The case of self-taught card counter Thomas Donovan against the Grand Victoria Casino in the state of Indiana, America, in which Donovan successfully sued the casino for banning him from the blackjack tables for counting cards is not quite over. Grand Victoria Casino has brought the case forward to be heard by the State Supreme Court, where the casino hopes the ruling will be overturned. This decision will determine if casinos in the state of Indiana have the right to ban players from the blackjack tables for counting cards. In November of 2009, the lower court ruled that card counting was a skill rather than a method of cheating, and that Donovan could not be banned from playing blackjack merely for being skilled at the game.
As of yet, there is no prohibition on card counting in Indiana, but if the casino’s argument that they may determine who to admit to their tables on the grounds of being a private business fails them in the state supreme court as well, they may resort to pushing advantage players beyond state borders by changing the rules to make the game too unappealing to skilled players and novices alike.
