Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

1.8 Rolling Chip (Dead Chip)

Macau — VIP Gaming/Operations

Rolling chips (also called “dead chips”) are non-cashable promotional chips used in Macau’s VIP gaming programs. When a player buys into a rolling chip program, they receive promotional chips that can only be used for wagering, not exchanged for cash. If the player wins a bet, they are paid in normal cashable chips; if they lose, the dead chip is collected by the house. This system allows casinos and junkets to track wagering volume precisely and calculate commissions and rebates. Rolling chip turnover (as opposed to actual cash drop) became the standard metric for measuring VIP business volume in Macau.

In practice

The rolling chip/dead chip system was central to the junket business model, enabling junkets to earn commissions based on turnover rather than player losses. The 2022 gaming law fixed the commission rate at 1.25% of rolling chip turnover for gaming promoters.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.