How did collecting casino chips begin? Slot machines with chips What is an online casino with chips

Casino tokens are one of the greatest inventions in the history of the gambling industry. Thanks to this discovery, the settlement process in gambling houses has been significantly simplified. Today, and for many years now, they are actively used in card games. board games, in particular poker.

What is a casino chip?

Essentially, this is a chip, a fictitious currency in a casino, which is disc-shaped. In simple words, This great alternative real money, but more compact and practical to use. Each has its own color, depending on the denomination assigned to it.

History of appearance

Gambling appeared a long time ago and has been popular at all times. Say the exact date inventing chips is very difficult. It is known that the first ones had a completely different composition and were made from different materials.

Everyone knows modern version chip appeared in early XIX century, when table card games began to become especially popular (especially poker). Interest in this intellectual card game from gambling users has been steadily increasing. Therefore, the most convenient and practical method for calculating the winnings and losses of players was needed. In those days when gamblers did not have the same monetary currency (during the gold rush, various precious metals, bars and valuables were generally bet on), creating unified tokens was extremely important.

Also, one of the important reasons why poker chips appeared is the precaution of players who did not want to bring them to the casino large sums money. In times of lack of an appropriate security system, sitting at a table in a circle of tipsy thugs, players simply feared for their lives. Thus, they appeared in response to the risk of unpleasant situations occurring to guarantee a safe game for the visitor.

When tokens first appeared, plastic was not in such high demand as it is now. Then to create them they used alternative options in the form natural materials: stones, wood, bones, etc.

Early 19th century

During a period of prosperity gambling business Large clay tokens were extremely 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 peace.

Ceramic chips have become a real discovery for all lovers thrills. The most prestigious companies of that time have been producing 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 produced. Made from of this material, they attracted with their affordable price, great variety, durability and strength.

In the process of popularizing poker tokens, scammers began to operate on the market, counterfeiting original chips. This prompted developers to introduce the first protective elements into them. For example, special engraving and embossing.

Crest & Seal are poker tokens that have occupied a leading position in the gambling market for a long time. Developed by the famous U.S. company. Playing Card co., they were produced until 1985, until plastic chips came into circulation. Home distinctive feature Crest & Seal was a round lithograph with a clay border. In addition, the poker chips had a unique coating that resembled a classic glossy varnish.

Product denominations in both land-based and virtual casinos are indicated a certain color. This is the world standard in the gambling business.

“How much is a chip worth in a casino?” ─ one of the most common questions among novice gamblers. We bring to your attention the international range 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 clients.

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 minimum rate at this table. Thanks to this decision experienced players at first glance they understand whether they should approach a particular table.

A well-thought-out color scheme assists dealers, cashiers, service personnel and security in monitoring visitors' bets through cameras located along the entire perimeter of the gaming halls.

Today, 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 pass up the opportunity to weigh down their hand with a clay token and throw it into the middle of the playing table.

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 various forms are primarily used in table games, as opposed 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 usually rectangular in shape and contain serial numbers.

Using casino chips

A die-cast set of ABS poker chips in the numbers 100, 50, 25 and 10 are exchanged for cash at the casino cash desk for use at the gaming tables. The cost of the chips fully corresponds to the nominal value of the paid amount at the cash desk. They generally have no value outside the casino, but in some gambling cities they can be used unofficially to pay for services (for example, in taxis or as tips for waiters).

Labels are used for several reasons. The uniform size, shape, and pattern of stacks of chips makes them easier to count than currency. This also allows the pit boss or security to quickly check the chip count and also reduces the chance of a dealer paying a casino customer incorrectly. The uniform weight of official casino chips allows them to weigh large stacks or piles of chips rather than counting them (although means such as chip trays are much more common). In addition, it should be noted that consumers have much more freedom to manage substitute currencies than cash. And finally, chips are an integral part environment casinos, and replacing them with an alternative currency 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 large infrastructure costs. This eliminates the cost 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 that accept receipts similar to the $1 chips that most other casinos use. Most casinos have automated receipt machines where customers can redeem receipts and eliminate the need to count coins, reducing labor costs.

Standard sets of 300 plastic chips are often sold as collectible casino chip sets for numismatics enthusiasts. This hobby became increasingly popular thanks to the emergence of the Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club in 1988. Some chips cost up to $100,000 on the most popular buying and trading platform, eBuy. Some casinos also sell decks of cards with the casino's name stamped on them.

Story

Although the first legal gambling house appeared in 1626 in Venice, poker chips like those currently used in poker were not used for more than 200 years. In the 19th century and earlier, poker players used small, valuable items. Even earlier, poker players sometimes used jagged 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 mixture for poker chips. There were over 1000 designs to choose from. Most of the chips were white, red, blue and yellow color, but they could be made in almost any desired color.

