, Las Vegas, NV. The vast majority of authentic casino chips are "
clay" chips but can be more accurately described as
compression molded chips. Contrary to popular belief, no gaming chip going as far back as the 1950s has been 100% clay. Modern clay chips are a composition of materials more durable than clay alone. At least some percentage of the chips is of an earthen material such as sand, chalk, and clay similar to that found in
cat litter. The process used to make these chips is a
trade secret, and varies slightly by manufacturer, most being relatively expensive and time-consuming per chip. The edge spots, or inserts, are not painted on; to achieve this effect, this area of the clay is removed and then replaced with clay of a different color; this can be done to each chip individually or a strip can be taken out of a cylindrical block of material and replaced with the alternate color before the block is cut into chips. Then each chip receives a mid-inlay if desired, and is placed in a special mold that compresses the chip, hence the term compression molded chips. The pressure of the compression and the heat that is added varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The printed graphics on clay chips is called an inlay. Inlays are typically made of paper and are then clad with a plastic film applied to the chip prior to the compression molding process. During the molding process, the inlay becomes permanently fastened to the chip and cannot be removed from the chip without destroying the inlay.
Ceramic chips were introduced in the mid-1980s, as alternative to clay chips, and are also used in casinos, as well as being readily available to the home market. The ability to print lettering and graphics on the entire surface of the chip, instead of just the inlay, made them popular. Ceramic chips are sometimes also referred to as clay or clay composite, but they are in fact an
injection molded chip made with a special plastic or resin formula that approximates the feel and sound of ceramic or porcelain. There are less expensive chips for the home market, made from various forms of plastic and plastic covered metal slugs as well. The chips used in United States casinos typically weigh about 10 grams, but they can be between 8 and 16 g worldwide.
Colors There is no universally standardized color scheme for poker chip values, and schemes not only vary nationally and regionally, but even from venue to venue, or by event type within a single venue. poker chips "hot-stamped" with denominations 100, 50, 25, & 10. In casinos, uniform chip colors and sizes are sometimes specified by the local
gaming control board for consistency. For example, regulations in
New Jersey and
Illinois specify similar uniform colors. Notably, Nevada has no regulations regarding color, which is why Nevada casinos may use white, blue, or gray as $1, though $5 through $5000 are almost always consistently colored. All US states where gambling is legal require that casino chips have a unique combination of edge spots for identification, the name and location of the casino and the chip's value, if any, impressed, printed, or molded onto the obverse and reverse of the token. In 19th-century United States, there was enough of a tradition of using blue chips for higher values that "blue chip" in noun and adjective
senses signaling high-value chips and high-value property are attested since 1873 and 1894, respectively. This established
connotation was first extended to the sense of a
blue-chip stock in the 1920s. Denominations above $5000 are almost never encountered by the general public; their use is usually limited to "high limit rooms" where bet sizes are much greater than on the main floor. Casinos often use gaming plaques for these denominations: These plaques are about the size of a playing card, and must be marked with
serial numbers. The greatest value placed on a plaque to date is $10 million, used at the London Club in Las Vegas.
Security Each casino has a unique set of chips, even if the casino is part of a greater company. This distinguishes a casino's chips from others, since each chip and token on the gaming floor has to be backed up with the appropriate amount of cash. In addition, with the exception of Nevada, casinos are not permitted to honor another casino's chips. The security features of casino chips are numerous. Artwork is of a very high resolution or of photographic quality. Custom color combinations on the chip edge (edge spots) are usually distinctive to a particular casino. UV markings can be made on the inlay. Certain chips incorporate
RFID technology, such as those at the
Wynn Casino in
Las Vegas. Also, makers' marks are difficult to reproduce. Counterfeit chips are rare. High levels of surveillance, along with staff familiarity with chip design and coloring, make passing fake chips difficult. Casinos, though, are prepared for this situation. All states require that casinos have a set of chips in reserve with alternate markings, though they may not be required to have exactly the same number of reserve chips as they do on the floor. The most notable instance of counterfeiting chips was broken up in 2005, when two men were caught falsely converting $1 chips into higher denominations. Casino chips used in
tournaments are usually much cheaper and of much simpler design. Because the chips have no cash value, usually chips are designed with a single color (usually differing in shade or tone from the version on the casino floor), a smaller breadth, and a basic mark on the interior to distinguish denominations; however, at certain events (such as the
World Series of Poker or other televised poker), chips approach quality levels of chips on the floor. == Variations ==