The Best PC Games: In-Game Gambling at its Finest

Everyone loves to gamble. Whether it’s on the flip of a coin or a race to the end of the road against your friend, everyone likes to put something on the line and back their convictions so it’s little wonder the gaming companies have embraced this innate desire over the last few decades.

From fleeting mentions of the subject to intricate casino settings inside your favourite games, gambling is an interesting subgenre in the gaming world and it’s one we can use to reopen up the highly controversial (read: subjective) “best PC game ever” debate.

We know that you can’t judge the entire gamut of PC games using this criterion alone, but since we’re on the subject we’re certainly going to try. Will you disagree with us? Probably, but nevertheless, we’ll endeavour to outline the top three PC games with a gambling twist.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Money from Friends

This could be our number one game for those with a competitive nature simply because it pits you against your fellow player instead of the system. Unlike other in-game gambles, the Wager Matches inside of Call of Duty: Black Ops allow you to risk your chips in a head-to-head contest. Of course, we all love the intricacy, level of detail and sheer range of options inside Call of Duty. However, when you factor in the ability to literally beat the coins out of your opponents, we think this takes the game to a whole new level of enjoyment.

Grand Theft Auto 5: The Mystery Casino

The gaming world might be waiting with baited breath for the latest incarnation of the Grand Theft Auto series (which will reportedly feature natural disasters such as tsunamis), but if you’re a casino fan it’s all about GTA 5. For months now the GTA community has been speculating on the prospect of a casino DLC going live.

Ever since a glitch in the game allowed certain players to see in-game signs over the Los Santos Casino saying “Opening Next Week”, rumours have been rife. One of the main talking points is the potential to actually gamble for real money. If the chatter is to be believed, the GTA 5 Casino will use online slots sites such as Karamba.com as a model and allow players to risk coins (which can be purchased for real world money) on a variety of spinning options.

In fact, if the community gets what it’s hoping for, the inside of GTA 5’s casino will look like a cross between a site such as Karamba and Las Vegas behemoths such as the Bellagio or the Venetian. Unfortunately, it’s likely just a PC mod, but we can still hope.

Dead Rising 2: Time for Some Strip Poker

If you’re in the market for something a little racier and don’t mind making clothes the stake, then Dead Rising 2 is the obvious choice. Thanks to some mods from the PC gaming community, Dead Rising 2’s strip poker option is a full frontal affair. Indeed, before PC gamers got hold of the game it was M rated and players couldn’t see “everything”, but once they did some tinkering it took things to a whole new level and for us that makes it a winner.

Taking the main elements of poker, elements you’d find at any number of online poker sites, such as Titan or Full Tilt, Dead Rising 2 tasks you with beating one of the only women left in the world that isn’t a zombie. Although this mini-game takes time and effort, it’s the only way to unlock Arthur’s Helmet, progress in the game and, of course, see an animated woman take her clothes off.

Where We’d Put Our Money

So which of our three picks is best and, therefore, the best PC game (with a gambling twist) ever? For our money it’s Call of Duty. Although the ability to strip a virtual siren down to nothing but her birthday suit is appealing, it does exclude a large section (mainly women) of the gaming community. Not only that, but the actual game of poker isn’t that exciting and takes a lot of repetition before you can complete it.

If we were being optimistic then GTA 5 would be the clear winner. Having the ability to step off the Los Santos streets and into a plush casino setting would be amazing. Not only could you throw chips around in a way you never could in real life, but the fact it may be linked to an online gaming club means you could actually make some real money playing slots, blackjack or roulette. However, without anything tangible to test, we simply can’t make it our numero uno.

For that reason, Call of Duty’s Wager Matches have to be our top pick. Being able to lord over your friends is a fantastic feeling on its own, but when you factor in the ability to plunder their in-game currency like a marauding killer, it makes each victory all the sweeter. Of course, there are dozens of titles that now contain casino-style mini-games, but if you’re looking for a little gamble in your game, then our three picks should help satisfy that urge.