It can be easy to play a video game featuring a casino and believe that it is a one-for-one recreation of a casino, and that it is exactly what you’ll be getting when visiting one in real life. This can sometimes be the case, but of course, it depends on the video game. So, what video games take a more realistic approach to casinos, and which ones push this idea into pure fiction?
Fallout: New Vegas
To start the list, we have a game that has fully established itself within the realms of fiction. Fallout: New Vegas is a rather grand adventure that takes place across the Mojave Desert, which, of course, includes the famous Las Vegas. In this case it looks rather different after a nuclear war – approximately 200 years later – and has been dubbed “New Vegas.”
Although the actual location of New Vegas takes up a rather small portion of the overall map in this sprawling action role-playing game, it is still integral to the plot and tone of the game. Here, you will find multiple different casinos with a variety of games, including blackjack and roulette. These operate very similarly to their real-life counterparts, although the odds are generally a bit more in favor of the player, as you can sometimes brute-force your way through and win big.
Where the similarities end is with the setting; of course, real-world casinos haven’t been subject to a global nuclear war. So, things look a bit worse for wear than they do in real life. With that being said, though, Fallout: New Vegas offers a surprisingly realistic casino experience – much more accurate than it may seem at first glance.
GTA V
Perhaps the highest-profile game on this list, Grand Theft Auto V now offers the player a casino experience, but how accurate is that experience? Well, that’s a little complicated.
Originally, GTA V had no casinos, which some took as a bizarre decision, as previous titles in the franchise had included a plethora of different casino games. But as of 2019, a full six years after its initial release, a sprawling casino was added to the game.
In true Grand Theft Auto fashion, this casino is somewhat based on reality, having a wide variety of true-to-life games available for the player to enjoy, and a semi-realistic, albeit incredibly high-end casino for you to explore. Of course, this isn’t really what you should expect from a casino in real life; they are rarely this grand or luxurious. That being said, there is certainly some realism to take away from this experience.
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Red Dead Redemption 2
Another Rockstar game has found its way onto this list, and for good reason: Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most critically acclaimed video games. With a massive open world to explore, with points of interest around seemingly every corner, it was bound to include a casino.
However, the only time in the game you will set foot in a full-on casino is through a story mission, and unfortunately, you can’t come back at a later date to gamble more. But there are other instances where the player can gamble within the game, whether this be in a back alley in the heart of Saint Denis or in a crumbling saloon all the way out in Valentine.
Although a lot of these games work in a very true-to-life fashion, we have to address the elephant in the room. This game is set in the late 1800s, so you aren’t going to get an experience like this in a real-life modern casino, as unfortunate as that may be.
The Four Kings Casino & Slots
A somewhat lesser-known game, but still worth mentioning, is The Four Kings Casino & Slots. This game takes a somewhat different approach, with it being more of a social platform for people to connect through, although it still offers a range of different casino games and slot machines for players to enjoy.
Of course, this is the most realistic game on this list, as one of its main focuses is portraying a casino as a fun social experience, which it does, and mostly successfully. But again, not all casinos look like this in real life. Of course, they do exist, but this is a truly high-end experience.
The Borderlands series
To end this list, we’re going for perhaps the least realistic implementation of gambling and casinos in modern gaming, and that would be the slot machines usually found within Moxxi’s bar in most Borderlands offerings.
These machines offer an exaggerated experience that can provide the player with new loot or more money – or perhaps a bomb to the face. This is presented in a very whimsical way that is, of course, nothing like a real gambling experience.
Conclusion
Casinos in video games are presented in such a variety of different ways that it can be hard to say whether they are, as a whole, presented realistically. It completely depends on the game you are playing; one could offer a true-to-life, one-on-one experience that may seem almost exactly like something you would get at a real casino. But another could be akin to a Borderlands game, and take the concept to the extreme.