system can make the ticket usable after determining the legitimacy of the ticket as well as verifying the owner of the ticket.

In one embodiment, the ticket information may include at least the amount and ticket verification information. In one embodiment, the ticket may be a physical medium printed with an identifier indicating ticket information. In one embodiment, the ticket may be electronic information representing ticket information.

In one embodiment, the terminal may obtain the player's biometric information as personal identification information. In one embodiment, the terminal may acquire identification information given in advance to the player as personal identification information.

According to the present disclosure, techniques are provided that can prevent a player's ticket from being used by another player.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a gaming system including an authentication system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 2; FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a player tracking unit; 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a player tracking unit shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the player tracking unit; 2 is a perspective view of the kiosk shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the kiosk of FIG. 7; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an authentication server shown in FIG. 1; FIG. (A) is an example of data stored in the current player DB shown in FIG. 9, and (B) is an example of data stored in the ticket DB shown in FIG. (A) is another example of data stored in the current player DB shown in FIG. 9, and (B) is another example of data stored in the ticket DB shown in FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a face identification server; FIG. 13 is an example of data stored in the face ID_DB of FIG. 12; 4 is a flow chart showing a process from paper money insertion to cashout processing in a gaming machine. It is a flowchart which shows the ticket conversion process in a kiosk. 4 is a flowchart showing ticket acceptance processing in the gaming machine;

A gaming machine according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in each figure, and overlapping explanations are omitted.

The authentication system according to the embodiment is added, for example, to a cashless ticket-in-ticket-out (TITO) system installed in casino facilities. The authentication system associates and stores the personal identification information of the player and the ticket information of the ticket when the ticket is issued. The authentication system obtains personal identification information from the player using the ticket at the time the ticket is used. The authentication system compares the acquired personal identification information with the personal identification information associated with the ticket information of the ticket, and permits only the player who is the legitimate owner to use the ticket. The authentication system prevents one player's ticket from being used by another player, thereby inhibiting transfer or theft of tickets between players.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a gaming system 1 including an authentication system 2 according to an embodiment. A gaming system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a gaming machine 10 (an example of a terminal), a kiosk 20 (an example of a terminal), a casino cage device 30, a middleware server system 40, a database server system 50, and an authentication server 60. The authentication system 2 (an example of a ticket authentication system) includes a gaming machine 10 and/or a kiosk 20 that are terminals, and an authentication server 60 . Each component of the gaming system 1 is connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The gaming machine 10 includes money receiving means for receiving money from a player and setting it as a credit balance, game execution means for providing a game to the player in exchange for a predetermined amount of credit and changing the credit balance according to the result of the game, and credit ticket issuing means for outputting the balance as a ticket. In other words, the player deposits money to accumulate credits in the gaming machine 10, plays the game with a portion of the credit amount as a bet, and operates a cash-out button or the like when the game ends when there is a credit balance. you can pick up your tickets. Thus, the issuing of tickets is performed by the gaming machine 10 .

When receiving money from a player, the gaming machine 10 acquires the player's personal identification information from the player. Personal identification information is information that can identify a player, and examples include identification information given to the player in advance (pre-registered member number and PIN number, etc.), biometric authentication information of the player (face image, fingerprint, palm shape, iris, voiceprint, etc.); The gaming machine 10 transmits the acquired personal identification information to the authentication server 60, and the authentication server 60 stores the relationship between the acquired player's personal identification information and the issued ticket.

The gaming machine 10 includes ticket accepting means for accepting tickets from players and reading ticket information. The gaming machine 10 converts the amount associated with the ticket information read by the ticket accepting means into a credit amount according to the denomination setting, adds the credit amount to the credit balance, and accumulates the credit amount. This allows a player who obtains a ticket to use the ticket to establish a credit balance without spending money, and to play games for a portion of the established credit balance.

The gaming machine 10 includes personal identification information obtaining means for obtaining personal identification information of a player who uses the ticket when accepting the ticket from the player. Since the ticket to be used is associated with the player's personal identification information, the authentication server 60 compares the personal identification information obtained from the player using the ticket with the personal identification information associated with the ticket. can do. If the personal identification information obtained from the player using the ticket on the gaming machine 10 does not correspond to the personal identification information associated with the ticket used on the gaming machine 10, the authentication server 60 does not permit the use of the ticket. . This prevents other players from using the player's ticket in the gaming machine 10 .

The kiosk 20 is a device for exchanging tickets for money, has ticket receiving means for receiving tickets from players and reading ticket information, and pays out money according to the tickets received from players.

The kiosk 20, like the gaming machine 10, includes personal identification information obtaining means for obtaining the personal identification information of the player who uses the ticket. If the personal identification information obtained from the player using the ticket at the kiosk 20 does not correspond to the personal identification information associated with the ticket, the authentication server 60 does not permit use of the ticket. This prevents one player's ticket from being used by another player at the kiosk 20 .

The casino cage device 30 is placed in a cage that is a currency exchange office and an accounting office provided in the casino facility, and performs currency exchange business, exchange business between cash and game media (for example, chips) that can be used in the casino, and other money. A device used by casino staff in conducting transactions.

The middleware server system 40 is a group of servers containing software that assists the operating system and applications of the gaming system 1 . The middleware server system 40 includes a server containing software for the interface of the gaming system 1, a server containing software for the network of the gaming system 1, a server containing software for player tracking (player tracking system), and software for managing progressive jackpots. It has a server, a web server, a ticket server that verifies the legitimacy of tickets, and a server that contains software related to marketing.

