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

Stolen Chip Series Replication

How it works

Criminals steal a single genuine high-value chip (or obtain one through an accomplice) and use it as a master to create duplicates of the currently active chip series. Because the genuine chip matches the exact design currently in circulation, counterfeits based on it are harder to detect. The criminal operation produces multiple copies and either introduces them at tables or attempts redemption. In some cases, the fraudsters specifically target casinos that have recently introduced new chip designs, knowing that staff are less familiar with the tactile characteristics of the new series.

Where it appears

Cage redemption, table game buy-ins, poker tournaments

On the record

Bellagio’s 2010 chip robbery was foiled because RFID-enabled chips could be deactivated — the thief couldn’t cash the stolen $25,000 cranberry chips because they were flagged in the system. This demonstrates the power of chip-tracking technology.

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.