In a move that will be hailed by some as an advancement in casino security and by others as a invasion of privacy, Foxwoods casino resort, in eastern Connecticut, have unveiled their new "hi-tech" RFID chips and are urging gamers hanging on to their old Foxwoods casino chips to cash them in as soon as possible. Players only have until the 31st of January 2009 to make the switch; otherwise their chips will lose their value.
For those of you who follow casino technology, the term RFID won't be new to you. However, for those who don't, RFID casino chips are chips embedded with Radio Frequency Identification, which allows pit bosses and casino managers to track the movements of a casino chip (and in turn the player), as well as wagering, winnings and losses.
The technology first made headlines back in 2004, when The Independent suggested that the chips "would make it far more difficult to forge chips, which can happen if a player or staff member takes one from the casino." Questions have also been raised about how much data is available on the chip, suggesting that gamers may be unaware their gambling style and movements are being tracked.
In 2006, a Korean company began making RFID chips, and since then, casinos across the States have been introducing them; Foxwoods casino being the most recent RFID advocates. Casino chip collectors will be keen to keep hold of any of the old Foxwoods chips, as discontinued chips tend to rapidly shoot up in value. For those of you who simply want to cash in though, Foxwoods are running a casino chip style amnesty, urging players to embrace the new chips and return the old ones.
In 2005, Gambling Magazine hypothetically outlined what the RFID chips will be able to track:
"Say you move away from one table with $500 in chips. You now go to cash in those chips. Those RFID chips can be read at the cage and associated with you. In your moment of generosity, you give a cocktail waitress a $25 chip. When she cashes it in, we know how generous a tipper you are."
While everyone wants to be known as a generous tipper, some may feel the matter is an invasion of privacy when a casino knows how generous a gambler you are. Still, with many gamers wholeheartedly accepting the new chips, and the obvious protection they offers against fraud, RFID casino chips definitely make sense.
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