I was keeping my lips zippered in this thread.

I've ruined enough LV dreams on that chip!
This time I will save my reply for copy and paste.

In 2000 Rene Nendoza brought 300 plus of that chip to the Tropicana convention. 100 were pretty good, the rest were pretty worn.
First time anyone had ever seen them. He had a good story, but if you knew Rene?? What else can I say?

He said TBird, LV.
I said Tbird East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, illegal.

He smiled and said makes no difference to me, still $25 each. I coughed the $25 up knowing in my mind it was IL. The smile on his face made me think he agreed with me but there would be more sales with a TBird Las Vegas sign on them.

Lots of talk went back and fourth between the buyers. Most came down on the side of IL but to be fair some sided for LV.

Most illegal collectors of those days have it as IL.
There are other reasons I think that it is IL. Will tell all in an "Illegal Of the Day" post, one of these days.

Here is the sister to that chip along with the record card.