I don't know where the trend comes from. We chippers see chips as small pieces of art, whereas casino owners seem to see them as "tools of the trade", much as a carpenter sees a nail -- just something to hit with a hammer.

The boring designs aren't just Las Vegas -- check out the rack chips from the last 2 Atlantic City casinos -- Revel (open, but in BK), Atlantic Club (open & closed).

Maybe it's the corporate influence, or the tough economic times. I don't know.

There are exceptions -- the Tropicana Laughlin rack chips and the Carson Nugget $1 "60th Anniversary" were nicely done, IMO. But overall, there's rarely a "wow factor" with new rack chips lately.