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Why do casino chips exist?

This may seem like an unusual question to ask but there are in fact a good number of reasons why casino chips developed. Though they have no accepted value beyond the doors of any given casino, in some cases they can be accepted around Las Vegas. Certain casinos may accept chips from other casinos and in specific cases casino chips may be used as tips for waiters in restaurants or when taking a taxi. Of course, when considering an online casino, much of the below does not apply.

Reasons for using casino chips

las vegas chips Casino chips are used for a number of different reasons:

  • They are more practical than using banknotes
  • They help to avoid theft and the use of counterfeit
  • Due to the regular weight and size of casino chips it makes it easier for the dealer to count the chips more quickly than when dealing with cash
  • It makes it easier for the managers and security agents to check the amounts circulating on the table (i.e. the amount of bets being placed and the amount being paid out by the dealer to the customers)
  • Using casino chips reduces the chances of dealers making mistakes when paying out winnings to customers
  • The fact that all official casino chips weigh the same amount, large numbers of casino chips can be counted quickly by simply weighing them however chip trays are also often used to do so
  • Through force of habit casino chips are these days closely associated with casinos and are well appreciated by customers and gamblers
  • It is a well known fact that customers gamble more freely with casino chips than they probably would if they were handling cash

Casino chips were formerly used throughout casinos on all table games and slot machines. However in recent times, casinos have made large investments to install systems on slot machines that use pre-paid cards or receipts. Despite the initial investment by avoiding the use of casino chips in slot machines, casinos have been able to reduce the expense of handling the casino chips and avoid such problems as casino chips jamming in the slot machines. The receipt system is favoured by casinos as these can be dealt out by automated machines which eliminate the need for window counters that in turn lowers labour costs.

Collecting casino chips

As with many other everyday objects, casino chips have become the subject of casino chips collectors which is a branch of numismatics more accurately known as “exonumia”. As with other older coins from around the world and dating back to early cultures, casino chip collectors have multiplied all over the world and with the development of the internet since the 1990’s certain coins are exchanged over eBay with some being valued at up to $100,000! Many casinos sell official custom-made casino chips in boxes or briefcases.