Grand Theft Auto is the best-known and most popular game ever developed by Rockstar Games. The franchise is every bit as popular today as it was nearly 2 decades ago when the first title was released. Over the years, it has added new game mechanics to make it more appealing to the younger audiences. Perhaps the boldest move ever made by the developer was the introduction of the GTA online casino game. Essentially, the last installment allows players to visit a virtual casino in-game and win money.
Visit the Diamond Casino & Resort
There are many things to do and many places to visit in the world envisioned by Grand Theft Auto. However, one stands out from the crowd and those who visit the virtual Diamond Casino & Resort won’t be disappointed. This is a place where players can try the thrills of online gambling using virtual currency that can be acquired while playing. The other way to amass this type of in-game currency is to buy it with real cash. This is where things get dicey, as the videogame developer was accused of promoting online gambling without having the proper license.
The Diamond Casino & Resort looks very much like popular online slots sites like Fruity King, while being tweaked to blend in nicely with the GTA environment. Players can bet virtual money on table games, slots and pokers, just like they would in a brick-and-mortar operator or an Internet venture. The odds are the same and the game mechanics don’t differ one bit, so the lines between fictional and real gambling are blurred. This is what prompted lawmakers and regulators from certain countries to accuse the developers of wrongdoing.
Are Diamond Casino & Resort Games True Gambling?
Rockstar Games argued that the game was unfairly targeted by gambling regulators because they don’t provide this type of entertainment. The argument used was that players can’t actually win money that could be withdrawn on their payment methods in the real world. Instead, all the money made can be used exclusively in game on weapons, vehicles and vanity items. The fact that the virtual currency needed to play in the virtual casino is also earned in game was another argument in their defense. The critics were not convinced, simply because the same virtual currency can be purchased with real money.
One of the main problems with the Diamond Casino & Resort and the sort of entertainment it promotes is that the game is played mostly by young people. The prospect of introducing children to gambling is quite concerning, as they don’t have the ability to evaluate the risks. The game developers were accused of fomenting an appetite for gambling, while increasing the odds of addiction among a vulnerable category. Even though most of the players wholeheartedly embraced the virtual casino, the game itself is in danger of being banned in many countries where Diamond Casino & Resort games are regarded as gambling.