• What Is A Gambling Counter Called People
• What Is A Gambling Counter Called Money
• What Is A Gambler Called
• What Is A Gambling Counter Called Against

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Billions of people love to gamble. For some, it’s the thrill of the chase – the possibility of winning. For others, it’s entertainment or a way to escape the day-to-day grind.

If you asked them, they’d tell you they’re not doing anything wrong. That gambling is no different or no more a waste of money than going to a movie, concert or nice dinner out.

But then there are people who disagree. That, for one reason or another, think there’s something wrong with gambling.

We thought it’d be interesting to explore the other side of the coin. So, the following are 6 arguments we’ve seen people make against gambling.

1. Religion

This is the biggest argument on our list. Do a Google search for ‘arguments against gambling’ and you’ll see what I mean.

There are different reasons why religious people are against gambling. But they all stem from different verses you’ll find in the Bible.

For example:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5

You shouldn’t try to gain material things when all your basic needs are met.

Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
Proverbs 28:19

God wants you to work (for what you have). Gambling is a way to make money without working, which is fueled by greed, selfishness and laziness.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD hateth.
Psalm 10:3

And yet another passage that condemns greed and overabundance.

The bottom line – the Bible teaches you to be selfless and not to covet (materialistic) things. And that you can save both time and money by not gambling – which you can use instead to better yourself and those around you.

But is gambling truly a sin? That depends on who you ask, how they interpret the Bible’s lessons, and whether or not they follow everything the Bible teaches.

Not surprising, some say gambling is a sin. No two ways about it; no ifs, ands or butts.

But then there are others who believe only compulsive gambling is a sin; it’s sinful to be addicted to gambling. But it’s not a sin to gamble in moderation.

“Bible-believing Christians would consider compulsive gambling a sin. That is, gambling is sinful for those who are addicted to it. Compulsive gamblers sin by wasting time. Gambling is for them such an addiction, that most or all of their spare time is spent gambling in one form or another and weekends and vacations which should be spent with family are taken up with trips to cities that have casinos. The more focus on gambling an addicted person becomes the less time he spends with his family and the less productive he becomes in his job.” (Excerpt from nolotto.faithweb.com)

2. Gambling Leads to Addiction

Another argument against gambling is that it leads to developing a gambling addiction. Statistics show that 80 percent of American adults gamble annually. What’s scary about that is they also show that every 3-5 gamblers (out of 100) struggle with a gambling problem.

Even scarier yet, statistics shows that as many as 750,000 young adults (14-21) have a gambling addiction. The risk of developing an addiction more than doubles for young adults, with people between the ages of 20 and 30 having the highest risk.

What Is A Gambling Counter Called People

Gambling addiction – like most addictions – is destructive. It tears families apart and often leads to suicide, substance abuse, bankruptcy, crime and more.

3. It’s a Waste of Money

Here’s what Dave Ramsey (a financial expert) says about gambling in a casino:

“I don’t really have a moral problem with it, but I don’t understand the concept. Call me crazy, but I do not get a thrill from losing money I’ve worked hard to earn. That’s not my idea of entertainment.”

He goes on to say he thinks people who say they gamble for fun or recreation are delusional – that they believe they’ll actually beat the house and win – that they’re an exception to the rule.

And what about the lucky few who actually win? Well, Dave says:

“You may see a news story once in a while about someone winning big money in a casino, but that rarely happens. Think, too, about how much money those people had flushed down the toilet previously while gambling. There’s a really good chance they didn’t really ‘win’ anything. In most cases, they probably just recouped a small portion of their previous, substantial losses.”

Mark Ford (serial entrepreneur, author, real estate investor) shares similar, yet different sentiments to Dave Ramsey. Ford says he doesn’t gamble because it’s too much like work; he gets no pleasure from it; and because it’s so clear to him he’d lose money.

He goes on to say you could spend the same amount of effort into nearly any other endeavor and you’re likely to walk away richer, not poorer, as a result.

