In his commencement speech at Franklin College, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels told the new graduates about how they could use their skills to change the odds in their favor. He gave the example of Thomas Donovan, an Indianapolis man who was ejected from a local casino for counting cards at blackjack.

Daniels cited Donovan’s case as one where “wise choices” can “shift the odds” in a player’s favor. He called Donovan “inordinately smart” and cited his ability to “constantly and quickly calculate the odds” to help him win at the blackjack tables.

Donovan played at the Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana. When casino officials determined that Donovan was counting cards, they had him ejected from the premises.

Donovan sued the company and challenged the long-standing casino policy that bans card counters. The Indiana Supreme Court will rule on the case this summer.

The Indiana Gaming Commission, the agency that oversees the state’s riverboat casinos, does not prohibit card counting. After Donovan filed his suit, many casino companies have requested that the state ban the practice.

Ernest Yelton, the commission’s executive director, said that his agency is waiting on the Supreme Court decision before they make a rules change.

Although card counting is not technically cheating, many casinos will eject any player they suspect of engaging in counting. The practice was made famous by the “MIT Blackjack Team” of the 1980s and 1990s, as depicted in the 2008 film “21”.