21 California Casinos Will Make Switch To Unleaded Chips

After a news expose by a Phoenix Arizona news station (ABC 15), the word is out that poker chips made by Paulson Gaming Supplies contain very high amounts of lead. The lead levels used in these chips is more than that allowed by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards. According to the Center for Environmental Health, these same chips are used in 28 of the nation’s 30 biggest casinos and can also be purchased at many retail locations.
The news station’s report detailed how just handling these lead chips could result in toxic levels of exposure. Since the expose, counter-investigations (by the Las Vegas Sun and Arizona Dept. of Health Services) have reported that the public need not worry and that were no health dangers posed.

These counter-reports were not enough though to stop 21 casinos in the state of California to make the switch to unleaded chips. According to California’s Prop 65, all businesses must warn patrons when they have substances known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Many apartment complexes and shopping locations had previously been forced to provide such warnings and much talk had been made about the casinos using these warnings due to the chips.

Obviously CA casinos don’t want to lose any business so the conversion to safer chips is supposed to occur soon.