Most modern-day gamers are oblivious to the history of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, as we are sure that for most GTA Online players, the series either began with the fourth or fifth addition. Some may also remember San Andreas and Vice City, but not many can recall playing the original GTA, which came out in 1997, and its top-down-view sequel, Grand Theft Auto 2.

The franchise did not start to take on its current form until the third edition, which came out in 2001, and San Andreas was the title to take open-world gaming to a whole new level. With the looming debut of Grand Theft Auto VI, GTA is set to revolutionize this genre once again. San Andreas was the first game in the series to feature playable casino gambling. The Diamond Casino & Resort in GTA Online elevated what GTA fans expected this game could do in this department.

Yet, with the praise that Red Dead Redemption 2 has gotten for its poker and blackjack mini-games, many gamers worldwide are now expecting GTA 6 to include even more advanced poker fun, card gambling action that shall generate sizable in-game benefits and adrenaline-inducing moments, the kind that is only available at top-end card rooms.

The Role of Luck in GTA series

Technically, the inception of gambling in GTA was in Vice City, where players paid fees to join street races and earned prizes based on their performance. Nonetheless, San Andreas was the game that introduced casino-style gaming, allowing players to increase their gambling skills by spending money at casinos. By doing this, they could unlock higher wagering limits, and the game had a debt system that let them borrow money from gambling establishments, with loan sharks pursuing them if these debts went unpaid.

Chinatown Wars, a lesser-known GTA entry available for mobile play, and the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS consoles ushered in GTA scratch card betting. The Diamond Casino & Resort pack for GTA Online lets video game lovers enjoy Three-Card Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette against software or each other.

The mechanics in these mirror real-world ones have led the game to face various restrictions in certain territories, like Poland and Iceland, where lawmakers saw these features as conflicting with local gaming rules. Some readers may be left scratching their heads over this. Yet, this was the case since gamers could buy virtual chips using real money to participate in these activities, and that, per law, in some places, constituted online gambling. That is why many people today even Google things like – is playing poker at home illegal, as states such as Nebraska and South Carolina prohibit this by default.

Why Poker in GTA 6 Can Be a Game-Changer

Without question, GTA 6’s hyped in-game graphics can create a virtual poker experience like no other before it. Everyone knows that Rockstar is the king of open-world gaming, and going by the quick trailer and currently available promo materials for GTA 6, the game promises to implement next-level realistic visuals, with colors that pop and phenomenal ray tracing. Right now, from what games are on hand that include gambling, the experiences provided, while good, still have a heavy video game vibe. Fallout: New Vegas, anyone?

Expectations are that GTA 6 will push immersion boundaries like nothing before it. The gambling sphere has not managed to capitalize on innovating VR platforms, as that sector has seen a few failed virtual reality real-money casinos, and there are only fun credit poker VR games that facilitate multiplayer gaming. Regarding crypto gambling, metaverses such as Decentraland and The Sandbox have casinos where users can play various games to get platform tokens. But these have rudimentary graphics and complex asset mechanics.

GTA 6 will probably include opportunities for its poker and casino options to integrate into the game’s broader ecosystem, which means that wins and losses will have sizable consequences for players. Getting super good at poker and dominating GTA card rooms will likely give gamers an edge in buying in-game property, weapons, and vehicles.

Legal Challenges & Ethical Considerations

The incorporation of poker and other gambling mechanics in GTA 6 is going to spark various controversies. As noted above, stringent local laws in 2019 banned GTA Online users from getting the Diamond Casino update in more than fifty countries, with complaints that it mirrors online gambling too closely.

Many have argued that this is unjustifiable since many of these same regions that restricted access to this update allowed loot box mechanics and microtransactions. Consequently, they argued that buying chips in Diamond Casino should not be illegal. Yet, it should be highlighted that many countries have begun enforcing loot box bans in the past six years.

Moreover, we are sure that if poker is enabled, there will be clamoring for it to be locked for younger players. The main argument for this is that such a feature would expose minors to gambling during ages when they are still in a stage of essential psychological development and may form gambling-related habits that may cause them problems further down in life. Thus, Rockstar must carefully navigate these challenges to avoid heavy regulatory and public backlash.