Design

The vast majority of casino chips are clay compressed chips. Contrary to popular belief, gaming pieces back in the 1950s were not made of 100% clay. The modern composition of clay chips is made from more durable materials than those made only from clay. The chips contain at least a few percent of earthen material such as sand, chalk and clay, similar to what is 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 intensity of making the chips. Spots on edges or inserts are stained; 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 chip individually or at a block of chips, where the chips are cut into a cylindrical block to insert the colored stripes. Each chip can optionally have a decoration 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 typically made of paper and then lined with a plastic film that is applied to the chips prior to the compression molding process. During the formation 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 called clay chips or clay composite chips, but they are actually injection molded with a special plastic or resin formula that brings the feel and sound closer to 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 are 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, and 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 universally standardized color scheme for the various chip denominations in poker, and schemes vary not only nationally and regionally, but even by location of the game or type of event in the same place.

Chip colors for home sets typically include red, white, blue, and sometimes green and black. However, in Lately a wide range of colors became readily available, particularly in cheaper ABS plastic chips. Common complementary colors are pink, purple, yellow, orange and gray colors. Newer developments for home kits include tri-color designs, where chips are created through a three-stage casting process. Depending on the buyer's preferences, the different colors range widely from less traditional colors for very high denominations such as $500, $1000, $5000, etc., common in tournaments, to special "fractional" denominations such as $2 or $0.50, common in tournaments. low limits.

In casinos, uniform chip colors and sizes are sometimes dictated by the local gaming control department. For example, the 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 for $5 or more chips the colors are almost always the same across all casinos. All US states where gambling are legal, require casino chips to have a unique combination of spots along the edges for identification, the name, city of the casino, and the value of the chip, if any, which are printed or formed on the front and on back side chips.

$2.50 chips are primarily used at blackjack tables, as "naturally" (21 on the first two cards dealt to a player) the pay is 3:2 and most bets are in $5 increments. However, Tropicana Casino and Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and others use $2.50 (pink) chips in poker games for bets ranging from $7.50 to $15 and $10 to $20.

$20 chips are mainly used in baccarat and Pai Gow poker, because for all bet wins on baccarat and from all winning bets there is a 5% commission on Pai Gow. Bet sizes of 20 are not uncommon in traditional table games such as craps and roulette.

Since in Chinese culture an eight is considered lucky number, chips in denominations of 8, 88 and (e.g. $8 in the US) are common in casinos catering to a Chinese clientele, and often as a promotion for the Chinese Lunar New Year. They sometimes feature an image of 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 uses a mustard color for $0.50 chips); $5 at most Southern California poker clubs; $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, WI. Blue chips are sometimes used for $10, primarily 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 worth $1,000 or more are also available, depending on the casino's betting limits. These chips are often orange or yellow in color. Casinos in Nevada, Atlantic City, and other areas that allow high stakes usually have chips with denominations of $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or more; the colors for them vary greatly.

Denominations above $5,000 are almost never found in games for the general public; their use is usually limited to high-limit poker rooms, where bet sizes are much higher than on the ground floor of a casino. Casinos often use gaming plaques for these denominations: these plaques are the size of playing card and must be marked with serial numbers. Highest value The chip that can be found today is 10 million dollars - this chip is used at the London Club in Las Vegas.

Televised poker tournaments and cash games sometimes use paper checks for high denominations, while the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour use round chips exclusively for denominations up to $250,000; these tournament chips, however, cannot be redeemed for cash .

European casinos use a similar scheme, although certain places such as the Aviation Club de France, is used pink color for €2 chips and blue for €10. European casinos also use plaques instead of chips for high denominations such as €1000 and higher ranges.

Safety

Each casino has a unique set of chips, even if the casino is part of big company. This sets casino chips apart from others, as each chip must be backed by a corresponding amount of cash on the gaming floor. Additionally, with the exception of Nevada, casinos do not allow the use of 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 along the edges) are usually hallmark specific casino. UV marking can be done on the tab. Some chips use RFID technology, such as the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. In addition, the signs of the chip are very difficult to reproduce. Also, one of the manufacturers (PalmGaming) includes a sound component in the ceramic chip blank. A simple handheld reader emits sound signal, if the game chip is genuine. PalmGaming even makes custom molds for their ceramic chips, adding another high level of security to gaming chips.

Fake chips are rare. The high level of surveillance, along with the employees' exceptional knowledge of chips and coloring, makes counterfeit chips difficult to exploit. Although casinos are ready for such a situation. All states require casinos to have a reserve chipset with alternative markings, although they are not required to have exactly the same number of reserve chips as the gaming floor. Most famous example 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. Because these chips have no real cash equivalent, usually the chips are designed in one color and smaller width. However, during certain events (such as the World Series of Poker or other televised poker), higher quality chips are used.

Variations

Several casinos, such as the Hard Rock Hotel and the Las Vegas Casino, issue limited edition, different event-themed chips, although the same color scheme is maintained. This encourages customers to buy them as souvenirs, which is profitable for the casino.

