GTA Online; s Casino banned in multiple countries due to gambling laws, gta v casino countries banned.

Gta v casino countries banned

Rockstar games players from some countries won't be able to enjoy GTA's online casino games.

All casino to play real money online

GTA 5's latest update has been a huge hit with citizens of los santos, but some have been left devastated to find they're banned from playing casino games due to their countries' gambling laws.

GTA online's casino banned in multiple countries due to gambling laws

GTA 5's latest update has been a huge hit with citizens of los santos, but some have been left devastated to find they're banned from playing casino games due to their countries' gambling laws.

It's a bitter pill to swallow for those that were eagerly anticipating the long awaited GTA online casino update. Entering the casino, buying a penthouse, playing missions and everything else that the new update has to offer is fine, yet it's specifically playing casino games that some players are unable to do.

Despite using GTA dollars and not real money - which we'll come onto in a minute - some governments still consider it gambling. Whether they are right or wrong doesn't matter as rockstar are always going to comply with a countries' laws.

Rockstar games players from some countries won't be able to enjoy GTA's online casino games.

Is it really gambling though?

That's a tricky question but in the eyes of the law, yes. GTA money, or dollars, can be directly purchased using real money and not just earned online.

This is where it becomes somewhat of a gray area as although the money can't be converted back into real currency it does have real monetary value. As a result, it can be interpreted as gambling, albeit loosely.

Rockstar themselves may not agree with their definition of gambling but are likely taking the precautionary option of banning those countries so it can't come back on them. As yet, the developers haven't commented on the issue.

List of countries where GTA's casino games are banned

Here are the full list of countries unable to gamble in GTA 5's online casino, according to reddit user slapshottommy:

• Afghanistan


• Algeria


• American samoa


• Argentina


• Azerbaijan


• Bahamas


• Bhutan


• Bosnia and herzegovina


• Belarus


• Brunei


• Cambodia


• Cayman islands


• China


• Cuba


• Cyprus


• Czech republic


• Ecuador


• Greece


• Iceland


• Indonesia


• Iran


• Iraq


• Israel


• Jordan


• Kuwait


• Lebanon


• Libya


• Liechtenstein


• Luxembourg


• Maldives


• Mali


• Mauritania


• Malta


• Malaysia


• North korea


• Oman


• Pakistan


• Paraguay


• Peru


• Poland


• Portugal


• Qatar


• Saudi arabia


• Somalia


• South africa


• South korea


• Sri lanka


• Sudan


• Syria


• Taiwan


• Thailand


• Tuvalu


• United arab emirates


• Vietnam


• Venezuela

Rockstar games don't worry though, you can still enjoy the rest of the diamond casino & resort.

Is my country banned from GTA online casino?

The above list of countries is not confirmed but if you are receiving the message “this feature is not available for you" when attempting to play casino game, then your country has likely banned you from taking part.

It should be noted there are some reports of players receiving this message when in a country where gambling is legal, though.

Players have reported that this can be bypassed by a VPN, but it should be noted it would still be illegal to do so if in fact gambling is against your countries' laws.

Unfortunately, some GTA players will have to accept part of the diamond casino & resort update won't be available for them.

Countries that have banned the new GTA casino and why

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When the action-adventure video game grand theft auto (GTA) was launched in 1997, it captured the imaginations of gamers all over the world. It has since gone on to spawn more than 10 stand-alone games and several expansion packs, and racked up total unit sales of more than 280 million units and counting.

How things have changed since this hit the shelves

Unfortunately this exhilarating and dynamic ‘drive it like you stole it’-themed game hit the headlines again recently. This was due to an update in grand theft auto V that gives players access to the virtual diamond casino and resort in los santos, allowing them to partake in virtual slots, roulette, poker, roulette and horse racing.
This has resulted in 55 countries that have apparently banned the new GTA casino according to reddit user slapshottommy:

• Afghanistan


• Algeria


• American samoa


• Argentina


• Azerbaijan


• Bahamas


• Bhutan


• Bosnia and herzegovina


• Belarus


• Brunei


• Cambodia


• Cayman islands


• China


• Cuba


• Cyprus


• Czech republic


• Ecuador


• Greece


• Iceland


• Indonesia


• Iran


• Iraq


• Israel


• Jordan


• Kuwait


• Lebanon


• Libya


• Liechtenstein


• Luxembourg


• Maldives


• Mali


• Mauritania


• Malta


• Malaysia


• North korea


• Oman


• Pakistan


• Paraguay


• Peru


• Poland


• Portugal


• Qatar


• Saudi arabia


• Somalia


• South africa


• South korea


• Sri lanka


• Sudan


• Syria


• Taiwan


• Thailand


• Tuvalu


• United arab emirates


• Vietnam


• Venezuela

GTA’s diamond casino offers real casino games

As long as players are 18 or older (GTA has an 18 PEGI age rating) they can visit the diamond casino and buy casino chips with real money to play virtual casino games. Although their chips or winnings can’t be converted back into cash and withdrawn, they can be used to buy in-game items from weapons to equipment to cars and everything in between.
As of 2019, the GTA conversion rate is approximately $7 for GTA$500,000, and the bigger the deposits, the bigger the discounts players are offered. GTA has limited how many chips players can buy every hour to play at diamond casino as a safeguard.
Although it sounds simple enough, the problem is GTA’s new real money casino facility has fallen afoul of gambling regulators around the globe who believe that it constitutes ‘online gambling,’ an activity that is illegal in the said countries listed above.

Players in banned countries can’t buy chips

Players based in these countries have reported that although they can enter and walk around the diamond casino and resort, they’re unable to purchase chips to use at the tables. This is due to a ‘region restriction’ facilitated by rockstar games, the leading US-based video game publisher that owns grand theft auto.
As the game software automatically picks up the location of each player, if it finds that they reside in a region where gambling online is restricted, they will not be permitted to complete their transaction to buy chips and play diamond casino games.

Gamer response to GTA’s new casino games mixed

In terms of player responses to the real money ‘gambling’ aspect of grand theft auto, they have been mixed. There have been reports of some gamers, for instance, who don’t agree with introducing a gambling aspect into what is first and foremost a video game.
Other gamers feel the GTA casino facility could open the door to vulnerable and/or problem gamblers, especially as let’s be honest, teenagers will play the game despite its age rating, a demographic that is susceptible to gambling issues.
Then there are those players that welcome the move, saying it adds an new and exciting dimension to GTA and opens up a whole new world of possibility to the video game which, since its launch, has undergone many incarnations, scenes and scenarios.
Some players support the move but don’t agree with how the game allows players to make deposits to purchase casino chips. They would prefer to see casino chips awarded solely through in-game achievements, with real money transactions left out of it.

GTA has permitted in-game top-ups since 2013

GTA has allowed players to top-up their in-game wallets with real money since 2013, when the game’s add-on ‘online mode’ was launched. However, it arguably hasn’t been until now that the in-game virtual money system has raised eyebrows across the globe.
That said, although GTA is not widely associated with esports, gambling on esports is not new (GTA is obviously not a video game with esports elements like some first person shooter (FPS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), battle royale, fighting or real-time strategy games are).
Esports, a type of competition where professional gamers play selected multiplayer video games competitively for financial gain (often in front of millions of spectators all over the world in real time) is as of 2019 globally worth upwards of $1 billion.
This marks a notable 27 percent improvement on the previous year, which has been attributed to skyrocketing esports revenues as a result of rising prize pools, media rights sales, sponsorship deals and advertising partnerships.

Esports betting expected to reach $8 billion in 2019

To add to that, betting on esports has reached mammoth proportions, with $8 billion expected to be wagered on this virtual pastime this year. That figure is expected to double in the next few years as esports increases in popularity and therefore become much more prevalent around the world and attracts more betting fans.
One of the reasons esports betting has taken off the way it has is because it offers a multitude of bet types to keep things interesting. These wagers fall under categories that include totals, money lines, handicap lines and proposition bets (props).
For instance, total bets can include total rounds, total maps played, total points or total kills, while prop bets can include lines such as if the game will go over 30 minutes, how many kills a particular player will make, whether the game will be paused longer than 5 minutes, or which team will draw first blood and many more.

Final word

It’s unlikely GTA will make the transition to the esports arena of course. But what is notable is how this recent casino game debacle has ‘built a bridge’ – intentionally or not – between video games and casino games.

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Should the GTA V diamond casino be considered actual gambling?

The GTA V diamond casino update, released earlier this year, was a major expansion for the enormously successful game. Bringing new story content, vehicles, and more to GTA online, the update also included the namesake casino.

However, this area of the content pack resulted in widespread bans. Were these really justified, or just the result of censors who opposed the apparent promotion of gambling? And additionally, should the diamond casino be an example of how gambling regulators monitor the triple-A gaming industry?