The database server system 50 is a group of servers that manage databases that store data of the gaming system 1 . The database server system 50 includes a primary database server 51 and a secondary database server 52, and can be switched to the other server when a failure occurs in one server.

The authentication server 60 is a server that verifies the owner of the ticket used in the terminal. The authentication server 60 is configured to be able to communicate with the gaming machine 10 and/or the kiosk 20, which are terminals. The authentication server 60 has a storage unit that associates and stores ticket information and personal identification information. The authentication server 60 refers to the storage unit and determines whether the ticket information is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the terminal. If the authentication server 60 determines that the ticket information is not associated with the personal identification information sent from the terminal, it outputs the result to the terminal and does not permit the player to use the ticket at the terminal.

The gaming system 1 provides casino-related services to players by linking the above-described server groups or devices. The number of the gaming machine 10 and the kiosk 20 included in the gaming system 1 may be one, or may be plural. The gaming system 1 is not limited to the illustrated form, and may further include servers and terminals (not illustrated).

Details of the specific configuration of the authentication system 2 will be described below. First, the details of the gaming machine 10 will be described. 2 is a perspective view of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, this gaming machine 10 comprises a cabinet 105 having an upper display 101, a lower display 102 and a control panel 104, a player tracking unit 110 (or ranking unit) and a personal identification acceptor 130 (personal identification). (an example of information acquisition means) can be accommodated. The cabinet 105 further houses a game control unit 120 (see FIG. 3) that controls each part described later. Game control 120 also implements a random number generator that is used during operation of the game.

Both the upper display 101 and the lower display 102 may be flat panel display devices typified by a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device. Function. Although FIG. 2 shows an example in which the display device 103 is composed of the upper display 101 and the lower display 102, the display device 103 may be composed of a single display, or may be composed of three or more displays. I do not care.

The speakers 106 are provided on the left and right sides of the cabinet 105 and are controlled via the game control unit 120 to provide sound to the player. On the control panel 104, a bill/ticket identification unit 107 (an example of ticket accepting means), a printer unit 108 (an example of ticket issuing means), and an operation section 109 are provided.

The player tracking unit 110 is housed, for example, in the center of the front of the cabinet 105 below the lower display 102, as shown in FIG. The player tracking unit 110 includes a card reader that recognizes player identification cards, a display that presents data to the player, and a keypad that accepts input by the player. This type of player tracking unit 110 reads the information recorded on the player identification card inserted into the card reader by the player and reads the information and/or the external Display information obtained by communicating with the system on the display. Additionally, input from the player is accepted by the keypad, the display is changed accordingly, and communication with external systems is performed as necessary.

A personal identification acceptor 130 is provided for obtaining personal identification information of a player, and in the example shown in FIG. A personal identification acceptor 130 obtains the player's personal identification information. The personal identification information acceptor 130 is, for example, a card reader, an input device such as a keypad, a camera, a biometric information acquisition device, a wireless interface unit, or the like. If a card reader is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 130, the card reader reads the personal identification information stored on the card. When an input device is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 130, the input device receives a personal identification number or the like input by the player. When a camera is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 130 , the camera takes an image of the player sitting in front of the gaming machine 10 . When identifying a player using facial recognition technology, the camera is positioned to image the player's face, but when identifying a player by physical characteristics of appearance other than the face, You may arrange|position so that an exterior may be imaged. When a biometric information acquisition device is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 130, the biometric information acquisition device acquires the player's fingerprint, palm shape, iris, voiceprint, and the like. If a wireless interface unit is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 130, the wireless interface unit communicates with a mobile device owned by a player to obtain personally identifiable information stored on the mobile device. The wireless interface unit may also be configured to receive information obtained by the mobile device over the network. In the example of FIG. 2, a camera 131 is provided in cabinet 105 as personal identification information acceptor 130 . The personal identification information acceptor 130 notifies the acquired personal identification information of the player to the game control unit 120, which will be described later.

The banknote/ticket identification unit 107 is arranged on the control panel 104 with an insertion opening into which banknotes/tickets are inserted is exposed. is provided, and a banknote/ticket storage section is provided on the output port side of the identification section. The banknote/ticket identification unit 107 accepts banknotes, identifies the type, and notifies the game control unit 120 to be described later. The banknote/ticket identification unit 107 accepts the ticket, reads ticket information from the ticket, and notifies the ticket information to the game control unit 120, which will be described later.

A ticket (including vouchers and coupons) may be a physical medium on which an identifier indicating ticket information is printed, or may be electronic information indicating ticket information. The ticket information includes at least the converted credit amount and ticket verification information. The ticket verification information is information used to verify the legitimacy of the ticket, and includes the EGM_ID or address as an example of the identifier of the gaming machine 10, the amount, the date, the time, and the serial number of the cashout process in the EGM. , a random number, an encryption process, and the like, and may be a numerical value (verification number), a code, or data obtained by arithmetic processing. Such a verification number or the like is generated by calculation at the time of ticket issuance, and is used to verify the validity of the ticket. As a specific verification method, for example, the value read from the ticket can be compared with the stored value, or the value read from the ticket can be compared with the value recalculated at the time of verification. good.

The printer unit 108 is arranged on the control panel 104 with the ticket output port through which the ticket is output exposed, and a printing unit for printing ticket information on printing paper is provided inside the ticket output port. A storage unit for storing printing paper is provided on the paper inlet side of the unit. The printer unit 108 prints the ticket information on paper under the control of the game control unit 120, which will be described later, and outputs the ticket from the gaming machine 10 according to the credit payout process. By inserting the output ticket into the banknote/ticket identification unit 107 of another gaming machine, it is also possible to use the paid out credits for game play, or to use a kiosk terminal in the casino or a casino. Can be redeemed with a case.

