Types of Casino Gambling Chips in the US – Most Popular Tokens in 2025

Casino chips are more than just colorful tokens on a felt table. They are the lifeblood of every U.S. casino. To travellers, they’re a souvenir, to collectors they’re art, and to players they’re money that doesn’t quite feel like money. 

This guide explores the history, colors, quirks, and psychology of America’s casino chips, from $1 whites to $100,000 plaques.

Key Beats

A Brief Casino Chip History

“The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius.”

Big Julie Weintraub, Las Vegas gambler and personality.

Weintraub was right. Long before Las Vegas, gambling in the U.S. was a messy business.

Casino chip history began in the Wild West, where players staked coins, gold nuggets, gold dust, gold teeth, IOUs, and anything they had at hand that was worth a dollar or two. However, with no standards, disputes were constant, forgery was easy, and undertakers were never short of work.

Timeline of the Casino Gambling Chip:

• Before the 1800s, gambling relied on coins, bullion, and tokens made from materials such as wood, bone, or ivory.
• Early 1800s: Saloons and riverboats began issuing their own tokens to facilitate smooth gameplay.
• Late 1800s: Specialist firms started producing moulded clay chips, the first recognizably modern form.
• 1900s: Clay composites became the industry norm; casinos embraced uniform sets of house chips.
• In the 1990s and onward, security measures intensified with the use of UV markings, serial numbers, and eventually RFID technology.

How Casino Chips Work

The genius of the casino gambling chip lies in its ability to solve numerous problems:

Focus	Why Chips Helped
Standardization	Everyone could play with units of the same value, avoiding arguments over coins, tokens, or ‘IOUs.’
Security	Chips were more complex to forge than improvised tokens or paper notes; each casino could design its own unique chips.
Speed of play	Chips made betting and payouts faster, rather than weighing dust or counting mixed bags of coins.
Convenience	No heavy bags of coins or gold; just lightweight stacks of tokens.
Psychology	Chips didn’t feel like real money, encouraging players to bet more freely.
Branding	Casinos could stamp chips with logos, colors, and edge spots, reinforcing identity and exclusivity.
Fraud reduction	Chips reduced disputes and cheating opportunities by creating uniformity at the table.
Accounting	Easier for the house to track buy-ins, cash-outs, and table activity.

Fundamentally, how casino chips work is that they remove the complication of cash from the equation and make betting feel like fun.

The modern casino chip is a marvel of design: tactile, colorful, hard to counterfeit, and steeped in tradition.

Standard U.S. Gambling Chip Colors, Denominations & Variations

There is no international standard or federal law determining gambling chip colors or casino chip denominations. However, American casinos have settled into a widely recognized system.

Chip Colors, Denominations, Security Features 

• The most common denominations ($1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100) follow near-universal coloring in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
• Regional quirks exist: in California and Illinois, yellow can mean $20, not $1,000.
• For very high stakes ($5,000+), chips are oversized or replaced with plaques, serving as a visual signal of prestige and value.
• Poker tournaments often assign higher values to colors than standard casino tables, to keep chips distinct from house-issued tokens. 

Casino/Region	Key Security Features	Notable Color/Design Variations
Las Vegas	RFID ($1k+), UV Markings, Serial Numbers, Custom Inlays	$2 (brown), $3 (peach) at Wynn; frequent limited editions
Atlantic City	RFID, UV, Serial, Edge Spots	$2.50 pink; $20 yellow; fixed by gaming statute
California	Custom inlays, UV, regulated edge/color	$3 red, $2 green, highly game-specific
Illinois/Midwest	Varied, fewer RFID	$20 yellow, $2 blue, mix of Atlantic and Vegas schemes
Major Resorts (Bellagio, Borgata)	Full RFID, advanced anti-fraud	Unique artwork; serial numbers stylishly integrated
Online/Sweepstakes	Digital Security	Noted for digital thematic continuing

Note that online casinos use similar gambling chip colors (virtual chips) to their retail counterparts.

Regional and Casino-Specific Variations

Even with an unofficial national standard, local laws and house preferences mean chip colors and denominations vary across the U.S. 

Nevada / Las Vegas

• No legal color requirement – casinos follow convention but add branding flair.

Wynn Las Vegas is famous for $2 brown and $3 peach chips used in select games.

