EP0555565B1 - Cheat-proof winnings pay-out device for gambling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device by means of which amounts won in gambling machines can be paid out protected against cheating, the relevant gambling machines not having their own pay-out device. The invention was based on the object of creating a device by means of which it is made possible to dispense with stored cash intended for winnings pay-out and contained in gambling machines and, nevertheless, to pay out cash winnings protected against manipulation. According to the invention, this object is achieved by the fact that an additional key connected to the central processor is provided at gambling machines constructed in this manner, after the operation of which key machine-specific identification data and the final status of the winnings store can be output via a machine-internal device which is also connected to the central processor, or that any received winnings can be immediately output via the machine-internal device. Alternatively, the machine-specific identification data and the final status of the winnings store or of all received winnings can be output by means of a data printer or a device for writing into a memory card by means of which, if necessary, an authenticity check can be carried out before the winnings are paid out at a cashier's office. This check can occur both directly at the gambling machine and at a receiving unit close to the cashier's office after transmission of the data, produced and stored in the gambling machine, to this receiving unit. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a system with gaming machines, by means of which fraud-protected a payment of Amounts won by gaming machines can, the relevant gaming machines do not have have their own payout facility.

Gaming machines, which facilities for payment of money won are already there known for a long time. On such devices, however manipulations were constantly carried out to make this happen in the devices to unlawfully withdraw the money it contains. This happens particularly often, if the installation locations are confusing or the devices available in a number that is difficult to control are. The latter is especially true in larger casinos the case.

To overcome this disadvantage, have been in the past different measures taken all boil down to unauthorized access the inside of the device or the money supply and others To make manipulation difficult. But such Measures are mainly related to the coin supply there are limits to payouts.

GB-A-2 208 737 discloses a gaming machine which no longer wins in a certain amount Form of cash paid out directly on the gaming machine will. Rather, from this amount on the gaming machine a voucher will be issued and the winning data will be transferred to a central club computer. At The transferred data will then be presented as a receipt compared with the data of the receipt and the amount of profit paid. This gaming machine will be bigger Amounts were not paid directly, so that Gaming machine an ever increasing sum of money remains.

The safest protection against unauthorized withdrawals is in that there is no money in these devices, which is intended for payment. That for money thrown into the game can be stored in a safe, which is arranged in the device base, for example, be kept with sufficient security.

EP-A-0 208 857 provides that everyone on a gaming machine achieved profit in the form of a voucher is issued. This voucher is then redeemable to be sent to a prize allocation office.

Instead of cash, cash receipts will be paid out as winnings printed, there is a risk that such Documents are reprinted for fraudulent purposes, without actually winning any gaming machines was achieved. So additional measures are required a possibility of checking the authenticity the receipts presented for payment at the cash desk of gaming machines.

Based on these disadvantages of the prior art the invention has for its object a device to create by means of which it is possible on a designated for payout and in the gaming machine to waive the contained cash reserve and nevertheless pay out tamper-proof money winnings.

This task is characterized by the characteristics of main claims 1 and 2 in connection with the characteristics of the General term solved. Advantageous configurations are shown in the subclaims.

The solution according to the invention (claim 1) goes in its preamble from EP-A-0 208 857 and is characterized by it from that on such gaming machines with one central control unit connected button, key switch or the like are provided, according to their Actuation via the device-internal device device-specific Characteristics and the final status of the profit storage are expendable, and that on and / or in the gaming machine a display is provided on which after input the previously issued device-specific characteristics via an arranged on or in the gaming machine and input unit connected to the central control unit the assigned to the respective characteristics and saved amounts of profit can be displayed.

An alternative design variant of the invention Solution (claim 2) is that on such gaming machines one connected to the central control unit Key, key switch or the like provided are, after their actuation via the device internal Device specific characteristics and the device Final status of the profit storage are output, and that on and / or a signaling device in the gaming machine is provided after entering the previously issued device-specific characteristics and the profit amount via an arranged on or in the gaming machine and with input unit connected to the central control unit, that determined by the central control unit Match or disagreement of such entered data with the assigned data in the profit memory signals.

