Thorp found, however, that beating the casino had disadvantages as a way of making money. At a time when American casinos were controlled largely by organized criminals, there were physical risks. (In 1964, while playing baccarat, Thorp was nearly rendered unconscious by "knockout drops" in his coffee.) The need to travel to places where gambling was legal was a further disadvantage to an academic with a family (Thorp interview).

Donald MacKenzie, An Engine, Not a Camera, loc. 549