• High-denomination chips ($5,000 and above) are often bright orange or yellow, thumb-sized, and rectangular.
• Limited-edition designs are a Vegas tradition: chips for anniversaries, celebrity shows, or one-off events become sought-after collector’s items.

Atlantic City / New Jersey

• One of the few jurisdictions with statutory color codes:
• $1 white, $2.50 pink, $5 red, $25 green, $100 black, $500 purple, $1,000 yellow.
• A $20 yellow chip also exists at some tables.
• This legal framework establishes strong consistency across properties, although minor branding tweaks still remain.

California Cardrooms

• Not full casinos – state law legally restricts casinos to poker and certain table games.
• Chips are game-specific, not house-wide, meaning you can’t move chips between tables.
• Color conventions differ sharply from Vegas: $1 is blue, $2 is green, $3 is red, $5 is yellow, $10 is brown, $20 is black, and $25 is purple.
• Collectors love California chips for their quirky colors and short print runs.

Midwest / East Coast

• Illinois casinos famously use yellow for $20.
• Atlantic City sometimes uses yellow for either $20 or $1,000, depending on game context.
• Smaller Midwest properties often host Vegas/Atlantic conventions, but with house branding to discourage chip swapping across casinos.

Other Differences

• Custom shades (like light blue for $2,000) appear at individual resorts.
• Casinos test colors under floor lighting to avoid confusion – warm lights can alter how chips appear in play.

Casino Chip Security Features: Evolution and Current Practices

At first glance, casino chips may look like the kind of toy money you would find in the preschool bank. However, behind the color and clatter lies some of the toughest anti-counterfeiting tech in the gambling world.

Today’s tokens are engineered to be as secure as currency, featuring a clever blend of casino chip security features, high-tech, hidden markings, and counterfeit-proof engraving.

Why Security is Paramount

From the days of hand-carved ivory tokens to modern RFID chips, casino token identification and chip integrity have been essential. Counterfeiting is theft, plain and simple.

After high-profile incidents like the $1.5 million Bellagio chip robbery, technology took another leap forward. With RFID systems in place, stolen chips can be deactivated instantly, rendering them worthless souvenirs.

Casino Chip Security Features

• RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification): The most high-tech of all casino chip security features. High-value chips embed RFID microchips that sync with the casino’s database. Any chip not matching the registry is refused at the cage.
• UV inks and markings: Invisible to the naked eye but glow under black light, helping floor staff catch fakes.
• Custom inlays and edge spots: Unique designs are molded, not painted, making duplication far more difficult.
• Serial numbers: Some high-denomination chips and plaques carry individual IDs for tracking.
• Regular chip redesigns: Major casinos rotate chip artwork every few years, phasing out old designs to undercut counterfeiters.

Casino Token Identification: How Casinos Spot Counterfeit Chips

• 🔴 Feel and weight: When it comes to casino token identification, trained staff can often detect a fake just by handling it. Genuine clay composites have a unique texture.
• 🔴 UV light checks: Dealers and cage staff use UV lamps to verify the presence of microchips quickly.
• 🔴 Electronic scans: RFID readers instantly confirm chip legitimacy.
• 🔴 Table color-ups: Converting small chips into larger ones at the table reduces the risk of counterfeit chips entering play from outside sources.
• 🔴 Surveillance + AML checks: Large cash-outs are monitored for suspicious activity; unusual chip flows are flagged.

Despite technological advances, counterfeiting attempts continue to emerge. However, detection rates are incredibly high.

The penalties are steep, too – lifetime bans from casinos, criminal charges, and, in some cases, federal prosecution.

Casino Chip Materials and Manufacturing

There’s something seductive about the feel of a good quality casino chip; the weight, the size, stacked to perfection.

Heading from the cashier’s cage to the casino floor, armed with a hefty handful of silky-smooth chips, is pure casino adrenaline.

Clay Composite

• The gold standard in U.S. casino chip materials.
• Not pure clay, but a blend of clay, sand, fillers, and binders.
• Distinctive weight (8.5–10g) and the classic casino clatter that players love.
• Highly collectible due to feel, sound, and durability.

Ceramic

• Smooth surface allows for full-color, photo-quality printing.
• Popular for commemorative issues and high-denomination chips.
• Rectangular plaques are almost always ceramic.