“Concentration. Focus. Calculations. Long hours. It all seems like work to me. The only difference is that in Las Vegas the odds are stacked against you.

In any other field of endeavor, you could take the same people and put them to work doing virtually these same things –concentrating, figuring, calculating, and executing –and you’d have– almost certainly– a viable business.

Not in Las Vegas. Over the long haul, gambling makes you poorer. Spend the same time and effort in almost any other endeavor, and you’re likely to get richer.

So why is it that so many people like to gamble and don’t like to work?”

4. Millennials Want Control

Another argument stems from stats that show millennials (people born from 1980-2000) gamble far less than previous generations. An interesting fact is how Las Vegas and The Strip visitation is increasingly being driven by millennials, yet gaming accounts for less than 37% of the revenue generated on the Las Vegas Strip.

The Motley Fool gives several reasons (guesses) why:

• Millennials find (current) slot machines boring.
• They want to be engaged and empowered – they want some control over the outcome.
• They prefer night clubs to casino gambling.
• They’re more interesting in online gaming, poker and daily fantasy sports.
• They want skill based games.
• They demand fairness.
• They want to be more social.
• They want experiences.

The common denominator here is that millennials want more control over their outcome. They want games where skill can overcome luck – and that’s just not possible when every casino game favors the house.

And why do all casino games favor the house?

5. Casino Games are Rigged

Did you know that every casino game favors the house? It might be by as little as half a percent (.5%), but the point is, casino games are rigged against you. This is called the house edge.

“My advice is don’t waste your time and money on that stuff. One way or another, the house always wins. That’s how they’re able to build those giant, billion-dollar places called casinos”. – Dave Ramsey

In the same article referenced above (#4), the Motley Fool says that millennials wanting more skill-based games (control) isn’t the (only) problem.

In Las Vegas specifically, the house edge – or the hold percentage – has increased over the last few decades. In other words, the games were already rigged against you – but now they’re even more unfair. You can find better value gambling somewhere other than Las Vegas (at local casinos, for example).

“…the underlying assumption is that if millennials weren’t spending their money partying in Las Vegas, they would be spending it gambling in Las Vegas (either that, or millennials apparently should be gambling more to match what they’re spending on bottle service)”.

“This is 100% wrong – the reality is that if millennials weren’t spending their money partying in Las Vegas, they wouldn’t be coming to Las Vegas at all”. – The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool goes on to say that, while gambling has matured, so has the audience. Millennials have grown up using the internet – they have access to (gambling) information that past generations didn’t have access to.

“(Millennials) are more knowledgeable and generally less stupid about gambling than any generation to come before us. We are far less likely to believe, for example, that the Martingale system is valid”. – The Motley Fool

The bottom line – the internet has made us wiser about gambling. Most people now realize that casino games are (legally) rigged against us. Between this and the worsening house edge, people choose to gamble far less, if at all (evident by the decreasing gaming numbers in Las Vegas).

6. Underage Gambling

Another problem people have with gambling is the affects gambling has on kids and young adults.

This is a very real concern. Earlier (#2) we shared a stat that says nearly 750,000 young adults have developed a gaming addiction, and that they’re nearly twice as likely to do compared to adults aged 30+.

Most casinos say you need to be 18 or 21 (depending on if they serve alcohol) to gamble.

Never mind the stats that show that even adults 18-30 are twice as likely to develop a gambling addiction. What about those who are younger than 18/21, but manage to obtain a fake ID?

Want an example? What about poker pro Phil Ivey – you can’t read a bio about him without it being mentioned he used a fake ID to play poker in Atlantic City in his early days.

This problem isn’t limited to brick/mortar casinos, either. Poker pro Tom Dwan started playing online at 17. He’s not the only one, either. It’s easier for kids/teenagers to gamble online since many casinos (especially offshore) don’t check your ID until you’re ready to make your first cash out.

