Morals, ethics, legalities or hardcore chip harvesting. (1 Viewer)

If I buy a chip from the cage there is no moral issue..... or not?

Last saturday I was in Casino Perla in Nova Gorica (Slovenia), next to Italian border....
I wanted to pick-up a few francs (they use a nice, colorful 0,50 euro chip): these chips are hard to harvest, because are used only at blackjack table where minimum it's 5 euro.
I asked at cage if possibile receive a few 0,50 chips: a nice girl opened a drawer and showed hundreds and hundreds of chip, between them almost 10x rack of 0,50 chips. I took 2 barrels because really didn't need more, but I think she could give me one or two racks if I asked.

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View attachment 742761 View attachment 742763 (yellow chip it's from roulette)




Casino Perla is part of HIT, Slovenia biggest casino operator: they have several locations next to Italian ad Austrian border https://www.hit.si/en largest
"HIT" does not have any gaming meaning. It's an acronym: Hotel, Igralni, Turizem = Hotel, Games, Tourism in slovenian language.
They use similar but different chips (I posted something here), only 0.50 chip it's the same: anyway, they issue this chip since 2002 and some difference in color can be found.

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Major difference it's HIT logo on the edge (old vs. new logo). The cage gave me 39x with old logo, just one with new logo.View attachment 742767 View attachment 742766

Probably same design file but different manufacturer with nonconforming colour palette. If you ask for the chips and they agree, there is no problem.
 
I love harvesting and the challenges it brings. I consider myself truly the best in the west. It took me longer then normal (two years) but I finally got my sams town angle locked last month. Got 2k x $1 out. Paris is next on my must have a massive haul list, and yes lurkers all Sams are spoken for. Half didn’t even hit PCF, no need to flood the dms again.
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I love harvesting and the challenges it brings. I consider myself truly the best in the west. It took me longer then normal (two years) but I finally got my sams town angle locked last month. Got 2k x $1 out. Paris is next on my must have a massive haul list, and yes lurkers all Sams are spoken for. Half didn’t even hit PCF, no need to flood the dms again.
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nice score man! that is impressive. can i see that table though???
 
The question really is whether the casino is losing money from harvesting? If the chip, which usually tends to be the $1 chip, may cost the casino more than $1. If that’s the case, in my eyes that is theft because you are causing a loss by taking something without permission. If there is no monetary loss, then it might be ok, but I still think permission should be given. If it was your business, how would you feel about it?
 
If it was your business, how would you feel about it?
If it was my business and I was strictly concerned about the bottom line, it might cost me more in security costs to enforce a no-harvsting rule, than it would to lose $0.25/chip when a $1 gets harvested that cost me $1.25 to buy.

To me, the fact there are no signs saying not to remove chips from the casino implies the management doesn't really care. They must know it happens, and it wouldn't cost too much to at least put up signs and make people aware they don't like it.
 
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If it was my business and I was strictly concerned about the bottom line, it might cost me more in security costs to enforce a no-harvsting rule, than it would to lose $0.25/chip when a $1 gets harvested that cost me $1.25 to buy.

To me, the fact there are no signs saying not to remove chips from the casino implies the management doesn't really care. They must know it happens, and it wouldn't cost too much to at least put up signs and make people aware they don't like it.
I think this is the key. Most people don't think about how much it costs to make chips. I assume almost everyone outside of collectors like us probably think they cost a lot less than they do. So they think nothing of putting a few in their pockets as souvenirs, thinking that they have "paid" for them. Knowing this, if the casinos considered taking them to be theft, then they would post signs or make it known that they did not want the customers to take them off the premises. But they don't, so I don't see that it's a big issue.

Even with fracs or $1s where the casino is taking a loss, I believe their thinking is that we are in there gambling and making them money. So losing a few chips (paid for at face value) is of no major consequence to them.
 
The question really is whether the casino is losing money from harvesting? If the chip, which usually tends to be the $1 chip, may cost the casino more than $1. If that’s the case, in my eyes that is theft because you are causing a loss by taking something without permission. If there is no monetary loss, then it might be ok, but I still think permission should be given. If it was your business, how would you feel about it?
IN VEGAS It’s considered illegal yet rarely enforced to take Chips off resort property regardless of denominations or cost. Pretty simple. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t make the rules, either does the casino in this case. I Forget if its local or federal but ether way don’t trust a guy in a chat room, always be careful out there, they consider it stealing at a certain point.

