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

34. Front Money

Credit & Markers

Front money is a deposit of cash or funds wired in advance by a player to the casino cage, held in a patron deposit or front money account, from which the player can draw to obtain chips or cash for gambling. Unlike a credit line, front money represents the player’s own funds held by the casino for convenience, eliminating the need to carry large amounts of cash. Players can access their front money by requesting chips at the table (which creates a marker-like document drawn against their deposit) or by withdrawing cash at the cage. Front money deposits are cash-in transactions and must be aggregated with other cash transactions for CTR reporting when they exceed $10,000 in a gaming day.

In practice

Front money accounts are popular with high rollers and international players who prefer not to travel with large amounts of cash. These accounts are also used by junket groups where a single deposit may cover multiple players.

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.