Casino tokens have been used as currency in gambling for a long time now, but they have undergone a lot of changes over the years. Also known as chips, these tokens are an important part of the gambling today.

Origins of Gambling

Archaeologists have discovered signs of gambling among people in ancient civilizations all the way back to 3000 B.C. The Chinese started using tiles when playing games in about 2300 B.C. The ancient Grecians used primitive dice when gambling, despite the fact that it wasn’t allowed. The game that we know today as poker likely came from a game called “As-Nas” that the Persians played in the 1600s.

Early Casino Tokens

Some of the earliest casino tokens can be traced back to the mid 18th century in France. The game known as Quadrille used mils, fiches and jettons as a means of determining how much to pay out each player. The shapes of these early tokens indicated how much each one was worth.

When gambling started rising in popularity, a variety of items were used to place bets. This included everything from standard coins to gold dust. In the 1800s, casino tokens were made from a wide range of materials, such as clay, wood, and even animal bone.

Modern Developments

With the popularity of gambling reaching a fever pitch in the U.S. and abroad, casino tokens started becoming more standardized. A number of companies started producing tokens or chips in a variety of colors—blue, white, yellow and red.

Each color denoted a certain value. A majority are white chips are a dollar, red chips are worth $5, green chips are worth $25, yellow is $50, and black chips indicating a $100 value.

It was only a matter of time before casino tokens became regulated. It made things a lot easier for casinos all over the world. This development also decreased the opportunity for unethical behavior among gamblers.

 

Manufacturing

While the earlier casino chips were made from a variety of materials, today’s tokens are mostly made of clay. Extreme heat is used to bring all of the individual parts of the tokens together. This gives the tokens a uniform appearance. Most tokens have the logo of the casino on them as well. There are no two casinos in the world that have tokens that look exactly the same.

It is also not uncommon for modern casino tokens to feature RFID chips, UV markings and other things. Most of these features are included for security purposes, while others are purely aesthetic.

Problems

Casino tokens have undergone a lot of changes and improvements over the years, but there is always the possibility of certain issues. Counterfeit tokens are a real problem in the gaming industry, and they have been responsible for millions of dollars in losses.

There are regulatory commissions that are responsible for handling these cases, but there is only so much they can do in certain situations. It is unlikely that there will ever be tokens that cannot be counterfeited or tampered with in one way or another.