GTA Online In-Game Gambling Features Disabled in Australia
Rockstar has blocked GTA Online's gambling features in Australia, joining roughly 50 other countries where the content is already restricted.
Australia is the latest country to lose access to GTA Online's in-game gambling features, according to IGN. The change appears to have been made quietly, with no official announcement from Rockstar ahead of the block going live.
Australia now joins a list of approximately 50 countries worldwide where the gambling-related content in GTA Online is restricted. The move likely reflects ongoing regulatory pressure around simulated gambling in video games — an area that has drawn increasing scrutiny from governments across the globe in recent years.
GTA Online's casino features, which include games like blackjack, poker, and slot machines at the Diamond Casino & Resort, have been a persistent flashpoint in debates over loot mechanics and gambling-adjacent content in games. Several countries had already blocked the features at or shortly after the casino's 2019 launch, and Australia's addition to that list suggests Rockstar continues to actively manage compliance on a region-by-region basis.
With Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon, how Rockstar structures any potential gambling mechanics in the new game will be worth watching closely. If the GTA 6 map includes a casino or similar venue — something fans have widely speculated about given the Miami-inspired Leonida setting — the studio will need to navigate an increasingly complex web of regional regulations from day one.