Grand Theft Auto 5 is fast approaching its fifth birthday, and its popularity shows no sign of abating. This is entirely thanks to the wonderful GTA Online, which began packed with an entire sandbox city to explore and has been constantly expanded since. The latest update coming to GTA Online is the Diamond Casino & Resort, which as the name suggests will add a casino to the game. But what is the GTA Online Casino update release date, and why is this casino (and update) so special? Let’s take a look.
What is the GTA Online Casino update release date?
Rockstar has announced that the GTA Online Diamond Casino & Resort is due to open its doors on this coming Tuesday, July 23, and that’s when the full Casino update will drop too. It can be found on the corner of Vinewood Park Drive and Mirror Park Boulevard, near the Vinewood Bowl. We don’t know exactly what time the update will drop, however, so keep an eye on the various Rockstar social channels for that.
What new activities are there in The Diamond Casino and Resort?
The Diamond Casino and Resort isn’t just a random new building inserted into Los Santos to look good, you can go inside and engage in all manner of activities, including a few that will seem most familiar to Red Dead Redemption 2 players. Players will be able to try their hands at a number of casino games, including Three Card Poker, Blackjack and Roulette, in order to win more dollars. Slot Machines are also available, and don’t just have GTA bucks to win, there’s “a variety of prizes” on offer. The Inside Track lounge is a quiet place to bet on horse racing.
Additionally, and possibly of most interest to players, is the Lucky Wheel in the casino’s lobby. While not the most exciting activity, you can win some major prizes on it, including casino chips, cash, special clothing, or even one of the game’s new supercars. The car you can win will change each week, however, so make sure you get in quick, as the first car on offer is the brand new one for the Casino update. You can see that below.
Are there any new story missions?
If you mean, are there any new story missions for the single-player side of Grand Theft Auto 5 in this new update, no, and there’s never going to be, so don’t get your hopes up. However, there absolutely will be new GTA Online story missions for you and your friends to experience, which you can get a glimpse over in the trailer below. In this series of co-op missions, you and your friends help hotel property owner Tao Cheng protect their business from a bunch of Texan oil magnates. There’s also a number of smaller jobs available with a call to the Diamond’s head of operations, Agatha Baker.
What is there to buy in The Diamond Casino and Resort?
Other than wasting your hard-stolen funds in the various casino games above, there’s also the Casino Store, where you can buy new clothing and accessories, which are available on rotation. If you have the funds, you can also buy access to the Master Penthouse, which grants VIP Membership status, including High-Limit tables. You can even upgrade it with various styles, looks, and upgrades, such as a media room. You’ll apparently need this penthouse suite to gain access to the update’s new co-op missions.
Are there any new vehicles?
There’s at least one new supercar being added with the new update: the Truffade Thrax, which can be seen rotating at the front of the casino. You can win this car on the Lucky Wheel, by completing co-op missions, or presumably just buy it outright if you have the cash. We don’t expect it to be cheap.
