Part III: Business & Regulation · Banking, Chips & Financial Operations

29. Marker

Credit & Markers

A marker is a short-term, interest-free line of credit extended by a casino to an approved player for the purpose of gambling. The marker functions as a negotiable instrument — essentially a counter check drawn against the player’s bank account — that the player signs at the gaming table in exchange for chips. The casino can present the marker to the player’s bank for payment if not repaid within the agreed timeframe (typically 30 days). In Nevada, failure to repay a casino marker is treated as passing a bad check and can result in criminal prosecution. Markers are typically offered to established players with demonstrated creditworthiness, verified through Central Credit (the gaming industry’s credit bureau) and financial documentation.

In practice

Nevada treats unpaid markers as criminal fraud (Category D felony for amounts over $1,200). Most other states treat unpaid markers as civil debt. The Clark County District Attorney’s Office maintains a dedicated Bad Check Unit for casino marker prosecutions.

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.