Casino Chip of the Day

Inspired by the Wizard's Spanish-Word-of-the-Day thread, I have been considering a similar-but-different thread topic, which I begin with this post. I think that like the Wizard's thread, this has the potential to generate a fairly large number of interesting and related posts over an extended period. I hope that "Off-Topic/General Discussion" is a suitable forum for this thread.

The concept is that on roughly a daily basis when I am not in travel status, I will post a photo of one of the $1 casino chips in my collection, along with some comment about the chip and/or the casino and/or some extraneous issue that the chip brings to my mind.

My hope is that this will provide the stimulus for other members to post their comments, anecdotes, whatever about that particular casino -- comments that perhaps have never warranted starting a thread on their own. Of course, comments about chips, chip manufacturing, chip collecting, etc. are also invited.

If you have different chips from the same casino, either a different denomination or a different chip series, please post a photo for us to see. I would prefer that, unless there is a particular justification, this not become a thread for people to gather and post images from eBay auctions, collectors' clubs, image libraries, etc. when no one here actually has the original chip.

I anticipate posting a small image in the thread (180x180 pixels has been suggested), with a medium image (600x600) available if you click on the posted image in the thread. If anyone has a use for a full-resolution image, let me know, and please let me know if you have ideas on how to make this a more interesting thread.

I have my collection sorted by states and categories, with the non-state categories being tribal casinos, cruise ship casinos, Canadian casinos, and casinos in the Bahamas and Caribbean islands. At this point, I do not have chips from international casinos other than from Canada and the islands, so we will look for others to post those images when my well has run dry. Within a state/category, I have the collection sorted mostly alphabetical.

I hope you enjoy this, and I hope very much that this thread can avoid the bickering that occurs on far too many threads here. If I can keep up with it, I may repeatedly revise this initial post to provide an index of links to the chip images that have been posted.

Since this forum is on the Wizard of Vegas site, I will begin my postings with Nevada casinos, which represent almost half of my present collection -- as I begin this thread, I have 285 casinos represented in my collection, and I hope to add a few more in the months before I get all of these posted.



Subsequent edits:

(1) As I suggested in the beginning, many folks have posted images of their own chips from the same casinos in response to mine. At times, forum member and chip collector rdw4potus has taken the lead in posting the Casino Chip of the Day. After my supply of chips was (temporarily) exhausted, rdw4potus took over the lead role for the thread on a "permanent" basis as of 5/21/13. Others have followed. I will continue to add to my collection and anticipate posting additional chips myself at the appropriate times.

(2) I have revised my categories of chips. I am no longer separating tribal casinos but including them within the geographic region surrounding the tribal land. Based on my own expanding collection, some gift chips, and chips posted here by others, I have also added a number of categories. The list now includes many U.S. states plus "Canada", "Mexico", "Central America", "Caribbean Islands", "Africa", "Asia", "Europe", "Oceania", "South America", "Chinese New Year Commemorative Chips", and "Cruise Ships." If I ever get chips from other areas, or others post such chips to this thread, I may create more categories. If this thread ever includes enough international chips to warrant it, I might categorize by country, as I have for Canada and Mexico.

(3) As of 2/24/13, the directory of chip postings was reconfigured. It no longer attempted to represent the chronological sequence of posts. The directory was arranged in an alphabetical listing of states, followed by the other categories, with the casinos within each category arranged (roughly) in alphabetical order. That was the way I originally attempted to post the chips in each category, but there were subsequent chip postings squeezed into the lists. For those who are interested in the chronological/posting sequence of the chips in this thread, well, I'm just not going to keep up with the details of that. Just have fun wading through the thread.

(4) As of 12/10/13, this initial post of the thread had been added onto so many times that it was too long to meet the restrictions of this forum. At that point, the directory of chips that had been posted was split into two parts, with Part 2 appearing (after some adjustments) in the following post. As of 2/14/17, the same problem was encountered with the "new" Part 2, and the index was split into three parts, all crammed into the first three posts in this discussion thread. By 2022, the three-part index had grown to the point that it could not meet restrictions of the forum. After considerable deliberations and with the assistance of higher-ups at this forum, a completely separate thread was created -- not for forum discussion but to maintain a viable index for this discussion thread.

The new thread index is located here.

