Casino chips are not as simple as they might seem at first glance. They are a kind of analogue of money. The fact is that you can buy chips at the casino cash desk at face value, where you can also exchange chips for money. And this means that a chip from a casino worth $100 in the territory of the casino is essentially the same hundred dollars. But how do casino owners protect themselves from counterfeit chips, since it is not so difficult to create their exact copies and exchange them for money?
There are secrets here. While the online casino Vulcan manages with electronic money, real chips are quite interesting and even advanced gizmos. Still, such a value!
The first legal gambling house appeared in 1626 in Venice, chips were not used for more than 200 years. Until the 19th century, various objects were used as chips in the casino: coins, gold sand, valuables. Then the first independent chips began to appear, they were made from ivory, paper, clay, precious woods. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, most casinos in the world switched to special clay chips. And at this time, electronic machines are free, for example, free Novomatic Gaminator slots. Today, chips are made from a mixture of clay, cellooid and other materials, and each casino keeps the exact recipe for its chips in the strictest confidence - they were afraid of fakes. In order to make them a difficult object for fakes, complex patterns are applied to the chips, they are painted in a cunning way, and so on.
Due to the fact that metal or simple plastic was abandoned in the production of chips, counterfeiting them has become a real problem for crooks and scammers. After all, the value of chips can reach not only $100, but $1,000, $10,000 and even $50,000! Even at online casinos, slot machines like http://vulkannet.com/gaminator-novomatic/king-of-cards/ have a maximum win multiplier of 9000x. And this is already serious money, it would be much more difficult to counterfeit banknotes for such an amount. In addition, the chips have several degrees of protection, such as marks that are visible only in ultraviolet light, and even radio chips!
Large denomination chips (from $25,000) are larger and are called plucks. Plaques have serial numbers and recently special identifiers based on RFID radio chips have been embedded in them. This allows you to track all the movements of expensive chips right in real time, while the central computer of the casino knows exactly where each of the chips of a large denomination is located at the moment and eliminates the appearance of extra fake chips in the system. Even if the attackers manage to fake a chip in such a way that it will have the same radio chip and it will be recognized by the system as its own, the computer will immediately see that there is another such chip and the security service will immediately respond. The perfect system!
Casino chips (also known as tokens, tokens, chips or chips) are small disks that are used in online casino for money instead of currency. Made of non-ferrous metal, plastic or clay chips of various shapes are mainly used in table games, in contrast to the metal coin tokens that are used in slot machines. Casino chips are also widely used as play money in home and tournament games.
Some casinos also use rectangular gaming plaques for high-value table games ($25,000 and up). Plaques differ from chips in that they are larger and generally rectangular in shape and contain serial numbers.
Using casino chips
An injection molded set of 100, 50, 25 and 10 ABS poker chips are exchanged for cash at the casino cashier to use at the gaming tables. The cost of the chips fully corresponds to the nominal value of the paid amount of money at the cash desk. As a rule, they have no value outside the casino, but in some gambling cities they can be used informally to pay for services (for example, in a taxi or as a tip to waiters).
Labeling is used for several reasons. Due to the similar size, shape and pattern of stacks of chips, they are easier to count than currency. It also allows the pit boss or security to quickly check the number of chips, and also reduces the chance that the dealer will incorrectly pay a casino customer. The uniform weight of official casino chips allows them to weigh large stacks or piles of chips instead of counting them (although means such as chip trays are much more common). In addition, it should be noted that consumers are much more free to dispose of the replacement currency than cash. Lastly, chips are an integral part of the casino environment and replacing them with alternative currencies will not be popular.
Many casinos have eliminated the use of metal tokens (and coins) in their slot machines in favor of paper checks or prepaid cards because the use of tokens requires a large infrastructure investment. This eliminates the expense of sorting coins, eliminates problems with machines that accept coins or tokens, and eliminates gaming technology in machines that are responsible for the mechanisms for accepting coins. Some casinos (such as the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas) have systems for accepting receipts that are used as $1 chips, which are used in most other casinos. Most casinos have automated receipt machines where customers can redeem receipts, and eliminates the need for coin counting, reducing labor costs.
Standard sets of 300 plastic chips are often sold as collectible casino chip sets for numismatic enthusiasts. This hobby is becoming increasingly popular with the introduction of the Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club in 1988. Some chips are worth up to $100,000 on the most popular buying and trading platform, eBuy. Some casinos also sell decks of cards with the name of the casino stamped on them.