The operation unit 109 accepts player's operations. The operation unit 109 includes a group of buttons 129 for receiving various instructions from the player of the gaming machine 10 . For example, the controls 109 may include groups of spin buttons and setting buttons. The spin button accepts an instruction to start an instance of the game (start spinning the reels). The setting button group includes a denomination setting button group, a bet button group, a line designation button group, a max bet button, a cashout button, and the like. The denomination setting button accepts an instruction operation for setting the amount corresponding to one credit. Specific denomination settings are, for example, 1 credit = 1 cent, 1 credit = 1 dollar, and the like. The bet button group receives an instruction operation from the player regarding the amount of credits to bet (bet amount). The group of line designation buttons receives from the player an instruction operation for setting a payline to be used for line determination. The max bet button accepts an instruction operation to bet the maximum amount of credit that the player can bet at one time. The cashout button accepts an instruction operation for instructing the withdrawal of credits accumulated in the gaming machine 10 . Gaming machine 10 also includes an illumination device 143 that provides decorative lighting to gaming machine 10 . At least part of the buttons 129 forming the operation unit 109 may be displayed as a GUI (graphical user interface) on the display, and a touch panel may be used for operation.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. As shown, inside the cabinet 105, there is a control board including a processor 121 (central processing unit, hereinafter referred to as CPU), an interface unit 122, a memory 123, a storage 124, etc., which constitute a game control unit 120. further incorporated. The control board is configured to be able to communicate via each component provided in the interface unit 122 and the cabinet 105, and controls the operation of each part by executing a program recorded in the memory 123 or storage 124 of the CPU 121, Offer the game to players. The function of the CPU 121 is to execute a game and display it on the display device 103 of the gaming machine 10 (an example of game execution means).

The game control unit 120 includes an interface unit 122 including a chipset that provides communication functions of the CPU 121 such as a memory bus, various expansion buses, a serial interface, a USB interface, and an Ethernet (registered trademark) interface connected to the CPU 121. It is configured as a computer unit providing addressable memory 123 and storage 124 via an interface unit 122 . The memory 123 can be configured to include a RAM that is a volatile storage medium, a ROM that is a nonvolatile storage medium, and an EEPROM that is a rewritable nonvolatile storage medium. The storage 124 provides a function as an external storage device to the control unit 22, and can use a reading device such as a memory card and a magneto-optical disk, which are removable storage media, and can also use a hard disk. be.

Interface unit 122 includes, in addition to CPU 121, memory 123, and storage 124, bill/ticket identification unit 107, printer unit 108, player tracking unit 110, personal identification acceptor 130, graphics controller 140, input controller 141, and sound. A controller 142 is connected. That is, the game control unit 120 is connected to the operation unit 109 via the input controller 141 and connected to the upper display 101 and/or the lower display 102 via the graphic controller 140 . Furthermore, when an illumination device 143 is provided to provide decorative illumination to the gaming machine 10, the illumination device 143 is controlled under the control of the game control section 120 via the interface unit 122 to turn the illumination device 143 on. An illumination controller 144 may be connected to control and provide decorative lighting effects.

A game control unit 120 including a memory 123 and a storage 124 controls each unit by executing programs stored in the memory 123 and the storage 124, and provides a game to the player. Here, for example, the operating system and subsystem programs and data that provide the basic functions of the game control unit 120 are stored in the EEPROM of the memory 123, and the application programs and data that provide the game are stored in the storage 124. may be configured. With such a configuration, the game can be easily changed or updated by replacing the storage 124 . Furthermore, the game control unit 120 may have a multiprocessor configuration including a plurality of CPUs.

The banknote/ticket identification unit 107 accepts banknotes/tickets at the slot and notifies the game control unit 120 of the type of banknotes or information printed on the tickets. The game control unit 120 increases the credit balance that can be used in the game according to the notified content and denomination setting. The printer unit 108 prints the ticket information corresponding to the credit payout process from the gaming machine 10 on a ticket under the control of the game control unit 120 that receives the operation of the cashout button included in the setting button group. .

The player tracking unit 110 cooperates with the game control unit 120 to transmit and receive player information and the like to and from the casino management system. The personal identification information acceptor 130 cooperates with the game control unit 120 to transmit and receive the player's personal identification information and the like to and from the authentication server 60 . The graphic controller 140 controls the upper display 101 and the lower display 102 under the control of the game control unit 120, and displays display images including various graphic data. The sound controller 142 drives the speaker 106 under the control of the game control unit 120 to provide various sounds such as announcements, sound effects, and BGM.

Further, the interface unit 122 includes various communication interfaces for communicating with the outside of the gaming machine 10. For example, the interface unit 122 can communicate with external networks via Ethernets 150, 151 and a serial interface 152. In this embodiment, an example of communicating with a known server-side gaming network (server-based gaming), a G2S network (game-to-system), and a slot account system (slot data system), respectively, is shown.

The personal identity acceptor 130 described above may reside in the player tracking unit 110 . Figure 4 is a perspective view of a player tracking unit. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the player tracking unit shown in FIG. 4; As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, player tracking unit 110 includes processor 111 (central processing unit, hereinafter referred to as CPU), interface unit 112, memory 113, input unit 114, display 115, card reader 116, and , including the camera 132 . Camera 132 may function as personal identity acceptor 130 .

