Then why would ANY casino allow someone to buy (at cost) chips if they knew they weren't coming back?

Again, I have to ask, do casinos see chip collectors as nuisences? There was a time when they caterered to us with nice commemoratives and went out of their way to help, but it seems recently that they have started shutting it down. Less commemoratives, State Gambling seems to always be grumbling, casinos being more dismissive... just seems like the honeymoon is over.