United Airlines’ CEO Credits His Card Counting & Gambling Skill For Being Banned From Casinos

Published Sep 10, 2026, 4:27 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. The Chief Executive Officer of the largest airline in the world by fleet size, United Airlines, has revealed that he is banned from most major casinos in Nevada and New Jersey. Scott Kirby has skills in card counting and other gambling skills, which have been picked up by casinos in the likes of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other casinos across the Caribbean. A Wall Street Journal report describes how Kirby taught himselfto count cards. This led to several trips to Atlantic City and Las Vegas to win big, before he was kicked out and told he's not welcome at some of the country's most iconic casinos. Even today, Kirby explained he is banned from several hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. United Airlines CEO Counts Cards Credit: kamilpetran | Shutterstock Although Kirby said it's been 15 years since he played in a Las Vegas casino, he remains unwelcome. During a visit to Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, Kirby headed to a high-limit table at the Bellagio before the manager approached and told him he would not be welcome to play any casino game except blackjack, explaining that his details remain current in casino databases. The art of counting cards follows a standard Hi-Lo system, which tracks the ratio of high and low cards remaining in the deck. You must start your count at zero when a fresh deck begins, and subtract values as each card is dealt onto the table. As you cancel out pairs of high and low cards that equal zero, that speeds up your pace. While Kirby no longer plays at casinos, his own executive skills are working wonders for the Star Alliance carrier as it moves through uncertain moments in the aviation industry with rising fuel prices, while also continuing to expand the airline's growing domestic and international network. Not Welcome At Popular Las Vegas And Atlantic City Casinos Credit: Photo Spirit | Shutterstock As mentioned, Kirby is not welcome at some of the country's most iconic casinos. In Las Vegas alone, Kirby was quickly singled out from a crowd when he showed his ID at the Bellagio in February this year. Casinos have extensive security and advanced biometric systems that can pan, tilt, and zoom to spot frequent guests, high rollers, or those who are no longer welcome. United is the third-largest airline serving Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), with nonstop flights from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington. It will resume flying from Vegas to Cleveland on September 24. Between June 2025 and May 2026, according to The Frequent Flyer, United carried more than 4.3 million passengers to and from the City of Sin, representing an 8.4% market share at the airport. Top five carriers below: Airline Ranking Airline Market Share 1st Southwest Airlines 41.5% 2nd Delta Air Lines 9.8% 3rd United Airlines 8.4% 4th American Airlines 8.3% 5th Frontier Airlines 7.5% Who Is Scott Kirby Credit: Scott Kirby | LinkedIn Scott Kirby is United's current CEOand has worked for the carrier for more than a decade. He started as President of the Chicago-based airline in August 2016, then became CEO in May 2020, and has held the position for six and a half years. Prior to working for United, Kirby was the President of American Airlines between 2013 and 2016, and prior to that the President of US Airways from 2006 through to 2013. Kirby holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Operations Research from the US Air Force Academy, and a Master's in Science and Operations Research from The George Washington University. United is the largest airline in the US by fleet size, with more than 1,100 aircraft. It operates to more than 400 domestic and international destinations, and maintains hubs at eight airports across the US and Guam.