Fraud detection system in a casino

• US 10,600,282 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shigeta, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US16/100,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20180350192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/18 Score computers; Miscellaneous indicators time-testing devices G07C
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/001 Bridge or baccarat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/58 Antifraud or preventing misuse
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/322 Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A fraud detection system which detects fraud in a game of performing collection and redemption of chips in accordance with a win or lose result includes a camera which captures an image of chips contained in a chip tray of a dealer, an image analyzing apparatus which analyzes the image captured by the camera to detect an amount of the chips contained in the chip tray, a card distribution device which determines a win or lose result of a game, and a control device which compares the win or lose result of the game and the amount of the chips contained in the chip tray before and after collection and redemption of the chips to detect fraud.

Claims

1. A fraud detection system in a casino having a plurality of gaming tables, comprising:

a game recording apparatus that is configured to record a progress of a game played on a gaming table as an image;

an image analyzing apparatus that is configured to perform image analysis on the image of the recorded progress of the game;

a win/lose result determining apparatus that is configured to determine, respectively for the game played on the gaming table, a win or lose result of the game; and

a control device, wherein the control device is configured to;

detect fraud practiced on the gaming table by using a result of the image analysis and the win or lose result; and

compare a correct total amount of the chips in a chip tray of a dealer of the gaming table after settlement and an actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray after the settlement to determine whether or not there is difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount, the correct total amount being calculated by performing an addition/subtraction calculation of an increased/decreased amount of the chips to/from a total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement, the increased/decreased amount of the chips being calculated from a position, a type, and a number of the chips wagered by a player and the win or lose result of the game, and the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement and the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray after the settlement being obtained through the image analyzing apparatus.

2. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the player is a player who lost;

the correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray and the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray, which the control device compares to determine whether or not there is the difference, and the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement are, respectively a correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray after a collection of lost chips wagered by the player who lost, an actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray after the collection, and a total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the collection;

the correct total amount is calculated by adding the increased amount of the chips to the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the collection; and

the increased amount is calculated from the position, type, and number of the lost chips wagered by the player who lost and the win or lose result of the game.

3. The fraud detection system according to claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to determine a mistake in payment and generates a payment mistake signal indicating the mistake in payment in the case where:

(1) the control device determines, based on the comparison between (a) the correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray, calculated by the adding of the increased amount, which is calculated from the position, type, and number of the chips wagered by the player who lost, to the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement and (b) the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray, that there is no difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount; and

(2) the control device determines, based on a comparison between (a) a correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray after an end of the game and the settlement and (b) an actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray obtained through the image analyzing apparatus at the time of the end of the game, that there is a difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount.

4. The fraud detection system according to claim 2, wherein the control device is configured to determine a mistake in payment and generate a payment mistake signal indicating the mistake in payment when determining that there is no difference after the collection but there is difference after the settlement of the game.

5. The fraud detection system according to claim 2, wherein the chip tray is provided with a collection chip tray where the chips wagered by the player who lost are collected and temporarily stored, and the control device is configured to compare a correct amount of chips in the collection chip tray and an actual total amount of the chips in the collection chip tray after the collection to determine whether or not there is difference between the correct total amount in the collection chip tray and the actual total amount of the chips in the collection chip tray, the correct amount of the chips in the collection chip tray being calculated from the position, type, and number of the chips wagered by the player who lost and the win or lose result of the game.

6. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein acquisition of the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray after the settlement through the image analyzing apparatus is performed at any one of:

1) a time when payment for winning players is ended;

2) a time when cards used in the game are collected to be discarded into a discard area of the table;

3) a time when a predetermined button attached to the win/lose result determining apparatus is pushed; and

4) a time when a marker representing win or lose is returned to an initial state.

7. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein, the game recording apparatus is configured to allocate indexes or time points to, or reproduce, a portion of the recorded image that is of a scene of a chip collection or a chip payment when the control device determines the difference so that the record of the progress of the game where the difference occurs can be analyzed in the game recording apparatus.

8. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the image analyzing apparatus or the control device is configured such that, although a portion of or an entirety of the wagered chips among a plurality of chips placed on the gaming table is concealed due to a blind spot of the game recording apparatus, information on the type, number, and position of the wagered chips can be obtained.

9. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to:

1) recognize the position, type, and number of the chips wagered in each play position of the gaming table, respectively;

2) extract a strange situation by comparing (a) a history of win and lose of each player obtained from the win or lose result determined respectively for each of a plurality of games and respective amounts of chips acquired in the plurality of games and (b) corresponding statistical data; and

3) extract a strange situation by, for the gaming table respectively, comparing (a) a state that, at a play position of the gaming table, an amount of betting chips at a time of loss is smaller than an amount of betting chips at a time of a win and (b) corresponding statistical data.

10. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to perform a comparison to determine whether or not an amount of chips recognized to be in the chip tray of the dealer of the gaming table is increased or decreased, after an exchange of cash and chips, according to (a) a paid amount of the chips corresponding to the exchanged cash or (b) a paid amount of cash corresponding to the exchanged chips.

11. The fraud detection system according to claim 10, wherein the control device is further provided with a database storing a history of the exchange of cash and chips, and the comparison for the determination of whether or not the recognized amount of the chips in the chip tray of the dealer of the gaming table is increased or decreased according to the paid amount of the chips corresponding to the exchanged cash or the paid amount of the cash corresponding to the exchanged chips is performed by referring to the database in a unit of a predetermined time or day.

12. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the control device, through use of the image analyzing apparatus, is capable of specifying a player of a play position extracted as corresponding to the difference or to a detected strange situation.

13. The fraud detection system according to claim 12, wherein the control device has a caution function of informing about an existence of the specified player.

14. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the control device has at least one of:

1) a function of determining whether or not there is movement of chips during a time interval from a start of extraction of cards or from a game start operation of the dealer until before the win or lose result of the game is determined by the win/lose result determining apparatus in the game;

2) a function of determining whether or not a player who lost picks up lost chips during a time interval after the game ends during which the dealer collects chips wagered by the players who have lost;

3) a function of determining whether or not a chip is added during the time interval after the game ends when the dealer collects the chips wagered by the players who have lost;

4) a function of determining whether or not the dealer performs payment for a position of chips wagered by a winning player after the game ends; and

5) a function of determining whether or not the winning player receives the wagered chips and paid chips after the end of the game.

15. The fraud detection system according to claim 1, wherein the win/lose result determining apparatus is a card distribution device that is configured to distribute the cards on the gaming table or is a device that is configured to determine the win or lose result of the game from information of the image analyzing apparatus reading the cards distributed on the gaming table by using a camera.

16. A fraud detection system in a casino having a plurality of gaming tables, comprising:

a game recording apparatus that, using a camera, is configured to record a progress of a game played on a gaming table as an image;

an image analyzing apparatus that is configured to perform image analysis on the image of the recorded progress of the game;

a card distribution device that is configured to determine a win or lose result of the game on the gaming table; and

an intelligence type control device that is configured to detect fraud practiced on the gaming table by using a result of the image analysis by the image analyzing apparatus and a win or lose result determined by the card distribution device;

wherein the image analyzing apparatus or the intelligence type control device is capable of obtaining information on rank of a card from card that is distributed on the gaming table and is folded or stained by a player.

17. A fraud detection system in a casino having a plurality of gaming tables, comprising:

a game recording apparatus that, using a camera, is configured to record a progress of a game played on the gaming table as an image;

an image analyzing apparatus that is configured to perform image analysis on the image of the recorded progress of the game;

a card distribution device that is configured to determine a win or lose result of the game on the gaming table; and

an intelligence type control device that is configured to detect fraud practiced on the gaming table by using a result of the image analysis by the image analyzing apparatus and a win or lose result determined by the card distribution device;

wherein;

the intelligence type control device is capable of recognizing a respective position and amount of chips wagered in a respective play position of the gaming table; and

the fraud detection system is configured to extract a strange situation by comparing a history of a win and lose of each player obtained from the win or lose result determined respectively for each of a plurality games and respective amount of the chips acquired in the plurality of games and (b) corresponding statistical data.

