Please explain “Primary” and “Secondary?” (1 Viewer)

[SaltCityFish]

I see a lot of sets labeled as Primary and Secondary. Does that just refer to color variations? Is one better quality or not rare than the other?

 

[Chipandchair]

Primary are the chips that are on the floor in the casino. Secondary are the backup chips that replace the primary chips in the event the primaries become compromised. Often times secondary chips are required by law for a casino. Typically secondary are not felted ever and in better condition.

 

[chipinla]

Primary = Wife
Secondary = Girlfriend

 

[JAFO]

I looked this up a while back in the PCF Glossary and it wasn’t there. I guess we are just supposed to know…

 

[Sneakygreek]

Then HSI had a tertiary $1 chip believe it or not.

 

[davislane]

Primary. $

Secondary. $$$

 

[Chipandchair]

Then HSI had a tertiary $1 chip believe it or not.

Yep

 

[upNdown]

Then HSI had a tertiary $1 chip believe it or not.

Seems likely that was a mistake though.

We’ve been calling them the tertiary ones because we have to call them something. But the truth is, many or most casinos that have secondary sets don’t bother with secondary ones. It would be ludicrous to suggest that they had an extra 25,000 $1 chips on hand for security purposes. Somebody screwed up.

 

[chipinla]

Primary. $

Secondary. $$$

Proving my comment bahahahaha

 

[Ben8257]

Seems likely that was a mistake though.

We’ve been calling them the tertiary ones because we have to call them something. But the truth is, many or most casinos that have secondary sets don’t bother with secondary ones. It would be ludicrous to suggest that they had an extra 25,000 $1 chips on hand for security purposes. Somebody screwed up.

Many casinos have secondary $1s, first that comes to mind are the PCAs, Empress, I mean PCA even had secondary fracs. I believe if it is mandated by law maybe they have to have secondaries for every denom. But guessing those laws vary by state gaming commission

 

[allforcharity]

Secondary $1 (or lower value) probably aren't a thing because casinos aren't worried about compromised or counterfeit $1s. They worry about high denom chips because they are a potential huge hit to the bottom line.

 

[upNdown]

Many casinos have secondary $1s, first that comes to mind are the PCAs, Empress, I mean PCA even had secondary fracs. I believe if it is mandated by law maybe they have to have secondaries for every denom. But guessing those laws vary by state gaming commission

Yeah, that’s true. I guess I shouldn’t be using words like “most” since I have no idea what goes on in the industry, outside of the handful of casinos (from just a few states) that Jim has shown us.
But my speculation is that secondary $1s are a lot less common than the bigger chips.

 

[FDLmold]

Secondary $1 (or lower value) probably aren't a thing because casinos aren't worried about compromised or counterfeit $1s. They worry about high denom chips because they are a potential huge hit to the bottom line.

Missouri requires secondaries of all denominations. Which is why we often get mint secondary fracs and $1 chips from that state. Ohio I think it is just $5 and above that require secondary chips.

 

[allforcharity]

Missouri requires secondaries of all denominations. Which is why we often get mint secondary fracs and $1 chips from that state. Ohio I think it is just $5 and above that require secondary chips.

And sometimes it's only $25 and above like Jack Detroit.

 

[4RunnerRunner]

And sometimes it's only $25 and above like Jack Detroit.

It doesn’t make sense to include any lower denoms in the secondary set unless mandated by law. God bless the rubber stamping bureaucrats who made licensees produce secondary fracs, though! UV security features on secondary quarters, lol. Yes, please!

 

[Sneakygreek]

It doesn’t make sense to include any lower denoms in the secondary set unless mandated by law. God bless the rubber stamping bureaucrats who made licensees produce secondary fracs, though! UV security features on secondary quarters, lol. Yes, please!
View attachment 903465

Beautiful

 

[Sneakygreek]

@4RunnerRunner i am peanut butter and jealous

 

[LinkyBabe]

Primary = Wife
Secondary = Girlfriend

Tertiary = Lawyer... cuz primary found out about the secondary

 

[JustDave]

so if they swap from primary to secondary do they make you change out any chips you have in your possession at the cage where they'd give them an extra level of scrutiny?

I only ask because I seem to remember watching something about someone faking chips and they were cashing them through the cage not cycling them through the dealers.

 

[Colquhoun]

so if they swap from primary to secondary do they make you change out any chips you have in your possession at the cage where they'd give them an extra level of scrutiny?

