Composite Chips and Tokens

Casino games have been the favorite avenue for players from all over the world. When the casinos just began to gain popularity with the normal people, they were just small card rooms the miners and workers used to visit after a hard day work. Casinos have a long way since then and today there are grand casino mega resorts like the ones in Vegas which are popular all over the world.

With the casinos, the casino chips have also evolved over the years. When the card games became first popular there were no chips used. People used whatever they had to use them on the table which included currency of different types, coins, gold nuggets, precious gems etc. However, over the years it became necessary to have a standard currency and thus casino chips were invented.

History of composite chips

Clay chips had been first introduced in the US in the 1880s and have been popular ever since then. However, the only drawback with chips made from pure clay is that they are easily damaged and get broken easily. Over the years it became important to come up with casino chips which were much more durable. It was then that the composite chips were first introduced.

In the beginning of the 1900s the casino chips were usually molded from Plaskon and in the 1930s a metal foil was applied to the chips in order to give it a unique identity. The Flamingo Casino was started with these uniquely marked chips by Bugsy Siegel.

In the later years security became of the utmost importance and so in the 40s the edges of the chips were marked and the centers were printed in order to make them more secure. By the 50s every casino had its own custom made chips made from composite chips with their own logos and designs molded on top of the chips. The materials and the styles which are used by the manufacturers today are unique for every casino. Today several casinos even use a microchip inserted in the chips for added security. Most of these chips weigh around 8 to 11 g and almost all of them are around 39mm in diameter.

Modern day composite chips

Modern day composite chips are very durable and are usually customized through decaling process and hot stamping. These chips are injection molded and so they do not soften even when they are heated. There in a metal slug inside the chips, this gives it a unique feel and look.

Most composite chips which are used for home use are made either in China or in Taiwan and these are usually of a lower quality. The ones which are used in casinos are of the highest quality possible and even the most secure types of chips. Composite chips for casinos are produced by only a very few manufacturers who have their own secret composition blend which they use for molding the chips. This is one of the main reasons why today it is almost impossible to counterfeit these chips.

The chips are injection molded and have copyright designs on them and logos of the casinos for which they are manufactured. The manufacturing process is very closely safeguarded.