They pulled their $1 chips from the tables back in 1998 and have been using tokens since then, so they did not have a "current" $1 chip. A lot of the smaller casinos here in vegas don't stock a lot of $1's and they got tired of collectors coming in and cleaning out their racks. In the case of Ellis Island they just pulled it off the tables and would not sell it from the cage. Sounds like they just reintroduced that chip.