Hitman: Blackjack Shoe Computers

[Hitman]

Are the blackjack computers that people have used in their shoes illegal? I have seen a few around on the net (eg. george, casey) and i have read somewhere that a law was passed in around 1985 to make them illegal carrying a fine or 1-10 years in prison.

Any truth in that?

[Parker]

> Are the blackjack computers that people have
> used in their shoes illegal? I have seen a
> few around on the net (eg. george, casey)
> and i have read somewhere that a law was
> passed in around 1985 to make them illegal
> carrying a fine or 1-10 years in prison.

> Any truth in that?

Short answer: Yes.

It is a felony to use one of these devices in Nevada, and they are illegal nearly everywhere. As Ken Uston once said, you might as well just hold up the cashier cage -- the penalty is the same and you won't need as big a bankroll.

They may not be technically illegal in some third world countries, but I certainly would not want to get caught with one in some third world casino.

In addition, the ones on sale at various Internet websites are a huge ripoff, since they feature early 80's computer technology at premium prices.

Finally, while they may have provided a huge edge in the deeply dealt single deck games that were common 20 years ago, they would be relatively ineffective in a modern shoe game.