Plastic (ABS, Polypropylene)

• Lightweight and cheap.
• Used mainly for home poker sets, promotional giveaways, or very small-scale operators.
• Not trusted for serious casino play.

Acrylic and Metal

• These casino chip materials are rarely used for table play, but may appear in specialty plaques, dealer buttons, or collector’s items.

The Manufacturing Process

Chips are typically made using compression molding. The inlay artwork (printed on durable paper with a plastic overlay) is placed into the mold.

Edge spots are not painted but molded directly into the chip from separate colored material. This makes them permanent and much harder to counterfeit.

Every casino contracts with specialist manufacturers (like Paulson or Chipco), and designs are closely guarded trade secrets.

Psychological and Visual Design Considerations

Casino chips are not just functional; they’re engineered to shape how players feel, behave, and even hear the game around them. Every detail, from color choice to the sound of a shuffled stack, contributes to the casino experience.

Color & Denomination Psychology

• Bright, playful gambling chip colors (white, red, green) are reserved for low and mid-value chips, softening the pain and encouraging loose play.
• Darker tones (black, purple, gray) are used for higher denominations, signaling caution and prestige.
• For whales, neon shades like vivid yellow, hot pink, or orange stand out across the floor, marking ultra-high stakes.

Touch & Sound

• Clay-composite chips carry a distinct texture and satisfying weight.
• Poker players riffle, stack, and shuffle them – tactile rituals that keep chips in motion and reinforce their perceived legitimacy.
• The click-clack of stacked chips is unique to casinos, amplifying the thrill of play and creating an audio backdrop of action.

Lighting & Perception

• Casino floors are lit with warm, ambient light to reduce fatigue and enhance comfort.
• Manufacturers test chip colors under these conditions to prevent ‘color shift’ that could cause confusion.
• The result: chips remain visually distinct, vivid, and attractive, regardless of the atmosphere.

Who Makes the Chips? The Big Manufacturers

Outside of the USA, one company dominates the global casino chip market: Matsui Europe Ltd.

Elsewhere, another Japanese giant, Angel Playing Cards, which acquired Gaming Partners International (GPI) in 2018, is the 800-pound gorilla. GPI had already absorbed many legendary names, including Paulson, Bud Jones, and Bourgogne et Grasset (B&G). This means that most of the iconic chip brands now live under the Angel umbrella.

• Paulson (now part of Angel/GPI): Famous for clay composite chips with the classic casino clatter. Paulson sets from Vegas landmarks like Bellagio and Caesars are the holy grail for collectors.

• Chipco International: Maine-based innovators of ceramic chips. Still independent, known for full-color designs.

• Bud Jones (now Angel/GPI): Once famous for injection-moulded plastic chips with embedded features. Now part of Angel’s portfolio.

• Bourgogne et Grasset (B&G, now Angel/GPI): French specialists in plaques and jetons, highly regarded in European casinos.

• Gaming Partners International (now Angel): The umbrella brand that combined all of the above before being acquired by Angel.

If you’re into collectible casino chips, old Paulson and Chipco chips remain the most sought-after. Not just for their playability, but because they represent eras of casino history before the big casino consolidations.

Chip Etiquette and Redemption Guidelines

There’s something seductive about the feel of a good-quality casino chip: the right weight, the right size, gloriously stackable.

It’s why poker players love riffling, shuffling, and flipping them before that tricky call. It’s why collectors obsess over details like edge spots and clay blends.

But chips aren’t just playthings. They are casino currency – and casinos have strict rules about exactly how they’re handled.

Chip Handling and Table Etiquette

• Never touch another player’s chips. Even a casual grab is seen as a serious breach of trust.
• Stack chips neatly and visibly. Dealers and cameras should be able to read your stack at a glance.
• Place bets cleanly. Don’t splash the pot (a poker reference) or casually toss your chips onto the table.
• Use hand signals, not chatter. Keeps games flowing and avoids disputes.
• Don’t pocket chips mid-session. Known as going south, it’s generally frowned upon.
• Tipping etiquette. It’s customary to tip dealers with chips after a win, though the denomination depends on local practice and your comfort levels.

