Hi Marv; Hope I can answer some of your questions posed in your post. First of all, please allow me to state that the rules for nomination for chip and token of the year have been published quite clearly. Your post would suggest that the Spacquest "set" was one of the candidates. Not true. The rules specifically state that no "sets" are eligilbe for nomination, but that individual chips/tokens within a set may be nominated. There is a reason for this. Only five chips and five tokens are allowed to be nominated by any club member in good standing. Many sets exceed the limit of five, such as the Main Street Station series last year. Two; the rules also state that the chip/token must be issued by a casino. As such, the rules do not prohibit nominating individual silver strikes or individual no cash values such as the popular Resorts International chip set that was issued this year, or even an outstanding roulette chip could be nominated. The key to the this popular club activity is not so much which chips and/or tokens are nominated, (there were close to 100 nominated). It's which chips and tokens make the final top ten on the election ballot. These are the choices the club members who have participated in the contest have chosen as the finalists, not the person receiving the nominations.

As for the privately issued chips that you have mentioned, yes, I agree. They are very attractive and nicely executed designs. However, they have not been issued by a casino, thereby they are not eligible by the present rules established. Can the rules be changed in the future? Sure;..... if a significant number of club members support such a change and let us know their wishes. Unfortunately, every individual has an opinon. Who's single opinion does the club accept?

Lastly, yes, the live $5 club chip that Orleans issued will be eligible for nomination next year, as will all individual chips and tokens that have been issued by casinos throughout the world during 1998 will be eligible. The privately issued club chip will not be eligible.

Hope I've answered your question(s) satisfactorily. Archie