The casino may not require a contract and may sell a whole release to a slabber but from what I have heard relating to autographs and cards etc. Companies like Upper Deck and Collectors Universe would probably insist on a contract to guarantee that they have the exclusive on the release. In a relationship similar to the Topps one that is mentioned they are going to want to make sure that they truely have the exclusive rights and that other chips won't be released in violation of the agreement. I can't imagine a sophisticated corporation such as the casinos would not demand some consideration for that contractual arrangement.

On the other hand there is the possibility that a slabbing company may just show up at a release with about 5 grand and just buy the whole release. That would be different though than the Topps analogy. While it is equally as disturbing and the end result is the same the two situations would be different. One is a preconcieved arrangement to produce a release for the express purpose to have it slabbed and the other is some Hoarder muscling themselves in to corner the market. That is why I believe, in addition to the efforts to deter people from buying slabbed chips we still have to keep focused on the issues of how the casinos distribute their LEs. Pressure should be put on the casinos to maintain fair systems to make sure that chips get a fair and wide release amongst as many people as possible while maintaining the ability for dealers and NISs to get a fair number to sell to their customers. With limits etc. it can be made more difficult for some slabber or slabbing company to just walk up to the cage with a few thousand dollars and saying I will take them all. Looking back in the archives I pulled the following quote from one of my earlier posts about hoarding and the MM release. It was from early April, I believe. "After all, where did slabbing start. One of the places was with Sports cards and collectables. Might not be true but I wouldn't be surprised to see some surface encased with a hollogram on the sports collectable market or a home shopping cable channel."