There are many different poker chips available for casinos as well as home users. The main forms of variety include a choice of materials, colors, design motifs, security details, minor variations in size and, of course, price. You’ll find thousands of alternative combinations and virtually unlimited number possible.
But mostly the important factor that makes poker chips different from the other depends upon the product offered by manufacturers. The main USA-based manufacturers of gambling chips for the casino market include the following six companies – GPI, Paulson (a division of GPI), Atlantic Standard Molding (ASM), Palm Gaming International (PGI), the Blue Chip Co (BCC) and Chipco. Various techniques are used by these companies, for example Paulson, BCC and ASM make compression-molded clay product, GPI makes use of injection-molded plastic product, PGI offers both clay and plastic chips while Chipco produces ceramic chips. Most of these manufacturers provide chips both for the casino and home markets. For the home poker player there are options for standard poker chips and custom poker chips.
Aside from the US based manufacturers, there are also a lot of manufacturers in other countries. Huge amounts of gambling chips trade across national borders each year. There are also a variety of imports available in the USA. An extensive range of standard product options are produced by each manufacturer. A number of them can even customize the design of such chips according to the customer’s preference. Customers start with a blank canvas and create their own color and motif designs.
High-end clay chips produced in the USA typically cost about one to two dollars for each chip. Low quality clay chips from China on the other hand cost 30 to 40 cents per chip in the USA. Manufacturers provide gamblers endless alternatives of poker chips variety. There is virtually no limit to their ability produce individual color and design combinations created by customers. Manufacturers also use microchip technology to ensure the security of each gambling chip.