Poker sets come with plastic chips, which you use as currency while playing the game. Of course, they are worthless, even if they look like cheques, which is the technical name for the ones casinos use. If you tried to cash your toy chips in at a casino, the cashier would probably think you were joking. However, many people are jailed each year for attempting to cash in fake casino cheques.
The cheques that casinos use are made of ceramic, rather than plastic, and contain more than you think. Here are some of the ways that Atlantic City casinos protect their cheques:
- Tracking: Many cheques have RFID tags inside, giving each its own identity. The casino uses this technology to prevent fraud and to track people while they are playing. By following your spending, watching when you are winning and losing, the casinos can take measures to keep you at the table longer, until your pockets are empty.
- Ultraviolet markings: If your cheque should have a UV marking but does not because it is counterfeit, the cashier will spot it with their machine.
- Weight: Cheques are not all the same. Casinos vary the weight of these disks to make them harder to forge. They will know how much a particular one should weigh.
- Cameras: Big Brother, the all-seeing state in George Orwell’s novel 1984, has nothing on the casino industry’s surveillance systems. They really do see everything.
If a casino or the authorities accuse you of using, selling or producing counterfeit cheques, you could face criminal charges. You will need the help of an Atlantic City attorney with experience defending clients against charges of casino crimes. Remember, casinos do not like to lose.