Question about counterfeiting chips -- i.e.,why doesn't anyone do it?

[tylerdurden]

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By the way, counterfieting a chip is counterfeiting US currency as well.

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No.

[TStoneMBD]

is it true that producing the counterfeit chips isnt illegal, nor is selling them for "novelty" purposes? if so, if you could find a way to reproduce the chips you could sell them to someone else legally, make a fortune and not have to worry about enduring any risk.

[RydenStoompala]

It does happen, but not very often. When it does, a crew will try to move a fairly large quantity into a casino's system quickly, and then get out before they are detected. There have been several methods used to combat chip fraud. It's less common than people think because getting a sufficient quantity of fakes into a casino's system is more difficult than it appears and the downside, a potentially long stretch in jail, is severe.

Counterfeits are normally in larger denominations, $100, $500 and $1,000. The reason is the expense of making a good counterfeit combined with the risk of getting caught. Due to this fact, the larger casinos, especially those catering to high rollers, are the ones normally targetted. The Venetian, for example, had an elaborate chip tracking system in place when it opened, anticipating a crew would take a run at them. The way theirs worked was the floor supervisors were called by the cage to verify that a customer had won the exact quantity of large denomination chips that he was cashing.

Many casinos use ultraviolet or other "quick pass" systems on their chips. The chips are colored with symbols that only show up when they are passed under UV light. These systems can be problematic if a high tech crew takes a few samples over a period of time and discovers that you are not switching your symbols on a random basis.

The microchip checks are soon to be the staple of all casinos. The Treasury wants them used to combat laundering and the casinos can use them to get all kinds of information. The chips are traceable at all locations and counterfeiting them is a very difficult proposition. Casino operators are information junkies so if they can get you using chips that track your movement throughout the floor, they can fine tune their table games for maximum appeal. The cost of producing the actual chips is about the same as regular checks but the tracking and verification systems are very expensive. Organized crime and the drug lords hate the things, but they are coming soon to a joint near you.

[Bremen]

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is it true that producing the counterfeit chips isnt illegal

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I would assume any well written bill legalizing gambling would also criminalize chip fogery. At the least they could get you for trademark violations since the name of the casino is on the chip...

[Luv2DriveTT]

All you have to do is look at the Wynn. All chips in denominations of $500 or more have RFDI built into them to verify their authenticity.

if you want to do more reasch, get a book from the Gambler's book club. Its been covered in print before.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[M.B.E.]

Thanks, Ryden; interesting post.

[tylerdurden]

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All you have to do is look at the Wynn. All chips in denominations of $500 or more have RFDI built into them to verify their authenticity.

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I think it's $25 and up. They also have the micro-printing dots.

[PokerBob]

.....because they will mutilate your genitals if they catch you. The Secret Service "only" tosses your ass in jail if they catch you with fake $50's.

[Riddler]

I used to play in a NY poker room that recently closed down. They used the same chips that you buy in the Silver Boxed cases that everyone has these days. All they did was order the chips with their name on the chip and a [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] logo in gold. I always thought it would be easy to order the chips that way myself and pass them through. However, I fiqured my wife would find me chopped up in a dumpster with a rubber hanging out of my a$$

[beerbandit]

ive wondered also --- but im dumb and lazy, terrible combination for this type of scheme


cheers


edit: i think it was the casino in windsor, canada -- the 100$ chips have a blacklight mark on them and then check them under a light before they cash them in