So apparently card counting isn’t illegal per se in Nevada. The use of card counting machines, however, is (and is a felony at that), which is why this iPhone app [iTunes link] named Card Counter is now in the news. Las Vegas casino owners, and their well wishers, have been tipped off to the app’s existence, which, theoretically, makes winning blackjack easier.
This card counting scare comes at a time when Las Vegas is being battered by the recession: no one has any money anymore—come on, stimulus, I want a job seeding The Mall!—so no one’s going to the city anymore. No gambling, no going to garish hotels, etc. It’s sorta like Florida in that, if it weren’t warm year round, who would voluntarily go down there? If you have no money to burn through, why would you go to Las Vegas?
The reviews for the $2.99 app, created by TMSOFT, are glowing: “Made me $50K in vegas. Not kidding.”; “I just got back from Vegas and won 8G’s and took my family on a great vacation. 3 bucks is worth a thousand.” And so on.
Anyway, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has warned operators to be on the lookout for the app. So if you’re thinking of cruising on over to one of the top casinos in Las Vegas, you’d better think twice about using the card counting app, lest some ex-cop hotel security guard “kindly asks” you to put your iPhone away, with his fists
Photo: Flickr
You will be hardpressed to find any table game, much less a blackjack table that will let you use ANY cell phone while you are playing. You wont even be allowed to conduct a phone call while you are sitting at the table.
This app is a novelty and will not help you in Vegas because you wont be allowed to use your phone at all.
They make it sound like Vegas is going bankrupt. Also, I doubt anyone is allowed to have their cell phone out while at the tables. When I was at a sportsbook 7 years ago, I couldn’t even pull out my cell to check the time; the security guard was on me like white on rice. I think the testimonials are fake.
I am sure Vegas is empty but yet here in L.A. I have not seen one ad for Vegas. It seems they should be advertising rockbottom deals on rooms and food but they cannot change their greedy ways of the last 50 years or so. Bye Vegas.
I have downloaded Card Counter by TMSOFT onto my iPhone and there is nothing illegal about it. It teaches you HOW to count cards which is perfectly legal. I know the casinos are worried and all but card counting has been around forever–the iPhone application just makes it very easier to learn how to do it. Should they be worried? We’ll see, I’m heading there in March!
I think that those iPhone app reviews” had to be fake. They would never let a person use a iPhone at the table, but if it teaches you, i’m curious as to how well it does that. Well Tim how did you do?