'CHIPSKATE' CRACKDOWN
By RICHARD WILNER

The sun may soon set on the legions of small-time gamblers who pose as high-rollers to squeeze free perks from Atlantic City casinos.

The poseurs — who buy thousands of dollars in chips in order to qualify for free rooms, meals and entertainment, but gamble only $100 or so during their stay — may soon be stymied by high-tech poker chips that will track each dollar they wager.

Once they out the small-time gamblers for what they are, the casinos will not offer the comps the next time the poseurs visit.

"The high-tech chips can definitely track players as they gamble — or don't gamble — and thus reduce the cost of unnecessary comping by the casinos," said Gerard Charlier, the CEO and president of Gaming Partners International Corp.

Publicly traded GPIC holds the exclusive license to use radio-frequency (RF) technology embedded in poker chips.

The high-tech chip can be tracked by casinos from the time it is purchased by a gambler and as it is wagered at various tables, Charlier said.

If the poseur simply puts the chips in his pockets and then cashes in most when he leaves, the RF casino will get wise, and stop giving out freebies to the hoaxer.

"The casinos can also put an end to counterfeit chips and to employees stealing chips," said Charlier, who will be showing off his new poker chips to Atlantic City casinos tomorrow.

Charlier said the drop in price of RF technology is making it easier to sell the idea. "In 1996, we sold RF-embedded chips for $6.60 apiece," said the executive. "Now they cost just $1.70."

GPIC sold its RF poker chips to the recently opened Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas and a handful of other U.S. casinos, but an overwhelming number of the 450 U.S. casinos still have the low-tech chip.

The RF chip is the same technology used by the New York City Marathon to track the progress of runners — and to prevent cheating.