9 Best Casino-Inspired Video Games

If you ever want to add a twist to your online casino experience, kick back with a casino-inspired video game instead of playing the real thing online. Here are nine games you should check out.

Casinos and gambling have inspired so much media over the years, from Hollywood movies and TV shows to music and even Broadway theater. It’s no surprise that there also have been many casino-related video games, too, including on older consoles like Super Nintendo and the original Playstation.

But with such a variety of ways to play video games now, you have many options to get the casino experience from the comfort of your home and without having to bet real money. If you ever want to kick back with a casino-inspired video game instead of playing the real thing online, check out one of these nine games.

1. Casino, Inc.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to build and run your own 1970s casino, then Casino, Inc. is the video game for you. The basic premise of the game is simple: Construct, design, and manage a casino. Host the best slots and table games, including poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps. Attract the richest patrons. Grow your casino business and become an in-game casino mogul.

You can also live out your Hollywood-inspired casino-mafia fantasies by hiring guards to keep wannabe cheaters in check. Watch out for your competitors who might try to lure away your players. But you can always “take care” of your competitors and really come out on top.

If you love simulation, management, and tycoon games, this game from 2003 will be great fun. You can grab this game for just over $5 on Steam, and though the store says you can run it on Windows 10, you might need to get even more classic with your computer OS and play it on Windows 8 or earlier.

2. Prominence Poker

Add a little storytelling to your poker game and play Prominence Poker. Set in the fictional town of Prominence, a gambling destination a bit on the crooked side, this game takes you on a solo poker tournament against the four factions of the town.

After you’ve played your way through the troublemakers, play in a showdown against The Mayor, the mysterious founder of the town who may not be as friendly as you first thought. No spoilers, though!

There is a multiplayer mode, too. While popularity for the game has waned a bit, you might still be able to find some folks online waiting to play a round or two with you.

This game is free to play, so it’s a no-risk way to practice your skills against unique AI of varying levels and indulge in the fun of gambling without losing any money.

3. The Four Kings Casino & Slots

Take a break from the online poker rooms and head to The Four Kings Casino & Slots. This uber social MMO casino game brings the fun of being out at the casino and dancing in the club to your computer.

All you have to do is make an avatar (your character) and explore the world. Meet people on the dance floor or at the tables. Pull the lever on slots or use a dauber on your bingo card. Play any of your favorite games against real (digital) people. Table games include Texas Hold ’em, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and even video poker (how meta!).

Start off on the low-bet tables to test your skills and earn your way up to the VIP section, where you’ll find the higher-stakes tables and plenty of chances to win more. And while you won’t win real money, you do get in-game currency that you can use to style up your avatar and purchase in-game rewards that make your experience more fun and immersive.

The Four Kings also has a leaderboard, and if you become the #1 player in the game during a season, you get your avatar’s face on the Hall of Fame.

4. GTA Online

Grand Theft Auto might not be the first, or even in the top 10, video games you think of with casino themes. But Grand Theft Auto Online actually has some casino-inspired mini games that you can play on your own and against other players.

Introducing the Diamond Casino & Resort in sometimes-sunny Los Santos! You can visit this fancy in-game gambling palace and play many of your favorite casino games by wagering in-game currency. Take a seat at the high-stakes poker table, watch the roulette wheel spin, and pull the lever on some slots. You can even bet on horse races, too!

Your character can buy 50,000 chips, worth GTA$1 each, and play their way to millionaire status. To really immerse yourself in the world, snag a VIP membership that includes access to the VIP lounges, limousines, helicopters, and even a spa.

No matter if you’ve been a long-time GTA Online player or just wanted an excuse to join the game, this digital gambling hub can be a great way to pass the time until you play your favorite online casino games again.

5. Governor of Poker 3

Governor of Poker 3 features the world’s favorite type of poker, Texas Hold ’em, complete with Wild West saloon theming. This free multiplayer game provides many awesome ways to play. You can play just against friends in a private lobby, join a public lobby of Governor-of-Poker enthusiasts, team up with friends and take on others for fun prizes, or go for a chance to dominate a tournament of players from around the world.

While you can buy chips if you run out, the game adds new chips every few hours so you’re never too long without a chance to play. As a new player, though, you get $30,000 (in-game amount) of free poker chips to get started.

Governor of Poker 3 also offers fun challenges, specials, and bonuses on a regular basis. You can play on mobile devices, like phones and tablets, or just on a computer. So grab your device, download the game, and get to practicing your approach to holding ‘em and folding ‘em.

6. Sim Casino

Sim Casino is similar to Casino, Inc. in that it allows you to design and manage your own casino empire, but you don’t have to worry about the (digital) mob bosses breathing down your neck.

Much like other tycoon games, Sim Casino has you managing every single element of your facility. Add the best casino games. Bring in the best forms of non-gambling entertainment. Create a gorgeous hotel and resort. Set the house odds, but look out for cheaters eager to flip the house.

This robust sim game runs on both Mac and PC, and once you try the casino mogul life, you may not want to stop.

7. Slots Paradise Garden

Now, it’s not common that online casino software developers release their popular, real-money games to the public. But well-known developer IGT actually did just that by putting Slots Paradise Garden on Steam in 2014.

You can’t play this version and win real money, but you can get a taste of how fun their games are. Wager in amounts of 1 cent all the way up to $10 (of in-game currency). Play free play to get more of an online casino experience, or try career mode to follow the story and rack up an (in-game) fortune. Be sure to try all 15 of the slot games included in this pack for endless fun.

8. Cuphead

This indie game has some fun casino themes, but you have to reach the end before you get to see them. Rather than being able to play actual casino games, Cuphead is a 2D adventure game with a ‘30s-cartoon animation style and try-try-again antics that has a later level dripping with casino inspiration.

Near the game’s finale, you meet King Dice, operator of the ‘30s-era casino. The whole setup of this level is that you roll a die and move along a craps table, fighting mini bosses or losing health points until your final showdown with the humanoid dice man himself. You have a shootout with personified cocktails, escape a stack of rogue chips, battle marching playing cards, and more.

9. VR Casino

If you want the feeling of sitting at a real card table or slot machine, then you have to try VR Casino. This game is free on the Oculus VR headset, and you can play blackjack, baccarat, and a few types of slots.

Feel like you’re walking through a real casino and sitting in front of a real dealer. Hear the slots’ bells go off when you win, too. Plus, every day that you log in, you get to spin the daily prize wheel to win more chips to keep playing.

Those are just some of the awesome video games with built-in casino games or casino-inspired gameplay that you can try out when you’re not pressing your luck at your favorite online New Jersey casino. And while these games won’t win you any big jackpots, you can refine your skills and have some risk-free fun while doing so.