$8 chips?

Looking around online, I see many examples of $8 limited edition chips issued around Chinese New Year. Are these chips actually put into play on tables, or just offered as souvenirs?

If they're put into play on Baccarat tables, for example, does the commission still stay at 5%? Making the commission $0.25 for every $8 wagered instead of $5 wagered makes the commission 3.125%, resulting in a HE of 0.198%.

Most of the chips I've found are from Las Vegas, but some are from small cardrooms too. Even if it's not the norm, I wonder if a smaller cardroom might unwittingly try doing this.

I'd be surprised if they got any play. The Wizard discussed these chips in the Casino Chip of the Day thread (along with posting one chip image there) and described some changes in their usage as of this past New Year -- changes imposed by regulators because the chips are not used regularly for gaming. Then, on the next page, he began posting his entire collection of these chips. Take a look!

Thanks for the link, Doc. I can see why the NGC doesn't like casinos selling chips that are not intended for gaming. Seems odd that casinos wouldn't just deem them poker chips to make them legal though.

I doubt the "poker chip" angle would work very well. I suspect the Chinese New Year theme is intended to garner favor with Asian players. While there are exceptions, I don't think the bulk of the Asian players coming to the casino are focused on poker. That's why they have entire rooms of "Asian games." Now if there were particular reasons to want $8 chips for baccarat or Pai Gow tiles, that might be a very different story.

Of course, there are non-Asians (like the Wizard) who like to collect these chips, and I don't really know the whole story of who really likes them enough to want to buy them. These are not even a blip on the radar of my collecting addiction.

Quote: Doc

I doubt the "poker chip" angle would work very well. I suspect the Chinese New Year theme is intended to garner favor with Asian players. While there are exceptions, I don't think the bulk of the Asian players coming to the casino are focused on poker. That's why they have entire rooms of "Asian games."

Certainly true, but it's an excuse to provide the $8 chips for gaming, which should in theory satisfy the NGC. Once that happens, the casino can do whatever they want, right?

Does anywhere in the SoCal/LV area still issue 8$ chips? Last I followed the discussion, they appear to have been discontinued everywhere due to the regulations.