Next to addiction and religious reasons, underage gambling is the strongest argument people make against gambling. The prevention of underage gambling is a cornerstone of all state (online) gambling laws, as well as a big criticism of others.

Conclusion

These are the biggest and most common arguments against gambling today.

It’s not hard to poke holes or make strong cases against any of these points. But that shouldn’t be our focus.

Instead, I think it’s a much better idea to understand why people are against it. For one, it’s easier to empathize with others – to see where they’re coming from.

But it can also help us improve the gambling industry – to talk about it and figure out what we can do to make the industry safer and more enjoyable for those who choose to participate. That, I think, is the best action of all.

Mathematician Edward Thorp opened the public’s eyes to card counting in 1962, when he detailed his strategies in the book Beat the Dealer. Ever since then, many blackjack players have tried winning money off the casino through advantage play.

Thorp actually used a rudimentary counting system called the 10 Count. But improved systems have made the process easier.

Given how card counting is easier than ever before, you’d think that more players would be using this advantage play method. This is especially the case when considering how many people are interested in becoming professional gamblers.

Yet much of the general public shies away from counting. One obvious reason why is because it takes work to become a successful card counter.

Perhaps an even bigger reason why is that the general public believes that card counting is illegal. Is this really the case, though?

Find out as I cover the process of counting cards, why casinos hate counters, and if this technique is truly illegal. You may be shocked to find that card counting can actually be illegal in certain circumstances.

How Does Card Counting Work?

Before I dive into the legality of card counting, I want to discuss how it works so you can see that no cheating is involved.

The overall goal of counting is to figure out when the shoe has an abundance of aces and 10-value cards. The reason why is because more aces and 10s increase the chances of getting a natural blackjack.

Casinos pay either 3:2 or 6:5 on your original bet when you win with a natural blackjack. Therefore, you gain more value on larger bets when the shoe the is rich in aces, kings, queens, jacks, and 10s.

This is where card counting comes in, because you can track when the shoe has more favorable cards. You want to bet more when there’s an abundance of aces and 10s.

This is referred to as spreading bets, because you start at the table minimum and move up to a larger wager when the count is in your favor.

Here’s an example on spreading wagers:

• A common bet spread for professional card counters is 1-15.
• The table minimum bet is $5.
• You continue making this wager until the count goes in your favor.
• You then increase your bet to $75 (i.e. 1-15 spread) during favorable counts.

Earlier I mentioned how card counting systems have improved over the years and become more accurate. But oftentimes, choosing a more-accurate counting method increases the margin for human error.

Many players simply use the Hi-Lo system, because it has a nice balance between being accurate and easy to learn. The main thing you must realize is that you’re counting three groups of cards, including high, low, and neutral.

Here are the differentgroupings:

• Low cards (2-6) = +1
• Neutral cards (7-9) = 0
• High cards (A-10) = -1

You can see that card counting isn’t difficult to learn. But one of the biggest challenges is keeping an accurate count when weighing other factors, like the dealer speed, casino distractions, and trying to act like a normal player.

This is why many card counters practice by using free online training programs or even simply dealing cards around a table like they’reat a casino table. Any blackjack player can learn to successfully count cards if they put some work into matter.

Also keep in mind that the Hi-Lo system calls on you to convert your “running count” into a “true count.” The purpose of doing so is to account for multi-deck shoes.

Here’s an example on converting your true count:

• Your running count is +12.
• The shoe has four remaining four decks.
• This makes your true count +3 (12/4).

The final step is to determine your bet spread based on the count. Earlier, I offered a simple discussion on how to spread bets from 1-15.

But you can take this further by using your true count to get a more-accurate recommendation on bet spreading. Here’s a sample system that was used by the famed MIT Blackjack Team.

• Determine your unit size (e.g. $25).
• Determine the true count (e.g. +4).
• Subtract 1 from the true count (4 – 1 = 3).
• Multiply this figure by your unit size (25 x 3 = 75).
• You should bet 3 units ($75).