Some casinos, such as the Wynn and Encore casinos in Las Vegas, have RFID tags built into the chips, which helps the casino better track them and determine the average bets of gamblers, and the chips are also more difficult for fraudsters to counterfeit. However, this method is expensive and, according to many, reduces profits.

On television

The first game on the show to use chips was "Duel", where contestants answered questions using oversized casino tokens. The World Series of Poker actually used its casino chips for poker tournaments, but last years Clay sets were developed specifically for WSOP tournaments.

First of all on the chip if we're talking about about the cache, there should be its denomination, 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 location:

Some chip manufacturers leave their marks - a small logo. For example, the company Bourgogne Et Grasset often uses its trademark "BG". In addition to basic information, the chips can depict anything. This is the year the chip was released, and the name of the event, and simply 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 by chance. But I don't know which 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 drawing to me by e-mail. If I recognize this chip, I will tell you all the information that I know about it.

My chip doesn't have the name of the casino written on it. 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 can be seen from the figure, the chip lacks the main attribute of the cache used in casinos - the name of the gambling establishment. Sometimes words like "Poker", "Las Vegas" or "Monte Carlo" are written on the poker chip. Often the denomination is not indicated on such chips. Apart from poker chips, roulette chips often do not carry any information about the casino in which they are used. They also have no face value. Roulette chips are made of lightweight homogeneous material with inserts of a different color. Like these ones:

I definitely have a chip from a casino, it has a name on it and the equivalent of 1000, I assume, dollars is written on it.

If the chip is really from a casino and 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 casinos, high-denomination chips (from $500 and above), as a rule, are made in the form of plax, large in size and rectangular in shape. For example, like this:

The casino administration carefully monitors the circulation of high-denomination chips within its walls and does not allow them to leave the gambling establishment. If you want to leave a chip, for example, worth 1000 dollars for the collection, then you will most likely be refused this and asked to exchange it for money. Even if you want to take it secretly, due to the above tracking, you may be stopped on the way out and asked to see if you “remembered to cash out your chips.”

Will I be able to exchange the chip I received for money?

If the casino is still operating, then yes, the chip can be changed at the cash desk according to its equivalent. At the same time, in reputable establishments you can even exchange chips that are out of circulation, but 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 closes, 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. The profit can be made either by selling them to collectors or by using these chips for home games, such as poker.

How can I evaluate the chip I have?

First, you should go to an online auction and see how much the chips are worth. You can try to put your chip up for auction for a price that you consider acceptable. Leading auction with thousands of chips: eBay.com

In English-language sources, when talking about chips, the concepts chip and check are used - what is the difference?

A "chip" was originally a non-denominated chip used in the game of roulette. And a “check” is a chip with a face value, cash. However, even in the USA, any chips are now increasingly called chips.

Why do you come across chips on the site that are depicted in two versions, both identical, 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 flip the picture.

How much can a collection of chips cost?

Everything is very subjective. I remember a collection of 15,000 Nevada state chips from the 50s of the 20th century was sold at auction. The initial cost is two million dollars. Considering the age of the chips and their quantity, as well as the scale of collecting chips in the United States, I assume that there were buyers for this collection. I have over 5,000 chips in my collection and it is valued at over $100,000.

If you have not found the answer to your question, you can contact me by e-mail:

Some people collect stamps, some collect keychains, and there are people who are interested in collecting chips from casinos they have visited. Indeed, it is impossible to find two identical chips of the same value in different gambling houses. Each gambling house has its own logo and design. As a rule, chips are collected by wealthy people who can afford to play in the best and not only casinos in the world. Although, even those who are lucky enough to visit Las Vegas can visit several establishments and purchase chips there, adding to their collection.

First collector

It is worth noting that chip manufacturers always win, and the presence of fans of collecting unusual collections only increases their profits. The cost of one chip does not exceed $2.5, but for a large order you can get by with a few cents per unit. Manufacturers are also ready to sell chips individuals, but the price will be significantly higher.

Chips are used for more than just gaming. They make paintings that look really beautiful and original. One day, a casino created a painting of limited production chips. She subsequently disappeared without a trace. Restoring it turned out to be quite simple, but this did not allow us to return the original masterpiece.

What is valued in chips

Their value lies precisely in their rarity. Demand creates supply. Thus, if the supply is limited, then you can buy such a chip for a very high price. True connoisseurs are ready to offer almost any money for the possession of collectible items.

It is worth noting that professionals can easily determine the market value of a chip, say which company it belongs to and approximately when it was issued. There are even special online and offline clubs where collectors can exchange chips and experience in obtaining them. Indeed, buying chips in person is sometimes much more profitable than buying a tour to the location of the casino you are interested in.

If you are going to collect chips, be prepared to pay a lot of money. If one chip costs no more than $5, then an entire collection can be valued at thousands of dollars. All these are frozen funds that are illiquid. It will be possible to sell the collection only among similar collectors, of whom there are not very many.

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