The release (and banning) of the GTA V diamond casino

When rockstar first released the GTA V diamond casino expansion, it was met with a somewhat polarised reception. While the casino and its content was something which many fans had been asking for, the expansion was not viewed so positively by regulators; the expansion was banned in more than fifty different countries prior to release.

While the list of countries which banned the diamond casino is long and contains many smaller nations such as north korea, american samoa, and the bahamas, there are some major international regions on the list as well. China may be the largest example, but the list also includes larger nations like poland, south africa, and saudi arabia. Altogether it adds up to a far from insignificant amount of the GTA V online sales market.

Why the GTA V diamond casino was banned

With over fifty countries levelling bans on the diamond casino, the reasons why do vary somewhat. However, they generally fall into one or more of two camps. The first is that the country maintains a total ban on gambling. For example, both china and saudi arabia have outlawed all forms of gambling.

As such, it’s not altogether surprising to see the diamond casino banned there. The second category are countries which strictly regulate gambling, such as poland, and where online gambling or gambling in games is banned or subject to very specific guidelines. Belgium, for example, has specifically outlawed loot-boxes in games, while the diamond casino was not banned.

So, in general, regulators either banned the GTA V diamond casino because they deemed that it amounted to gambling, or because it was seen to promote gambling. (the latter is more likely for countries like saudi arabia, where gambling is banned under islamic law.) however, when it comes to defining content such as the diamond casino as gambling, it isn’t necessarily clear. While it may seem to be an open-and-shut-case; “of course a literal casino in a game would be classed as gambling,” the legal definitions are actually something of a grey area.

Regulators’ opinions on defining gambling in games

The blurring of lines between gaming and gambling is something which gambling regulators have grown increasingly concerned about in recent years, as it becomes more common. However, because it is a very new area, specific regulation doesn’t necessarily exist to adjudicate cases. As such, there have been several reports published on classifying gambling in games. For example, a recent report published by the gaming regulators’ european forum (a joint forum comprising regulators from 19 european countries), recently determined that loot-boxes do not constitute gambling. A similar decision is the current thinking of the UK’s gambling commission.

In the case of the GTA V diamond casino, players are able to use the in-game currency to gamble on actual casino games and potentially win vehicles and other such luxury rewards. If the GTA V currency were solely in-game, then an argument could be made that gambling in the game is no more real than shooting somebody in-game; while some people may have moral qualms, it oughtn’t be regulated as real-world gambling, just as it isn’t treated as real-world murder.

The complicating factor

However, the diamond casino mechanics become more problematic in GTA V because of one important fact; that players are able to purchase in-game currency with real money. This means that a real-world cost can be ascribed to the gambling mechanics and rewards, and herein lies the grey area. The money can’t be “cashed out,” for a real-world profit, which is an important distinction in legally defining gambling. However, it can go towards an in-game profit which can still be ascribed a real-world value.

When it comes to micro-transactions, pay-to-win mechanics, and even loot-boxes, such content is generally not considered gambling by regulators. (although that’s not to say that regulators aren’t concerned about the potential blurring of lines between gambling and gaming.) however, where the diamond casino is concerned, the actual in-game gambling is very obviously (and intentionally) gambling.

So, does the GTA V diamond casino constitute actual gambling?

The various component parts of the mechanics in GTA V may not individually be defined as gambling (such as in-game currency, etc.). However, the diamond casino itself definitely does. As stated above, the ability to ascribe a real-world cost to the currency brings it into the realm of gambling regulation. Of course, it’s possible to engage with the casino without ever spending money; i.E., by only using in-game currency earned through activities and time spent in the game. However, the mere possibility of paying for that currency opens it up to regulation.

There is one additional complication; that rockstar may theoretically control the likelihood that players win (or not) in the casino. Within the digital space, the studio can control the likelihood of wins much more artificially than in the real world. There may be a variety of factors at play which are not immediately apparent. If so, then regulators would certainly need to be aware of these. However, rockstar has not commented on whether any such factors are at play.

All told, the diamond casino update may represent a first, and an important distinction, for gambling in triple-A gaming; the implementation of gambling mechanics which are a direct parallel to real-world gambling mechanics, and which players can spend real money on. Clearly, this is content which falls into the realm of regulation (and hence why so many countries banned it). However, the visibility and success of GTA V could now serve to normalise the inclusion of such content in future gaming products. If so, then regulators will need to pay even closer attention to activities within the gaming industry.

GTA online - list of countries that banned the new casino

It seems that gamers from several countries can't access gambling in GTA online. Reddit users have prepared an extensive list of countries whose laws prohibit the use of such solutions.