 Chip Redemption Process

• It isn’t like withdrawing your winnings from an online casino. All casino-issued chips must be redeemed at the cashier’s desk.
• Chips are valid only at the issuing casino (with rare exceptions at sister properties).
• Most chips remain valid indefinitely while a casino is open; however, redesigns or closures can render them worthless as currency, although they may gain value for collectors.
• Large redemptions require identification and may trigger compliance checks for anti-money laundering (AML) laws.
• Casino chips can’t be used outside the property. You can’t pay for dinner with them, no matter how flashy the stack.

High-Denomination Chips and Plaques

For most players, a black $100 chip feels pretty serious. But in high-limit rooms, that’s a tip for the cocktail waitress. Casinos catering to VIPs and whales use special chips and plaques to handle ultra-high-stakes bets, both to emphasize prestige and protect security.

Oversized Chips

• Standard chips are 39mm in diameter. High-value versions ($1,000-$5,000) are often larger, up to 43mm.
• The size increase makes them instantly recognizable and harder to slip into play unnoticed.
• Gambling chip colors are deliberately bold—hot pink, vivid orange, and canary yellow—to signal value across a busy floor.

Rectangular Plaques

• Above $5,000, most casinos switch to plaques: flat, rectangular tokens resembling mini banknotes.
• Standard casino chip denominations include $5,000, $25,000, $50,000, and even $100,000.
• Plaques are manufactured with layered composites, RFID tags, serial numbers, and holographic foils.
• Each is individually tracked, logged, and requires an ID for redemption.

Why Use Plaques?

• Practicality: Easier to stack and count than mountains of round chips.
• Prestige: Their size and ornate designs broadcast exclusivity. They are meant to feel different.
• Security: A larger surface area enables the implementation of advanced anti-fraud technology.

Famous Appearances

• Plaques are a fixture in baccarat salons across Las Vegas and Macau.
• The World Series of Poker has featured oversized chips and plaques for its most significant events.
• Resorts like Bellagio and Borgata issue some of the most ornate plaques, with artwork that collectors prize long after circulation.

Collectible and Commemorative Chips

The seductive appeal of the casino chip extends beyond its function as currency on the gaming floor. Avid collectors, such as Vintage Poker Chips or Casino-Collectibles on eBay, hunt out rare editions, retired designs, commemorative collections, and one-off tokens that have a story to tell.

Special Issues

• Limited editions: Released for casino anniversaries, grand openings, or big events.

• Pop culture collaborations: Tie-ins with films, celebrities, or sports (e.g., James Bond Casino Royale chips).

• Event-specific chips: Major tournaments or shows often get their own chip runs, sought after by fans long after the event ends.

 Design and Material Diversity

• Enhanced artwork, holograms, foil accents, and non-standard colors all make collectible chips stand out.

• Some casinos issue ceramic or acrylic chips specifically for commemorative purposes, rather than for use in play.

Collector Value

• Retired chips can be valued far beyond their face value, depending on their rarity, design, and historical significance.

• Collectors track chip values through specialist clubs and auction sites. Some rare Paulsons and Vegas anniversary chips trade for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

• Condition matters: mint, uncirculated chips are prized most highly.

Redemption Rules

• Commemorative chips are often non-redeemable once their issue period ends.

• Once out of circulation, they’re pure collectibles, no longer casino currency.

Interested? Join the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club (CC&GTCC), the go-to hub for serious chip collectors.

Conclusion

From saloon dust to RFID-enabled plaques, the casino chip has evolved into more than just a casino chip vs token mentality. It’s money that doesn’t quite feel like money – part psychology, part security marvel, and part collectible art.

Whether you’re a traveller pocketing a $1 souvenir from Las Vegas or a serious fan of casino chip history chasing a rare early Paulson, each chip tells a story.

Weintraub famously – and accurately – referred to the chip’s inventor as a genius. But we’ll leave the last word with 1982 World Series of Poker Main Event winner, six-foot-six-inch-tall Jack Treetop Straus. At one point in the tournament, Straus was down to a single $500 chip. He came back to win it all, after coining the oft-repeated aphorism: “All you need is a chip and a chair.”

FAQs

References

• Bellagio casino in Las Vegas robbed of $1.5m in chips (BBC)
• Aiming for the World’s Highest Quality (Angel Playing Cards)
• Chip Manufacture (Matsui Europe)
• Custom Gaming Chips Game On CHIPCO™ (CHIPCO)
• Casino Collectibles Association (CCGTCC)