GTA Online Casino Gambling Banned in Australia

The Australian government’s recent crackdown on online gambling doesn’t seem to be confined to actual online gambling. Now even video games are affected.

Despite Grand Theft Auto Online’s Diamond Casino featuring fictional casino chips rather than direct real-money wagering, Rockstar Games has blocked Australian GTA Online players from gambling.

They can still enter the Diamond Casino, but the actual purpose of them being there is now off-limits.

Rockstar GTA Online Casino Clampdown

While Australian players took to platforms like Reddit to voice their initial frustrations that they could no longer gamble, it’s now official that Rockstar Games has blocked Australian-based players from using the GTA Online Casino, most likely in accordance with the government’s recent crackdown on online gambling.

Various casino games have been made off-limits, including Slots, Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette.

At the time of writing, Rockstar Games has not released an official statement on the matter.

As you can imagine, many GTA Online players were furious with the move, with one user highlighting the absurdity given the nature of what playing Grand Theft Auto entails “Funny how killing, selling illegal weapons to foreign powers, running a statewide drug trade, and robbing everyone are all fine ways to make money. But gambling is where they draw the line.”

To be fair, they’ve absolutely got a point there.

Red Dead Online Also Affected

GTA isn’t Rockstar’s only online mode to be restricted in Australia, as players have also reported that Red Dead Online Poker has been blocked. Yet, players don’t directly gamble with real money in either game.

However, in Grand Theft Auto Online’s case, players can spend real money on micro-transactions including Shark Cards, which give them bulk amounts of in-game currency, which can then be used to acquire the fictional chips needed for visiting the in-game casino.

This follows a similar model to the sweepstakes casinos that are available in the US, and this business model is increasingly coming under fire from lawmakers across the country.