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Technically, the chips are the property of the casino, so you're not supposed to. But I've never heard of anyone getting crap for leaving with a big pile of chips. Noahsdad93 1 decade ago. Don’t be tricky with black chips. According to various sources, Ben was using black $100 chips to keep track of the count. This was wrong for a couple of reasons. Casinos track your black chips. They don’t want you ratholing (sneaking black chips off the table and then claiming you lost money when you really won money).

Las Vegas Casinos introduce new chip designs from time to time to combat counterfeiting, adjust branding, and sometimes simply to ensure their internal currency isn’t getting too “grubby”. So what happens to old chips when they are replaced by a newer model? It’s handled differently (and much less interestingly) today than it was historically.

Today, the approval of new chip designs as well as the disposal of what they are replacing are regulated by the Nevada Gaming Commission’s Regulation 12. Casinos must submit for approval a drawing of the new chip’s design to include details about security features. Regulation 12 also stipulates the exact dimensions that chips must adhere to as well as information that is to be displayed on the chip such as denomination, location of the establishment, and the chip’s manufacturer. The chip’s denomination must also be distinguishable via black and white closed caption TV from the side when stacked with other denominations.

See Also:Where you can still find coin operated slot machines at Las Vegas casinos!

There are also specific rules casinos must adhere to when it comes to retiring a set of chips. The establishment is required to allow redemption of the discontinued chip for 120 days either at the casino or at another approved location. During that 120 day period, the casino must post a discontinuation notice where the chips can be redeemed in addition to posting 2 times per week in 2 separate Nevada newspapers that are in general circulation. Today, plans for destroying discontinued chips need to be approved by the board and are much less exotic than what occurred prior to Regulation 12. Nowadays, discarded chips are typically crushed to an unrecognizable pulp.

So what happened before the fun was sucked out of chip disposal? Well, it was the wild west and the aim was to dump them where they couldn’t be found. During recent demolition projects, vintage retired chips were discovered in both the Dunes and New Frontier concrete foundations. In fact, chips from as far away as Laughlin were found in the concrete that made up the New Frontier’s foundation during demolition.

Below is a concrete chunk from the New Frontier’s foundation featuring a token from the Pioneer Hotel and Casino in Laughlin that I recently added to my collection. The metal token embedded in the concrete is from the Pioneer Casino in Laughlin.

Divers have also uncovered chips at the bottom of Lake Mead that were later found to have belonged to the Las Vegas Club by Mike Spinetti, Owner of Spinetti Gaming Supplies. Spinetti’s is also where I procured my chip laden chunk of concrete.

It’s fun to imagine what additional relics from the past could turn up as Vegas continues to reinvent itself. An endless list of hiding spots exist where yesteryear’s casino executives could have stashed additional dig chips. As Nicky Santoro said in the movie Casino – “A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes”. Nicky, of course, was referring to bodies and were talking about casino chips. Were excited to see what is unearthed next.

Snag your own vintage Las Vegas casino chip to display or for a good luck charm. A number of options are available on Amazon.

See Also:Find the loosest slots in Vegas. We dig into Gaming Control data to point you in the right direction.

If you visit casinos, in Las Vegas or elsewhere, you’ve seen these items before. You just haven’t seen them like this!

1. Craps Stick

This device is used by the “stickman” (yes, it’s a “stickman,” even when it’s not a man) to retrieve the dice. They may also be used by shady stickmen to “short stick,” which means pushing the dice to a female gambler just far enough so she has to lean forward to pick them up, cleavage-wise.

2. Paddle

On casino table games, there’s a slot where your money goes and never comes back. The paddle is used to push the money through the slot.

A paddle is also called a “plunger.”

Here’s a normal view of a paddle so you know one when you see one.

This paddle is useless in a canoe, so don’t even think about it.

3. Cup Holder

These handy devices keep your cocktail safe.

Casinos hate spilled cocktails on their fancy felt, so cup holders serve a very useful purpose.

Casino cup holders have a special lip that goes under the table’s arm rest, a little insurance to keep us from being whacked by pit bosses.

4. Dice

There’s nothing like the feel of dice in your hands. Just don’t switch hands while you’re shooting at craps. Casinos prohibit hand-switching to avoid the possibility of cheating.

The spots on dice are called “pips.”

5. Discard Tray

This is where your cards go after they’ve been used. Discard trays are often translucent and red to help casinos catch players marking their cards.

Cheaters use inks or “daubs” which can be detected by viewing cards through the discard tray.

Amazing the things we take for granted when we see them in a casino.

Discard trays are usually affixed to the table with screws, but we’ve always had a couple of screws loose.

Can You Leave A Casino With Chips Without

6. Gaming Chip

Casino chips are also called checks, cheques or casino tokens. There are several reasons casinos use chips rather than cash, but the main reason is customers gamble more freely when they use chips rather than cash. Surprise!

Many casino chips are made from the same kind of clay used to make kitty litter.

7. Felt Brush

Brushes are used to keep felt tables clean in casinos. Leave brushes off our list? We bristle at the idea.

Felt brush bristles are made of nylon, a family of synthetic polymers known as aliphatic polyamides. Yes, we knew that off the top of our head, thanks.

Here’s another look at the typical felt brush.

A “Brush” can also be a poker room employee who helps players with chips, seating and other tasks. The name was inspired by the brushes used to clean debris from the tables.

8. Roulette Marker

When a number is called in roulette, the dealer places a marker on the number. Players are asked to wait until the marker is removed before retrieving their winnings.

Roulette markers come in a variety of styles and materials.

A roulette marker is also called a “dolly.” That’s because the profile of some markers looks like a doll.

9. Craps On/Off Puck

A craps puck, also called a “buck,” marks the number you’re shooting for to win. One side of the craps puck says “On” and the other says “Off.” When it’s showing “Off,” you need a seven or 11 to win. When it’s “On,” you need to hit the number the puck is sitting on (the “point”) before a seven to win. Wow, quickest craps lesson, ever. Just ask your dealer for help.

We have no idea why the edges of craps pucks are made of rubber, unless they help prevent unintended pucklets.

The house edge for a Pass Line bet in craps is a mere 1.4%, making it one of the best bets in a casino.

Depending upon which way you turn the puck, it can read “On,” “No,” “Oz” or “Zo.” The Zo are an indigenous tribe in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

10. Bingo Dauber

Bingo players have the option of using machines to track their games, but lots of players still love to daub. Dauber manufacturers say purple is the most popular dauber color.

This is a new dauber, but the fun really starts when the sponge is saturated with inky goodness.

Some people make their own dauber ink. These people clearly have issues.

Much like with ChapStick, nobody has ever actually used up all the ink in a bingo dauber.

11. Craps Pyramid Bumper

OK, here’s our favorite close-up of the bunch. To ensure craps dice land randomly, there’s a portion of the craps table wall covered with pyramid-shaped bumpers. Some players claim they can influence the dice through practice and skill. The bumpers are intended to squash that possibility, real or imagined. This is why you’ll hear dealers and pit bosses insist, “Both dice need to hit the back wall.”

Some gamblers believe they can influence their roll by “setting” the dice, or putting them in a particular configuration before the throw. Players believe casino staff discourage the practice because dice-setting is a threat to the bottom line. It is, but not for the reason they think. Casinos don’t like dice-setting because it slows down the game. The quicker the pace of the game, the more money a casino makes.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our close-up tour of some common casino items. Maybe you’ll see them a little differently the next time you play!

Can You Leave A Casino With Chips Instead

Special thanks to our friends at the Gambler’s General Store for letting us photograph their stuff.