GTA online recently received an update that introduced a virtual casino where players can try their luck. As in the case of red dead online, the solution used in production is illegal in some countries. However, it turns out that the list of places in the world where you can't enjoy gambling introduced by the patch is larger than you might think. Reddit users have prepared an extensive list of restricted countries.

GTA online gambling restrictions

(gambling requires a license and rockstar can apply for one)

It is worth mentioning, that the list is not complete - for example it should also include several states of the USA, such as hawaii or utah. In some cases, the law is so complicated that forum users are not sure whether the rules established by GTA online developers conflict with it. There are also known countries where gambling requires a license that rockstar games can apply for - portugal is marked as such, but it cannot be ruled out that it is not the only place of this type.

The list also notes that there are countries that technically prohibit gambling, but GTA online somehow avoids this ban and functions quite normally in them. As a general rule, if the services offered by the casino are available in your game, everything's fine.

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'GTA online': over 50 countries have banned gambling in the new diamond casino

There's a huge debate going on in the video game world right now about loot boxes, monetization, legality, and what constitutes gambling. It's not just the usual form arguments either: there are real consequences here, with governments around the world looking at what constitutes gambling inside of a game, whether or not current mechanics are legal, and whether or not new definitions need to be drawn in order to protect consumers. And given that argument, it's pretty on-brand for rockstar games to go clomping in with GTA online and start up a whole new front in the war.

GTA online's newest large-scale content drop opens up the diamond casino and resort, a new playground for the ultra-wealthy of los santos to gamble, drink expensive champagne and do all manner of crime--there is always crime to do. And since this is a casino, there is gambling. That seems to have been a sticking point for a ton of international governments because players around the world are discovering that they're unable to access the gambling portions of the new content. Reddit put together a list of over 50 countries with gambling laws that appear to be restricting the gambling features of GTA online, some with conflicting reports.

Big markets like the united states, western europe and japan are absent from this list, so it's not a house on fire disaster for rockstar or take two. It's still not great, however, though people do report being able to get around bans with vpns.

The gambling in GTA online isn't quite as cut and dry as things might sound. In a certain way, you are gambling with fake money, which is the sort of thing that has been legal in videogames ever since someone once animated poker. But you also buy that fake money with real money, even if there's no way to turn it back into real money. So in that sense, it's much closer to actual gambling because rockstar has assigned a straightforward value to this fake money in terms of real money.

And in the sense that gambling is the sort of thing that can lead to problematic behavior, it's not hard to imagine how these new mechanics could start causing people with addictive personalities some issues.

It's a new wrinkle in the still-developing saga of how governments are going to treat virtual economies going forward, and I wonder if this could be used as precedent in any other arguments.

GTA online casino update blocked by gambling laws in over 50 countries

GTA onlineвђ™sв long-awaited diamond casino & resortв update finally went live earlier in the week, but it appears that the expansion has been blocked in over 50 countries as a result of strict local gambling laws.В

For over five years,В rockstar games has teased the grand-opening of the los santos casino, which was allegedly once supposed to be part of a single-player DLC update forв GTA V. Now itвђ™s open, gamers can use their in-game cash (which can be purchased with real money), to bet on virtual horses, roulette, slot machines, blackjack, and more.

Itвђ™s important to note that players canвђ™t turn their virtual currencyв back into real-world cash in GTA online, but it would appear that the virtual gambling is just a little close to the real thing for some governments around the world.

Players in iceland, iran, peru, china, vietnam, and various other countries are reporting that large chunks of the casino are blocked off to them. While they can enter the building, talk to other players, and buy one of the swish new penthouses, attempting to indulge in a spot of virtual gambling is met with an error message that reads вђњthis feature is not available for you.Вђќ

The decision seems to have been made by rockstar itself, presumably in an effort to err on the side of caution and restrict the features before theyвђ™re found to have fallen foul of gambling laws in multiple territories.

One reddit user wrote:

I launched and headed straight for the new building, and wanted to buy myself some chips for the games. After contacting support I received a quick reply that because of my region I cannot enjoy the gambling related content in the new DLC. I tried buying the high roller penthouse but it was locked for no apparent reason.

Over on theВ GTA onlineв subreddit,В players have put together a list of countries where the gambling minigames are restricted. Some players are reporting weird inconsistencies with what they can and canвђ™t do, with some facing restrictions despite living in countries that allow online gambling.

Itвђ™s not entirely clear why the above reddit user would have been blocked from buying a high roller penthouse, as one of the features in the new update that surely canвђ™t be seen as gambling in any way, and is simply an in-game bonus.

