So casino chips are now a financial instrument subject to reporting when purchasing them? Creative. The Sands appears to certainly have stabbed every other casino in the back by settling.
Any time you have a transaction of $10,000 or more or a series of transactions that could hit that amount in a day, the casino is legally obligated to file a cash transaction report with the IRS.
Chances are, an unhappy employee blew the whistle on informal policies to allow high rollers to cash out in $8,000 increments without filing forms. Most casinos are unionized and no one hates their employers more than union workers.