A Man Tried to Cash $60K Worth of Chips 40 Years After the Casino Closed: What Happened?
One Man’s Dream of Cashing In Vintage Casino Chips Meets Brutal Reality
Cash In or Crash Out?
Imagine this. You’re online at 1 am, hunting for a busted film camera so you can document your summer in blurry retro aesthetic like it’s 2009 Tumblr again. But then—wait. You see it. A listing for $60K worth of poker chips from a long-dead casino in Atlantic City. And suddenly you’re thinking… What if I buy these? What if I just cash them in? What if I become rich off forgotten Playboy money?
Babes. I’m begging you. Don’t.
Because some guy actually tried this. His name’s Keith Hawkins, and he found 389 chips from the old Playboy Hotel and Casino on some auction site (not even eBay, but same cursed energy), paid up, and then waltzed over to the New Jersey treasury like, “Here’s my lil chips, hand me my lil $59,500.” Sir.
What’s that one casino rule that drives you crazy and makes you wish you could just delete it from existence? 😤🧽💥
Tag that friend who totally agrees with you!👇 #BetUSCasino #betus #casino #onlinecasino #casinoonline #gambling #poker #dilema #CasinoConfessions #RulesWeHate… pic.twitter.com/QaOBG6nwPs
— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) April 7, 2025
From Lucky to Unlucky, Real Quick
According to Ron Jennings over at NJ.com, the state basically hit him with a firm “absolutely not.” Because plot twist: the Playboy Casino shut down in 1984. These chips? Never touched a table. They were unissued. Translation: not real money. Translation again: They were supposed to be destroyed decades ago.
But apparently, some rogue employee back in the 90s snagged a few boxes from the chip-destroying company (yes, that’s a real job), tossed them in a bank deposit box, and ghosted. Cut to 2010: the bank cracks open the box and sends them to an auction house. Fast forward to 2022, and Keith is in casino news headlines because he thinks he’s cracked the code.
He did not crack the code.
He tried to cash in with what were essentially those souvenir poker chips bikers collect from Harley-Davidson dealerships. Because, per Jersey’s gambling regulations, unless a chip was actually in play before the casino closed, it’s worthless. Doesn’t matter if it says Playboy on it, came from your uncle’s bachelor party, or the Harley-Davidson in Sturgis.
Eggflation is real! Will prices keep rising? 🥚💰
▪️ Under $5.50 (+175) | $5.560-$5.750 (+110) | $5.760-$6.00 (+110)
Place your bets! ➡️ https://t.co/LRfE29slkq pic.twitter.com/pFleLhYQWV
— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) April 7, 2025
And honestly? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably came out of a damp box in Mississippi and should not be part of your financial strategy. The ruling didn’t say how much Keith dropped on the chips, but fingers crossed, it was less than a McChicken meal (doubtful).
But if you actually wanna win big and play blackjack for money (among dozens of other games)—and not spend your life arguing with the state of New Jersey over souvenir chips—play at our online casino instead. It’s legal. It’s real. It pays out. Imagine that.
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