18. The fraud detection system according to claim 17, wherein the intelligence type control device is capable of extracting a strange situation by comparing (a) a state that, at a play position of a certain gaming table, an amount of betting chips at a time of loss is smaller than an amount of betting chips at a time of a win and (b) corresponding statistical data.

19. The fraud detection system according to claim 17, wherein the intelligence type control device is configured to extract the strange situation through the image analyzing apparatus or specify individual players.

20. The fraud detection system according to claim 19, wherein the intelligence type control device has a caution function of informing about an existence of the specified player.

21. A fraud detection system in a casino having a plurality of gaming tables, comprising:

a game recording apparatus that is configured to record a progress of a game played on a gaming table with a dealer and a player as an image through a camera;

an image analyzing apparatus that is configured to perform image analysis on the image of the recorded progress of the game; and

an intelligence type control device that can detect cash and chips on the game table by using a result of the image analysis by the image analyzing apparatus, wherein;

the image analyzing apparatus or the intelligence type control device is capable of recognizing a total amount of the cash, which includes a total amount of the cash placed on the gaming table by the player, or recognizing a total amount of the chips, which includes a total amount of the chips placed on the gaming table by the dealer, even in a state that a portion of or an entirety of one chip among a plurality of the chips placed on the gaming table as an exchange object is concealed due to a blind spot of the camera; and

the fraud detection system is configured to compare the total amount of the cash placed on the gaming table by the player and the total amount of chips placed by the dealer to determine whether or not respective values of the two amounts match with each other.

22. The fraud detection system according to claim 21, wherein the intelligence type control device is capable of performing a comparison calculation as to whether or not the amount of chips in a chip tray of a dealer of the gaming table is increased or decreased, after exchange of cash and chips for settlement, according to a paid amount of the chips corresponding to the exchanged cash.

23. The fraud detection system according to claim 21, wherein the intelligence type control device is capable of performing a comparison calculation to determine a match or a mismatch between an input amount of the cash according to an input by the dealer and the total amount of the cash according to the result of the image analysis by the image analyzing apparatus after exchange of the cash and the chips for settlement.

24. The fraud detection system according to claim 21, wherein the intelligence type control device is capable of performing a comparison calculation to determine a match or a mismatch between a total input amount of the cash according to an input by the dealer on the gaming table for which the dealer is responsible and the total amount of the cash according to the result of the image analysis by the image analyzing apparatus.

25. A fraud detection system in a casino having a plurality of gaming tables, comprising:

a game recording apparatus that is configured to record a progress of a game played on a gaming table as an image;

an image analyzing apparatus that is configured to perform image analysis on the image of the recorded progress of the game;

a win/lose result determining apparatus that is configured to determine, respectively for the game played on the gaming table, a win or lose result of the game; and

a control device, wherein the control device is configured to;

detect fraud practiced on the gaming table by using a result of the image analysis and the win or lose result;

recognize a respective position, a respective type, and a respective number of chips wagered by each player through the image analyzing apparatus or through use of IDs buried in the chips;

recognize a total amount of chips in a chip tray of a dealer of the gaming table before a settlement;

perform addition/subtraction calculation of an increased/decreased amount of chips in the game, which is calculated from the recognized respective position, type, and number of the chips wagered by each player in the game and the win or lose result of the game obtained from the win/lose result determining apparatus, from the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement; and

compare a correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray after the settlement and an actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray obtained through the image analyzing apparatus or through use of the IDs buried in the chips to determine whether or not there is difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount.

26. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein:

the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray is recognized at a time when a collection of all lost chips wagered by each losing player of the game is ended; and

the correct total amount of the chips in the chip tray, which is compared by the control device with the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray, is obtained by the control device adding the increased amount of the chips, which the control device determines to be in the game from the respective position, respective type, and respective number of the chips wagered by each losing player, from the total amount of the chips in the chip tray before the settlement of the game.

