Casinos have long been suspected of manipulating blackjack games in order to increase profits for the house. In 2008, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $38 million settlement with four major casinos, accusing them of rigging blackjack games to advantage the house.
The DOJ allegations were based on an analysis of millions of hands of blackjack played at the casinos over a period of several years.
The DOJ’s analysis showed that casinos routinely manipulated the number of hands played per player, as well as the distribution of hands among players. For example, casinos would often place more high-value hands on the table for players at lower stakes, while decreasing the number of low-value hands available to players at higher stakes.
This manipulation would tend to advantage the house, as high-stakes players are more likely to hold onto cards until they get a good result, while low-stakes players are more likely to hit or stand.
While it is clear that casinos manipulate blackjack games in order to increase their profits, it is still unclear whether this practice is widespread or specific to certain casinos. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine whether these manipulations actually lead to an overall loss for players.
In any case, casino operators are free to manipulate blackjack games as long as they comply with applicable law and regulations.
