When the euro came into circulation in Europe in January 2002 and became a common currency in twenty countries, I decided to start collecting chips with a designation in Euros, the aim being to have chips from all casinos that used that currency.
The biggest challenge was France, which then had 206 casinos, including the Cercles de Jeux, ... and France is a huge country.
There were still to resolve the casinos in the French overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Nouvelle Caledonie, La Reunion and Martinique) - but that is another story that I will tell later.

Strategy:
1- Write to all casinos during 2007 and 2008, sending a few euros and asking them to send me chips in euros.
2- 62 of the casinos responded positively, sending me chips or jetons in euros ; 34 casinos said they could not sell chips by mail ( some inviting me to visit them), but they sent me obsolete chips and plaques in Francs (some of them very generous casinos).
Others simply returned the money, saying they could not satisfy the request (most saying me to visit them)
3- Organize visits to France, visiting on trips of about a week, areas of France, with the largest possible number of casinos (me and two good Spanish friends, we made several trips collecting, on average, chips and jetons from around twenty casinos each trip.
Some of the casinos offered us old chips , jetons and plaques in francs.
Most casinos in France are located on beaches and spas (often in mountainous places that are not very easy or fast to access, but somedays we could visit 3 or 4 in diferente villages)
4- In some individual trips, me and my Spanish friends collected chips for everyone.
5- Enjoing family vacations in France (visiting casinos by night - in France only open at night, usually from 8 pm).
French casinos are very friendly and collaborative in selling chips to collectors.

THE END- 14 YEARS FROM THE BEGINNING
With all this I got to a point that I just needed chips from a casino (CASINO DE ROSCOFF) in the extreme north of France, in Brittany
I wrote several letters in 2008 and 2010 and they always answered by saying that the casino's policy did not allow to sell chips by mail, but they always sent me some absolute chips in the reply.

What to do???Just go there. It happened in 2016.
Family vacation. Departure by plane to Bordeaux and an excursion along the coast by car
to the northern tip of France - Brittany.

I started in Bordeaux, a city that I have visited several times, it is a wonderful city (monuments, wines, good food and proximity to the sea - Arcachon where the best oysters in the world are produced- I love it).

Parking three or four days in Bordeaux is possible to visit 10 casinos, in the city and on nearby beaches and spas (see map)

Travel to Brest, stopping at some wonderful sites along the coast - La Rochelle. La Baule-. Several casinos along the coast.

LA ROCHELLE

LA BAULE

BREST

And finally ROSCOFF a small port. It was complete
(in the meantime they opened another twenty casinos and Clubs de Jeux in France, which I have already managed to obtain and obtained).
ROSCOFF ROSCOFF ROSCOFF

Return to Bordeaux (by a more inland route) and stay for a few days in the countryside - beautiful hotels located in old castles.

Chateau de Barbiniere

Return to Lisbon by plane.
Due to this hobby, today I know all the wonderful regions of France.

Chips and jetons photos from CHIPGUIDE