Rockstar Games has switched off casino gambling in GTA Online for players in Australia, just months before the hugely anticipated and commercially crucial launch of GTA VI, which parent company Take-Two is banking on to drive up to $8.2bn in revenue.
Australian users began reporting on 28 July that they could no longer place bets inside the Diamond Casino & Resort, with attempts to wager returning an on-screen message stating “this feature is not available”. Dataminer Tex2 later surfaced game code confirming Australia had been added to Rockstar’s list of “Gambling_Restricted_Geographic” territories.
Rockstar has not issued any public statement explaining the move, but it comes shortly after GTA Online was reclassified in Australia and as the country tightens its broader approach to online wagering and gambling-style content.
Casino access without betting
Although wagering has been disabled, Australian players can still walk into the Diamond Casino, buy and sell chips and claim a daily allocation of 1,000 free chips. However, those chips can no longer be used at any of the venue’s betting activities.
Blackjack, roulette, three-card poker, slot machines, Inside Track horse racing and the main Casino House are all covered by the new restriction flag. Private blackjack tables in player-owned penthouses are also inactive.
The change even affects the Lucky Wheel – a once-per-day free spin that does not involve chips and offers prizes such as vehicles and clothing. The Lucky Wheel is one of the benefits promoted as part of the paid GTA+ subscription, but is now unavailable to Australian subscribers.
Long-standing regional gambling controls
The Diamond Casino & Resort was introduced to GTA Online in July 2019 with gambling features already disabled in a significant number of countries. Since then Rockstar has run a market-by-market switch controlling access to the casino’s betting functions.
That system has remained in place throughout GTA Online’s life cycle. Rockstar was still actively promoting casino chips and high-end penthouses in November 2025, tailoring availability according to local regulations.
Australia’s addition to the restricted list therefore extends a policy Rockstar has operated for seven years, rather than creating a new mechanism.
Rating rules underpin change
On 22 July, the Australian version of GTA Online for Xbox Series X|S was put through the automated IARC self-assessment process and reclassified. The title retained its R 18+ rating for “high-impact violence, sexual content, drug use, and themes”, but the updated consumer advice no longer refers to simulated gambling.
Australia has required an R 18+ classification plus specific “high-impact simulated gambling” consumer advice for such content since September 2024. By disabling casino wagering within GTA Online, Rockstar has aligned the in-game experience with the terms of the new rating it now carries in that market.
In parallel, the regulatory environment for real-world online wagering in Australia has also become stricter. Since 11 June 2024, licensed online betting operators have been barred from accepting credit cards, credit-related products or digital currencies, including cryptocurrency. Breaches can attract fines of up to $247,500, with the regime scheduled for review after June 2026.
GTA VI set for record-breaking release
The move on GTA Online’s casino features comes as Rockstar prepares to launch GTA VI on 19 November for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, following two delays from an initial spring 2025 window. The standard edition will be priced at $79.99, with the Ultimate Edition – widely viewed as the feature-complete version – at $99.99. Pre-orders opened on 25 June.
GTA VI is the first mainline Grand Theft Auto release since 2013, a period in which age ratings, simulated gambling classifications, loot-box scrutiny and age-assurance requirements have all evolved significantly.
Pre-order material for the sequel so far only outlines a single-player story featuring characters Jason and Lucia in the state of Leonida. It notes that the title has yet to receive a final age rating and warns that availability may differ depending on platform rules, regional regulations and age classifications. Rockstar has not announced an online mode for GTA VI or indicated whether a casino or similar gambling-style features will appear in the new game.
Take-Two targets $8bn-plus year
Take-Two says the Grand Theft Auto franchise has sold more than 470 million copies to date, with GTA V alone accounting for 230 million of those. The company reported net bookings of $6.72bn for fiscal 2026, with $5.20bn – 78% – coming from recurrent consumer spending, such as in-game purchases and subscriptions, rather than up-front game sales.
GTA Online, which launched in 2013, continues to generate more than $150m in revenue every quarter, underscoring the importance of ongoing engagement and compliance with regional rules across different markets.
Take-Two’s outlook for fiscal 2027 forecasts net bookings between $8bn and $8.2bn, around 20% higher than the previous year, with the November release of GTA VI expected to be the primary driver of that growth.
