Gambling is an age-old pastime. Its roots date back to ancient times, but it is safe to assume that humans’ conceptualized this activity before the eras from which physical evidence suggests it got birthed. Today, it is a popular hobby enjoyed at land-based establishments and online. In both types of venues, land-based and digital, gamblers can enjoy different casino games that offer varied odds and side-bet options. Naturally, as everyone likely knows, slots dominate gaming floors due to their simplicity and attractive prize potential. However, serious gamblers gravitate towards table games, as these offer far lower house edges than electronic machines. Plus, decision-making affects game outcomes in such gambling games, something unavailable via slot gameplay.
All casino-style table entertainment options are player vs. dealer contests that utilize chips. These are small discs that gambling operators allow to stand in as currency. They get produced from various materials, featuring specific denominations and exclusive features. The latter makes them distinct to an issuing establishment.
The concept behind casino tokens derives from counters used to keep score in games like Quadrille and Ombre. Yet, the modern gambling chip came into existence thanks to poker Note that most authentic casino chips are clay ones, with printed graphics called inlays on top. Ceramic ones got introduced in the 1980s, and some rare operators use metal chips. Plastic disks are mainly for home play and social gaming fun. To create your own, follow the steps outlined below.
Creating a 3D Casino Chip
Before you set off to print your casino chips, know that their diameter is the same as their poker counterparts. That means 39mm. The weight of the standard US chip is around ten grams, but it can go up to sixteen. that a listed weight of sixteen grams can also include plastic or metal slugs that go over the chips themselves. Some venues implement such items. A bare plastic disk should weigh in the neighborhood of eight to ten grams, depending on its thickness. Also, you can opt to make hollow tokens.
The cost of buying one hundred chips can run you $90 for composite ones, $104 for clay, and $109 for ceramic chips. Low-grade plastic ones come with a price tag of $25 for a set of one hundred. Thus, printing chips is a far more affordable option for all game of chance enthusiasts that possess or can get their hands on a 3D printer.
The simplest way to create a casino chip from scratch is to a quality STL file someone else has created and print it if it satisfies your needs and taste. Of course, you can get such files through our site for free or for a fee. There are several other platforms on the Web that supply a similar service. They offer comparable pricing and quality if you do not like what we have on hand.
If you want to make your own, adhere to these suggestions/specifications:
- As discussed, your chip’s diameter should be 40mm.
- Aim for a printable area of 30mm to 34mm.
- The preferable chip thickness is 3.35mm.
- The projected weight should hover around 12 grams.
- You can indent the printable area to glue a design/denomination sticker inside it later. Alternatively, you can print a different colored mini-chip, which you can insert and glue into the indented one.
- Recommended software to model your chip design are Autodesk Fusion 360, AutoCAD, MeshLab, FreeCAD, Creo, Solidworks, or SketchUp.
- Recommended 3D printer filaments are PLA (polylactic acid), ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), and PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate). These are simple-to-use materials that come in various colors and are very strong. Meaning, your chip will be durable if you opt for them, boasting hardly any flexibility.
If you are a frequent casino patron, you may notice a difference in how your printed chip feels compared to the one at your local gambling parlor. Aside from the materials used, affecting the texture, some chip manufacturers include a metal disk inside their clay chips, which makes them heavier and centers their weight.
Other Casino Items You Can Print
If you are not a fan of the table classics, such as blackjack, baccarat, or casino poker variants, you can forgo any chip printing and move on to a more complicated gambling-related task. Your options in this category include molding a prize wheel, a multi-roulette one, or creating a mechanical slot machine. The latter is a super difficult task. Though, it is worth mentioning that the original reel-spinning machines got invented in the late 19th-century. So, if people with access to far more primitive tools could manufacture them, why can’t you do the same with multiple miracles of technology at your fingertips? All it takes is time and effort.
About the Author
Shelly Schiff has been working in the gambling industry since 2009, mainly on the digital side of things, employed by OUSC. However, over her eleven-year career, Shelly has provided content for many other top interactive gaming websites. She knows all there is to know about slots and has in-depth knowledge of the most popular table games. Her golden retriever Garry occupies most of her leisure time. Though, when she can, she loves reading Jim Thompson-like crime novels.