I only ask because I seem to remember watching something about someone faking chips and they were cashing them through the cage not cycling them through the dealers.

I would expect that when the casino moves from primary to secondary, it’s done very quickly. I’m thinking they stop all play at the tables and make a switch of all chips. If you happen to have some in your pockets, the cage is likely where it would be done.
At that point, I don’t think they’re scrutinizing each chip as it comes in…they’ve already determined something has been compromised and now in damage control.
I would expect that any primaries outside the casino could be cashed in, on a case by case basis.

I’d love to hear the story behind any major switches like this that have happened.
I can only think of the Bellagio taking the 25k out of play after the biker theft. Although with a chip of that size, they probably had a very short list of who might have a legitimate one outside the casino.

 

[JustDave]

I would expect that when the casino moves from primary to secondary, it’s done very quickly. I’m thinking they stop all play at the tables and make a switch of all chips. If you happen to have some in your pockets, the cage is likely where it would be done.
At that point, I don’t think they’re scrutinizing each chip as it comes in…they’ve already determined something has been compromised and now in damage control.
I would expect that any primaries outside the casino could be cashed in, on a case by case basis.

I’d love to hear the story behind any major switches like this that have happened.
I can only think of the Bellagio taking the 25k out of play after the biker theft. Although with a chip of that size, they probably had a very short list of who might have a legitimate one outside the casino.

IIRC @Windwalker mentioned once what you'd need to do to cash these very large chips. That they are tracked and can't be cashed in by someone who is 'unknown' to the casino. But I'm assuming he'd know a lot more.

 

[ekricket]

IIRC @Windwalker mentioned once what you'd need to do to cash these very large chips. That they are tracked and can't be cashed in by someone who is 'unknown' to the casino. But I'm assuming he'd know a lot more.

https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2007/mar/09/chips-no-longer-good-cash/

 

[BearMetal]

I’d love to hear the story behind any major switches like this that have happened.
I can only think of the Bellagio taking the 25k out of play after the biker theft. Although with a chip of that size, they probably had a very short list of who might have a legitimate one outside the casino.

I've always wondered about this as well. It seems like this kind of thing would be limited to grab-and-runs of the really high denomination chips.

Has there ever been a case where the casino had to swap out there fracs or their $1 chips? Or just all of them for some reason?

 

[cpiaaq]

There are examples, like Casino Aztar, Evansville and Empress, Joliet where the primary and secondary were both put to use. (I don’t know if they were in use simultaneously, just they were all used when sold by TCR.)

Majestic Star, Gary put out their clean (new) secondaries after being closed for Covid.

A friend that worked at Sycuan told me that someone made off with 2 racks of the $500 chips. So they posted a chip redemption notice, and switched to their secondary $500s. Anyone with primaries had a limited time to cash them in, and I imagine with extra scrutiny.

 

[surfik]

Primary = Wife
Secondary = Girlfriend

Shouldn't be the other way?

 

[allforcharity]

Shouldn't be the other way?

Depends which is mintier, I guess.

 

[philhut]

Some of us made primary and secondary sets of our own

 

[codeman00]

There are examples, like Casino Aztar, Evansville and Empress, Joliet where the primary and secondary were both put to use. (I don’t know if they were in use simultaneously, just they were all used when sold by TCR.)

Majestic Star, Gary put out their clean (new) secondaries after being closed for Covid.

A friend that worked at Sycuan told me that someone made off with 2 racks of the $500 chips. So they posted a chip redemption notice, and switched to their secondary $500s. Anyone with primaries had a limited time to cash them in, and I imagine with extra scrutiny.

Aztar Evansville was open for 18 years without rebranding. From the look of the primaries, my guess is they were so worn down that they swapped them for the secondaries sometime in that 18 years instead of buying new primary chips.

 

[Cowthulhu]

Primary are the chips that are on the floor in the casino. Secondary are the backup chips that replace the primary chips in the event the primaries become compromised. Often times secondary chips are required by law for a casino. Typically secondary are not felted ever and in better condition.

How much space does the casino need to store an entire second set of chips? I'm assuming we're talking like, millions of chips here... do they have some sort of second vault for them or something? Do they just pop them in the attic and count them every now and then?

 

[chipinla]

How much space does the casino need to store an entire second set of chips? I'm assuming we're talking like, millions of chips here... do they have some sort of second vault for them or something? Do they just pop them in the attic and count them every now and then?

Nowhere near a million