Rockstar Disables GTA Online Casino Gambling for Australian Players

Rockstar Games disabled every wagering feature in Grand Theft Auto Online's Diamond Casino for players in Australia on July 28, and has not said why.

Australian accounts can still enter the casino, buy and sell chips, collect the daily 1,000 free chips and run its story missions. Blackjack, roulette, slots, three-card poker, inside track, private penthouse tables and the free daily Lucky Wheel spin all stopped working.

The chips have no cash value, which keeps them outside Australia's gambling laws but not its online safety rules. A game containing simulated gambling carries a minimum R18+ classification there. R18+ online games have owed players an age check since March 9, 2026.

The eSafety Commissioner can direct a service to comply with a code, and breaching that direction carries civil penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($35 million).

Code Change Singles Out Australian Accounts

Dataminer Tez2 posted game code on July 28 showing a territory-based restriction tied to the "AU" region and covering casino house, three card poker, inside track, the Lucky Wheel, blackjack, roulette and slots.

Players in Australia also report that poker in Red Dead Online has stopped working.

Australia joins more than 50 countries (among them Greece, Poland, Portugal, Argentina, Israel and China) where GTA Online's casino games were already blocked.

Age-Check Codes Reach Fictional Chips

Australia has treated in-game gambling as adult content since Sept. 22, 2024, when games containing simulated gambling began drawing an automatic R18+ rating.

The rules define simulated gambling as activity inside a game that resembles or functions like real betting without rewards redeemable for real currency.

The Phase 2 online safety codes that took effect in March then required age assurance for those games, and self-declared birthdays do not count.

Neither Rockstar nor the eSafety Commissioner has publicly connected the shutdown to the codes. Rockstar has not announced an age-verification system for Australian players, and industry reports say the regulator has placed R18+ games low on its enforcement list.

Rockstar releases Grand Theft Auto VI on Nov. 19, 2026, into the same regime, and has not said whether the Diamond Casino will reopen in Australia behind an age check.