Some gamers are making use of vpns to bypass their countries laws and rockstarвђ™s bans. Obviously, this is actually illegal in some locations, so I really wouldnвђ™t advise it as a course of action.

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Ewan moore

Ewan moore is a journalist at UNILAD gaming who still quite hasn't gotten out of his mid 00's emo phase. After graduating from the university of portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in journalism & media studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including kotaku, den of geek, and thesixthaxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.

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GTA online diamond casino update blocked in over 50 countries

Following the release of the diamond casino update in grand theft auto online, many players report that they're blocked from participating.

Originally launching in 2013, grand theft auto 5 remains a very popular title thanks in large part to the game's online multiplayer. Rockstar games has continually updated grand theft auto online with free content, updates, and expansions with the latest one having arrived earlier this week. The diamond casino & resort update adds new activities and a massive gambling casino. Unfortunately, many players have quickly discovered that they're unable to partake in much of the new content and virtual gambling.

Reports from users on the GTA online subreddit have indicated that they're blocked from purchasing chips to use inside of the casino. As it turns out, whether or not players get access to these features is determined by local gambling laws for the country they're located in as rockstar appears to have restricted these features in countries that take a harder stance on online gambling.

The discovery was found after one user received an error message when attempting to buy virtual chips to spend on various games like blackjack or slot machines. After contacting support, they were told that the gambling related content in the update was blocked due to the region they were located in. The subreddit has since started to compile a list of countries where the new content is locked and includes places like china, iceland, cyprus, poland, and more. Unfortunately, some players from countries like argentina and portugal have also been blocked, which has caused frustration as lootboxes and online gambling remain freely available there.

The diamond casino update can be played using in-game currency, though players do have the option of spending real money in order to purchase more to use. The virtual chips have a 1:1 conversion rate for in-game money, and considering that players are given $1,000 daily for logging in, it's fairly easy to amass a large sum of money over time to use without purchasing money directly. Some players have resorted to setting up a VPN to work around the restrictions, though this is practice is risky as rockstar may ultimately decides to make it a bannable offense.

Grand theft auto online is available now on PC, PS4, and xbox one as part of grand theft auto 5.

Gta v casino countries banned

Due to glorious rockstargames countermeasures to prevent exploiting the horse betting minigame everyone that exploited AND a few extra included who didn't even touch the exploit before have been banned from using the casino for 7 days (one of my friends who frequents the casino but has never managed to pull the exploit off included)

If it doesn't give you the ability back to gamble after 7 days you might wanna contact support and see if they actually bother replying to you besides just sending their automatized bot to do everything for them and tell you how its not reversible.

I have like a million dollars TOTAL on my character. I probably made about 500k on the horses that night when I got banned.

This game is about to get mothballed. I'm not playing something that bans me for doing well. I may as well have just cheated. At least I'd have money.

Due to glorious rockstargames countermeasures to prevent exploiting the horse betting minigame everyone that exploited AND a few extra included who didn't even touch the exploit before have been banned from using the casino for 7 days (one of my friends who frequents the casino but has never managed to pull the exploit off included)

If it doesn't give you the ability back to gamble after 7 days you might wanna contact support and see if they actually bother replying to you besides just sending their automatized bot to do everything for them and tell you how its not reversible.

I have like a million dollars TOTAL on my character. I probably made about 500k on the horses that night when I got banned.

This game is about to get mothballed. I'm not playing something that bans me for doing well. I may as well have just cheated. At least I'd have money.

Rockstar has been fairly incompetent when it comes to countermeasuring cheaters and exploiters from the game, just a few weeks back i saw a guy flying around throwing money at people, left the lobby immediately and reported him and lo behold the guy is still not banned, but i'm betting everyone he threw money at got their hefty 3 day ban and their whole account reset for DOING NOTHING.

My friend just told me that since they implemented the exploit fix to the horse betting races to disallow people from getting free money from it he himself has been banned from using the casino despite him not trying nor ever actually BY ACCIDENT managing to pull of the exploit.

(hell sometimes they can't even fix major softlocks in the missions ingame, if you try to sell wares using the office system and you get the plane mission sometimes the "dropped items" counter glitches and stops moving at which point you cant do anything but ALT+F4 out of the game or lose 111 crates of wares you paid 500,000 dollars for because rockstar cant change two lines of code when it doesn't give them the big bucks.)

so, let's see, what we have: full list of countries that are banned from playing GTA 5's casino games... At gta v casino countries banned