Dave Smith wrote...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^He said that when an individual visits a casino a "pockets" a chip this is technically a crime. Theft. He also wondered if the eBay corporation is technically committing a crime when these chips are sold via an eBay on line auction. Complicity? Is that the correct word? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dave,

I don't think eBay wants 'to go there'. That would also stop ALL personalized ashtray sales and a lot of other areas. What about those Desert Inn and Denny's ashtrays?

I think you need to explain the concept of the casino issuing 'collector chips' and such to your friend. Besides, in most states, it takes a certain $ amount to become a felony. Example, in New Mexico... if you shoplift items totaling $249.99, it is a misdemeanor. $250 makes it a felony.

I don't think many people lose any sleep over harvesting chips. If they do, they ought to think about getting a new hobby. <<gg>>

Also, is it a 'theft' if you swap the casino $5 for something that 'cost' them 75 cents? I remember reading a 'crime' story about a 'FLOAT theft' in a casino (don't think it was Nevada). Someone actually took/stole a handful of chips from the dealer's rack of chips and made a run for it. The judge ruled that a crime did NOT take place because the chips he grabbed really didn't have any value... They just REPRESENTED a dollar amount. I wonder if the ruling would have been any different if it had been a 'RAIL theft' - where a thief steals chips from a fellow player?

I watched a show on Discovery Channel the other night. The head of Security at a Las Vegas casino summed it all up when he was asked about card cheats. He said "We haven't lost a thing if the bastrds don't (get to) cash in the chips".

Steve in Albuquerque