CPU 111 is connected to memory 113 , input unit 114 , display 115 , card reader 116 and camera 132 via interface unit 112 . The CPU 111 controls each part by executing a program stored in the memory 113 .

The memory 113 can be configured to include a RAM that is a volatile storage medium, a ROM that is a nonvolatile storage medium, and an EEPROM that is a rewritable nonvolatile storage medium. Memory 113 stores programs and data executed by CPU 111 .

Input unit 114 includes a plurality of input buttons, and is a keypad as an example. The player can input the personal identification number of the player card through the input unit 114 .

Display 115 may be a dot matrix display device or a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal or organic EL display device. The display 115 may be a touch panel. If the display 115 is a touch panel, the input section 114 can be omitted.

A card reader 116 accepts a player's card and reads information stored on the card. Card reader 116 may be a magnetic stripe card reader or an IC card reader.

The camera 132 captures an image of the player sitting in front of the gaming machine 10 . The camera 132 may take an image when the banknote/ticket identification unit 107 receives the banknote/ticket. Camera 132 may include a plurality of cameras with different imaging directions. An image of the player's appearance, information extracted from the image, or an identifier attached to the information extracted from these is used as personal identification information. In this manner, camera 132 may function as a personal information acceptor.

Interface unit 112 provides communication between processor 111 and each of the components. Also, the interface unit 112 is connected to the interface unit 122 of the gaming machine 10 to realize communication between the player tracking unit 110 and the gaming machine 10 . Further, the interface unit 112 also realizes communication between the player tracking unit 110 and the gaming system 1 (player tracking system).

In the player tracking unit 110 described above, information obtained from the input unit 114 and the card reader 116 (player card information and password) may be used as personal identification information. In this case, input unit 114 and card reader 116 function as personal information acceptors.

Player tracking unit 110 may comprise wireless interface unit 133 as personal identity acceptor 130 . FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the player tracking unit. A player tracking unit 110 shown in FIG. 6 is different from the player tracking unit 110 shown in FIG. The wireless interface unit 133 is, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module, a WiFi module, an NFC module, a mobile communication module, or other wireless communication modules. Player tracking unit 110 communicates with IC/smart cards, mobile devices, and other IoT devices via wireless interface unit 133 to obtain personal identification information. Personal identification information may include one or more of information contained within the device, information obtained by the device via a network, and information input by the player.

Next, the details of kiosk 20 will be described. 7 is a perspective view of the kiosk shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the kiosk of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the kiosk 20 includes a processor 201 (central processing unit, hereinafter referred to as CPU), an interface unit 202, a memory 203, an input unit 204, a display 205, a ticket reception unit 206, and ticket storage. It includes a portion 207 , a personal identification acceptor 210 , a cash dispensing portion 220 and a bill cassette 221 .

CPU 201 connects to memory 203 , input unit 204 , display 205 , ticket accepting unit 206 , cash dispensing unit 220 , and personal identification information acceptor 210 via interface unit 202 . The CPU 201 controls each unit by executing programs stored in the memory 203 .

The memory 203 can be configured to include a RAM that is a volatile storage medium, a ROM that is a nonvolatile storage medium, and an EEPROM that is a rewritable nonvolatile storage medium. Memory 203 stores programs and data executed by CPU 201 .

Input unit 204 includes a plurality of input buttons and is provided on the control panel of kiosk 20 . The player can input the personal identification number of the player card through the input unit 204 .

A display 205 is provided on the front of the kiosk 20 cabinet. The display 205 can be a dot matrix display device or a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal or organic EL display device. The display 205 may be a touch panel. If the display 205 is a touch panel, the touch panel can be used as the input unit 204, so the input unit 204 can be omitted.

The ticket reception unit 206 has an insertion opening into which a ticket is inserted, and the insertion opening is provided on the front surface of the cabinet of the kiosk 20 . An identification section for identifying tickets with various sensors is provided inside the insertion slot, and a ticket storage section 207 is provided on the output side of the identification section. The ticket accepting unit 206 accepts the ticket inserted into the slot and reads the ticket information printed on the ticket. The read ticket is stored in the ticket storage unit 207 .

The personal identification information acceptor 210 is provided to acquire the personal identification information of the player, and in the example shown in FIG. The personal identification acceptor 210 obtains the player's personal identification information. The personal identification information acceptor 210 is, for example, a card reader, an input device such as a keypad, a camera, a biometric information acquisition device, a wireless interface unit, or the like. If a card reader is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 210, the card reader reads the personal identification information stored on the card. When an input device is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 210, the input device receives a personal identification number or the like input by the player. If a camera is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 210 , the camera takes an image of the player standing in front of the kiosk 20 . When identifying a player using facial recognition technology, the camera is positioned to image the player's face, but when identifying a player by physical characteristics of appearance other than the face, You may arrange|position so that an exterior may be imaged. When a biometric information acquisition device is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 210, the biometric information acquisition device acquires the player's fingerprint, palm shape, iris, voiceprint, and the like. If a wireless interface unit is provided as the personal identification information acceptor 210, the wireless interface unit communicates with a mobile device owned by a player to obtain personally identifiable information stored on the mobile device. The wireless interface unit may also be configured to receive information obtained by the mobile device over the network. In the example of FIG. 7, a camera 211 and a card reader 212 are provided in the cabinet 105 as the personal identification information acceptor 210 .

The camera 211 may capture an image of the player who has inserted the ticket at the timing when the ticket accepting unit 206 accepts the ticket. The camera 211 may include a plurality of cameras with different imaging directions.

Card reader 212 accepts player cards and reads personal identification information stored on the cards. Card reader 212 may be a magnetic stripe card reader or an IC card reader, depending on the type of player card used. The card reader 212 reads personal identification information stored on the card. The card reader 212 may ask the player for the PIN number of the inserted card.

The cash dispensing unit 220 outputs money corresponding to the amount included in the ticket information acquired by the ticket accepting unit 206 from the banknote cassette 221 when the player presents the personal identification information associated with the ticket. The banknote cassette 221 is configured to store banknotes by unit price, and when paying out money in addition to banknotes, a money cassette that stores money is also used.

Interface unit 202 provides communication between processor 201 and each of the components. Also, the interface unit 202 realizes communication between the kiosk 20 and the gaming system 1 (slot data system).

Next, details of the authentication server 60 will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the authentication server shown in FIG. 1; As shown in FIG. 9, the authentication server 60 includes a communication interface 601, an EGM_ID and personal identification information reception unit 602, an issued ticket information reception unit 603, a redemption ticket information reception unit 604, a personal identification information authentication unit 605, an issuance and use It includes a management section 606 , a data registration/search section 607 , a current player DB 608 and a ticket DB 609 .

Communication interface 601 implements communication between authentication server 60 and components of gaming system 1 .

The EGM_ID and personal identification information receiving unit 602 receives the EGM_ID or address and personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine 10 into which the player has inserted banknotes. The received EGM_ID or address and personal identification information are stored in the current player DB 608 via the data registration/search unit 607 . For example, the player DB 608 registers the received personal identification information as current player information in the record for each EGM_ID or address. Also, player information (such as an ID number) associated with the received personal identification information may be acquired and registered as current player information.

When the gaming machine 10 issues a ticket, the issued ticket information receiving unit 603 acquires ticket verification information from the ticket server, stores it in the ticket DB 609 , and transmits the ticket verification information to the gaming machine 10 . The ticket server is a server included in the middleware server system 40, and verifies the validity of tickets and manages issuance. The ticket server is configured to be able to communicate with the gaming machine 10, the kiosk 20, and the authentication server 60, and has a ticket verification section that verifies the legitimacy of the ticket and a ticket management section that stores ticket management information.

The issued ticket information receiving unit 603 registers the ticket verification information received from the ticket server and the personal identification information of the current player stored in the current player DB 608 in the ticket DB 609 via the data registration/search unit 607. . For example, the ticket DB 609 registers EGM_ID, amount, and verification number as ticket verification information in a record for each ticket number, and further registers the aforementioned personal identification information. Here, too, player information (such as an ID number) associated with personal identification information may be acquired and registered.

The exchange ticket information receiving unit 604 receives information printed on the ticket and EGM_ID or kiosk_ID from the gaming machine 10 or kiosk 20 when the player uses the ticket on the gaming machine 10 or kiosk 20 . Also, the exchange ticket information receiving unit 604 acquires personal identification information associated with the ticket from the ticket DB 609 via the data registration/search unit 607 .

The personal identification information authentication unit 605 verifies whether or not the acquired personal information identification information is associated with the ticket cashout process, and transmits the result to the gaming machine 10 or the kiosk 20 . Here, the “cash-out process for the ticket” refers to the process for the gaming machine 10 to output the ticket according to the player's operation. A ticket number is assigned to the ticket output in the "cash-out process for ticket". When the ticket is issued, it is registered in the ticket DB 609 in association with the personal identification information registered in the current player DB 608 of the gaming machine 10 and the ticket verification information acquired from the ticket server. Based on the information registered in the ticket DB 609, the personal identification information authentication unit 605 grasps the personal identification information associated with the ticket cashout process. That is, based on the ticket number read from the ticket by the gaming machine 10 or the kiosk 20, the personal identification information authentication unit 605 acquires the personal identification information registered in association with the ticket number from the ticket DB 609. Alternatively, authentication is performed by comparing with personal identification information acquired by the kiosk 20 .

The issue and use manager 606 processes a series of operational sequences to issue or use tickets in the gaming machine 10 and redeem the tickets in the kiosk 20 . Issuance and usage manager 606 mediates communication between gaming machine 10, kiosk 20, and ticket server.

A data registration/search unit 607 registers and searches data in the current player DB 608 and ticket DB 609 .

FIG. 10A is an example of data stored in the current player DB shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A, the current player DB 608 stores personal identification information in association with EGM_ID, which is the identifier of the gaming machine 10 . Personal identification information is information that can identify a player as described above. The DB 608 may also associate the date and time when personal identification information is stored. FIG. 10B is an example of data stored in the ticket DB shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10B, the ticket DB 609 stores individual identification information in association with ticket information. The ticket information, in this example, includes a ticket number that identifies the ticket, the EGM_ID of the gaming machine 10 that issued the ticket, the amount, and the verification number.

The personal identification information may be the player's biometric authentication information (face image, fingerprint, palm geometry, iris, voiceprint, etc.). FIG. 11A shows another example of data stored in the current player DB shown in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11B shows other data stored in the ticket DB shown in FIG. is an example of The current player DB 608 shown in (A) of FIG. 11 and the ticket DB 609 shown in (B) of FIG. Others are the same. In (A) and (B) of FIG. 11, the personal identification information is the face ID corresponding to the face image of the player.

The face IDs in the data examples shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B can be assigned by, for example, a face identification server. Here, the face identification server can be one of the servers included in the middleware server system 40, identifies an individual by a feature amount extracted from the face image of the player, and manages the face image or the feature amount as biometric authentication information. do. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the face identification server. As shown in FIG. 12, the face identification server includes a communication interface 701, a face image receiving section 702, a face detecting section 703, a face feature amount extracting section 704, a matching section 705, a face ID transmitting section 706, a data registration/search section. 707, facial feature amount accumulation DB 708, and face ID_DB 709.