(5) As of 12/17/2022, my own collection represents 547 casinos. I have occasionally posted photos of the way I have my collection on display on the desktop in my home office. The latest such photo posting is located here.

Deleted post, which was part of the now-obsolete, three-part index of CCotD posts, now replaced by the new index. See link in post #1 above.

For years, this thread has included a block of "Handy reference links" suggested by various members. These have long been hidden behind a spoiler button. Over time, many of the old links have broken, so I deleted them and placed what was still working in a more visible spot, since these might be of interest to some folks:


Museum Of Gaming History - Chip Guide

Article about Bud Jones Chip Molds

A short Casino Token History article

Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club Chipology - PDF

RouletteResearch.com - Primer on the Evolution and Fabrication Methods of Game Counters and Casino Chips - PDF

An alternative to Wikipedia: Online Nevada Encyclopedia

My 9/10/14 post in this thread about Top Hat and Cane chips.

PokerGrinder's thread with a list of "current" U.S. and Canadian casinos where chips may be collected.

Las Vegas Advisor QoD about counterfeiting chips, with comments about chip manufacturing

love the idea. Link and image work fine for me. Looking forward to seeing these.

Quote: Doc

I have eleven casinos only represented by the metal tokens, and two casinos for which I have both metal tokens and "clay" chips. Tim, if you have metal tokens/chips from some of the casinos for which I post photos of the clay chips, please post photos of your tokens as the thread gets to that casino. For most of the casinos, I have never seen their $1 tokens and would be interested in getting a look.

Be glad to...but like I said, many no longer exist...but ill follow this thread and post my corresponding ones...

Note 2/14/17: My comment in paragraph #1 of post #1 of this thread turned out to be true – this topic did generate a large number of related posts over an extended period. That created a problem when the index became too large for the forum’s limit on the size of a post. As noted in item #4 of the “Subsequent edits” section of post #1, the index was split into two parts as of December 2013 and into three parts in February 2017. This was made possible by moving my Aliante Station chip post (below) and combining it with my later posts, leaving space that had been emptied thereby for use as the expanded index.

Unfortunately, the following post is a blend of three posts and now appears later in the thread than multiple posts that comment about it. There has not really been a warp or fracture in the time/space continuum. Most of the following was originally posted higher in this thread and has just been moved here.




State: Nevada
City: North Las Vegas
Casino: Aliante Station

The first (alphabetically) chip is from Aliante Station. I plan to note in the heading of each day's post the city/town in which the casino is located. I will probably play that a little loose in the case of Las Vegas and won't bother designating "Paradise, NV" and such but only the well-known communities. I will try to stick with the city as shown on the chip, if there is one.

I have only been to Aliante Station one time, specifically to get this souvenir chip. That area of North Las Vegas is well off my normal path when visiting Sin City. I thought the casino was very nice, but I doubt I will make the trek out there again.

How many members of the forum have ever been out to play at Aliante Station?



By the way, I'm on Eastern time, so it's already Friday 3/16/12 here, in spite of the Las Vegas PDT times listed in the forum. I may or may not post a second chip-of-the-day before Saturday, as I get my feet wet on this stuff. Let me know whether this image (and the link) work for you.



Edit 3/28/12: I have just received from rdw4potus the links to some images of his chips from casinos that I have already passed in this thread. Thanks, rdw! I am editing my posts to include his images, such as this one:



Moderator's Edit 10/22/12: Word comes from this post on another board, posted by an Aliente employee, that on 11/1/12 Aliente Station will become Aliente Casino + Hotel. They are no longer part of the Stations family. No word on when or if new chips will be issued.

Edit 1/16/13: Although I was aware of Aliante (not "Aliente") no longer being part of the Station chain, I just noticed the above Moderator's Edit, which was added while I was out of the country. Tonight I checked the MOGH catalog and noted that new chips (without the "Station" designation) are indeed in circulation.

Quote: TIMSPEED (in a post that has now been deleted)

I have a buuunch of old Vegas $1 coins...

I have eleven casinos only represented by the metal tokens, and two casinos for which I have both metal tokens and "clay" chips. Tim, if you have metal tokens/chips from some of the casinos for which I post photos of the clay chips, please post photos of your tokens as the thread gets to that casino. For most of the casinos, I have never seen their $1 tokens and would be interested in getting a look.