27. The fraud detection system according to claim 26, wherein, in a case where (a) a result of the comparison is that there is no difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount and (b) the control device also performs the comparison after an end of the game and determines that there is difference between the correct total amount and the actual total amount after the end of the game, the control device is configured to determine a mistake in payment and generate a payment mistake signal indicating the mistake in payment.

28. The fraud detection system according to claim 26, wherein the chip tray is provided with a collection chip tray where the chips wagered by each losing player of the game are collected and temporarily stored, and the control device is configured to compare a correct amount of chips in the collection chip tray, which is calculated from the respective position, type, and number of the chips wagered by each losing player, and an actual total amount of the chips in the collection chip tray to determine whether or not there is difference between the correct total amount in the collection chip tray and the actual total amount of the chips in the collection chip tray.

29. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein acquisition of the actual total amount of the chips in the chip tray is performed after an end of the game and the settlement at any one of:

1) a time when redemption for winning chips is ended;

     2) a time when cards used in the game are collected to be discarded into a discard area of the table;

     3) a time when a predetermined button attached to the win/lose result determining apparatus is pushed; and

     4) a time when a marker representing win or lose is returned to an initial state.

30. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the game recording apparatus is configured to allocate indexes or time points to the image or reproduce the image specified with a scene of a chip collection or redemption in a case where the control device that the difference is present so that the record of the game can be analyzed at a point where the difference occurs.

31. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the image analyzing apparatus or the control device is configured such that, although a portion or an entirety of the wagered chips placed on the gaming table is concealed due to a blind spot of the camera, information on the type, number, and position of the wagered chips can be obtained.

32. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the control device is configured to:

1) recognize a respective position, type, and number of the chips wagered respectively in each play position of the gaming table;

2) extract a strange situation by comparing (a) a history of win and lose of each player obtained from the win or lose result determined respective for of each of a plurality of games and respective amounts of chips acquired in the plurality of games and (b) corresponding statistical data; and

3) extract a strange situation by, for the gaming table respectively, comparing (a) a state that, at a play position of the gaming table, an amount of betting chips at a time of loss is smaller than an amount of betting chips at a time of a win time and (b) corresponding statistical data.

33. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the control device is configured to perform a comparison to determine whether or not a recognized amount of chips in the chip tray of the dealer of the gaming table is increased or decreased, after an exchange of cash and chips, according to (a) a paid amount of the chips corresponding to the exchanged cash or (b) a paid amount of cash corresponding to the exchanged chips.

34. The fraud detection system according to claim 33, wherein the control device is further provided with a database storing a history of the exchange of cash and chips, and the comparison for the determination of whether or not the recognized amount of the chips in the chip tray of the dealer of the gaming table is increased or decreased according to the paid amount of the chips corresponding to the exchanged cash or the paid amount of the cash corresponding to the exchanged chips is performed by referring to the database in a unit of a predetermined time or day.

35. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the control device, through use of the image analyzing apparatus, is capable of specifying a player of a play position extracted as corresponding to the difference or to a detected strange situation.

36. The fraud detection system according to claim 35, wherein the control device has a caution function of informing about an existence of the specified player.

37. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the control device has at least one of:

1) a function of determining whether or not there is movement of the chips during a time interval from a start of an extraction of cards of the game or from a game start operation of the game performed by the dealer until before the win or lose result of the game is displayed by a card distribution device;

2) a function of determining whether or not there is a movement of the chips by a person other than the dealer during a time interval after the game ends during which the dealer collects chips wagered by losers among participants of the game;

3) a function of determining whether or not a chip is added during the time interval after the game ends during which the dealer collects the chips wagered by the losers;

4) a function of determining whether or not the dealer, after the game ends, performs payment for a position of chips wagered by a winner among the participants of the game; and

5) a function of determining whether or not the winner receives the wagered chips and paid chips after the end of the game.

38. The fraud detection system according to claim 25, wherein the win/lose result determining apparatus is a card distribution device that is configured to distribute cards on the gaming table or is a control device that determines the win or lose result of the game from information of the image analyzing apparatus reading the cards distributed on the gaming table by using a camera.