Brian,

Your question I think needs two answers depending on whom you are talking about. If we are talking about what chips a casino should release or be allowed to release and to whom they sell them, I believe that other than gaming regulations designed to protect the integrity of gaming there should be no restrictions. That is to say that if the Hard Rock wants to issue a chip and sell the whole release to one person they should be able to do that.

But if we look at it from the perspective of what a CHIP COLLECTOR should do, I believe that it is wrong for collectors to manipulate the marketplace by making deals with casinos to have releases made and delivered to them. It is bad for the hobby, casinos don't have an obligation to the hobby, but as members of the hobby we do. I find it interesting that some members who are supportive of Rene's action in regard to these chips were among the most outspoken against Rene when they alleged he had purchased almost the entire Harrah's March Madness release and were outspoken against Mark Karoll's 4 Queens pai gow stunt.

The King of BlackJack thing appears to be a little different. It appears that the chips were made for a customer who was willing to buy the whole issue. It appears that he wanted them for his own purposes. It does not appear that he was buying them so that he could control their release to collectors.

If a casino wants to make a LE edition chip and give it all to one dealer who can control distribution, it is bad for the hobby. If the casino wants to make a small release for a limited number of non-collector customers (and it is not just a concealed way to release them to collectors) then I have no problem with it.