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Summary
- Two gamblers were banned from Star’s Gold Coast casino due to edge sorting
- The players appealed the ban claiming they were not cheating
- Queensland tribunal has ordered Star to lift the ban as it ruled edge sorting is not cheating
Star Entertainment is the second biggest casino operator in Australia and has a strong presence in Queensland, with casinos in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast casino decided to ban two players who they alleged were using edge sorting to beat the house. The casino banned Nathan Trent Anderson and Mark Timothy Grant from entering their casinos due to edge-sorting or card counting.
Edge sorting is a process used by seasoned gamblers to count cards by spotting a defect either in the deck of cards or in the manner in which the dealer hands out cards. This gives the player an added advantaged over the house and hence casinos across the world don’t take kindly to edge sorting and players who use this technique.
Players Appeal Ban In Queensland Tribunal
Star issued the ban and alleged that these two players collaborated during a game of Spanish blackjack or Pontoon to beat the house back in March 2018. The casino claimed that Grant sat close to the dealer but did not participate in the game. However, he used hand signals to inform his friend Mark of what cards he could expect and helped him win. Star claimed the ban was justified as it violated the Casino Control Act.
The two players did not agree with the ban and decided to file an appeal with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT). The appeal claimed that the two players did not cheat the casino but used advantage play to their benefit. The appeal claimed that if the cards did not have a defect or if the dealer was better trained, they would not be able to resort to edge-sorting and should not be penalized for the casino’s flaws.
QCAT Instructions Star To Overturn Ban
The argument made by the two players satisfied QCAT who decided that Star was responsible for using defective cards and hence the two players did not commit edge-sorting. QCAT also said that they were satisfied that no cheating or dishonesty was used to manipulate Pontoon which is a game of skill and not luck and ordered Star Entertainment to lift the ban on these two players.
