What do casinos pay GPI per chip for their own setup? (1 Viewer)

Carnth

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When a new casino starts, they need chips!
Does anyone have the insider info on the following....
  • What is the typical order size that a small to mid-size casino would place? How many thousand chips? (Including all table games and a poker room)
  • How much per chip (on average) do casinos pay?
  • What is the price of a very common $5 chip compared to a 43mm $5000 chip with extra security features?
  • What security features are offered by GPI for high-value chips?
  • How long does it take for GPI to fulfill an order?
  • How is this new order fulfilled? (Shipping method)
I like chips, but I'm also fascinated by casino operations.

Thanks to anyone who can answer any or all of these questions.
 
Medium sized casino would probably order about 250,000 chips initially.

They probably pay $1 and change for most clay chips without security features.

Security features such as UV ink, micro dots, serial numbers, and RFID are probably typical, in addition to the edge spot and colour combos. There are probably others.
 
They probably pay $1 and change for most clay chips without security features.
Does this mean that casinos take a slight loss on $1 chips that people walk out with?

Wow, I didn't think they would be ok with that.
 
Does this mean that casinos take a slight loss on $1 chips that people walk out with?

Wow, I didn't think they would be ok with that.

They might, but it's likely to be a negligible amount to their bottom line, since those people who take the odd chip have already spent/loss much more money during their time spent there.
 
That's why they make commemorative and collector chips on the $5-$25 denom. Pure profit if someone takes it home...

If I'm ever in Vegas during Chinese New Year, someone is gonna make a lot of money off of me from those $8 chips.... :LOL: :laugh:
 
  • How much per chip (on average) do casinos pay?
  • What is the price of a very common $5 chip compared to a 43mm $5000 chip with extra security features?

Note that, according to some PCF members' posts, the per-chip price is hard to pin down because Paulson doesn't price that way. Reportedly, it varies considerably based on the relationship that the customer has with Paulson, i.e. how much business they do (and not just in chips; Paulson / GPI make other casino equipment as well).
 
This was the totals for the Horsehoe Sputhern Indiana that Jim at ChipRoom posted. Granted, this is the number of chips he purchased, not the number manufactured. The number of Primaries would be higher, because of missing/damaged, etc. The number of secondaries is likely the same as manufactured , as they were never put in play.
However, you can see a trend with certain denominations, and be able to estimate what the original number would be. It looks like for many denoms, the primary would’ve been roughly double the number of secondaries (i.e. the $5, $25 and $100 chip numbers)

SecondaryPrimary
$0.252500$0.254700
$1400001a 100000$194000
$2.5011970$2.506800
$550000$589600
$2526000$2549900
$10012500$10024600
$5007000$50013900
$1,0002000$1,0002900
$5,0001000$5,0001900
$25,000300$25,000400
 
Does this mean that casinos take a slight loss on $1 chips that people walk out with?

Wow, I didn't think they would be ok with that.
No, they don't.

First, whatever a casino spends on equipment (like chips) is an expense, deducted from profits.

Any chip that hits the floor will be won or lost -- but mostly lost -- over and over again on the same day. A single $1 chip might be "bought" and lost back to the casino multiple times on the first day it's used. I've heard casino officials say they "make back" the cost of chips in 24 to 72 hours.

So probably within a couple of days of play, the chips have cost the casino nothing.
 
Does this mean that casinos take a slight loss on $1 chips that people walk out with?

Wow, I didn't think they would be ok with that.
I do not belive that casinos do "income per chip" economic indicators.....
 
Anyone know the price of custom house molds?
GPI creates lower-cost custom house mold "cups" that are inserted into spaces in a mold. A new steel mold for clay chips using a process like Classic would have a high cost -- $20,000 or more, just for the mold.

No idea what GPI would charge to do house mold cups.
 

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