According to an advantageous development, provision can be made be that the device internal device for outputting the device-specific characteristics of accrued profits and / or the final status of the profit memory as a data printer trained to output a print log which is removable from the player from the gaming machine and can be presented at a cash register as proof of payment is.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the input unit has a keyboard for Entry of the device-specific characteristics.

For control purposes, you must first of all from the cash register at which the print protocol has been submitted for payment, with the print log for the respective gaming machine be gone. Then here are the device-specific ones Enter key data using the keyboard and the on the Print log noted winning amount with those on to compare the display of the gaming machine shown and possibly the payment of the money too acknowledge.

As an alternative to printing a print report the possibility that the device internal device to output the device-specific characteristics, Profits and / or the final status of the profit storage as a device for describing one in that Gaming machine insertable memory card trained is. These device-specific characteristics of the same memory card can for control purposes on the gaming machine read in again and the device-specific Characteristic amounts associated with winning amounts on the display of the gaming machine are shown and acknowledged.

The device-specific characteristics can be used to unambiguously and largely forgery-proof identification a device number and / or the date and / or time and / or contain further data. In addition, you can the device-specific characteristics in a coded Form can be output.

Another advantageous design variant of the invention The basic idea is that in accordance with the invention trained gaming machines a device for automatic detection and / or transfer of the on the print log or memory card Data is arranged. This variant would then a possible check again by the service personnel on the gaming machine. For this purpose, the data carrier (s) would be inserted into the device entered for automatic data recognition and from the central control unit of the gaming machine compared with the data stored in the gaming machine will. A match found (or disagreement) would then be caused by the central control unit of the gaming machine signals. The payment of the amount won would be at established agreement at the checkout.

Fig. 1a

ein Geldspielgerät für die einfachste und kostengünstigste Variante der Erfindung mit Datendrucker,

Fig. 1b

ein Geldspielgerät für die einfachste und kostengünstigste Variante der Erfindung mit Datenausgabe auf eine Speicherkarte, und

Fig. 1c

Beispiel für ein Druckprotokoll.

The solution according to the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Show here:

Fig. 1a

a gaming machine for the simplest and least expensive variant of the invention with a data printer,

Fig. 1b

a gaming machine for the simplest and least expensive variant of the invention with data output on a memory card, and

Fig. 1c

Example of a print log.

The gaming machine 1 shown in Fig. La has one integrated printer 4, however, no payout unit for the payment of money won. This Printer 4 either prints after each one Winning money or after pressing button 3, what to Example can be done after completing the game a print log 7. On the one shown in Fig. 1c Print protocol 7 are next to the amount of money won 24 device-specific characteristics 21 to 23 included. A later identification is made by means of the device number 21 of the gaming machine 1, on which the expression was created. Furthermore, these include device-specific characteristics 21 to 23 the date 22 and the time 23 of the respective creation of this print log 3. All data can also be in an encoded form 25 on the print log 7 included be. With this print log 7 comes the player to a cash register 8, where he is on the print log 7 noted amount of winnings 24 is paid out. If there are doubts about the authenticity of print log 7, so the service personnel on the gaming machine 1 over a keyboard 10, which is on or in the gaming machine 1, by entering the device-specific characteristics 21 to 23 the display of the in the gaming machine 1 initiate saved winnings 24 on the display 9. The visual comparison of the data of the Print protocol 7 and that of the display 9 a match, so the amount won will be 24 at checkout 8 paid.

As an alternative to the possibility of printing the data 21 up to 24 can transfer the same to a memory card 11 done. This is what the gaming machine is for 1, as shown in FIG. 1b, with a device 5 provided, by means of which the data output on the Memory card 11 can be done. For comparison purposes is in such gaming machines 1 reading the Data from the memory card 11 possible, for example via the same device 5 as that for writing the memory card 11 can be done. The comparison process happens here as in the case of Print log 7 visual. A data entry via the Keyboard 10 is unnecessary in this case.

