Is It Illegal To Count Cards?

No, card counting is not illegal in the United States. That’s a big fat no right there. You see, if you think that you can get in trouble for just using your brain at a card game like blackjack, then you’re wrong, it’s just good news for you, that’s all! For now, just know that it’s not against the law, not even a little bit.

Let’s say you’re still a bit unclear about it all, like what if the casino catches you doing such a thing, what then? Well, just keep on reading, you’re about to get a whole lot clearer in your head about this whole scene. So, here we go.

What’s This Card Counting Thing Anyway?

Alright, it could be that you’re new to card games or maybe you just know anything about this card counting thing yet, then worry not, we’re here to explain that to you. In a way, you see, it is a really smart way to play the card game called blackjack, and what’s that? Well, in the simplest words possible, you see, it’s when you keep track of all the cards that get dealt, so you can guess what’s coming next. That’s all!

If you’re betting real money and you’re sitting in a casino testing your luck in the blackjack, then you may already know that if you have cards like the aces and tens, you’re actually on the luckier side in that case, but if there are some lower cards in your collection, well, it’s just casino that has higher chances of winning. And to give you a little bit of perspective on things, you see, by remembering what’s gone, you figure out if the deck’s got more of those good cards left. And if it does, you bet big because your chances of winning shoot up, and that’s what casinos don’t like but they can’t stop you from doing that because it is not illegal.

And for those who don’t know about this trick, well, it has been around ever since the 1960s, and everyone got to know about this crazy good trick when a guy named Edward Thorp dropped a book called Beat the Dealer, which was a big hit back then.

So, Is It Against the Law in the USA?

No! Not at all! If somebody told you that it is illegal, they must be misinformed but now you know what’s really up, right? For now, just remember that card counting is 100% legal in the United States.

Right now, as of 2025, there is no law, not even a tiny state one that makes count cards an illegal thing. It’s just perfectly fine. Since it is all in your head, no one else can even know that you’re keeping track of the cards, so how would it even be illegal? No one can read your thoughts, right?

More like a trick, you should be proud of it because it is more like a skill actually. At a card game or even a board game, when you use your brain, that’s what is expected of you or a winning player, don’t you think that way? In the end, we’d say that lawyers, and experts, all say it’s not a crime, so no jail time for you.

Oh, And What Do Casinos Think About This Trick?

First of all, it is a completely legal thing and that’s what matters. And why do you even need to care about what casinos think when they take interest when you’re on the losing side? But still, just to be clear here, yes, casinos hate this card-counting thing with a lot of passion actually. A LOT! And when they get an idea of you using this trick, they’ll certainly ask you to stop the game.