A little card counting has turned into a big dilemma for one Colorado casino. Ameristar Casino in Blackhawk is now facing some serious charges after a Georgia man claimed he was illegally detained for counting cards at the blackjack tables.
Joseph Shreve, 34, has filed a lawsuit against the casino owner, Gaming and Leisure Properties, along with the city of Black Hawk, a city police officer and a state gaming department employee. He is now seeking $3 million – $1.5 million in economic and compensatory damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages.
Details about the allegations
On October 19, 2021, Sharif found himself on a long layover at Denver International Airport. Instead of sitting and waiting for his flight, he headed to Ameristar to play blackjack in the nearby town of Blackhawk, about 45 minutes west of the airport.
Sharif, who admits he works as a card counter, had been playing for a while and actually lost about $4,000 when employees called him and asked for his ID. He refused, instead showing a bracelet on his wrist proving his identity had already been verified when he entered the property.
“They wanted my identity, I’m almost 100% sure, in order to share my information with other casinos — which is very much a gray area,” he said. KDVR-television.
He still had $1,800 in chips, which the casino refused to cash without his identity. Instead of dealing with the situation, Sharif chose to return later and instead head out to catch his flight.
However, as he attempted to leave the property, Sharif says he was physically blocked by staff. One employee said he was suspended for “criminal violation of the Colorado Fraud Act by counting cards.”
Card counting is not illegal
Card counting is a strategy used in the game of blackjack where the player mentally keeps track of the cards that have been shown, and changes the size of his bet depending on whether or not “counting” is beneficial to him.
The more large cards remain in the deck, the more profitable the player is. However, if there are a lot of smaller cards, the dealer has the advantage. This practice is extremely difficult to master due to the number of decks often used in a standard shoe, not to mention the ability to keep count without arousing suspicion from security.
However, card counting is not illegal in Colorado. In fact, this is not technically illegal anywhere, but property management has the right to stop taking action from the player and ask them to leave.
When he finally made it out of the casino, Sharif says his car was then blocked by a bomb SUVs. An employee told him that card counting was illegal and a citation could be issued for his “fraudulent activity.”
The sheriff also claims that a Colorado Gaming Commission agent asked to see his license. He argues that he did not violate any law and should not be detained, threatened with criminal charges or denied his request for cash.
“I knew it was wrong and I was in shock at how ignorant city officials acted,” he said.
He was eventually allowed to leave, but delays caused him to miss his flight.
The lawsuit says his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures were violated, and that the casino and Gaming and Leisure engaged in false imprisonment, negligent coaching and refusing to cash in his chips.
The casino has not commented on the lawsuit, but the city of Black Hawk and the police officer involved have filed a motion to dismiss the case. City officials also argue that the officer is protected by qualified immunity, which protects public officials from liability while on duty.
