Is it illegal to count cards in a casino?
It is legal across the US, but casinos are private property and can ban you.
Card counting is not a crime under federal or state law as long as you are using only your natural mental faculties. Using an external device, a hidden computer, or a team of scouts to signal information may cross the line into illegal cheating. While you cannot be arrested for simple mental counting, casinos are private establishments with the legal right to refuse service to anyone. If you are caught, you will likely be 'backed off' and asked to leave, which can lead to trespassing charges if you return.
RELEVANT LAWS
- NRS 465.015Nevada Revised Statutes (Definition of cheating)
- NRS 465.075Nevada Revised Statutes (Use of devices for calculating odds)
- U.S. Constitution, 4th AmendmentProperty rights and the right to exclude
- NJ Rev Stat § 5:12-71.1New Jersey Casino Control Act (Exclusion of card counters)
POTENTIAL PENALTIES
- Permanent ban from the casino and its global sister properties
- Entry into 'The Griffin Book' or similar industry-wide surveillance databases
- Criminal trespassing charges if you refuse to leave the premises
- Potential seizure of chips or winnings pending a gaming commission review
JURISDICTION
In Atlantic City, New Jersey, a Supreme Court ruling prevents casinos from banning card counters solely for winning, though they may still limit their gameplay.
The legendary MIT Blackjack Team used a legal loophole and complex mathematics to win millions from casinos throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
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