The only problem withbet spreading is that this makes it easier for casinos to detect card counters. Some land-based casinos will put up with smaller bet spreads, but they become suspicious if players are suddenly spreading from 1-15.

This is why many modern blackjack pros work in teams under the “big player” concept. First popularized by Al Francesco in the 1970s, this strategy revolves around “spotters” and a single big player.

The spotters spread out to different blackjack tables and make the minimum bets every time while counting cards. If one of the spotters sees a high positive count, they’ll signal the big player, who stands off the side of the action.

The big player then comes in and immediately bets big. Therefore, they appear to be a high roller, rather than somebody who jumps from the minimum bet to 15 times that amount.

You can see that card counting doesn’t involve illegal devices or sleight of hand tricks. Instead, it’s a legitimate advantage play technique that requires skill to beat the casino.

Why Do Casinos Hate Card Counters?

Casinos dislike card counters because they hurt their bottom line. The entire reason why casinos offer gambling is so that they make a long-term profit.

They earn their profit by offering games with a built-in house edge. Blackjack is no different, because the average player faces anywhere from a 0.5% to 5.0% house edge based on their skill level and the table rules.

Even when a blackjack player uses perfect basic strategy, they can only lower the house advantage to around 0.5% or 2.0%, depending upon the rules.

Card counters differ, though, because they actually gain an edge over the house. And this player advantage ranges from 0.5% to 1.5%.

Although not significant in the short run, a small edge leads to big profits over a large sample size.

Even when accounting for advantage players, land-based casinos still make plenty of money with blackjack. Nevertheless, they still want to root out card counters by any means necessary since they are bad “customers.”

Is Card Counting Illegal?

No, card counting isn’t illegal in most countries. In fact, lawsuits over the years have proven that card counters are perfectly fine from a legal standpoint.

But casinos in most jurisdictions have the right to refuse service to anybody. Casinos are private businesses that can ask customers to leave for violating written or unwritten rules.

The only time that a card counter canbe arrested in the United States or United Kingdom is when they use an illegal cheating device. For example, you’d be arrested for using a computerized device to track the count.

But other than this, card counting is perfectly legal in many gambling jurisdictions. The only thing that casinos can do is ask you to leave and ban you from their establishment.

The one exception is Atlantic City casinos, which haven’t been able to ban advantage players since 1982.

Ken Uston, who was part of Francesco’s big player team, waged a lawsuit Uston v. Resorts International Hotel, Inc against Atlantic City casinos. The judge determined that anybody has reasonable access to casinos as long as they’re not threatening the establishment security or other interfering with other players.

Another exception worth mentioning is Native American casinos. Tribal casinos are located on sovereign land and can deal with card counters as they see fit (within reason).

Some gamblers claim that tribal casinos have confiscated their funds without recourse. One account even claimed that unidentified tribal authorizes forced them into a back room and stole whatever they could after the gamblers won too much money.

This isn’t to say that you’re automatically going to be roughed up for winning too much. But you might not be treated nicely at tribal casinos if you’re caught counting cards.

Why Does the General Public Think That Card Counting Is Illegal?

I’ve established that card counting isn’t illegal, outside of maybe a few sovereign tribal lands. Nevertheless, there are still a good portion people who believe that card counters can be arrested.

The two main sources at fault include movies and how old Vegas casinos were run.

Hollywood movies that involve card counting, such as 21 and Rain Man, make it seem like people are in for beating if they’re caught. 21 is especially bad, because Lawrence Fishburne’s character (Cole Williams) takes counters into back rooms and roughs them up.

This rolls into my next point in that Vegas casinos used to be run by the mob. And they would sometimes use physical persuasion to convince card counters never to return.

This is largely the inspiration for Fishburne’s character in 21. One of the film’s final scenes shows Kevin Spacey’s character (Micky Rosa) facing an imminent beating for allthe money that he won off Williams’ casino.

