Gambling is the wagering of money on an event with uncertain outcomes with intent to win additional money.
GTA Vice City
The ability to wager money is first introduced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, when the player must pay entrance fees for Vice Street Racer events, with a set limit on how much they can bet, and perform well enough in the races to break even.
GTA San Andreas
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, more activities were available that the player can take part in to wager money on in order to gain more money if the player wins the activity or lose the money wagered if the player loses the activity. With its expansion in GTA San Andreas the chances of losing/winning are more probable.
Gambling skill
In GTA San Andreas, the player can increase the gambling skill of Carl Johnson by spending money at the casinos. The skill increases by 1 for every $1,000 spent up to a maximum skill of 1000. There are certain activities that bar the player from playing due to a low gambling skill, such as the Wheel of Fortune, which only allows those who could at least wager a maximum of $10,000.
| Percentage | Numerical value | Skill level | Max wager or borrow |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | $100 |
| 0.1 | 1 | Gambler | $1,000 |
| 1 | 10 | Professional | $10,000 |
| 10 | 100 | Hi-roller | $100,000 |
| 100 | 1000 | Whale | $1,000,000 |
Debt
When the player runs out of money (having $0), the player can borrow money from the casino when playing at a casino table (an amount of borrowed money corresponds with the player's wager on the table), leading to a negative money value. The amount allowed to borrow in each round at the table is based in how high the gambling skill is; the higher the skill the more is allowed to borrow. When having -$500 or less, borrowing money puts the player in "debt", resulting in the player receiving phone calls from the loaner about returning their money once the player leaves a casino.
If the player fails to repay their debt after a certain amount of time, the player will be persistently attacked by Micro SMGs and AKs-armed gunmen in a Vincent whenever they are in Las Venturas, until they repay their debt. The more money borrowed from the casino, the more gunmen will be sent after the player. The player can also pick up the money dropped by the gunmen to decrease their debt.
Increase Skill
Gambling skill can be increased without losing any money by the following method: the player must head into a casino in Las Venturas and head to a roulette table. They should choose the highest wager possible for their skill level. Next, half of the maximum wager should be bet on red, and half on black (e.g. $5,000 on red, $5,000 on black for a $10,000 wager). When the player plays the game of roulette, the outcome is a 'no win' situation and all of the money is returned to the player.
However, gambling skill will still be increased since the player has 'spent' the money. Keep repeating this method and one will end up with the same amount of money, and a maximum gambling skill in no time.
Gambling Activities
GTA Vice City
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Vice Street Racer |  |
Vice Street Racer is a street/drag race side mission provided by A+B Auto. The races become available after the player purchases the Sunshine Autos car showroom. |
GTA San Andreas
Casino-based
| Name | Image | Description | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack |  |
The in-game rules of Blackjack are based on the real-life version, except for splitting. The goal is to get as close to 21 as the player possibly can without going over ("bust"). The player and the dealer each start out with two cards. After the cards are dealt, the player can choose to either hit (receive new cards), double (which doubles the bet and gives the players one more card only), or stand (stay with the cards in their hands). Receiving five cards without going over 21 forces the player to stand. If the player has two cards of the same rank (for example, a pair of Aces), they can choose to split, allowing them to play two hands at once. If the player goes over 21, they are considered going bust. The dealer always plays last, standing on 17.
If the player gets a Blackjack (an Ace and a card equivalent to 10), they immediately win a payout of 2-to-1, but if the dealer also has a Blackjack, the player only gets an even payout. Also, a push can occur when both the player and the dealer have the same total, in which case the player gets their wager back. | ||||||||||||||||
| Roulette |  |
The in-game rules of Roulette are based on the real-life version. In San Andreas, the layout used is the French-style one, which has only one green zero space. The player places chips on number spaces, number pairs, number sets, or any other spaces. If the ball lands on the number or color they chose, the player wins a payout based on their wager. Each choice pays a different multiple based on how many numbers were picked, with the single number having the highest payout at 35 to 1 (36x).
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| Slot Machines |  |
Slot machines are another source of gambling. While pretty simple, slot machines have a wide range of payouts depending on the wager. The higher the machine's wager, the bigger its payouts. The amount of money won depends on what icons show up on the bottom of the screen. If three icons of the same kind show up on the screen, the player wins. Playing these can also increase the gambling skill.