A communication interface 701 provides communication between the face identification server and the components of the gaming system 1 . This allows components of the gaming system 1 to identify players using face ID or face authentication.

The face image receiving unit 702 receives image data captured by the gaming machine 10 or the kiosk 20 and transmitted to the face identification server. The source of the image data may be not only the gaming machine 10 or the kiosk 20, but also the authentication server 60 that records the image data captured by them. Furthermore, the facial image receiving unit 702 may be configured to receive image data captured by a camera provided in the casino cage device 30, entrance/exit system, or table game management system (none of which is shown). .

A face detection unit 703 detects a face image in the image data received by the face image reception unit 702 . A face detection unit 703 detects an image area in which a face is drawn as a face image, for example, based on learned artificial intelligence (AI). A face feature amount extraction unit 704 extracts a face feature amount based on the face image detected by the face detection unit 703 . Here, the face feature quantity is a value or a set of values that express features of the face, such as the positions of characteristic parts such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, and relative distances. As a method for extracting the face feature amount, for example, a known extraction technique such as an oriented gradient histogram, SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform), SURF (Speeded up robust features), or ORB (Oriented FAST and Rotated Brief) can be used. The face feature quantity extraction unit 704 stores the face feature quantity in the face feature quantity accumulation DB 708 via the data registration/search unit 707 . The facial features stored in the facial feature accumulation DB 708 can be used to improve the accuracy of face identification.

A collation unit 705 collates the face feature amount extracted by the face feature amount extraction unit 704 from the face image detected by the face detection unit 703 with the face image associated with the registered face ID. That is, the face ID associated with the face image of the same person is identified by comparing the former face feature amount with each face feature amount extracted from the latter. Here, for example, when the difference in facial feature amount is smaller than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the facial image is obtained from the same person. The decision may be made by artificial intelligence that discerns whether If the face feature amount extracted by the face feature amount extraction unit 704 from the face image detected by the face detection unit 703 is matched with the face image associated with the registered face ID, the matching unit 705 Return face ID. Also, the additional information of the record stored in the face ID_DB 709 associated with the matched face ID is updated via the data registration/search unit 707 . The additional information is, for example, date, time, shooting location, and the like. If the facial feature amount extracted by the facial feature amount extracting unit 704 is not matched with any of the facial images associated with the registered face IDs, the matching unit 705 issues a new face ID and extracts the facial feature amount. The extracted image and the new face ID are stored in the face ID_DB 709 via the data registration/search unit 707 .

A face ID transmission unit 706 transmits the matched face ID or a new face ID to the transmission source of the image data. Thereby, the gaming machine 10, the kiosk 20, or the authentication server 60 can use the received face ID as personal identification information. A data registration/retrieval unit 707 registers and retrieves data in the facial feature amount accumulation DB 708 and the face ID_DB 709 .

13 is an example of data stored in the face ID_DB of FIG. 12. FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the face ID_DB 709 stores record numbers, face IDs, image storage locations (face images), and additional information (dates and times) in association with each other.

Note that the face ID transmission unit 706 may transmit the facial feature amount extracted by the facial feature amount extraction unit 704 to the transmission source of the image data instead of the face ID. In this case, the matching unit 705 and face ID_DB can be omitted, and the gaming machine 10, kiosk 20, or authentication server 60 can use the received face feature quantity as personal identification information.

Next, the operation of the authentication system 2 will be explained. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing a process from bill insertion to cashout processing in the gaming machine.

As shown in FIG. 14, the gaming machine 10 first accepts bills (step S10). That is, the banknote/ticket identification unit 107 of the gaming machine 10 accepts banknotes from the player. Then, the gaming machine 10 acquires personal identification information via the personal identification information acceptor 130 (step S12). For example, the camera 131 of the gaming machine 10 captures an image of the player sitting in front of the gaming machine 10 . The gaming machine 10 transmits the captured image data to the face recognition server, and acquires the face ID returned from the face recognition server as personal identification information of the player.

The gaming machine 10 then issues an exception to the authentication server 60 . Upon receiving the exception, the authentication server 60 requests the gaming machine 10 to transmit EGM_ID and personal identification information. The gaming machine 10 transmits the EGM_ID and personal identification information to the authentication server 60 . The authentication server 60 stores the personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine 10 in the current player DB 608 as current player information in the gaming machine 10 (step S300). The authentication server 60 notifies the gaming machine 10 that the registration in the current player DB 608 has been completed.

After receiving the completion of registration, the gaming machine 10 converts the received banknote amount into a credit amount and adds it to the credit balance (step S14). If the personal identification information cannot be acquired or if the registration completion is not received, the gaming machine 10 re-requests the personal identification information or waits without adding the credit balance, and performs the processing shown in FIG. 14 after the elapse of a predetermined time. may be discontinued.

Subsequently, the gaming machine 10 provides a game (step S16). The CPU 121 of the gaming machine 10 controls the operation of each part of the gaming machine 10 by executing a program recorded in the memory 123 or the storage 124, provides a game to the player in exchange for part of the credits, and determines the result of the game. Grants credits to the player according to

Next, the gaming machine 10 receives a cashout operation from the player (step S18). A cashout operation is, for example, a player pressing a cashout button. In response, gaming machine 10 issues an exception to the ticket server. Upon receiving the exception, the ticket server requests the gaming machine 10 for information on cashout processing. The gaming machine 10 transmits information (including the amount to be cashed out, the EGM_ID of the gaming machine 10, etc.) regarding the cashout process to the ticket server. When the ticket server receives the information about the cashout process transmitted from the gaming machine 10, it issues ticket verification information (including a ticket verification number, etc.) and stores it in the database together with the information about the cashout process (step S400). The ticket server then transmits the ticket verification information to the authentication server 60 together with the information on the cashout process.

