New Casino Chips

[Jim2]

There is an article in the Jan 10th issue of New Scientist about new casino chips that have RFID(radio frequency identification device) chips imbedded in them.(page 21)

The RFID chips are tiny silicone chips that broadcast a unique identification code when prompted by a radio device. The tags do not need batteries since they simply modify the radio signal fired at them by the reader. The readers work over distances ranging from a few centimeters, to a few dozen meters, depending on the type of tag. Embeded tags would make the chips harder to conterfeit, also the casinos could use the readers to scan employees to cut down on theft.

Aside from security, the tags could also be used to track how people play in a casino, it would allow the casino to keep tabs on the bets of every gambler on their premises. They would have a real time track of all winning and losing players, this would also help the casino monitor play for comps, which is an inexact science, now.

The chips are made by Hitachi, there was a joint study of putting them in the euro notes, but the ECB will not comment on the security features of the euro currency.

The chips are due to be launched later this year in europe. The chips are 0.4 millimeters square and 0.1 millimeter thick.

 

[gehrig]

chips

these have been around for a few years. i first saw them intro'd as an adjunct to mikohn's "safejack" system.

initially the chips (inside the checques) were expensive such that they were used in $25 and up denominations. table top readers could read the values of "checque changes", buy-ins, players' wagers/payouts. and, since employee theft is the focus, sensors were placed at the dealer entrance to the pit, displayed *only* in the surveillance room.

the use of the table top readers in conjunction with the machine readable playing cards at the shoe, would i.d. "advantage" players using a card counting method. that since the count was displayed for each table. this display was at the pitstiff podium. color changes indicated when the deck at a particular table was "out of line".

another feature was a player card reader slot in front of each player.... "to make sure that the player received all that he had coming to them". comps ? this is a further effort to merge table game and slot play records. table game comps lack the accuracy of slot play. already we see that discretionary comps are disappearing at a couple of corporate group joints. like if you ask for a coffe shop or barfet comp..."give me your card number and i'll see what we can do for you".

no doubt the embedded checque costs will go down such that even the nickels could be tagged.

ah, progress.

 

[Feep]

This made me extremely uncomfortable until I thought of several ways to mess with it. Essentially no one can expect these to be 100% reliable. Radio simply isn't. Therefore...



The day is coming when gambling is the swipe of a credit card and having the casino ask you how much you'd like to donate. It's not now, and I don't think it's particularly soon.

 

[Tom]

This RFID stuff has been around for a while.I think it was Bally's in Vegas that first tryed something of that effect back in 97'. It never did catch on with casinos in the USA,so it's really nothing to worry about.

When you say this stuff is "Due to launch" do you mean it's going to be used by most casinos in Europe? I find this hard to believe.

 

[Jim2]

The magazine article said it was due to launch later this year. No idea where or by which casinos. There will probably be technical problems as with any new device, time will tell. We might be in "the good old days" now.

I hope there is some glitch, seems like I have little enough privacy as it is now.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Bet they are using these devices to see who is walking out of the casino with chips. Casinos hate that because they can't easily track winnings, also walking in and out can help you get around the $10000 cashin limit w/o sharing with Uncle Sam.

 

[gehrig]

when the first system was being sold...

i immediately advised a couple of 21 luminaries. one of these soon after appeared on a symposium/panel consisting of white side/dark side industry "authorities". he twice pointedly asked the mikohn rep if the system was being used to detect skilled players. of course the mikohn rep repeated the party line...that the system was to detect employee theft, to assure accurate player color ups/buy ins, and to verify player comps.

in reality, when the system was demo'd to potential (casino) customers, the issue of 21 game protection from card counters was stressed.