Four Queens $1 casino chip sold for $65.00

A Four Queens 1st issue $1 Las Vegas casino chip sold for $65.00 on April 30th of 2012

Dunes $5 casino chip sold for $275.00

The Dunes $5 casino chip sold for $275.00 on April 29th of 2012

El Cortez $1 casino chip sold for $119.00

An El Cortez $1 casino chip issued in 1963 sold for $119.00 on April 28th of 2012

O'Sheas closing monday but not for good

   At noon monday (April 30th) O'Sheas is closing but not for good. At 2:00 am tuesday they are imploding the Flamingo parking garage and the new O'Sheas will be built there.  The 22,000-square-foot standalone casino, which does not have hotel rooms and opened in 1989, is being demolished as part of the construction for the $550 million Project Linq. The retail, dining and entertainment development, being built by Caesars Entertainment Corp., is anchored by a 550-foot observation wheel and is expected to open in 2013.

   A scaled-down version of O'Sheas will become part of Project Linq.  The old Flamingo parking garage behind O'Sheas will be imploded to make way for the new O'Sheas location which will be directly across from the Flamingo, essentially where the current parking garage begins.

Dunes $1 casino chip sold for $99.99

The Dunes $1 Las Vegas casino chip issued in 1988 sold for $99.99 on April 26th of 2012

An International 50 cent chip from sold for $69.99

A first issue 50 cent casino chip from The International which was issued in 1969 sold for $69.99 on April 25th of 2012.  The location became the Las Vegas Hilton and in 2012 the name was changed to The LVH

O'Sheas is closing on April 30th of 2012

     O'Sheas of Las Vegas is closing on April 30th of 2012 and to commemorate the 23 years they were in business they issued a special $5 casino chip.  They produced 3,000 of this limited edition chip.

     The parent company, Caesars Entertainment, has plans to redevelop their center-Strip properties including Imperial Palace and the Flamingo which borders O'Sheas on both sides.  The casino would be demolished as part of the $550 million Project Linq development transforming the location into a dining and entertainment complex.

A 50 cent Circus Circus chip sold for $55.00

A first issue 50 cent Circus Circus Las Vegas casino chip sold for $55.00 on April 22nd of 2012

Golden Nugget $1 chip sold for $33.00

A Golden Nugget $1 Las Vegas casino chip from the early 1970's sold for $33.00 on April 21st of 2012

New York, New York has released a new $1 chip

New York, New York Casino of Las Vegas has released a new $1 chip.  Not sure when it actually was put into play but this same center inlay design was used on their new $5 chips that were issued in January of 2012.  It has the same logo design as their previous issue only it does not have the grid pattern on the bottom part of the center inlay.

Their 2nd issue $1 chip released in August of 2008

Their 1st issue $1 chip released in January of 1997

Massachusetts Gaming Commission taking bids for casinos

The new Massachusetts Gaming Commission on March 16th launched a multi-year process to license casinos by agreeing to spend up to $1 million for a law firm and two New Jersey-based consultants to help guide the effort.  Under the commission's timetable it will be at least three and maybe five years before resort casinos are operating.

In 2011 Massachusetts approved a bill to allow three full-scale casinos and one slot parlor.  Gaming companies showing interest are MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Ameristar Casinos in cities such as Boston, Foxborough, Brimfield and Springfield.

Landmark $5 casino chip sold for $136.25

A Landmark $5 Las Vegas casino chip sold for $136.25 on April 15th of 2012

Hard Rock new issue Friday the 13th 2012 chip

The Hard Rock Las Vegas will be issuing their Friday the 13th of 2012 chip on April 13th. They will be releasing 1,500 of the $5 casino chips.  This is the second Friday the 13th chip issued in 2012, the other was released on January 13th

The Sands Cotai Central opens in Macau

U.S. billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s Macau casino operator on Wednesday launched its long-delayed fourth resort, a $4.4 billion complex.  The resort will open in stages. The first phase has 340 gaming tables and 40 VIP rooms for high-rollers. Another 200 tables will be added later this year.

It’s the 35th casino to open in Macau, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Macau’s gambling revenues rose 27 percent in the first three months of 2012, after rocketing 42 percent last year to $33.5 billion, more than five times the amount earned by Las Vegas Strip casinos.

Cotai is an area of reclaimed swampland named for the two islands it connects, Coloane and Taipa. Across the street are two other Sands properties, the Venetian Macao and Plaza Macao.

Monte Carlo new issue $5 casino chip

The Monte Carlo Casino of Las Vegas released this new design $5 casino chip in March of 2012.  This is their second $5 design using just their logo on a smaller inlay and they replaced the large hat and cane design for a much smaller one.  They also used a house mold instead of the hat and cane mold

The Dunes $5 casino chip sold for $697.00

The Dunes $5 Las Vegas casino chip from the 1960's sold for $697.00 on April 8th of 2012

El Cortez $5 casino chip sold for $1,175.77

An El Cortez $5 Las Vegas casino chip sold for $1,175.77 on April 6th of 2012

Aladdin $1 casino chip sold for $330.88

Milton Prell's Aladdin 1st issue $1 Las Vegas casino chip sold for $330.88 on April 6th of 2012

The Sahara to reopen in 2014 as SLS Las Vegas

The Sahara, which closed in May of 2011, is scheduled to reopen in 2014 as SLS Las Vegas.  The new owner is privately held SBE Entertainment.

The Los Angeles-based company operates 14 nightlife and restaurant venues in Southern California. SBE runs the Hyde Lounge at Bellagio and has 30 properties in cities such as San Francisco, Dallas and Miami.

They will be renovating the three existing hotel towers and the property's casino, plans call for a 21,000-square-foot nightclub, and 41,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The Sahara's roller coaster will be dismantled and replaced with 2,830 square-foot beer garden.

This is what is planned for SLS Las Vegas

New issue casino chips for the Rampart Casino

The Rampart Casino in Las Vegas has released a whole new rack of casino chips in March of 2012. This is their second issue one dollar chip design.  They used the same center inlay design on all denominations.

This is their 1st issue released on April 1st of 2002

Hacienda 1st issue $1 chip sold for $135.00

Hacienda 1st issue $1 Las Vegas casino chip sold for $135.00 on April 4th of 2012

Atlantic City's Revel opens on April 2nd of 2012

Atlantic City's Revel opened on April 2nd of 2012 with their official grand opening ceremony on May 25th.  All chip denominations have the same center inlay design.

Revel, a $2.4 billion resort, will have 1,898 hotel rooms and will become the first casino to open in Atlantic City since the Borgata in 2003.

Lady Luck $1 chip sold for $98.00

Lady Luck $1 Las Vegas casino chip from the 1970's sold for $98.00 on April 2nd of 2012

Pioneer $5 casino chip sold for $524.99

A Pioneer $5 casino chip sold for $524.99 on April 1st of 2012

New issue Showboat 25th Anniversary chip

New issue Showboat of Atlantic City 25th Anniversary $5 casino chip released in March of 2012