GTA Online blocks Diamond Casino gambling in Australia

Australian GTA Online players have lost access to the betting games in the Diamond Casino, PC Gamer and IGN reported today. Players who try to sit down at a table now get a short notice: "this feature is not available for you".

According to IGN, the block covers blackjack, roulette, slots, poker and the Inside Track horse racing mode. The Lucky Wheel is switched off as well, even though it never cost anything to spin. The rest of the casino still works, missions included.

Dataminer Tex2 posted yesterday, July 28, about code showing a territory-based restriction that applies to Casino House, Three Card Poker, Inside Track, Lucky Wheel, Blackjack, Roulette and Slots.

The games had worked in Australia for seven years, since The Diamond Casino & Resort update arrived on July 23, 2019. IGN says Australia now joins about 50 countries where the betting minigames are unavailable, among them Portugal, Poland, Argentina, Greece, Luxembourg, South Africa, South Korea, China and Malta.

What prompted the change is not known. The age rating doesn't explain it on its own: Australia has required an R18+ classification for games with simulated gambling since September 2024, and GTA Online already carried that rating. GTA V was rated R18+ in Australia when it launched in 2013. IGN mentions Australia's online safety code from March 2026, which requires age verification for certain adult content, but says it's unclear whether that is the reason.

Other explanations come from outside Rockstar. A GTA Forums user pointed out that GTA Online was re-classified for Xbox on July 22 through the automated IARC system, and the new consumer advice no longer mentions "high impact gambling". PC Gamer suggests the block could be a preemptive move while Australia's federal government cracks down on online gambling harms. Rockstar hasn't confirmed either theory.

Casino winnings in GTA Online can't be turned into real money. IGN says GTA$ bought with real money couldn't be used for chips, while PC Gamer notes that real money can still end up on the tables through Shark Cards. PC Gamer also expects that Australia likely won't get any simulated gambling in GTA VI's online component. That is the outlet's prediction, not anything Rockstar has announced.

Both PC Gamer and IGN have asked Rockstar for a statement and are still waiting for a response.