Quote: TIMSPEED (in a post that really came after my comment above but appears above here in the thread)

Be glad to...but like I said, many no longer exist...but ill follow this thread and post my corresponding ones...

Oh, I have plenty of chips from casinos that no longer exist, and I will be posting those photos. My only constraint in collecting is that I must have been to the casino myself, and with extremely few exceptions, I have played in each of them to get the souvenir chip. I wish I could have chips that I obtained that way for the Sands, Dunes, Desert Inn, and a number of the other "classic" Vegas establishments.

It occurred to me that I should really try to say something about each casino other than, "I've been there." So here's a stab on the first one:

Aliante Station opened in 2008 as part of the Stations Casinos chain. Unfortunately, Stations declared bankruptcy the following year, and the casino now belongs to a group of the creditors, plus the original owners who "bought back in". I think the casino is still being operated by the former owners, who exited bankruptcy last year. I don't know details (hey! I'm not pacomartin), but I think I read some writeup that suggested the family/brothers who had owned Station made out like bandits (?) in the bankruptcy.

I hope to be able to give more positive comments on other casinos, and I should leave the business speculation to others. ;-)

Quote: Doc

State: Nevada
City: North Las Vegas
Casino: Aliante Station


How many members of the forum have ever been out to play at Aliante Station?

Holy cow....that's a filthy chip!! It should be bright white!

I used to go out to Aliante a couple years ago because they had the only bounty poker tournaments in town at the time. Nice new, fairly empty casino due to location, but Red Rock's still the best in the Station family.

That chip may be filthy but it's Tophat and Cane. It's a quality chip!

Quote: zippyboy

Holy cow....that's a filthy chip!! It should be bright white!

Well, yes and no.

Yes, the chip is kinda dirty. When I get some of them, they are so filthy I hate to put them in my pocket. Even when I wash them with a spray cleaner, I can't get them really clean.

But in this case, no, it should not be bright white. I must admit that my photography seems to have caused a bit of a color shift, but I'm not good enough nor dedicated enough to try to fix such things. The Aliante Station $1 chip (at least this one) is really a dark gray instead of white. While we may call the cheap chips "whites", there is quite a range of colors, particularly for the Nevada casinos.

Quote: s2dbaker

... but it's Tophat and Cane. It's a quality chip!

I think this Paulson mold design is the most common type in my collection. I have a bit of trouble taking a casino seriously if they don't use a quality chip. Perhaps as we get further into this thread, someone with better knowledge than mine can talk about the manufacturing processes.

This is a good thread idea and I look forward to following it.

The Aliante (note: corrected) Station I think is the only hotel/casino in Vegas I have not been to. There is zero reason to go to that part of Vegas. I've lived here 11 years and have never had the reason to go anywhere near the place.

A question that comes to my mind is what does aliante mean? Lots of things in Vegas have Spanish names, and that sounds Spanish, but I can't find that word exactly in my dictionaries. Here is my best theory. Liante means trouble maker or swindler. If you wanted to say "at the swindler" you would say "al liante." However, the two ls would come blend together, so it would sound like aliente. I wonder if this has a bearing on their Latino business. Sorry to turn this into another Spanish Word of the Day.

Quote: Wizard

The Aliente Station ....
A question that comes to my mind is what does aliente mean? ....

I can't help with the translation from whatever language this started in, but maybe I can give a hint: the spelling is "Aliante", not "Aliente". Perhaps you can find something useful from that.

In Italian, ALIANTE means glider, and the Aliante chip seems to have a gliding bird on it...so maybe thats more likely.

This book claims it means TO SOAR...but not referenced:

Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2011

Ah! Italian seems quite plausible, given the casino chain was founded by the now late Frank Fertitta, Jr. and is run by his two sons. I know nothing about them, but the name certainly sounds Italian.

Quote: Doc

I can't help with the translation from whatever language this started in, but maybe I can give a hint: the spelling is "Aliante", not "Aliente".

Doh! However, my point about liante meaning swindler remains valid, although the Italian theory seems to hold more water.

I love that they intended it to mean "to soar" or "gliding" but it has the unintended meaning of 'at the SWINDLER'.
Totally appropriate for a casino! Like my signature says..a fool and a thief...

Quote: Wizard

Doh! However, my point about liante meaning swindler remains valid, although the Italian theory seems to hold more water.

I sure hope that Laggio doesn't mean "child molester" in Spanish.