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| Video Poker |  |
Video poker follows conventional poker rules, where the player's winning depends on the final combination of cards they have in hand. After the player sets the wager, a set of five cards are dealt. The player can then choose to hold any number of cards before the second deal; cards that are not held will be exchanged with other cards in the second deal. If the final set of five cards contains any of the poker hands listed on the screen, the player can win up to 4,000 times the amount of wager. | ||||||||||||||||
| Wheel of Fortune |  |
As in roulette, one puts money on spots on a board. However, here, the player can only pick six spots- $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, and the star. The payout for each space is shown by the dollar amount (the star is $40), e.g. betting $100 on the $20 spot will give a $2,000 payout if the player wins. Once done betting, the wheel will be spun. If the wheel lands on the space with bets on it, the player wins. | ||||||||||||||||
| Craps (cut) |  |
This gambling game was deleted from the game, but the table and the dice are still in the game files (complete with models and textures). The dice are much bigger than usual, though the script may resize it.
It is possible that this game would have been too similar to Roulette. | ||||||||||||||||
| Texas Hold'em Poker (cut) |  |
This gambling game was deleted from the game, but the table and the chips are still in the game files (with textures and models). The table is not solid and the chips are much bigger than usual, though the script may resize it.
This game has never appeared in any GTA game so far, but this game does appear and is playable in Red Dead Redemption. |
Miscellaneous
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pool |  |
In GTA San Andreas, CJ can challenge a person at a bar who is holding a pool cue to a game of pool. A wager can be placed, with maximum wager being $1000. CJ then begins to play pool with him.
If CJ wins the game, he wins twice the amount of money he wagered. If he loses or quits, he loses the money he wagered. In any instance, CJ gets a pool cue, which replaces whatever melee weapon he was previously carrying. |
| Inside Track |  |
Inside Track is a betting shop for thoroughbred horse races. Inside Track Betting (ITB) machines line the walls of these establishments, the player can bet money on horse races. |
| Lowrider Challenge |  |
The Lowrider Challenge is a rhythm-based side mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is unlocked after completing the mission Cesar Vialpando, the challenge involves pushing the right analogue stick of a controller or directional keys of a keyboard in the directions prompted, making the car hop in that direction. The player can also bet up to $1,000 against the opponent, who is a member of the Varrios Los Aztecas gang. |
GTA Chinatown Wars
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch Cards |  |
Scratch cards (also called a scratch off, scratch ticket, scratcher, scratchie, scratch-it, scratch game, scratch-and-win or instant game) are available for purchase with the posibility of winning anything from money to food (health) and weapons. However, due to scratch cards having a minimum prize that is worth the buying prize of a scratch card, there is generally no significant drawback buying scratch cards. |
The Lost and Damned
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hi-Lo |  |
The basic objective of the game is to guess whether the next card dealt will be of a higher or lower value than the card on the table.
Each player takes it in turn to guess. If their guess is correct, they stay in the game and the next player along the table takes their turn. If a player guesses incorrectly, they are removed from the game until the next round. The last player left after all others have guessed incorrectly and thus been excluded is the winner, and takes the pot - $40. It should be noted that in this game, Aces are low. |
| Arm Wrestling |  |
The activity is basically a wager-based minigame in which the player is required compete against a computer controlled opponent for two or three rounds. The player must successfully win two rounds in order to win wholly; if the player loses in the first or second round, the game is allowed to be extended to a third round.
During a round of arm wrestling, the player needs to rapidly move the right thumb stick from left to right for console versions or rapidly move the mouse around for the PC version to win; the tougher the opponent, the more rapidly the player is required to move the thumb stick or mouse. |
The Ballad of Gay Tony
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| L.C. Cage Fighters |  |
While spectating, bets can be placed on the winner. |
GTA V
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hao Street Races |  |
The first race is presented to the player by Hao, during the Strangers and Freaks mission, Shift Work. After completing the mission, a new race will be unlocked and Franklin must continue to win the races in order to proceed to the next one. There are a total of five races in the series, and are only accessible between 20:00 and 05:00 hours.
