Part IV: Financial Fraud · Chip, Cash & Ticket Fraud

Chip Walking (Cash-In, Cash-Out)

How it works

The simplest and most common casino money laundering method. A patron purchases chips with cash (often illicit proceeds), engages in minimal gambling activity (perhaps a few low-risk bets or none at all), then redeems the chips for a casino check or clean cash. The resulting funds appear to be gambling winnings rather than the proceeds of crime. In 2013, a professional gambler was charged with nearly $500,000 in illegal financial transactions using this exact method. The low complexity makes it accessible but also relatively easy to detect through pattern analysis.

Where it appears

Cage, table games, slot floor

On the record

FinCEN has identified chip walking as the most prevalent money laundering typology in casinos. The 2013 professional gambler case ($500,000 in chip walking transactions) demonstrates how even knowledgeable industry participants abuse the system.

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.