This week, the casino in GTA Online was finally released. Players had to wait a whopping six years for the Diamond Casino & Resort. Some players are, however, barred from accessing the gambling feature. The function has now been blocked in 54 countries. Some players circumvent the restriction, which is strongly discouraged.
What is the casino? The latest DLC for GTA Online brought some content related to the massive casino into the game. There is a penthouse, new clothing, and vehicles. But also the Diamond Casino & Resort itself, where users can pass the time with various gambling games.
So, in the casino, there are:
- Lucky Wheel
- Poker
- Horse Racing
- Roulette
- Blackjack
However, not every player is allowed to participate in the casino’s features. Users on the GTA Online subreddit are currently listing countries where gambling is blocked. The list gets longer every day.
Some players circumvent the restriction, but this is discouraged on Reddit.
Why are the features blocked? The blockage is due to the laws of the respective countries. Previously, players were already concerned about the actual release of the new DLC.
Even in Red Dead Online, the multiplayer mode of Red Dead Redemption 2, this was already an issue. With an update, the much-desired poker was introduced, which, however, was not available in many countries.
Currently, there are 54 countries where gambling in GTA Online is blocked. Players can still use the other features of the update, but the casino mini-games remain inaccessible to them.
How do players bypass the ban? On Reddit, some players report that they simply circumvent their country’s ban using a VPN. This way, they trick the GTA servers into believing they are coming from a different region than they actually are.
However, this is generally discouraged. There is still a risk for players using this method of being caught. Bans from Rockstar could be imposed, or in the worst case, real penalties for breaking the laws of their respective countries.
What is the problem? On the one hand, gambling is prohibited in many countries. On the other hand, the monetization of GTA Online could also play a role. Because in the online mode, players can purchase in-game currency with real money.
The well-known data miner Tez2 stated that the game detects which currency players want to use to buy their chips. Currently, it is not possible to pay for the gambling chips with purchased currency.
However, he points out that this could be allowed in other regions. Rockstar may unlock different features for different regions. This includes the possibility for developers to decide from region to region whether it is possible to participate in the casino with Shark Cards.
What about Germany? In Germany, players do not need to worry. They can use all the features of the casino DLC normally, including gambling.
Currently, it is not possible to pay for chips with real money currency. This is indicated in the casino at the cashier, when players want to exchange cash for chips.