The player has to pay an entry fee, which varies depending on the race. However, winning the race gives a potential reward, which corresponds to the entry fee multiplied by 4.5. |
GTA Online
| Name | Image | Description | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Races |  |
In GTA Online races, it is possible to place bets before starting the race, the bets placed will only be confirmed when enough bets have been placed. The money the player bet on themselves can be won back and doubled if they win. One can also place bets on other players, directly competing them, or betting that they will win against all other players. | ||||||||||||||||
| Spin to Win Roulette | Spin to Win Roulette can be considered a gambling method, as it may award the player with money. However, it is mostly focused for the Arena War career, along with power-ups to intercept the remaining players. | |||||||||||||||||
| Three Card Poker* |  |
In-game, the actual rules of Three Card Poker apply. The player starts placing an "Ante" bet to receive a hand of three cards to play against the dealer. A "Pair Plus" bet can be optionally placed for a "Pair" or higher hand. The "Play" bet must be equal to the Ante bet to compare their hand with the Dealer's. By folding the hand, it forfeits the "Ante" bet. The Dealer must play a Queen High or better to compare their hand with the player. Otherwise, the play wagers do not take effect and the Ante bet pays even. | ||||||||||||||||
| Blackjack* |  |
In-game, the actual rules of Blackjack apply, except for splitting. The goal is to get as close to 21 as the player possibly can without going over ("bust"). The player and the dealer each start out with two cards. After the cards are dealt, the player can choose to either hit (receive new cards), double (which doubles the bet and gives the players one more card only), or stand (stay with the cards in their hands). Receiving five cards without going over 21 forces the player to stand. If the player has two cards of the same rank (for example, a pair of Aces), they can choose to split, allowing them to play two hands at once. If the player goes over 21, they are considered going bust. The dealer always plays last, standing on 17.
If the player gets a Blackjack (an Ace and a card equivalent to 10), they immediately win a payout of 2-to-1, but if the dealer also has a Blackjack, the player only gets an even payout. Also, a push can occur when both the player and the dealer have the same total, in which case the player gets their wager back. | ||||||||||||||||
| Roulette* |  |
In-game, the actual rules of Roulette apply. Unlike in San Andreas, this Roulette uses the American-style layout, which includes the double zero (00). Players place chips on number spaces, number pairs, number sets, or any other spaces. If the ball lands on the number or color they chose, the player wins a payout based on their wager. Each choice pays a different multiple based on how many numbers were picked, with the single number having the highest payout at 35 to 1 (36x).
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| Slot Machines* |  |
The Diamond Casino has a variety of slot machines. These slot machines come in nine different themes and each have a wide range of payouts depending on the wager; Fame or Shame and Evacuator machines have the lowest betting amount and payouts, while Deity of the Sun machines have the highest. The amount of money the player wins depends on the icons showing up. If three icons of the same kind show up, the player wins. | ||||||||||||||||
| Inside Track* |  |
Inside Track is a betting area for thoroughbred horse races. Inside Track Betting (ITB) machines line the room; the player can bet money on horse races.
Players can participate in solo races or in main events against other players, but payouts do not vary between the two types. | ||||||||||||||||
| Lucky Wheel* |  |
The Lucky Wheel is the most straightforward gambling method available at the casino. The player simply needs to spin the wheel and what is marked on the arrow on the top side is awarded to the player.
Unlike most gambling games, players can win an assortment of prizes, ranging from Money and Chips to clothing items, discounts, and a mystery prize, with the "highest" prize being the vehicle from the podium. The Lucky Wheel can be used once per real-life day and has a cooldown of 24 hours (meaning the player has to return at the same hour they used the wheel before for the next attempt).
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- * This game may be prohibited from playing in certain countries depending on local gaming commission rules.
- ** The mystery reward follows a limited range of items with a variable probability based on the category of the item, meaning that winning a specific vehicle can be extremely rare overall.
- *** The podium vehicle can be sold, but its base value is zero and only 50% of the price of any pre-installed modifications such as liveries will be paid. If the player has already received the weekly podium vehicle in a previous spin, the player will be rewarded 20,000 RP instead.
Notable gamblers
- GTA Online Protagonist
- Roman Bellic
- Vladimir Glebov
- Jim Fitzgerald
- Jon Gravelli
- Kov-Kov
- Terry Thorpe
- Trevor Philips (seen being kicked out of a Casino in a Switch Scene)
- "Cocksure" Chris Cummings
- "Dangerous" Derrick Thornton
- Jennifer "Trashcan" Zelinski
- Butch Roberts
- Terry Kim
- Steve "Buffet Car" Jabowitz
- Phil "Deadman" Davidson