Modern gambling establishments, as well as online casinos, have long been using chips and credits for bets. They can be called a kind of game currency used exclusively for playing slots, cards, or dice. This article will discuss the types of casino chips, their advantages, and why they are more convenient than hryvnias, dollars, zlotys, or any other currency. The first casino in the world was the Venetian house Casino di Venezia. At that time, chips did not yet exist; they appeared almost two centuries later. In the 18-19 centuries, fans of gambling made bets with various valuable items: weapons, gold, precious stones, jewelry, and even fur. When gambling entertainment attracted higher social classes, the first prototypes of modern chips began to appear. They were made of clay, wood, ivory, as well as precious metals. Products of various colors, shapes, and sizes were encountered. Modern chips usually have a round shape, with the denomination and the name of the establishment to which they belong indicated on them. Each casino uses its own gaming coins, thus protecting itself and its clients from fraud. The popularization of chips in online casinos took place thanks to poker. Fans of this game were the first to appreciate all the benefits and convenience of special gaming tokens. The denominations of poker chips are classified by colors. Today, the following products are popular: white – ‘1’; red – ‘5’; green – ’25’; blue – ’10’ (or ’50’); black – ‘100’; pink – ‘500’; yellow (or orange) – ‘1000’; purple – ‘5000’; light blue – ‘10000’. Different types of chips are used in different types of poker. Usually, cash games (small competitions, private tournaments) use coins of modest denominations, while in large (including networked) tournaments, high denomination chips are used. Most modern gaming chips are made of plastic or composite materials. Iron products (including precious metals) are mainly produced for collectors. Among the main advantages of using ‘money substitutes’ are: Convenience of use. It is convenient to place bets with plastic chips (unlike paper bills, which can crumple or simply fly off the table due to a draft). They are equally good for card games and slot machines. Modern slots have chip acceptors; Security for the casino and its clients. Unlike dollars or euros, chips are harder to steal and almost impossible to counterfeit. If the administration of a gambling house suspects the presence of counterfeit chips, it will immediately replace all products with spare ones, which are mandatory in the arsenal of all brick-and-mortar clubs; Easy and quick counting. Chips are stacked on the table, allowing the sum of bets to be visually determined. Paper bills, like coins, would have to be counted manually, taking extra time; Speed of determining the winnings amount. The casino administration can determine how much a client has won in a matter of minutes by placing all chips in a special tray. Products of each denomination have their weight, thus allowing the amount of money required to pay out the jackpot winner to be standardized. Chips have long become a symbol of casinos and the pursuit of luck. They help create a special gambling atmosphere during the game. In addition to the convenience of handling, the use of chips has other advantages compared to ordinary money. It is about a psychological aspect, which is easier to explain by example. If someone is playing poker or trying their luck at Blackjack and loses a red chip, they are less upset than saying goodbye to a $5 bill. Psychologists have long proven that spending money on cards, chips, or credits in a casino is easier than traditional paper finances. This explains the high popularity of online stores and the demand for electronic services and products. When using chips at a card table, it is easier to observe their movement and understand what is happening with the bank. Multicolored chips of the same shape and size are neatly stacked by denominations and placed in the middle of the table or moved closer to the dealer. If instead of them stacks of dollars were lying on a poker or any other table, keeping track of them would be much more difficult. The rules of roulette provide that several players can bet on the same layout. In this case, they use chips of different colors. Thus, the dealer, other tournament participants, and the casino security service understand whose bet belongs to whom. Some visitors to gambling establishments take chips as souvenirs. It is not essential if 5 or 10 people do this, but during casino operations, such incidents occur regularly, meaning hundreds or even thousands of chips remain unconverted into cash. This money rightfully belongs to the game club and can be considered its additional revenue. In general, chips are convenient and practical accessories for gambling, making card tournaments and slot games simpler, safer, and more comfortable.
Why are chips more convenient than money at a casino?