Story
While the first legal gambling house appeared in Venice in 1626, poker chips like those currently used in poker weren't used for over 200 years. In the 19th century and earlier, poker players used small valuable items. Even earlier, poker players sometimes used uneven pieces of gold, gold nuggets, gold dust or coins, and "chips" were made primarily from ivory, bone, wood, paper, and a mixture of clay and shellac.
Several companies between 1880 and the late 1930s created a special clay mix for poker chips. There were over 1000 designs to choose from. Most of the chips were white, red, blue and yellow, but they could be made in almost any color desired.
Design
The vast majority of casino chips are pressed clay chips. Contrary to popular belief, game pieces back in the 1950s were not made up of 100% clay. The modern composition of clay chips is made of more durable materials than those made only from clay. The chips contain at least a few percent of earthy material such as sand, chalk and clay, similar to that used in cat litter. The composition used to make the chips is a trade secret and varies slightly depending on the manufacturer, cost, and labor involved in making the chips. Spots on the edges or inserts are painted; to achieve this effect, this area of clay is removed and then replaced with clay of a different color; this can be done with each token individually, or at a block of tokens, where the tokens are cut into a cylindrical block to insert colored stripes. In each chip, if desired, a decor can be made in the middle, which is placed in a special mold in which each chip is heated and compressed at a temperature of 149 ° C), hence the term pressed chips.
Printed graphics on clay chips are called decor. The inlays are usually made of paper and then lined with a plastic film that is applied to the chips prior to the compression molding process. During the shaping process, the decor is attached to the chip and cannot be removed from the chip without destroying it.
Ceramic chips were introduced in the mid-1980s as an alternative to clay chips, and are also used in casinos. The ability to print inscriptions and graphics on the entire surface of the chip has become very popular. Ceramic chips are sometimes also referred to as clay or clay composite, but they are actually injection molded with a special plastic or resin formula that approximates the feel and sound of ceramic or porcelain. There are less expensive chips for the domestic market, made from various plastic molds and also coated with metal.
Chips used in North American casinos typically weigh around 10 grams, but typically between 8 and 10.5 grams. Chips for real casinos are produced by companies such as Gaming Partners International, Paulson, NevadaJacks Manufacturing Co, American Standard Moldin, Blue Chip Company, Palm Gaming International and CHIPCO. Paulson, BCC, and ASM make clay chips, while CHIPCO makes ceramic chips. NevadaJacks uses a sublimation process on a ceramic chip. Palm Gaming International acquired the assets of the now defunct CHIPCO in January 2013.
Colors
There is no universal standardized color scheme for different denominations of poker chips, and the schemes differ not only on a national and regional scale, but even by the venue of the game or by the type of event in one place.
Chip colors for home sets usually include red, white, blue, and sometimes green and black. Recently, however, a wide range of colors has become readily available, particularly in cheaper ABS plastic chips. Common complementary colors are pink, purple, yellow, orange, and gray. Newer designs for home kits include tri-color designs where the chips are created by a three-step molding process. Depending on the buyer's preferences, the different colors vary widely from less traditional colors for very high denominations such as $500, $1000, $5000 and so on, common in tournaments, to special "fractional" denominations, such as $2 or $0.50, common on low limits.
In casinos, uniform colors and chip sizes are sometimes mandated by the local gaming control department. For example, rules in New Jersey and Illinois specify uniform colors for chips. Notably, Nevada has no rules regarding color, so Nevada casinos may use white, blue, or gray for $1 chips, although the colors for $5 or more chips are almost always the same across all casinos. All U.S. states where gambling is legal require casino chips to have a unique combination of edge patches for identification, the name, casino city, and chip value, if any, printed or shaped on the front and back of the chip.
$2.50 chips are mostly used at the blackjack tables, as "naturally" (21 on the first two cards dealt to the player) the pay is 3:2 and most bets are in increments of $5. However, Tropicana Casino and Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ, and others, use $2.50 (pink) chips in $7.50 to $15 and $10 to $20 poker games.
$20 chips are primarily used in Baccarat and Pai Gow Poker, so all winning Baccarat bets and all winning Pai Gow bets are subject to a 5% commission. Bets of 20 are not uncommon in traditional table games such as craps and roulette.
Since eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture, 8, 88, and (eg $8 in the US) chips are common in casinos catering to Chinese clientele, and often as an incentive for the Chinese Lunar New Year. They sometimes feature an animal associated with that year and come in a variety of colors.
