Mdawg I can answer your questions about RFID chips. The RFID system is even used in lowly (by your standards) $100 chips.

The scanner is part of the cashier's workspace. No chip needs to be specially scanned. If there's a problem you'll hear about it.

RFID chips in theory were to be tracked from the moment of purchase to the point of redemption. But in reality as soon as you lose an RFID chip that was bet the chain of ownership and tracking is gone.

RFID was designed as a means to both authenticate chips and as a means to more accurately record player bets for ratings. The original companies had devices to read the RFID chips in player positions at blackjack tables and they claimed they could even create RFID chip tracking positions at craps tables with multiple bets in one betting box... but it never happened.

Serial numbers on high value chips only prove authenticity and can't be used to track ownership because you never know if the chip you lost is the same chip you won back later.