Another fine distinction is you have to lay out some of your own money for the roulette chip; you "buy" it, even though the casino says they always own it. With most tournament chips, there is no purchase of the chips by the player; they are just "loaned" to you for the duration of the game. I know some of the events have entry fees, but those aren't exlactly a purchase of chips, more a payment for time to play in the event.