State: Nevada
City: Laughlin
Casino: Aquarius

Well, just to bring the discussion back to casino chips, I'll go ahead and post a new chip-of-the-day while all of us in the USA are on the same calendar date.

Based on info I stole from another site, the Aquarius started its life in 1990 as "The Flamingo Hilton Laughlin" -- perhaps just one of a line of casinos losing the use of the Hilton name, including the ones in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The name was changed to Aquarius when Harrah's sold the casino half a dozen years ago.

According to the Wizard's Laughlin review, the Aquarius is the largest casino and hotel in Laughlin. Check out that entire review, if you haven't already. Outside of the casino is one of the beautiful places to walk along the river, though they don't have a beach.

I collected this chip during my first visit to Laughlin, in 2008. As I have posted previously, I really like the Las Vegas strip, but I can only take the noise and neon for a few days at a time. Then I have to get away, decompress, and return for more fun. I'm far too cheap to fly across the country just for the three days until I start to feel the negative buzz in my head, and the get-away-for-just-a-while option often works.

On our May 2008 visit to Las Vegas, my wife and I took our pressure-release escape to the Grand Canyon for a couple of nights. On the way back to Las Vegas, we spent two nights in Laughlin (immediately after Bike Week), and I added almost all of that city's casinos to my chip collection. Later, I learned about Avi Resort and Casino out south of town and had to pick up that chip on a subsequent visit.

My most recent visits to Laughlin were in January and May of 2010, on similar detours from visits to Las Vegas. I did not gamble at the Aquarius on either of those visits to town, but I did pick up dinner at their Café Aquarius that January.



The colors in this image are quite a bit truer than those of the previous image in the thread.


Edit 3/28/12: I have just received from rdw4potus the links to some images of his chips from casinos that I have already passed in this thread. Thanks, rdw! I am editing my posts to include his images, such as this one:

Quote: Wizard

Here is my best theory. Liante means trouble maker or swindler.

I'd never heard of the word before. I had to go to the dictionary to find it. It's there, and it does mean that. The question is how you manage to come up with such rarely-used, very obscure words now and again?

Quote:

If you wanted to say "at the swindler" you would say "al liante." However, the two ls would come blend together, so it would sound like aliente. I wonder if this has a bearing on their Latino business. Sorry to turn this into another Spanish Word of the Day.

Would you go to a casino called "at the swindler"? I'm honestly puzzled at the suggestion.

In any event, "at the swindler" translates as "en el liante." "Al liante" means "to the swindler" or "towards the swindler."

I vote for the Italian.

Interesting design on the insert. Is it supposed to be clouds or water in the background?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Interesting design on the insert. Is it supposed to be clouds or water in the background?

Quote:

"Aquarius": ORIGIN Latin aquarius ‘of water,’ used as a noun to mean ‘water carrier.’

So that's my guess. I had never really paid attention to the insert background.

Here is a picture of the Aquarius from my Laughlin article. Largest casino in Laughlin by both table games and hotel rooms. Second in slots. I've stayed there a few times when it was the Flamingo Hilton.

I know at one point I had a $1 chip from the Flamingo Hilton but must have lost it. Arghhhhhh.

Quote: Johnzimbo

... but must have lost it. Arghhhhhh.

Maybe someone pirated it from you.

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Aria

Another day, another dollar.

Sorry. My compulsions would have forced me to use that quip eventually in this thread, so I thought it would be best to get it over with early.

Today we finally get to a casino in Las Vegas, at least according to the wording on the chip. Of course, the Aria, as the only casino to my knowledge in MGM Resorts City Center complex, is south of center on the strip, in Paradise (I think) and well outside of the Las Vegas city limits. This is what I meant in an earlier post of this thread about being a "little loose" with the name of the city in the post header.

Aria opened in December 2009, I believe, and I picked up this souvenir chip in January 2010, the only time I have played the tables there. After about a month of play, the chip is not exactly mint-out-of-the-tray new, but it is in outstanding condition compared to most of my beat-to-smithereens samples. (If I had the resources and inclination to collect $5,000 chips, they probably wouldn't be as filthy and chipped as the ones that I do have.) I like this chip's clean design, the fact that the name of the casino is molded into the chip (a high-class feature, in my opinion), and the nice mix of colors for a "white" chip.