Low-denomination yellow chips also vary in value: $20 in Atlantic City and Illinois (which also use mustard for $0.50 chips); $5 at most Southern California poker rooms $2 at Running Aces Harness Park and Canterbury Park, both in Minnesota and Casino del Sol in Tucson, Arizona; $0.50 at Potawatomi Casino Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Blue chips are sometimes used for $10, most notably in Atlantic City. In Las Vegas and California, most casinos use blue or white for $1 chips, although many Las Vegas casinos now use metal tokens instead of $1 chips.
Chips are also available in denominations of $1,000 or more, depending on the casino's betting limits. Such chips are often orange or yellow in color. Casinos in Nevada, Atlantic City, and other areas that allow high stakes typically have $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or more chips; their colors vary greatly.
Denominations above $5,000 are almost never seen in games for the general public, and their use is usually limited to high limit poker rooms, where bet sizes are much higher than on the first floor of the casino. Casinos often use game plaques for these denominations: these plaques are the size of a playing card and must be marked with serial numbers. The highest chip value that can be found today is $10 million, which is used in the London Club in Las Vegas.
Television poker tournaments and cash games sometimes use paper checks for high denominations, while the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour only use round chips for denominations up to $250,000, these tournament chips, however, cannot be redeemed for cash. .
European casinos use a similar scheme, although certain venues, such as the Aviation Club de France, use pink for €2 chips and blue for €10. European casinos also use plaques instead of chips for higher denominations like €1000 and higher range.
Safety
Each casino has a unique set of chips, even if the casino is part of a large company. This distinguishes casino chips from others, as each chip must be backed by the appropriate amount of cash on the game floor. Also, with the exception of Nevada, casinos are not allowed to use chips from another casino.
The security features of casino chips are numerous. The picture is made in very high resolution and in good quality. Custom color combinations on chips (spots around the edges) are usually a hallmark of a particular casino. UV marking can be done on the tab. Some chips use RFID technology, such as the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. In addition, chip marks are very difficult to reproduce. Also, one of the manufacturers (PalmGaming) includes a sound component in the ceramic chip blank. A simple handheld reader beeps if the game chip is genuine. PalmGaming even make custom molds for their ceramic chips, adding another high level of security to their gaming chips.
Fake chips are rare. The high level of surveillance, along with the employees' exceptional knowledge of chips and coloration, makes counterfeit chips difficult to use. Although casinos are ready for such a situation. All states require casinos to have an alternate-labeled reserve chip set, although they are not required to have exactly the same number of reserve chips as the gaming floor. The most famous example of chip counterfeiting was exposed in 2005 when two men were caught using counterfeit $1 chips.
Casino chips used in tournaments are usually much cheaper and much simpler in design. Since these chips have no real money value, the chips are usually designed in the same color and smaller width. However, certain events (such as the World Series of Poker or other televised poker) use higher quality chips.
Variations
Several casinos, such as the Hard Rock Hotel and the Las Vegas Casino, give out limited editions of various designed chips dedicated to different events, although the overall color scheme is retained. This encourages customers to buy them for souvenirs, which is profitable for the casino.
Some casinos, such as the Wynn and Encore casinos in Las Vegas, have RFID tags embedded in the chips, which helps the casinos better track them and determine the average bet sizes of gamblers, and these chips are also more difficult for scammers to counterfeit. However, this method is costly and, according to many, diminishing profits.
In television
The first game in the show to use chips was "Duel", where contestants answered questions using oversized casino tokens. The World Series of Poker at one time actually used its casino chips for poker tournaments, but in recent years, clay sets have been developed specifically for WSOP tournaments.
First of all, a chip, if we are talking about cash, should have its face value, i.e., how much it costs in a particular currency. Often the sign of the currency itself is also indicated. The next item is the name of the gambling establishment itself and (or) its logo. The location of the casino is also sometimes indicated. For example, here is a chip from the Moscow Beverly Hills, where there is a denomination, name and place:
Some chip manufacturers leave their marks - a small logo. For example, Bourgogne Et Grasset often uses its trademark "BG". In addition to the basic information, anything can be depicted on the chips. This is the year the chip was released, the name of the event, and just an interesting picture. For example, chips depicting animals, fruits, cars, cities, famous people, cartoon and movie characters, historical buildings, and so on.
I have a chip that came to me randomly. But I don't know what casino she's from. How can I determine this?
First, I recommend comparing the chip with those presented on this site. To do this, type the name of the casino in the "Search". You can also send a scanned picture to me by e-mail. If I recognize this chip, I will report all the information that I know about it.
The name of the casino is not written on my chip. What do i do?