In the case of data control using a print log, you can be provided that in trained according to the invention Gaming machines have a device for automatic Detection and / or adoption of those on the print log or the data contained in the memory card is. This variant would then be a necessary one Control by the service staff on the gaming machine. To do this, the (or the) disk in the device for automatic Data recognition entered and from the central control unit of the gaming machine with those in gaming machine stored data are compared, with a possibly incorrect data entry via the keyboard 10 is unnecessary. A definite agreement (or disagreement) would then through the central control unit of the gaming machine signals. The payment of the amount won would at checkout if there is a match respectively.

Claims (9)

1. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings in which the gambling machines (1) do not have a machine internal payout unit; however, they are controlled by a central control unit (2) which in turn is connected to at least one electronic winnings memory (6); furthermore, the gambling machines (1) are provided with a machine internal device (4 or 5) which is respectively linked to the central control unit (2) and through which machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and winnings information are released, characterised in that gambling machines of this type (1) are provided with a key, key switch or the like (3) which is connected to the central control unit (2), and after operation of which machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and the final reading of the winnings memory (6) are released via a machine internal device (4 or 5), and on and/or in the gambling machine (1) is provided a display (9) on which, after entry of previously released machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23), amounts of winnings (24) associated with respective characteristic data and stored are displayed via an input unit (10) positioned on or in the gambling machine (1).
2. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings in which the gambling machines (1) do not have a machine internal payout unit; however, they are controlled by a central control unit (2) which in turn is connected to at least one electronic winnings memory (6); furthermore, the gambling machines (1) are provided with a machine internal device (4 or 5) which is respectively linked to the central control unit (2) and through which machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and winnings information are released, characterised in that gambling machines of this type (1) are provided with a key, key switch or the like (3) which is connected to the central control unit (2), and after operation of which machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and the final reading of the winnings memory (6) are released via a machine internal device (4 or 5), and at and/or in the gambling machine (1) is provided a signalling device which, after entry of previously released machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and the winnings amount (24) via an input unit (10), which is arranged on or in the gambling machine (1) and linked to the central control unit (2), signalises a match or mismatch of said input data (21 to 24) with associated data in the winnings memory (6).
3. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the machine internal device for release of machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) of incurred winnings and/or the final reading of the winnings memory (6) is designed as a data printer (4) for issuing a printed protocol (7) which is removed from the gambling machine (1) and presented to a cashpoint (8) by the player as proof of payout.
4. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to at least one of the above claims, characterised in that the input unit comprises a keyboard for entering machine specific characteristic data (21, 23).
5. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to at least one of the above claims, characterised in that the machine internal device for release of machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) of incurred winnings and/or the final reading of the winnings memory (6) is designed as a device (5) for writing onto a memory card (11) which is insertible into the gambling machine (1), and the machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) of said memory card (11) can be read into the gambling machine (1) for control purposes, and winnings amounts (24) associated with the machine internal characteristic data (21 to 23) are displayed on the display (9) of the gambling machine (1).
6. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to at least one of the above claims, characterised in that a device for automatic recognition and/or pickup of data (21 to 24) contained in the print protocol (7) or the memory card (11) is arranged in or on the gambling machine (1).
7. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to at least one of the above claims, characterised in that the machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) include a machine number (21) and/or date (22) and/or time (23) and/or further data.
8. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to at least one of the above claims, characterised in that the machine specific characteristic data (21 to 23) and/or the amount of winnings (24) are released in encoded form (25).
9. System for gambling machines (1) for cheatproof payout of winnings according to Claim 6, characterised in that a device for automatic recognition and/or pickup of data (21 to 24) contained in the print protocol (7) in encoded form (25) is arranged in or on the gambling machine (1)

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