Although I have no idea why card counting devices should be illegal.
They're illegal because the casinos lobbied the Nevada government to make them illegal. That's it. No other reason. Such devices cut into profits, and the casinos are integral to the Nevada economy, so the legislature rolled over.
You're absolutely right, but if they were legal casinos would simply change the rules of blackjack to ensure maintain their margins. One could argue that the ban is good for the average player who doesn't want to play with an app (since the casinos would adjust the payouts downwards).
i unfortunately read the comments, now i feel compelled to respond.
Bunch of damn Apple apologists.
I am generally an anti google person due to their gross behaviour toward and profiteering from violence, scams, hate, child targeting, predatory behaviour, destruction of value and being the biggest spammer on earth
However the gambling simulators on the various app stores are horrendous and predatory; worse in my opinion is that any game that is free and stuffed with ads, will include ads promoting these kinds of apps directly to small kids.
Google turns a blind eye and i expect that of them, however Apple turning a blind eye is real and equally -insert appropriate swear word-
There is no apology, this is not a spurious law suit, it is Apple profiteering and the no doubt very hypocritical comments saying “control yourself” sadly highlight the quality and compassion of the commenters.
These are obviously not very bright people that have succumbed to an addiction. These games don't pay out.. who the hell gambles and expects to not actually win anything? Besides the addiction and I know it's real and sad.. but come on.. No pay out? That is beyond idiotic to me.
Apple should have to police this and stop it and accept responsibility.. yet every corner store and gas station can sell real money scratch offs?.. that's just the small business person trying to get ahead I guess? They aren't responsible for the addiction they feed yet Apple is with games that don't pay out.. Hahaha wow.
i unfortunately read the comments, now i feel compelled to respond.
Bunch of damn Apple apologists.
I am generally an anti google person due to their gross behaviour toward and profiteering from violence, scams, hate, child targeting, predatory behaviour, destruction of value and being the biggest spammer on earth
However the gambling simulators on the various app stores are horrendous and predatory; worse in my opinion is that any game that is free and stuffed with ads, will include ads promoting these kinds of apps directly to small kids.
Google turns a blind eye and i expect that of them, however Apple turning a blind eye is real and equally -insert appropriate swear word-
There is no apology, this is not a spurious law suit, it is Apple profiteering and the no doubt very hypocritical comments saying “control yourself” sadly highlight the quality and compassion of the commenters.
These are obviously not very bright people that have succumbed to an addiction. These games don't pay out.. who the hell gambles and expects to not actually win anything? Besides the addiction and I know it's real and sad.. but come on.. No pay out? That is beyond idiotic to me.
Apple should have to police this and stop it and accept responsibility.. yet every corner store and gas station can sell real money scratch offs?.. that's just the small business person trying to get ahead I guess? They aren't responsible for the addiction they feed yet Apple is with games that don't pay out.. Hahaha wow.
Addiction has very little to do with intelligence.
However I think the restriction on card counting apps should be removed. The reason given below is that card counters are "illegal." I don't live in the US, but I googled whether card counting is illegal, and the answer was no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_counting#Legal_status Wikipedia documents no country in the world where card counting is "illegal." So the Apple rules are wrong when they claim that card counting apps are "illegal gambling aids".
It is illegal if you use a device to do it and even if it is legal a casino can ban you if they determine you are doing it. Device to no device Is not relevant other than a device makes it a crime rather than just a violation of the casino's rules. In your head doesn't matter and they are not required to prove anything to anyone.. If they say that's what you are doing then that's what you are doing.
Is it right to ban someone who isn't cheating and just has superior skill that flips the odds? Not really, but too bad. That's the way it is. Don't go to casinos or gamble in apps if you don't like it.
I'm pretty sure it's still true today, but when I was doing most of my BlackJack playing (and counting) days in the late 70's and 80's during winter ski season in South Tahoe, a "device" could be nothing more than an index card you have in your shirt pocket that list BlackJack basic strategies, that you pulled out see if you should split 7's against a dealer 7 showing.
Even though one could buy books on how to "Beat The Dealer" in all the casinos gift shops and they handed out free little pocket size card with BlackJack basic strategy to help increase ones odds of winning, one cannot take out and reference the book or the card, during play. The Casino knows that over 90% of the people that read books on how to count cards in order to "Beat the Dealer", will not be any good at it but are still going bet money on the BlackJack table, just to prove the casino right.
You are right, even if you count the cards in your head, the casino can ban you from playing if they think you are counting the cards. It's their rules. Even if you're counting and losing most of your hands.
Here's why. It's easy to spot a counter by the varying amount of their bets. Card counters will increase their bet when the count is for them and decease their bet when the count is against them. Counting cards do not change the outcome of the dealt cards, but if you know that you have a better chance than the dealer of winning the next hand based on the cards than have already been dealt, you increase your bet. And bet the minimum when the count indicate the dealer has the better chance of winning. It doesn't matter if a card counter loses most of his hands, so long as he wins most of his big bets and loses most of his small bets, he will end up beating the dealer. Casinos don't like this.
Although I have no idea why card counting devices should be illegal.
They're illegal because the casinos lobbied the Nevada government to make them illegal. That's it. No other reason. Such devices cut into profits, and the casinos are integral to the Nevada economy, so the legislature rolled over.
You're absolutely right, but if they were legal casinos would simply change the rules of blackjack to ensure maintain their margins. One could argue that the ban is good for the average player who doesn't want to play with an app (since the casinos would adjust the payouts downwards).
Th casinos in Nevada already disallow counting cards, by any method. If they even think you're counting, even in your head, you'll be kicked out, or at the very least prevented from playing. The only difference using a device or app makes is that they'll call the police instead of just banning you.
Card counting is illegal by policy of casino network - not by law. I do not need to read Internet papers. I worked in casinos in Europe. Stop confusing gambling laws and regulations with company policies.
Whatever pertains in Europe, In Nevada, using a device or app to count cards is actually against the law. It's not just a policy. Counting in one's head, or using fingers or other body part, is against policy, and will get you kicked out. Using a device or app will get you arrested.
So do the makers of pencils and paper, so what is the point in these law suites. One could make the same argument with respect to cars, telephones and just about anything used in the commission of a crime. It is thinking or stupidity really along the same lines as gun control and knife control laws. There are lots of justifications for carrying a knife for example but then you have governments that want to make it illegal or restricted to weird sets of parameter like blade length or other functionality.
In either case it isn't the device that causes the crime but rather the user. if you have a crime problem your best course of action is always to go after the criminal hopefully with a short rope and tall tree handy.
Comments
Even though one could buy books on how to "Beat The Dealer" in all the casinos gift shops and they handed out free little pocket size card with BlackJack basic strategy to help increase ones odds of winning, one cannot take out and reference the book or the card, during play. The Casino knows that over 90% of the people that read books on how to count cards in order to "Beat the Dealer", will not be any good at it but are still going bet money on the BlackJack table, just to prove the casino right.
You are right, even if you count the cards in your head, the casino can ban you from playing if they think you are counting the cards. It's their rules. Even if you're counting and losing most of your hands.
Here's why. It's easy to spot a counter by the varying amount of their bets. Card counters will increase their bet when the count is for them and decease their bet when the count is against them. Counting cards do not change the outcome of the dealt cards, but if you know that you have a better chance than the dealer of winning the next hand based on the cards than have already been dealt, you increase your bet. And bet the minimum when the count indicate the dealer has the better chance of winning. It doesn't matter if a card counter loses most of his hands, so long as he wins most of his big bets and loses most of his small bets, he will end up beating the dealer. Casinos don't like this.