The Aria hotel and casino is situated well back from Las Vegas Boulevard, actually closer to I-15, as the crow flies. I have walked there from the strip, ridden the tram down from Bellagio, and driven to the parking garage between Aria and the Mandarin Hotel. No matter which transportation mode I choose, the Aria seems a little more complex to get to than most other casinos in Las Vegas. And sometimes they even make it a little harder for you: as a comment to a thread here about the nearby Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, I posted a photo of some amusing signage inside the Aria garage. I suppose that being dropped off at the front door by a limo would be convenient.

I haven't been in the Aria in more than a year, but my residual impression is one of a high-class décor, lighting a little dimmer than I like, and a number of reasonably quiet restaurants, bars, and lounges surrounding the gaming floor, making for an overall pleasant environment. And the only time I gambled there, I broke even exactly (up a souvenir $1 chip), after toking the dealers, which perhaps contributes to an overall pleasant memory.



Edit 5/27/12: Check this post later in this thread about UV images visible on this and other chips.



Edit 3/28/12: I have just received from rdw4potus the links to some images of his chips from casinos that I have already passed in this thread. Thanks, rdw! I am editing my posts to include his images, such as this one:

deleted

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Quote: Doc

the fact that the name o the casino is molded into the chip (a high-class feature, in my opinion)...

I believe all mgm property chips are molded this way.

Do you consider Circus Circus and Slots-A-Fun to be MGM properties? If not, then how about Monte Carlo? Or New York New York? None of my chips for those four casinos have the casino name molded into the chip. Stick around here, and I will show them.

But you are indeed correct about most of the MGM Resorts casino chips, at least in Las Vegas, so thanks for contributing to the discussion. And there may be another chip series for some of those four properties I listed that have this feature too. If you have some like that, please post photos to the thread when we get to that casino; I'm hoping that lots of other members will post photos of their alternate chips designs at the appropriate points.

deleted

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

When I played at NY-NY and MC earlier this year, the name is molded in.

Excellent! Maybe someone will post a photo of that style chip when we get to the M's and N's, so we can make comparisons.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Same at Bellagio and Mirage.

Agreed. My chips from those two (as well as several others) have the names molded in the perimeter.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Although mgm owns CC, they wont admit to it.

Yeah, that's why I started out with, "Do you consider ....?"

In this thread I think I'll focus on the actual casino names. In this case we all know that an aria is a vocal solo in an opera. It can still be accompanied by music, but must be just one singer. Given that, I never noticed any kind of operatic or musical theme to the Aria. It seems to me that the Aria is one of the few casinos in Vegas with no discernible theme at all. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (as always, and I often am).

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

When I played at NY-NY and MC earlier this year, the name is molded in. Same at Bellagio and Mirage. Although mgm owns CC, they wont admit to it.

The Bellagio chips have always had the name molded in around the perimeter. I have a souvenir chip from shortly after they opened, two years before MGM bought Mirage Resorts.

Do you have these, Doc? The Stardust 1$ sold for $2500 recently.

Quote: EvenBob

Do you have these, Doc? The Stardust 1$ sold for $2500 recently.

Are these your chips, Bob? If so, I would love to see them posted when we get to the appropriate point in the list. Otherwise, I would like to keep with my requests from the original post of the thread:

Quote: Doc

If you have different chips from the same casino, either a different denomination or a different chip series, please post a photo for us to see. I would prefer that, unless there is a particular justification, this not become a thread for people to gather and post images from eBay auctions, collectors' clubs, image libraries, etc. when no one here actually has the original chip.

In reply to your question, though, no, I do not have any chips from Elko, but I do have a Stardust $1 chip, just not the same one that you showed. I'll be posting my photo when I get to the S's. If the image you posted above is your chip, please post it again when we get to that point. For the many casinos that I do not (yet) have a souvenir chip at all, there will be plenty of opportunity to post images of yours when I have run out of mine. If we start posting images in random order, I expect we will encounter the same Have-we-talked-about-this-already? issues that have come up in the Spanish Word of the Day thread.

Thanks.

Quote: MathExtremist

The Bellagio chips have always had the name molded in around the perimeter. I have a souvenir chip from shortly after they opened, two years before MGM bought Mirage Resorts.

And if that is not the same chip that I post an image of (in about a week, I suspect), then I hope you will post a photo of yours then.

