Casino tokens, often called "chips", are used in gambling establishments instead of currency. Money is traded for the tokens or chips upon entering the casino. The tokens are interchangeable with money at the casino, but have no value outside of the establishment.
These tokens are employed for multiple reasons. They are more convenient to use than currency, and also make theft more difficult. Furthermore, it is observed that consumers spend (or gamble) more freely with replacement currencies or credit cards than with cash. Finally, the chips are considered to be an integral part of the casino environment, and replacing them with some alternate currency would be unpopular.
Casino tokens are collected as a part of numismatics, more specifically as a specialized exonumia collecting.
See also
External links
- Silver State Treasures (http://www.silver-state-treasures.com)
- CCGTCC.COM (http://www.ccgtcc.com/) - Casino Chip & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club
- ChipGuide.com (http://www.chipguide.com) - The Online Information Source For Casino Chip Collectors