Card counters could potentially face physical violence up until the 1980s, when corporations started taking over Las Vegas. However, this isn’t anything like the scene today.

Security might handle a suspected card counter a little roughly. But the counter will simply be walked out the front door and asked not to come back again.

As for card counting’s legality; nobody will be arrested for using skill-based play to beat the casino.

I’m sure that gambling venues enjoy the myth of card counting being illegal. But again, you can walk into any non-tribal casinos and count without fear of legal repercussion.

Famous Incidents of People Being Thrown Out of Casinos for Card Counting

While card counting might not be legal, it’s still embarrassing to be thrown out when caught. And there are publicized instances of famous counters and even celebrities being kicked off a blackjack table.

Actor Ben Affleck is the most famous person to be banned from the blackjack tables. Hard Rock Las Vegas casino officials told Affleck that he was “too good at blackjack.”

Kicking an A-list celebrity out of the casino wouldn’t go over well in the press. This is probably why Hard Rock officials invited him to play any of their other non-blackjack games.

Of course, things aren’t so cordial when it comes to professional card counters. The MIT Blackjack Team was notoriously hunted by casinos and blacklisted.

Casinos went as far as to hire a private investigating firm called Griffin Investigations to find info on the team. Griffin worked with casinos to identify each member of the MIT Blackjack Team and blacklist them.

Ed Thorp became so good at blackjack that he had to wear various disguises to fool casinos. For example, he’d go to the casino dressed as a Hoover Dam worker to blend in.

Some card counters are so good at bet spreading and blending in that they’ve never been caught. But the average blackjack pro is going to be made at some point.

In fact, a big reason why many pros get out of the game is because they run out of casinos to play at.

Should You Count Cards in Casinos?

You’re legally cleared to count cards at gambling venues in many countries. But there are also deterrents to worry about, namely the fact that you could be kicked out and banned if caught.

Some people enjoy the challenge of card counting so much that they’re willing to take these risks. And you can make a good living if you become good enough at counting cards.

Blackjack legend James Grosjean said that he once made $225,000 in an eight-hour span.

The average card counter doesn’t earn anywhere near this amount in an entire year. But they can still make between $60,000 and $100,000 when playing with a good team.

This brings me to another point in that it’s difficult to find dedicated team members. Many aspiring blackjack pros start out with their friends, but eventually realize that they need a more-dedicated team instead of hobbyists.

You also have to consider the bankroll requirements needed to survive the variance of card counting. Considering that the best you can do in many cases is a 1.5% advantage over casinos, you’ll have many nights were you lose money.

This is why you need a large bankroll to overcome bad nights. Ideally, your card counting team will have at least a $25,000 bankroll to start with.

What Is A Gambling Counter Called Money

Even when you have the money and are willing to risk getting kicked out, you need the skills to keep an accurate count. Learning card counting is easy, but maintaining an accurate count amid casino distractions is tough.

And you need to take all these factors into account before deciding whether or not card counting is truly worth your time.

Conclusion

Card counting comes with many challenges. But the legality of the game isn’t one of them.

If you ever come across anybody who thinks that counting cards is illegal, then kindly correct them. The only place where it’s potentially illegal is in tribal casinos, which are unlikely to do anything besides confiscate the money you’ve won.

What Is A Gambler Called

Part of the reason why so many advantage gamblers are drawn to card counting is because it is legal. You don’t have to hide cards in your sleeve or use illegal devices to win.

Another good thing about card counting is that it’s challenging — yet still very possible for the average gambler.

Anybody can learn how to count cards within an hour or less. From here, the big task is being able to keep an accurate account with everything that goes on in the casino.

What Is A Gambling Counter Called Against

One more piece to the puzzle is making sure that you have the bankroll to count cards without succumbing to the short-term variance. Serious teams should start with around $25,000.

Assuming you can do all of this and avoid casino detection, then you have a realistic chance of becoming a card counter.

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