As a lifer in the casino business i can tell you of a strange phenomena. There is a percentage of casino employees who "think" they ARE the house. In their convoluted logic they feel as though they are doing a great job by preventing a customer from having any positive financial experience. some examples:

blackjack dealers who brag of busting players and are proud when they are winning for the house, even though they live on tips

bartenders micro-managing video poker players to ensure all free drinks are earned

cashiers treating patrons with suspicion, as if the money they are handing out is their own

in your case chris, the hard rock's "chip business model" is for you to collect them, yet an employee proudly disallowed it. his loyalty was to the crap tables' count, not a customers experience.

i am sure anyone who has been to vegas in the last 20 years can add their own examples to my list.