Quote: Wizard

In this thread I think I'll focus on the actual casino names. In this case we all know that an aria is a vocal solo in an opera. It can still be accompanied by music, but must be just one singer. Given that, I never noticed any kind of operatic or musical theme to the Aria. It seems to me that the Aria is one of the few casinos in Vegas with no discernible theme at all. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (as always, and I often am).

If the Wikipedia Aria article can be trusted, the Wiz can give himself not one, but two gold stars.

Here's the last two sentences from first paragraph in the Design section:

Quote: Wikipedia

Aria's design is described as not adhering to an overarching theme, in contrast to themed resorts prevalent on the Las Vegas Strip. It was named Aria due to its placement as the central feature of CityCenter, as arias are focal points in operas.

Quote: Doc

And if that is not the same chip that I post an image of (in about a week, I suspect), then I hope you will post a photo of yours then.

It's my plan to upload images of the few chips I have when you get to your versions. I'm not an avid collector, but I've done a few craps-playing sprees where I try to play in every casino in a vicinity (e.g. Downtown LV) and get a souvenir chip for my efforts.

Excellent!

Quote: Wizard

In this thread I think I'll focus on the actual casino names. In this case we all know that an aria is a vocal solo in an opera. It can still be accompanied by music, but must be just one singer. Given that, I never noticed any kind of operatic or musical theme to the Aria. It seems to me that the Aria is one of the few casinos in Vegas with no discernible theme at all. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (as always, and I often am).

What's the theme of Wynn?

Quote: s2dbaker

What's the theme of Wynn?

I will address that when Doc gets to the Ws. I'll need that long to figure out the answer.

Aria: edgy, hipsterish.

Wynn: nouveau riche.

Quote: Wizard

It seems to me that the Aria is one of the few casinos in Vegas with no discernible theme at all.

"Luxury" seems to be the theme with many of the newer joints. Aria, M, Cosmopolitan, Wynn, Encore.

As for the Aria chip design, it struck me as identical to the Bellagio's when I first saw them. I guess they might be interchangable.

Quote: Wizard

It seems to me that the Aria is one of the few casinos in Vegas with no discernible theme at all.

I would say "one of the growing number of Vegas casinos without a discernible theme at all."

But perhaps there should be a thread for that.

Quote: Ayecarumba

As for the Aria chip design, it struck me as identical to the Bellagio's when I first saw them. I guess they might be interchangable.

My Bellagio chip, coming up in a week, looks nothing like the Aria chip I posted, other than that they both have a bit of blue. We'll have to see what MathExtremist's Bellagio chip looks like to see how it compares to the Aria one. Ah, the suspense! Almost anything to keep folks coming back to the thread. :-)

I expect Aria and Bellagio would indeed accept each other's chips at a table or at the cashier with no problem. Unless, perhaps, your Bellagio chips looked like the ones that bozo on the scooter ran off with.

Quote: Doc

My Bellagio chip, coming up in a week, looks nothing like the Aria chip I posted, other than that they both have a bit of blue. We'll have to see what MathExtremist's Bellagio chip looks like to see how it compares to the Aria one. Ah, the suspense! Almost anything to keep folks coming back to the thread. :-)

Hmm, now I'll have to dig my little collection out of the closet to refresh my memory. I regret not keeping track of the dates when I picked them up.

When you dig them out, get some photos ready to post so that we can make comparisons.

I have no idea how many series of chips we might have collected as a group, and I have no denominations except $1 myself. There are probably lots of alternate designs in the hands of our members, and I am hoping we can get a lot of images posted of chips at least one of us has in hand. I just want to do it in an orderly fashion (such as alphabetical within state) so that it isn't an overwhelming task to locate a particular posted image later on.

Quote: Doc

When you dig them out, get some photos ready to post so that we can make comparisons.

I have no idea how many series of chips we might have collected as a group, and I have no denominations except $1 myself.

Most of mine (and it's really only about 2 dozen or so) are $1 chips from various NV casinos. I have one $5 Bellagio chip as well, and then a 5 chip (no currency indicated) from one of the Holland Casinos in Amsterdam, plus a 100Fr chip from the American Salon at Casino de Monte Carlo. That one brings back memories.