When the authentication server 60 receives the ticket verification information together with the information on the cashout process, the authentication server 60 associates the cashout process (for example, the ticket number) with the current player information stored in step S300 for the EGM_ID of the gaming machine 10, and issues a ticket. It stores in DB609 (step S302). The authentication server 60 transmits the ticket verification information to the gaming machine 10 together with the information regarding the cashout process.

The gaming machine 10 generates ticket information using the information regarding the cashout process and the ticket verification information, and issues a ticket including the ticket information (step S20). The gaming machine 10 notifies the ticket server that the ticket has been issued. When the ticket server receives the issue completion, it updates the database (step S402). When step S402 ends, the flowchart from banknote insertion to cashout processing in the gaming machine 10 ends.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing ticket redemption processing at the kiosk. As shown in FIG. 15, kiosk 20 first accepts a ticket (step S200). That is, the ticket reception unit 206 of the kiosk 20 receives the ticket from the player. The kiosk 20 then acquires personal identification information via the personal identification information acceptor 210 (step S202). For example, the camera 211 of the kiosk 20 captures the image of the player in front of the kiosk 20 . The kiosk 20 transmits the captured image data to the face recognition server, and acquires the face ID returned from the face recognition server as personal identification information of the player. If the kiosk 20 cannot obtain the personal identification information, it may re-request the personal identification information or wait, and stop the process shown in FIG. 15 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Kiosk 20 then issues an exception to authentication server 60 . Upon receiving the exception, the authentication server 60 requests the kiosk 20 to send the ticket information and personal identification information read from the ticket. Kiosk 20 transmits ticket information and personal identification information to authentication server 60 . The authentication server 60 determines whether the ticket cashout process is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the kiosk 20 (step S304).

If the ticket cashout transaction is not associated with the personal identification information sent from the kiosk 20 , the authentication server 60 sends a ticket unusable notice to the kiosk 20 . The kiosk 20 determines to reject the ticket when it receives the ticket unusable notification (step S204).

Authentication server 60 forwards the information from kiosk 20 to the ticket server if the ticket cashout transaction is associated with personal identification information sent from kiosk 20 . The ticket server verifies the legitimacy of the ticket based on the ticket information and the information on the cashout process registered in the database (step S404). The ticket server sends the ticket approval/denial decision to the kiosk 20 .

The kiosk 20 executes ticket issue processing or ticket rejection processing according to the determination result (step S206). If the kiosk 20 decides to reject the ticket in step S204, or if it receives the ticket rejection judgment result from the ticket server, it performs ticket rejection processing. In this case, the player cannot redeem the ticket. When the kiosk 20 receives the decision result of ticket authorization from the ticket server, the kiosk 20 performs ticket issuing processing. The kiosk 20 pays the player money based on the ticket information. The kiosk 20 notifies the ticket server of the processing performed by the kiosk 20 . The ticket server updates the database according to the process performed by the kiosk 20 (step S406). When step S406 ends, the flowchart of the ticket redemption process at the kiosk 20 ends.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing ticket acceptance processing in the gaming machine. As shown in FIG. 16, the gaming machine 10 first accepts a ticket (step S30). That is, the banknote/ticket identification unit 107 of the gaming machine 10 accepts the ticket from the player. The gaming machine 10 then acquires personal identification information via the personal identification information acceptor 130 (step S32). For example, the camera 131 of the gaming machine 10 captures an image of the player sitting in front of the gaming machine 10 . The gaming machine 10 transmits the captured image data to the face recognition server, and acquires the face ID returned from the face recognition server as personal identification information of the player. If the personal identification information cannot be acquired, the gaming machine 10 may re-request the personal identification information or wait, and stop the processing shown in FIG. 16 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

The gaming machine 10 then issues an exception to the authentication server 60 . Upon receiving the exception, the authentication server 60 requests the gaming machine 10 to transmit the ticket information and personal identification information read from the ticket. The gaming machine 10 transmits ticket information and personal identification information to the authentication server 60 . The authentication server 60 determines whether or not the ticket cashout process is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine 10 (step S306).

If the ticket cashout process is not associated with the personal identification information sent from the gaming machine 10, the authentication server 60 notifies the gaming machine 10 that the ticket cannot be used. The gaming machine 10 determines to reject the ticket when receiving the notification that the ticket cannot be used (step S34).

If the ticket cashout process is associated with the personal identification information sent from the gaming machine 10, the authentication server 60 transfers the information from the gaming machine 10 to the ticket server. The ticket server verifies the legitimacy of the ticket based on the ticket information and the information on the cashout process registered in the database (step S408). The ticket server transmits to the gaming machine 10 the determination result regarding ticket approval/rejection.

