Georgia Card Counter Sues Ameristar Casino for Illegal Detainment
Posted on: October 5, 2023, 12:56h
Last updated on: October 5, 2023, 12:56h
A card counter from Georgia is taking legal action against Ameristar Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado for unlawfully detaining him while he was playing blackjack, as reported by local Fox affiliate KDVR.
34-year-old Joseph Shiraef alleges that he faced harassment from casino staff while engaging in card counting and was later confronted and detained by an agent from the Colorado Gaming Commission (CGC).
Surprisingly, the CGC agent appeared to be unaware that card counting is legal in Colorado and throughout the United States.
Understanding Card Counting
Card counting is a strategy used by skilled players to track the value of cards in a deck. By assigning positive, negative, or zero values to each card, players can make decisions based on the cards’ composition, adjusting their bets accordingly.
While card counting can grant players a slight advantage of around 1% against the house, it is not considered cheating unless players use external devices instead of their mental skills.
A skilled card counter can gain a modest edge over the casino. However, it is important to note that the strategy is legal and within the rules of the game.
Although casinos have the right to remove and ban card counters, it is not against the law.
Flight Disruption
Shiraef claims that while losing approximately $4,000, a floor supervisor at Ameristar insisted on seeing his ID. Suspecting that the supervisor wanted to add his name to a card counter database, Shiraef refused to provide his driver’s license, prompting the supervisor to withhold his remaining $1,800 in chips.
Faced with a flight to catch at Denver International, Shiraef decided to leave the casino and cash in his chips during a future visit. However, as he was exiting the parking garage, he was stopped by a CGC agent named Joseph Nguyen, who demanded to see his driver’s license.
Shiraef recorded the encounter on his cell phone.
Nguyen stated, “I’m going to go review the videos. If the videos show that you were committing a crime by cheating or counting cards, you will have a warrant for your arrest. In the state of Colorado, that’s not allowed.”
Shiraef responded, incredulously, “So, counting cards is a warrant for arrest?”
Nguyen asserted, “It is illegal. It is a form of fraudulent activity in the state of Colorado.”
Claiming Damages
Eventually, a police officer arrived at the scene and Shiraef was allowed to leave. However, he missed his flight as a result. Shiraef is seeking $3 million in damages.
Ameristar Casino has not provided any comments regarding the incident.
In a statement to KDVR, a spokesperson for the state revenue department, which oversees the CGC, stated, “A gaming officer must thoroughly investigate the incident to ensure that Colorado Rules have not been violated. In the incident you have inquired about, the player left in a rush, unbeknownst to the gaming officer or casino operator, after refusing to comply with Colorado statutes that require patrons to produce IDs, exhibiting suspicious behaviors.
“Due to the behaviors, the patron was confronted dutifully by a Gaming Officer to investigate the suspicious activities,” the spokesperson added.