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Arizona Charlie's Decatur

Arizona Charlie's Decatur is a locals casino situated 3 miles or so roughly due west of the Las Vegas Premium Outlet Mall, which (in case you are not familiar with it) is between I-15 and Main Street, half a dozen blocks before you get to Fremont Street. That should give you a vague idea of the casino's location, suitable for the purposes of this thread. If you plan to go there, you can look for your own, better directions. Perhaps this is an appropriate place to ask the question: What's the deal with "locals" casinos having hotels? Other than the Wizard doing a review, do folks regularly need hotel rooms in the town where they live? Sounds more like a topic that suggests secret liaisons, doesn't it?

Back more on topic, at their café, they regularly run a $2.99 (with player's card), 24-hour breakfast deal that includes two eggs, hash browns and choice of bacon or sausage and toast or biscuit and gravy. I think you can get it with a ham steak for $3.99. Now that's a deal you can hardly beat for the combination of food quantity, quality, and price. Unfortunately, this is a locals place, and a deal like that attracts people who bring their twelve screaming kids along for the chance to dine out. Let Dad gamble a little while Mom wrangles the rug rats in the café. At least that was what I encountered on my only visit. YMMV.

Just to stomp all over the Wizard's "I'll focus on the actual casino names" approach, I checked Wikipedia, looking for some info on the origin of the name. Along the way, I learned that the place was originally constructed as a bowling alley in 1963, with the casino added on in 1988. A casino expansion in 1994 involved demolition of the bowling alley and some adjacent businesses. The name is supposedly a reference to the original owner's distant relative "Arizona" Charlie Meadows, who performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Don't blame me if that is untrue; I just stole it from Wiki.

As has been the case with so many other casinos, the ownership of this one went through bankruptcy, with the major creditor claiming the lion's share of ownership. Unless something has changed since I last checked, this casino, its namesake across town (look for that chip tomorrow, along with comments on alphabetizing), and the Stratosphere are under the same ownership now.

Since I asked the question about Aliante Station, I'll repeat it here: How many members here have ever made it to Arizona Charlie's Decatur?






Edit 3/28/12: I have just received from rdw4potus the links to some images of his chips from casinos that I have already passed in this thread. Thanks, rdw! I am editing my posts to include his images, such as this one:

I have been there. I was down a few hundred bucks for the trip and decided to check out of the El Cortez. I went down that way to go to the Original Pancake House across the street and then went into the casino. I played their double deck game and won about $500 in 15 minutes and got the hell out of there, got on the 15 south and headed home. The place struck me as a bit dingier than a downtown casino and I have not since returned. Very little reason to go there.

Quote: bigfoot66

The place struck me as a bit dingier than a downtown casino and I have not since returned. Very little reason to go there.

Yes, perhaps, but this thread hasn't yet made it to the really scuzzy establishments. Congrats, though, on recovering your bankroll there.

Arizona Charlie's Decatur is the 4th or 5th closest casino to my house. In my estimation it has the worst air quality of any casino in Las Vegas. Once you step through the doors the stench of tobacco smoke is overpowering. There is no safe spot in the casino to escape it, except for a self-enclosed non-smoking slots room. I actually didn't know about this room until my last visit there. It is not well marked at all.

The clientele of ACD for the most part look like some very haggard human beings. Many of them are in those motorized scooters and/or pushing around an oxygen tank. Come to think of it, I think I wouldn't turn down an oxygen tank if I had to play there. However, in their defense, if you're living off of a small Social Security check, then I think you could stretch it a long ways at ACD. Everything is cheap and the limits are low. Definitely a place to kill time on a low budget, waiting to die.

I should add that if you observe the Sabbath and must attend services, ACD is the closest casino to an Orthodox Jewish temple in Las Vegas. A very devout friend of mine, who is probably a millionaire, stays there on Friday nights for that reason when he is in town. Hopefully the man upstairs appreciates the sacrifice.

You forgot to mention, that $3.99 breakfast deal includes steak! That's the only redeeming feature of ACD. I've been a couple times. They used to have a really good coupon deal in the ACG for blackjack, and you could use it as many times as you wanted. It's a dark, dingy dump. If you looked up "locals'" casino in the dictionary, you should see a picture of ACD.

The only place I've ever seen to offer $4 minimums on blackjack. I assume they did not have quarter or $2.50 chips.

Any casino built after 1992 in Nevada must have a 200-room hotel to get a non-restricted license.