cash in your old foxwoods chips if you still have any

It's strange that they wouldn't notify their player club members of this since we get junkmail from them 2-3 times a week. The short redemption period can not be correct.

BJC

EDIT: Hey AM.. you better get those rat holed greenies back from the cockaroach and redeem them!

I was there last month and there were signs all over the casino. The Jan date is what was posted.

Just remember, all Foxwoods chips now have RFID and can track their chips.

Do you have a source for this? There's various banter about it, but I haven't been able to find any definitive confirmation of this. I'd be surprised if they did so with anything except the highest value chips.

They still don't have readers on the tables, or in the cage.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsId=20071205005534&newsLang=en

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/news_wtnh_mashantucket_foxwoods_set_to_retire_chips_casino_200901231737_rev1 (Archive copy)

(Dead link: http://www.wcbs880.com/Foxwoods-Casino-Chips-Go-High-Tech/3720904)
There's more sources; just google it!

They "selected" chips, and "plans" to introduce them. This is a puff-PR piece for the chip supplier. I was looking for definitive information.

I did Google them prior to responding, and it looks like a lot of articles that are very thin on information, and are mostly loose PR spots. Are all the chips RFID enabled? Or just high value? Are the table readers installed? Used?

I wonder if a simple RF broadcast to inhibit the signal would be considered a "cheating device".

PR or not, Foxwoods definitely purchased over 1 million RFID chips from Gaming Partners International Corp, and GPI's revenue reflects it in their 10-Q June 30, 2008 filing. MGM-Fox has had these chips implemented in May 2008; and now Fox implemented the chips on all its property as of today. Did Fox buy 1mill, 1.5mill, or 2million? We dont know. How much did Fox pay GPI? It's not clearly stated in the filing. Is that enough chips to stock all 400 gaming tables and extras for fills? We can estimate; 400 gaming tables, 3000 chips per table. Does that mean all of those chips have the RFID? we dont know unless we break open the $1 chip to see what's really inside. Does Foxwoods or MGM-fox have GPI's TableID or CIS functional (the readers)? I'm not sure if they implemented the chip management system at MgmFox or Fox's table terminals or cages. Could be part of the deal, and may take time.

Interesting. Well, a quick trip in the suite's microwave or a few blows with a hammer would make short work of them. They are also unreadable through metal, but that's not too helpful at a table.

Readers for tags like this are common and fairly inexpensive; I won't know if they're writeable or not. They probably aren't foolish enough to put too much stake in RFID, as it's very exploitable.

If I get my hands on a cheap reader I'll read a few denominations and see what they're up to.

Just bring your EZpass in with you. Confuse the hell out of the reader

What if you turned $1 chips into $100s, and nailed them for comps?

I was there not too long ago and there was no evidence of any RFID readers or chips.

I dunno if trying that would be a good idea these days. Something tells me that if the casino read your EZpass, they'd probably deduct it from your EZpass account. These are hard times for casinos you know. :laugh::laugh:

MGM @ FW put new felt on all their tables in Dec., and changed the colors to, from thier royal blue to dark burgandy. The felt did seem to have been heavily worn around the dealers box, but changing the felt on all the tables must have cost a chunk of change. Considering their only open about 7 months, maybe there's something more then new felt on them tables?

BJC

The RFID systems I've seen have a button on top of the table that the dealer presses at the start of each hand. I suppose it's possible to do it some other way, but it wouldn't make sense to buy new felt and punch holes in it for the button. A RFID table requires major work on the table, not just the felt.

But it's possible they could want RFID chips and not use them to track the players. An RFID unit right under the dealer's tray would be more useful from the point of view of everyday operations because it could track the hold at each table and also account for chips coming in and out of the cage. That would be a sensible way to use it.

I'm not familiar with any of the parts of the RFID system, but couldn't it be possible to have the pickups sealed into the padding (which would be nearly undetectable) under the felt or a cavity hollowed out under the betting box where the pickup would be installed?

BJC

I'm familiar with these systems, and yes, they could do this. However, this is still a pretty substantial amount of work, not only to the tables themselves, but the software, training, and management. Any new computer devices around?

The tray is also problematic because reading a large number of tags in close proximity is very difficult technically. Also, aren't the trays metal at FW?

My guess is that for the moment the tags are only being used as an anti-counterfitting measure. (I can't imagine casino chips are that hard to fake)

I believe you are correct, they are metal trays. It would make more sense for them to have RFID pick ups just at the cage. When you go to cash out the chips they would be scanned to confirm that were not counterfit but that would lead to many more problems as it entangled every player in the store.

If the eye in the sky wasn't enough, FW supposedly has electronic hearing surveillance at the tables which can pick up the lowest whisper between players. Now if they go advanced and add RFID to monitor your betting... ... Big Indian is watching..

BJC

Hm, if they check them only at the cage it would be easy enough for someone to cycle through counterfit chips at a table (including roulette, or whatever). Though I suppose they could trace you back if they did find a bogus chip in the tray.

2 days left!!

Hurry only two days left to get them in..

(Dead link: http://www.foxwoods.com/chipredemptions.aspx)

BJC

P.S.:
Or next day them to me :grin:... I'm going tomorrow so I'll put them together and use it as a BJinfo members only BR. Upon winning for the day, I'll take my 50% cut on the winnings only and send you back your investment plus a percentage of the winnings (based on the number of contributors & $ value of contribution). Of course there's no guarantee that positive variance will shine my way, but at least you won't have to deal with the smoke, loud noise, and commute. :joker: