There have been many card clubs in NYC and the surrounding areas in the past 4 years. They are no run legally. To prove it, the vast majority have been raided and shut down, or have voluntarily shut down due to pressure or perceived pressure from the police. There are still a number of smaller clubs running, but they have gone further underground. I have no idea who makes the chips (some look like Chipco's), but they are typically made by smaller, cheaper companies, not by Paulson or the like. They are certainly illegal card clubs. I have no idea what definition of illegal you are using, but, as a lawyer and a member of the New York Bar in good standing, I can assure you that they are not legal under the laws of the State of New York (I have spent time researching the issue). IMO, a card club that runs despite laws making such a club illegal is an illegal club, and the chips from such a club should be illegals. JMHO.

Michael Siskin