The gaming machine 10 executes credit balance addition processing or ticket rejection processing according to the determination result (step S36). If the gaming machine 10 decides to reject the ticket in step S34, or if it receives the ticket rejection determination result from the ticket server, it performs ticket rejection processing. In this case, the player cannot use the ticket to add credit balance. When the gaming machine 10 receives the determination result of ticket authorization from the ticket server, the gaming machine 10 performs addition processing of the credit balance. The gaming machine 10 converts the amount of money based on the ticket information into credit and adds it to the credit balance of the gaming machine 10 . The gaming machine 10 notifies the ticket server of the processing executed by the gaming machine 10 . The ticket server updates the database according to the processing executed by the gaming machine 10 (step S410). When step S406 ends, the flowchart of the ticket acceptance process in the gaming machine 10 ends.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, the gaming machine 10 that provides games in the form of a slot machine has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the state of poker, video card games called blackjack, bingo, keno, wheel games, etc. The game may be offered at Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to pachinko machines or pachislot machines.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the authentication server 60 and the ticket server are different servers has been described, but the authentication server 60 and the ticket server may be the same server.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an identifier indicating ticket information is mainly printed on a physical medium such as paper. good too. In such a case, the gaming machine 10 and the kiosk 20 are provided with a camera or scanner for reading the ticket information displayed on the display screen as ticket receiving means, and a display for displaying the identifier as ticket issuing means. It is also possible to use a part of the existing display to display the identifier. In this case, the player can use the ticket by capturing the identifier displayed on the display with the camera of the mobile device, displaying the identifier on the mobile device, and having the terminal read the identifier. In addition, the mobile device or the like may be configured to directly communicate with the gaming system 1, or a configuration in which some or all of the functions of the authentication system 2, the gaming machine 10 and/or the kiosk 20 are implemented on the mobile device. is.

Furthermore, when the electronic information indicating the ticket information is used as the ticket, the wireless interface unit is used as the ticket reception unit and the ticket issuing unit, and the electronic information indicating the ticket information is issued with the player terminal such as a mobile device. and can be configured to accept. Also in this case, the mobile device or the like may be configured to directly communicate with the gaming system 1, and some or all of the functions of the authentication system 2, the gaming machine 10 and/or the kiosk 20 may be implemented on the mobile device. is also possible.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the personal identification information of the player who has put money into the gaming machine 10 is recorded as the current player, and the personal identification information is stored in association with the ticket information during the cashout process. However, this is in line with the recognition that the player who contributed the money that is the source of the issued ticket is the holder of the ticket. When this recognition is adopted, when a player inserts a ticket into the gaming machine 10, the personal identification information associated with the ticket is recorded as current player information, and the personal identification information is recorded when issuing a new ticket. It may be configured to be stored in association with ticket information. In the case of adopting another recognition, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the personal information of the player is acquired during the cashout process and stored in association with the ticket information.

1 gaming system, 2 authentication system (example of ticket authentication system), 10 gaming machine (example of terminal), 20 kiosk (example of terminal, example of cash exchange device), 40 middleware server system (of ticket server 107...Bill/ticket identification unit (an example of ticket accepting means), 108...Printer unit (an example of ticket issuing means), 130, 210...Personal identification information acceptor (an example of personal identification information acquiring means).

Claims (8)

ticket receiving means for receiving a ticket from a player and reading ticket information; personal identification information obtaining means for obtaining personal identification information of the player using the ticket ; and money receiving means for receiving money from the player and using it as a credit balance a game execution means for providing a game to the player and varying the credit balance according to the result of the game; and a ticket issuing means for outputting the credit balance as the ticket ;
an authentication server configured to be communicable with the gaming machine and having a storage unit that associates and stores ticket information and personal identification information;
The gaming machine acquires personal identification information of the player when money is received from the player, and transmits the identification information of the gaming machine and the personal identification information to the authentication server,
The authentication server stores the personal identification information transmitted by the gaming machine as current player information of the gaming machine;
When the gaming machine outputs the credit balance as the ticket, the authentication server stores the information of the output ticket in association with the current player information of the gaming machine,
The gaming machine receives the ticket from the player, transmits the read ticket information and the acquired personal identification information to the authentication server,
The authentication server refers to the storage unit to determine whether the ticket information is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine ,
A ticket authentication system in which the gaming machine does not allow the player to use the ticket when the authentication server determines that the ticket information is not associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine . further comprising a cash exchange device that pays out money corresponding to the ticket received from the player;
The money exchange device acquires personal identification information of the player when accepting the ticket from the player,
2. The ticket authentication according to claim 1, wherein the authentication server determines whether the personal identification information acquired by the money exchange device corresponds to the personal identification information stored in association with the ticket information read from the ticket. system. further comprising a ticket server configured to communicate with the gaming machine and the authentication server and having a ticket verification unit for verifying the legitimacy of the ticket and a ticket management unit for storing management information of the ticket;
When the authentication server determines that the ticket information is associated with the personal identification information transmitted from the gaming machine , the authentication server instructs the ticket server to verify the ticket;
The ticket server transmits to the gaming machine a result of determining whether or not to approve the ticket based on the ticket information and information stored in the ticket management unit;
The gaming machine makes the ticket usable when receiving a result of authorizing the ticket from the ticket server, and makes the ticket unusable when receiving a result of not authorizing the ticket from the ticket server. 3. The ticket authentication system according to claim 1 or 2 , which executes a process for 4. The ticket authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said ticket information includes at least money amount and ticket verification information. 5. The ticket authentication system according to claim 1 , wherein said ticket is a physical medium on which an identifier indicating said ticket information is printed. 6. The ticket authentication system according to claim 1, wherein said ticket is electronic information indicating said ticket information. 7. The ticket authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein said gaming machine acquires said player's biometric authentication information as said personal identification information. 8. The ticket authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the gaming machine acquires identification information given to the player in advance as the personal identification information.

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