When we received this question, we immediately forwarded it to Arnie Rothstein, our pseudonymous casino manager, whom we know to have a raging imagination when it comes to gambling. He graciously submitted the following Orwellian nightmare vision of the future of blackjack.
Everyone likes to sit around and talk about the good old days, when blackjack was more fun and profitable for the players, the dealers were on your side, the pit bosses had the power of the comp pencil, and the card-counter counter-technology was nowhere near as sophisticated. No one, however, speculates about the future of blackjack (or any casino game, for that matter).
Well, I just perfected my time machine and took a trip to, and back from, the future, where I saw the state of blackjack in Las Vegas casinos in the year 2040. I was also lucky enough to get my hands on the latest Nevada Internal Casino Control Requirements or ICCR (which were updated in 2039). So not only did I get a gander at what’s going on 32 years from now, but I also know what the rules and regulations are.
In a nutshell, here’s what you can expect. The text in quotes comes directly from the ICCR; the text that follows is my commentary.
Blackjack Tables "Blackjack tables shall be fitted with the latest Gamers Credit Card acceptor, one for each player spot. The Gamers Credit Card must be inserted into the acceptor and remain inserted during play. Using another player’s GCC is a Class 1 felony; being in possession of another player’s GCC is a Class A misdemeanor."
You see, future casinos completely disallow the use of cash. Players have to buy credits on their state- and federal-government-approved Gamers Credit Card. The GCC allows the casino, state, IRS, FinCEN, Interpol, and your banks to see exactly what you’re doing in the casino in real time. If you owe, or are suspected of owing, child support or back taxes, have missed car or house payments, or are even making the minimum payment on your credit cards, you’re denied the privilege of gaming at any property within the International League of Casinos.
"Blackjack tables shall be fitted with the latest-generation ‘Infra-Metrics’ cameras, one positioned at each player spot. Each camera records the actions of each player positioned at the table. This information shall be transmitted to all agencies that subscribe to the Infra-Metric network."
The Infra-Metric net consists of remote-controlled surveillance cameras installed in all public places (primarily to watch for cigarette smoking; tobacco is a Class A controlled substance, same as narcotics), traffic intersections, businesses, and government buildings. The only places the cameras aren’t allowed, so far, are private residences and public bathrooms, but the Republicans are lobbying hard for those. The Infra-Metric camera is the only one permitted by the state and federal governments, due to its ability to see in pitch-black situations.
In the casino, the Infra-Metric camera films you as you play, registering and recording your decisions, your playing ability, your betting patterns, etc. This happens while the network runs sample matches of your facial features in the International Casino Data-Facts system, which identifies players who have won more than $100 in one of their last 10 casino excursions. When the ICDF finds a match, the table automatically stops dealing to you, converts your chip values to $0, shreds your GCC, locks you out of your hotel room, and notifies security forces to complete your extraction from the casino.
Blackjack Playing Cards "The only playing cards permitted and approved by state and federal governments shall be BEE-brand Digi-Peek. No other cards may be used without written permission from the Board."
"Digi-Peek" cards are blank until the dealer turns over the house hand. After the house cards are exposed, the computer chips within the card pixilate and a card value surfaces on each card in play. These car
