I don’t know if anyone has run a full analysis on them, but I don’t think they are. The odds are given, the game rules are shown, and slot machines have a poor return on most spins, made up for by some high payouts which rarely come up.
0If you’ve been to the Diamond Casino in GTA Online, you probably tried to play some of its games. It’s a stylish casino with lots of slots; blackjack, baccarat and poker games. Despite that, there’s a big issue in the establishment. The games, more so slots, seem rigged. Sure, slots aren’t the fairest of games. The house always wins. But there’s a difference between losing a few times and doing it continuously. Worse, the game’s Non-Player Characters (NPCs) win frequently. If you’ve been keen to observe the NPCs at the casino, they hit winning symbols suspiciously fast.
Aren’t they all the same?
I’ve played a lot of casino themed games over the years on a range of formats, right since the 1980s when I bought Vegas Jackpot from Mastertronic for the Vic 20. You know that the odds are always stacked against the player no matter what. That comes with the territory, but any title that claims to simulate casino games still have to offer some degree of realism. If I lost every game of slots I played on Vegas Jackpot, I wouldn’t have bothered with it for more than a few minutes but it did let players win.
It’s the same with all of the games I’ve played on the PSP. I’d been a fan of poker ever since I first watched a tournament on Channel 4, captivated by the likes of Dave Ulliolt and Phil Hellmuth. As such I was drawn to the console games, first on the PS3 then the PSP. While the stars of the World Poker Tour made the games appealing, it was the fact that these AI players could be beaten helped keep the games engaging. No, there wasn’t any money involved but what’s the point of playing any video game that you can’t win? And it felt the same widening the appeal further with games like Hard Rock Casino. You’re not going to make a virtual million on it, but if players and fans of the game like myself weren’t able to win a single hand of cards, earn any chips on a roulette wheel or come away with anything from the slots room then what’s the point of playing? None whatsoever.
So, why would GTA Online rig games that don’t help you win real money?
To Keep you Focused on real Crimes
Rockstar knows if the Diamond casino becomes profitable, players will spend more time gambling than doing heists, smuggling or racing. But if people keep losing; they will spend less time playing games and more time doing other activities.
Of course, the games allow you to win from time to time. A lucky Reddit user recently won $2.5 million. But if you read through the thread, a lot of players have been playing thousands of chips and winning very little.
To Regulate Gambling
The last thing Rockstar wants is an accusation of creating problematic gamblers. That’s why it has designed its games to remain unprofitable to players. Additionally, you can’t gamble more than 50,000 chips in 30 minutes. Considering the 500,000 chips cost around 30p, you can’t gamble excessively.
Another regulation is to limit players that come from countries where gambling is illegal. From Belgium to Poland, China to Egypt, people whose countries prohibit gambling are welcomed with this message. “Your account cannot complete this transaction.”
For Profits
Rockstar needs players’ cash, real money. And with its games tilted in its favour by a mile, players that fancy gambling at the Diamond Casino must keep purchasing new chips. Unsurprisingly, the developer allows you to buy chips using real money. However, you can’t withdraw gambling profits.
Are there Fair Games at Diamond Casino?
Although the odds of winning slots at the Diamond Casino are slim, there are several more games in the casino with better odds. Blackjack and poker, in particular, operate fairly. The casino also features roulette and baccarat tables. Blackjack and poker are the best games to play if you want to win regularly. With blackjack, you can use a range of strategies to beat the dealer. With proper skills, on the other hand, winning poker is relatively easy.
Of course, you can’t use your gambling profits to do meaningful things on GTA Online. But being a member of the casino grants you a penthouse you could embellish to look elegant. Playing the games is also fun, even unfair slot machines.
Where can you Play Fair Slot Machines?
If you love playing slots on GTA Online despite never winning anything substantial, there’s a better way to play the games. Fruityslots.com/slots/ features several detailed guides of how to play hundreds of slot machines for real money. The website also shows you where to play the games, including some casinos that welcome you with free betting money.
Real money casinos, obviously, allows you to cash out your profits. But how do you know their games are fair?
Regulated by Respected Authorities
Unlike slots at GTA Online, real money gambling sites are regulated by independent authorities. In the UK, gambling companies acquire licenses from the Gambling Commission. Gibraltar and Alderney also have regulatory authorities. But they provide licenses to enable casinos to operate outside of Britain.
True, Visible Odds
GTA Online claims its slots have a 98% payout rate. But if you’ve played the game, you’ll know the figure is wildly exaggerated. You could gamble hundreds of times and win nothing. But at the same time, the casino’s NPCs could win continuously.
Real money casinos have verifiable payout rates. In fact, some casinos allow independent game auditing companies to check their games for fairness. That way, a slot with a 98% payout rate will hit more frequently than a 95% machine.
You can win
The best way to know how fair a slot machine is to play it. Most real money slots regularly hit, even if it’s small amounts. Some games, however, hit moderately but produce decent wins. On the other extreme, you could play a game that rarely lets you win. But when it hits, you could win tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Can you increase your odds of Winning Slots?
You can’t increase your odds of winning slots at the Diamond Casino. But if you play real money slots, there are ways to boost your chances of winning. Here are some of them:
To Conclude
After you buy a penthouse and gain entrance to the Diamond Casino, you’ll probably realize the slots are unfair. You can confirm that by comparing your win rate with the win percentage of NPCs. You could continue to play if you don’t mind losing. But if you want to cherish high-quality slot machines and win real money, consider joining real money online casinos. The reality is that the Diamond Casino is DLC via stealth means, just adding some gameplay into the mix where players don’t always get the in-game rewards they’re paying for.