Dave mentioned 1973 and sent me to Kling's Reno book. Perhaps this is old news to some... Sands Motor Inn opened in '65 with only 3 slot machines but additional slots added yearly and one 21 game in 7/72. Five more BJ tables in '76 and Keno in '77. May '78 construction began on Regency Tower, completed in '79 with expanded casino area. April '81 Mr. C's Casino opened, from Dwayne Kling's The Rise Of The Biggest Little City:

This was really not a new casino, simply a new name for the casino area that had for ten years been known as the Sands Plaza.

Contrast this to the dates sited in C/W (w/note) and TCR. Seems to be lots of time for chips to come and go that may reappear outside of the guides!