Although there were a few isolated earlier skirmishes, the battle began in earnest in 1962, with the publication of Beat The Dealer by Edward O. Thorp, Ph.D. Thorp, a mathematical genius, is considered a saint by devoted practitioners of the art of card counting. From the objective view of the law, if there is such a thing, card counters are merely players who have enough skill to beat casinos at their own game. This does not mean the law is always going to be on the side of the players. Casinos, like most other businesses, in general have the right to exclude anyone, so long as they are not discriminating on the basis of race, gender etc. The problem for card counters is that the law never remains an outside, objective dispenser of justice.
Casinos are much better at playing politics than any group of gamblers.
A close look at the Chen decision shows how precarious the legal rights of card counters actually are. So, the Monte Carlo refused to pay and called in the Nevada Gaming Control Board. But the casino gave him only his original buy-in, kept his winnings, and filed a petition for reconsideration with the Board. Notice how the regulatory system works in Nevada. Even though the Board's agent found that Chen did nothing illegal, it did not order the casino to pay.