Pa the cashless/Chippless systems are on the way. Stay tuned. It’s already in the works.
 
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It’s considered illegal yet rarely enforced to take Chips off resort property regardless of denominations or cost. Pretty simple. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t make the rules, either does the casino in this case. I Forget if its local or federal but ether way don’t trust a guy in a chat room, always be careful out there, they consider it stealing at a certain point.

Pa the cashless/Chippless systems are on the way. Stay tuned. It’s already in the works.
there've been local casinos who've used electronic tables for poker. they weren't popular and they closed down after about a year. i think chips / a dealer is a big enough part of the poker experience to keep it going for a few more decades even if there are some who use electronic alternatives.
 
there've been local casinos who've used electronic tables for poker. they weren't popular and they closed down after about a year. i think chips / a dealer is a big enough part of the poker experience to keep it going for a few more decades even if there are some who use electronic alternatives.
Let’s hope otherwise collections will skyrocket and u better like what you accumulated.
 
to the contrary - if casinos aren't buying from gpi any more, they have no reason not to sell to the home market. they probably won't sell to consumers for the same price they sell to casinos since it'll be in much smaller quantities... i would guess something close to CPC. so the low end of the chip market would probably be very similar, retailing for $3-5 a chip, selling in the after market for a 2-4$ mint and 1-2$ used. but the high end would drop like a rock. customize your own IHC chicken! $5/chip!
 
to the contrary - if casinos aren't buying from gpi any more, they have no reason not to sell to the home market. they probably won't sell to consumers for the same price they sell to casinos since it'll be in much smaller quantities... i would guess something close to CPC. so the low end of the chip market would probably be very similar, retailing for $3-5 a chip, selling in the after market for a 2-4$ mint and 1-2$ used. but the high end would drop like a rock. customize your own IHC chicken! $5/chip!
I wouldn't hold your breath
 
well, like i said, i dont think casinos will be nixing their use of chips any time soon so i don't see gpi risking their relationships with casinos by selling to the home market.

but IF that ever happened the market price of poultry would most definitely take a big hit. an hsi small stakes cash set? not so much.
 
If it was my business and I was strictly concerned about the bottom line, it might cost me more in security costs to enforce a no-harvsting rule, than it would to lose $0.25/chip when a $1 gets harvested that cost me $1.25 to buy.

To me, the fact there are no signs saying not to remove chips from the casino implies the management doesn't really care. They must know it happens, and it wouldn't cost too much to at least put up signs and make people aware they don't like it.
So does every place of business need to post a sign and ask you not to steal stuff? No sign means free for all? Because their security is more concerned about other types of crimes going on and didn’t notice someone harvesting makes it ok?
 
they're selling you the chips so there's a pretty clear distinction between this and taking something that you don't have any claim to.

they can put conditions on that sale and the fact that we're aware of those conditions and choose to harvest anyways means it's not completely on the up and up. does that make it theft? of course not, this would never be prosecuted as theft. i doubt it's ever been prosecuted at all.

it’s like taking a roll of toilet paper from a gas station on a larger scale. For anything beyond a 1$ chip it’s even less egregious because they’re actually making money on the whole ordeal.
 
So does every place of business need to post a sign and ask you not to steal stuff? No sign means free for all? Because their security is more concerned about other types of crimes going on and didn’t notice someone harvesting makes it ok?
Not saying it changes anything legally, but if I was a casino manager and was concerned about chips disappearing, I'd put up a sign, as I'm sure a solid majority of chips harvested from Vegas casinos are tourists wanting souvenirs or forgetting to cash in something in their pockets, who probably don't realize it's illegal or frowned upon. I'm sure many of these people figure the chips are theirs if they paid for them. Casinos are very strict places with clear rules and procedures, and not much tolerance for breaking them. IMO, the absence of a sign implies that the casino managers aren't worried about enforcing the chip harvesting laws, which to me makes it more ethical to harvest if the casinos don't care.