Lately I've been getting a lot of requests to identify chips used in poker sets (mostly made in China). The design changes a little, but they look something like this:
As you can see from the figure, the main attribute of the cash used in the casino is missing on the chip - the name of the gambling establishment. Sometimes words like "Poker", "Las Vegas" or "Monte Carlo" are written on the poker chip. Often these chips do not indicate the denomination. In addition to poker chips, roulette chips often do not carry any information about the casino in which they are used. They also do not have a denomination. Roulette chips are made of light homogeneous material with inserts of a different color. Like these ones:
I definitely have a casino chip, it has a name on it and the equivalent of 1000 is written, I assume that it is dollars.
If the chip is really from the casino and it has a face value of 1000, then it is most likely rubles or another currency that is not at all equal to dollars. The fact is that in a casino, chips of high denomination (from $ 500 and more), as a rule, are made in the form of large and rectangular plexi. For example, these are:
The administration of the casino carefully monitors the circulation of high-value chips within its walls and does not allow them to leave the gambling establishment. If you want to leave a chip for the collection, for example, $ 1,000, then you will most likely be denied this and asked to exchange it for money. Even if you want to take it away secretly, because of the above tracking, you may be stopped at the exit and asked to see if you forgot to cash in your chips.
Will I be able to exchange the chip that came to me for money?
If the casino is still operating, then yes, the chip can be exchanged at the cashier according to its equivalent. At the same time, in reputable establishments, you can even change chips that have gone out of circulation, but were previously used in this casino.
I have a lot of chips from a closed casino. Can I exchange them for money somewhere?
No. After the casino is closed, the chips must be disposed of. Sometimes this is not done, but, in any case, no one will pay for these chips at their face value. You can profit either by selling to collectors or by using these chips for home games such as poker.
How to evaluate the chip I have?
First, you should go to an online auction and see how much the chips are worth. You can try putting your chip up for auction for whatever price you think is acceptable. Leading auction with thousands of chips: eBay.com
In English-language sources, when it comes to chips, there is a concept of chip and check - what's the difference?
A "chip" is originally a chip with no face value used when playing roulette. A "check" is a chip with a face value, cash. However, even in the US, chips are now increasingly called chips.
Why are there chips on the site that are shown in two versions, both are the same, but one of them is upside down?
Some chips have the same pattern on both sides. In order not to duplicate it completely, I at least turn the picture over.
How much can a chip collection cost?
Everything is very subjective. I remember a collection of 15,000 Nevada chips from the 1950s was sold at auction. The initial cost is two million dollars. Given the age of the chips and their number, as well as the scale of collecting chips in the US, I would assume that there were buyers for this collection. I have over 5,000 chips in my collection and it's valued at over $100,000.
If you did not find the answer to your question, you can contact me by e-mail:
Now no one can be surprised by collecting coins, paper money, badges, various antiques and other items. However, almost no one realizes that some people are collecting chips in the casino Volcano Fortune. And this is not a pure passion for collecting, it also brings sufficient financial profit to individual collectors.
It is difficult to establish in what century the first collector of these items appeared and who he was. It can be assumed that the first chip collector was some player who decided to leave chips from various casinos in which he played himself, as a memory of these establishments. Then other chips were added to these chips, incl. and donated by friends and acquaintances of our man incognito. Thus, the first collections of casino chips were formed.
Who is currently engaged in this type of collecting
There is no doubt that the casino chip collectors are mainly the players themselves, who, in search of good luck, travel or have traveled to all corners of the world in order to earn money in the casino. And in memory of their trips, they leave themselves lucky chips.
And if the players are pleased with the new chips that have appeared in their collection, then for the owners of the casino, the "leaving chips" from the internal circulation of the institution causes some difficulties, but not leading to financial losses, since the cost of manufacturing one chip is much lower than its face value. If we take the average, then the cost of one chip ranges from 50 cents to 2 dollars, and their nominal value is about 2 to 5 dollars.
If players have to collect only chips from circulation that have significant wear during operation, then the manufacturers or customers of these chips (casino owners) are in a better position, as they can keep new chips in their collection without signs of turnover on their surface.
What are the parameters by which casino chips are evaluated as one of the collectibles
The cost of any item on the collector's market is determined based on the following factors: circulation, metal and condition. Casino chips that have already ceased to exist, as well as chips that were in circulation in illegal gambling houses in countries where gambling is prohibited by national law, are also highly valued.
