Editor’s Note
This guide outlines the key property requirement for launching GTA Online’s Diamond Casino Heist. Notably, players do not need a high-end apartment but must first unlock and purchase an Arcade business after specific story progression.
The Diamond Casino Heist is a major heist with multiple options. Unlike many other heists, you do not need a luxury apartment to undertake its missions, but a different property.
You must acquire: one of the Arcade Businesses scattered throughout Los Santos.
To unlock the purchase of these businesses: first, you must meet the character Lester in Mirror Park (look for the green L icon on the map), which appears after completing the first 5 heists.
This type of property can be purchased: from the Maze Bank Foreclosures website, with a total of 6 available.
The price of arcade businesses: ranges from $1,235,000 to $2,530,000.
If you don’t mind spending a bit more money, it is preferable to acquire the Arcade location that is closest to the Casino building (the one in La Mesa), because you will be traveling back and forth many times, and this way the trips will be shorter.
Regarding upgrades and additions that can be made to this business, it is not necessary to spend additional money on them, as it will serve its purpose in its most basic state to carry out the heist. Once you have it, you can go there to undertake the activation mission. The heist missions for the casino are initiated from the property’s secret basement.
However, importantly, to be able to activate the missions on the boards in the basement of the arcade business, you must also meet one of these two prerequisites:
– Be a VIP or CEO of an organization (for which we will need an office).
– Be a President of a Motorcycle Club (for which we will need a clubhouse).
If we do not have either of these two businesses, we will have to purchase them to be able to start any of the heist missions.
The first mission we can undertake for this heist is the Casino Reconnaissance. This mission is really important because through it, we can take photographs of the casino’s points of interest, such as its entrances.
All these points of interest will help make the heist much easier to perform and also more profitable, so it is recommended that you do a 100% reconnaissance of the casino. These are all the points you should photograph at this time:
These are all the entrances to the casino that you must recognize by taking photos:
– Main Door: It is at the front of the building, you can’t miss it.
– Side Doors: Take photos of the keypad doors at the back of the casino and on the left side.
– Rooftop Terrace: Up here, you go up by an elevator; there are up to four keypad doors (one next to the pool, one going down the stairs behind the bar, and two at the rear, past the ledge to the left of the pool).
– Helipad: There are two keypad doors on each side.
– Security Tunnel: There is a tunnel under the road, at the rear of the casino, with a large garage door.
– Sewer Tunnel: Across the street from the casino, you will find a large river drain; through that sewer, you will find a gate door.
Apart from the entrances, there are also several points of interest that will be great for you to photograph; they are as follows:
– Security Guard: He is next to the elevator in the reception area.
– Keypad: Inside the casino, you will see it next to the restricted access doors.
– First Security Camera: It is on the ceiling of the casino’s main hall.
– Second Security Camera: It is on the building’s rooftop.
– Valet Service: Next to the casino’s main door.
– Vault Blueprint: It is on a desk in the administration office (requires having paid for a VIP casino entry, i.e., having purchased the Penthouse).
After completing the first reconnaissance mission, when you return to the basement of the arcade business, you will be able to begin…