Starting in 1981, the North Dakota legislator authorized Charities to conduct casino gaming in the form of Black Jack, Paddle Wheel, and Poker with a betting limit of $2.00 per hand. This was later raised to $5, and then $25 per hand, but only for those charities that choose to do so. I have yet to see Poker actually in play!

Very little control exist over the chips used except to mandate the denominations and more recently both the color of the chips and the number and color of the inserts. Even then, this is often overlooked.

Casino operations vary by charity with as few as a single table at a single location that is only open 5 hours one day a week to operations that span several different cities with multiple locations within each city, sometimes no farther apart than a few feet down the street.

Locations and charities change very frequently, thus the location listed is that of the parent city of the charity sponsoring the games or as indicated on the chip.

Little historical information is at hand, and what is available only spans a limited number of years, giving only the charities name and places of operation. However, not all charities listed conducted table games. Some only sell pull tabs and/or operate bingo.

I currently have about 600 chips from the varioius Charity Casinos in North Dakota. I know of at least another 600 chips from either Charities that I have (but missing denominations); or Charities that used to be opened but are now closed.

Additionally, chips existed BEFORE Charity Casinos were authorized (both illegal as well as faternal - i.e. Elks, Moose, VFW, etc). Many of these have since become "legal".

The Paddle Wheel chips are perhaps the hardest to obtain as they are similiar to roulette chips in that they have no stated value on them. The game is limited in actual operations to only a few casinos, and then the table is not always open when you do find one. To be clear; I have NEVER harvested a single Paddle Wheel chip! I always ask if I can purchase one of each color at the table minimum ($1). I usually get told no, and when this happens, I record the information for future use. But I OFTEN get told yes. And even if I am told "NO" the first time, I go back at least once a year and ask, and ask again, and ask again until they relent.

While the Attorney General's Office is in charge of gaming operations (and has been VERY helpful in figuring out chips from charities of closed locations as to both what the name of the charity was - as most often they only use initials; as well as locations; it is up to the individual comunities to determine what games will actually be authorized.

There is much of the state that I have NOT been to yet, so there are probably another 600 -1,200 chips waiting to be discovered!

Hopefully this information is of some use and someone, some where, will supply me with a North Dakota chip fix as I am suffering from with drawl symptoms as I have not acquired one since the convention!

Finally, may I use your match book cover scans on my web site?

John