Some casinos issue limited edition chips dedicated to the institution's anniversary or some holiday, which, due to their small circulation, become a collector's rarity in the future. So, for example, online casino JoyCasino, on the occasion of the release of their new game Bratva, ordered a new batch of chips with the image of the main character of the game.
How are casino chips evaluated?
For most collectibles, for example, in numismatics, there are specialized catalogs that allow you to find out the characteristics of coins and their collectible value.
But how to evaluate the collectible value of chips, find out their circulation, place of issue and other parameters? Here you can not do without collectors' clubs and various specialized sites and forums, with the help of which you can find out various information on certain chips, buy, sell or exchange casino chips.
It should also be said that collecting casino chips is a rather costly hobby. Indeed, on average, the cost of one copy costs the collector about $ 5. And if you need to collect chips from different continents, a rather impressive amount will come out.
But since players are mainly engaged in collecting, they are ready to spend a lot of money for their memories. After all, memories, especially if they are pleasant, should not be valued in terms of money.
Casino tokens are one of the greatest inventions in the history of the gambling industry. Thanks to this discovery, the process of settlement in gambling houses has been greatly simplified. Today, and for many years, they are actively used in card table games, in particular, poker.
What is a casino chip?
In fact, this is a chip, a conditional currency in a casino, which has a disk-like shape. In simple words, this is a great alternative to real money, but more compact and practical to use. Each has its own color, depending on the value assigned to it.
History of appearance
Gambling appeared a very long time ago and has been popular at all times. It is very difficult to say the exact date of invention of the chips. It is known that the former had a completely different composition and were made from other materials.
The familiar modern version of the chip appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, when table card games began to be especially popular (especially poker). Interest in this intellectual card game on the part of gamblers has steadily increased. Therefore, the most convenient and practical method was needed to calculate the winnings and losses of players. In those days when gamblers did not have the same monetary currency (during the gold rush, various precious metals, ingots and valuables were generally put on the line), it was extremely important to create unified tokens.
Also, one of the important reasons why poker chips appeared is the precaution of players who did not want to bring large sums of money to the casino. During the absence of an appropriate security system, sitting at the table in a circle of tipsy thugs, the players simply feared for their lives. Thus, they appeared in response to the risk of unpleasant situations, in order to guarantee the visitor a safe game.
When tokens first appeared, there was not such an increased demand for plastic as at the present time. Then, alternative options in the form of natural materials were used to create them: stones, wood, bones, etc.
Early 19th century
During the prosperity of the gambling business, large clay tokens were very popular. Over time, poker players began to use thick paper and even ivory to make them. At that time, their variety was equivalent, for example, to the number of coins in different countries of the world.
Ceramic chips have become a real discovery for all thrill-seekers. The most prestigious companies of that time have been manufacturing this product for many years. The production of such ceramic products ceased in 1930.
Photo source: cowboytocowboy.com
It was in this decade that the first plastic tokens were made. Made from this material, they attracted affordable price, great variety, durability and strength.
In the process of popularizing poker tokens on the market, scammers began to operate, who were engaged in counterfeiting the original chips. This prompted the developers to introduce the first protective elements into them. For example, special engraving and embossing.
Crest & Seal ─ poker tokens, which for a long time occupied a leading position in the gambling market. Developed by renowned U.S. Playing Card co., they were produced until 1985, when plastic chips came into circulation. The main distinguishing feature of Crest & Seal was a round lithograph with a clay border. In addition, the poker chips had a unique finish that resembled a classic glossy lacquer.
The denominations of products in both land-based and virtual casinos are indicated by a certain color. This is the world standard in the gambling business.
"How much is a chip in a casino?" ─ one of the most common questions among beginner gamblers. We bring to your attention the international nomenclature of chips in gambling establishments:
The highest denomination token of $10,000,000 is used in one of the most prestigious casinos in Las Vegas, USA - Aladdin.
Reasons for use
Such a system is aimed at simplifying the work and interaction of all participants in the gambling community. This applies to both the staff of the gambling enterprise and its direct customers.
It is a common practice to paint casino gaming tables the same color as the chip. This is done in order to immediately show gamblers the limit of the minimum bet at this table. Thanks to this decision, experienced players understand at a glance whether they should approach this or that table.
A well-thought-out color scheme helps dealers, cashiers, service personnel and security services to monitor the bets of visitors through cameras that are located around the entire perimeter of the gambling halls.
To date, gambling users are increasingly choosing to play online, which implies the absence of special substitutes for fiat money. Despite this, there are still pros who will never miss the opportunity to weight their hand with a clay token in order to throw it in the middle of the playing table.