Even among PCFers, I'm sure many of us only harvest because it's a grey area (exemplified by the creation of this thread). There's lots of stories on here about dealers/cashiers sorting through their tray to find a minty chip for us to keep as a souvenir. If there was a clear message from the casinos that harvesting was prohibited, or if the dealers/cashiers flat out told us it was prohibited when we ask, I'm sure that fewer members would harvest. All in all it seems like a pretty easy and cost-effective way to start if the casinos actually cared about chips disappearing.

Also, I know that the law may be clear but that doesn't mean casinos don't take preventative measures when they care about violation. Obviously the law says people can't cheat at casino games, but casinos still take expensive steps to prevent cheating, because it's in their economic interest. If chip harvesting was having a significant in place on the bottom line, I'm sure casinos would take more obvious steps to keep chips in the casino, regardless of whether taking chips is a crime or not. You said about stores having signs telling you not to steal, but fwiw many stores do have that, just as a reminder to customers. I'm sure we've all seen "shoplifeters will be prosecuted" signs even though we know theft is illegal, or even those surveillance monitors by the WalMart entrance.
 
Not saying it changes anything legally, but if I was a casino manager and was concerned about chips disappearing, I'd put up a sign, as I'm sure a solid majority of chips harvested from Vegas casinos are tourists wanting souvenirs or forgetting to cash in something in their pockets, who probably don't realize it's illegal or frowned upon. I'm sure many of these people figure the chips are theirs if they paid for them. Casinos are very strict places with clear rules and procedures, and not much tolerance for breaking them. IMO, the absence of a sign implies that the casino managers aren't worried about enforcing the chip harvesting laws, which to me makes it more ethical to harvest if the casinos don't care.

Even among PCFers, I'm sure many of us only harvest because it's a grey area (exemplified by the creation of this thread). There's lots of stories on here about dealers/cashiers sorting through their tray to find a minty chip for us to keep as a souvenir. If there was a clear message from the casinos that harvesting was prohibited, or if the dealers/cashiers flat out told us it was prohibited when we ask, I'm sure that fewer members would harvest. All in all it seems like a pretty easy and cost-effective way to start if the casinos actually cared about chips disappearing.

Also, I know that the law may be clear but that doesn't mean casinos don't take preventative measures when they care about violation. Obviously the law says people can't cheat at casino games, but casinos still take expensive steps to prevent cheating, because it's in their economic interest. If chip harvesting was having a significant implace on the bottom line, I'm sure casinos would take more obvious steps to keep chips in the casino, regardless of whether taking chips is a crime or not.
Some have a limit set in place. Sams employee policy Let’s u take 5x$1 per day, not a problem.
 
So does every place of business need to post a sign and ask you not to steal stuff? No sign means free for all? Because their security is more concerned about other types of crimes going on and didn’t notice someone harvesting makes it ok?
I've had several Vegas cages help me sort through 5-10 racks so that I could take mint racks home to Australia. I was very clear about my intentions. Mandalay Bay even sorted through themselves and hand delivered two mint racks to me at the table whilst I was playing cash.

So brah, maybe just chill.

That being said, I still think it's dumb and a bit desperate to turn it into a business. I don't see that ending well in the long-run. No need to be greedy.
 
I love harvesting and the challenges it brings. I consider myself truly the best in the west. It took me longer then normal (two years) but I finally got my sams town angle locked last month. Got 2k x $1 out. Paris is next on my must have a massive haul list, and yes lurkers all Sams are spoken for. Half didn’t even hit PCF, no need to flood the dms again.
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Well, we know how you feel, advertising your wares in a thread asking about the morality of what you are doing. About what we expect I guess. Class act all the way.
 
Let’s say this is your business


Got 2k x $1 out

might cost me more in security costs to enforce a no-harvsting rule, than it would to lose $0.25/chip when a $1 gets harvested that cost me $1.25 to buy.

you just lost $500 to one single person. Granted not everyone’s a greedy fuck, but how do you feel about losing $500? Do you run your businesses this way?
 
If your position is that companies eventually get to a big enough size that it’s ok to steal from them just say so. We can live with it and somewhat rationalize out deceit with that explanation. We do it all the time.
The theme I see here is that “as long as it’s not specifically banned, like with a physical sign (cause that makes it official), it’s ok even if it harms others”.
Are we supposed to feel sorry for casinos now?
 

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