ATLANTIC CITY CHIPS & CLUB CARDS

CURRENT ATLANTIC CITY

CHIPS & CLUB CARDS

When using the many excellent Internet chip guides, it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly what chips are currently in use. As of October 2, 2007, the following information was correct.

There are 13 casinos in Atlantic City – 3 in the marina area, and 10 in the Boardwalk area. Several casinos are owned by the same companies and use the same chips or club cards, as noted below. All casinos have hotels, restaurants, and shops.

Some preliminary notes:

Chips: I collect $1 chips, so the currently available $1 chips from each casino is shown here. None of the Atlantic City casinos have fractional chips. For the most part, you have to buy your chips at the table games or at the cashier’s cage in the poker room (for those having a designated poker room).

Player’s cards: Each casino offers a players’ club card. Some programs are shared by multiple casinos. Each generally has three different cards, representing the different levels of perks. The basic cards are shown here. If you get one of each, there are 6 entry-level cards to collect.

Getting around: The 10 Boardwalk casinos are all situated between Pacific Avenue and the Boardwalk, both of which run parallel to the oceanfront. All have entrances on the Boardwalk; only a couple have entrances on Pacific Avenue. Many are connected to each other through walkways. It’s about 4 miles from the first to last casinos along the Boardwalk. Recommendation: you can take the Boardwalk (which shouldn’t be missed) to reach each of these casinos, or you can take a jitney (mini-bus) along Pacific Avenue ($2 per ride). The jitneys go to every casino (including the marina area), the train station, and all other historic attractions in Atlantic City. They do not, however, go to the airport.

THE 10 BOARDWALK CASINOS

Starting on the Boardwalk from the west, here are the casinos:

ATLANTIC CITY HILTON

The Hilton uses the Resorts International “Destination Club” card. The Resorts property in Atlantic City uses the same program, but their card has “Resorts” on the front instead of “Hilton.”

The Hilton chip has the same design on both sides.

TROPICANA

Check out the architecture of the old casino.

The printing is actually silver foil – the scanner makes it look pink and yellow.

More pink – variations A & B More purple – variations C & D

The Trop’s $1 chip has different art on the two sides. The chip comes in four variations – it is hard to spot without another for comparison, but the inserts are dark pink on one chip and more purple on the other. In addition, for both color inserts, either the “hat & cane” symbol (the manufacturer’s mark) can be seen under black light, or it is omitted.

Color comparison

VARIATION CHART

VARIATION	COLOR	BLACK LIGHT H&C MARK
A	PINK	NO
B	PINK	YES
C	PURPLE	NO
D	PURPLE	YES

I do not know which variation appeared first or last; I only know that all four are currently in circulation.

TRUMP PLAZA

Trump has wisely chosen some well-known restaurant chains for its properties. This one features the popular Rainforest Cafe.

The Trump One card is used at all 3 Trump properties in AC.

CAESAR’S ATLANTIC CITY

As you might imagine, Caesar’s has great themed shops and restaurants. It also has a shopping mall extending over the ocean on a pier.

Connected to the Bally’s property and also run by Harrah’s, they also use the Total Rewards card.

BALLY’S WILD WILD WEST

BALLY’S (Bally’s Park Place)

CLARIDGE AT BALLY’S

These 3 “Bally’s” properties are actually run by Harrah’s. They are adjoining, and you can reach them through connecting walkways. If Disney ran a casino, it would look like Wild Wild West – a western theme with animatronic animals and people, both kinds of music playing in the background (country and western), and a series of fake storefronts inside and out. Part of this casino is based in the historic Dennis Hotel.

Claridge is the smallest of AC’s casinos, and is rumored to be headed for slots-only operation. For now, though, it is where you are most likely to find a $5 roulette table.

Bally’s uses the Harrah’s “Total Rewards” card; that card is used by a host of properties across North America, including Harrah’s, Horseshoe, Caesar’s Showboat, and Flamingo.

All 3 Bally’s use the same chips. Both sides are shown.

Old Claridge chips can still be cashed in, but are no longer circulated.

THE SANDS

The Sands has been closed and is scheduled for demolition in mid-October 2007; advance demolition work had been done when I was on the scene in September and early October.

As I was walking along the ocean shore, I came across a few old Sands cash tickets in the coastal litter.

RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

Resorts uses the Destination Club card like Hilton, but Resorts’ card has the Resorts name on the front.

Both sides shown

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL

One of the coolest “theme” resorts in Atlantic City, this casino features a Hard Rock Café on its southwest corner. A 2nd-floor walkway connects to the Resorts.

Uses the same Trump One card as the other Trump properties.

The Taj Mahal currently uses 2 different chips – an older style and a new style. The difference is subtle. Both are textured, although many of the older chips are worn and appear to be smooth as a result. The difference between the chips is found in the pink inserts. On the older chips, the insert is a darker pink color (I call it rose), it is slightly wider, and it is longer – generally touching the ring. The newer chips have a more pink insert, and those inserts are narrower and shorter.

Older vs. newer

SHOWBOAT

The Showboat is the “Mardi Gras” theme resort, but the House of Blues has been taking over the southwest corner with its restaurant, shop, music theatre, and portions of the gaming floor.

Geographically, The Showboat is the last of the Boardwalk casinos. I recommend you keep walking, though, and enjoy an unspoiled stretch of the Boardwalk, the Atlantic Ocean, and the historical Absecon lighthouse at Rhode Island Avenue and Pacific Avenue.

DECEMBER 2007 NOTE: It has been reported that on December 23, 2007, the Showboat pulled its Mardi Gras-theme $1 chips (only) and installed a backup set of chips (not a new design – an old backup design, but with different inserts than the pre-Mardi Gras design). Here is a link to the Chip Board discussion of the new entry. THE CHIP BOARD

JNM 12/31/07

Another Harrah’s property, the Showboat uses the Total Rewards card.

Pre-December Mardi-Gras theme chip

THE 3 MARINA CASINOS

You can see the marina resorts from the Boardwalk (and vice versa), but it’s really too far to walk and you might have to pass through some questionable neighborhoods. Take the jitney.

Getting around the marina area is difficult. Each of the 3 properties is designed as an oasis, and it is not easy to get from one to the other. They are distant from each other, and often separated by freeways. I found a walkway along the ocean between Trump and Harrah’s, but I don’t know if there is an easy route to Borgata. My recommendation: take the jitney for $2.

11	BORGATA
AC’s newest (2003) and largest casino uses the “My Borgata” card.
The gift shop at the Borgata sells plastic chips (both sides shown). These are not genuine chips as they have not been used in games, but are merely souvenirs.

TRUMP MARINA

Ornithologists delight: this resort features a Hooters restaurant!

Uses the same Trump One card as the other Trump resorts.

Different designs on opposite sides. I probably don’t need to tell you that the flags spell “TRUMP.”

The chip has three color variations, all in current use. On his website, Archie Black describes these as dark purple, light violet, and blue. They are difficult to distinguish without samples for comparison.

HARRAH’S MARINA

Also uses the Total Rewards card.

There are two variations currently on the tables – the small “i” and the large “i” types. This refers to the height of the letter “i” in the black print on the plastic part of the chip, in the words “Marina” and “Casino.” In the large “i” type, the letter “i” is the same size as the other lower case letters. In the small type, it is smaller than the surrounding letters.