The Verdict: Absolutely, the Diamond Casino Heist is Very Much Worth Doing
In my expert opinion, the Diamond Casino Heist is absolutely one of the most worthwhile activities you can do in GTA Online. The unparalleled potential payouts of over $2.5 million on average, and over $3 million possible, combined with the exciting gameplay makes this an essential heist to take on for all serious GTA Online players. If you‘ve got the startup funds, a competent crew, and the will to master this complex robbery, the Diamond offers some of the most lucrative and fun gameplay in the entire game.
Now let‘s take an in-depth look at why precisely this new heist is so valuable to attempt, and how you can maximize your lucrative results.
Breaking Down the Fundamentals of the Diamond Casino Heist
Added in late 2019 as part of the Diamond Casino Heist update, this heist revolves around infiltrating and robbing the massive Diamond Casino in Los Santos – the most profitable business in town.
Unlike any other heist in GTA Online, you‘ll first need to purchase an arcade property to serve as a planning room and base of operations for the job. These can cost over $2 million, so saving up is vital.
From your arcade, you‘ll then embark on a series of required preparation missions to:
- Gather intelligence and scope entry points
- Acquire hacking devices, getaway vehicles, weapons and other vital equipment
- Recruit your crew – gunman, driver, and hacker
- Ultimately devise your plan of attack
Completing each prep mission in an optimal order is key to efficient setup before tackling the finale.
The Three Approaches: Stealth, Aggressive, and Deception
When plotting the heist, there are 3 possible approaches to choose from:
- Silent & Sneaky – Stealthily infiltrate the casino and get in and out with the loot completely undetected. The hardest to pull off, but most rewarding.
- Aggressive – Go in guns blazing, disabling security quickly and controlling the situation through force. Higher risk, but faster.
- The Big Con – Enter the casino under elaborate disguise and deception. Fun but tricky.
Each approach has its own demands for prep missions, equipment, getaway strategies, and ideal crew members. Mastering all 3 approaches by varying your runs is the key to maximizing payouts from the Diamond.
Potential Rewards – Far Greater than Any Other Heist
The Diamond Casino Heist completely blows every other heist in GTA Online out of the water in terms of potential rewards. Here‘s how the top loot payouts on normal difficulty stack up across different heists:
| Heist | Top Payout |
| Diamond Casino Heist | $3.29 million (diamonds) |
| Cayo Perico Heist | $1.9 million |
| Pacific Standard Job | $1.25 million |
| Doomsday Heist | $1.5 million |
As you can see, nothing comes close to the maximum $3.6 million take possible in the Diamond Casino heist when going after diamonds. Even on the lower end with cash, you can expect over $2.1 million.
Accounting for the expenses of setup costs, your first heist may profit ~$1.5 million. But subsequent runs with efficient preps can see profits exceed $2.5 million per hour – making this arguably the most lucrative activity in the entire game when mastered.
Expected Diamond Casino Heist Payouts
Here are the expectedloot payouts on normal difficulty:
- Cash: $2,115,000
- Artwork: $2,350,000
- Gold: $2,585,000
- Diamonds: $3,290,000
In total, grabbing everything nets you $10.34 million on your first run!
Hard difficulty bumps this up to a maximum possible take of $11.37 million when going for diamonds. That would mean over $9 million in profit after expenses – truly astonishing.
Is the Diamond Casino Heist Difficult to Complete?
While the Diamond Casino Heist certainly has more required setup compared to earlier heists, the finale mission itself isn‘t overly challenging with proper coordination.
The aggressive approach turns it into an exciting shootout, which any seasoned GTA Online crew should find manageable.
Stealth is trickier and requires precision, but is extremely rewarding when pulled off successfully. Having an expert hacker to disable security makes this approach more feasible.
Running decoy and deception via the Big Con is fun, but only recommended once you‘re very familiar with the casino‘s layout and operations.
Overall, none of the approaches are punishingly hard with an experienced crew. The prep missions themselves take the most time investment. With each attempt, you‘ll streamline the entire process until it becomes a well-oiled money-making machine!
Tips for Smooth Sailing
To ensure your Diamond Casino heist goes off without a hitch:
- Have a top-tier hacker like Avi Schwartzman to get maximum time in the vault
- Disable security like body armor detection via prep missions
- Study the casino and guard routes intently when scoping
- Assign crew members best suited to your chosen approach
- Grab diamonds or gold if possible – leave cash as a last resort
Excellent Replay Value
A major advantage of the Diamond Casino Heist is the ability to replay it frequently without excessive downtime between heist attempts.
You can vary the target loot, approach, getaway methods, and crew members each time to keep it exciting. With practice, your prep work will get faster and more efficient.
Within a few hours you can churn out multiple heist finales and prep missions, making this extremely rewarding to grind for serious profit.
Minimal Downtime Between Attempts
- No mandatory lengthy cooldown between subsequent heist attempts
- Preps take less time as you optimize order and strategy
- Varying approaches and loot keeps it fresh
- Experience makes finales faster and smoother
- Easy $2+ million profits make it immensely rewarding to replay
Maximize Your Payouts
Follow these tips and strategies to ensure you‘re getting the maximum possible payout each time from the Diamond Casino:
Hire the Right Crew
Having experts in each role is essential. Prioritize:
- Hacker – Go with Avi Schwartzman once unlocked, for +10 seconds hacking time
- Driver – Taliana Martinez has fast getaway times
- Gunman – Gustavo Mota has the most health and best loadout
Focus on Mandatory Prep Missions
Only tackle the absolute essential setup missions to save time:
- Vault Lasers – Needed to open vault doors
- Vault Access Points – Scopes entry points for your approach
- Level 2 Security Pass – Keycards to access upper floors
- Approach-Specific Prep – Thermal charges, Boring Machine, etc.
Be Efficient in the Finale
- Stealth as far possible for maximum time in the vault
- Grab paintings in pairs to speed up collection
- Prioritize diamonds/gold over artwork/cash when able
- Only grab loose cash with excess time
Is the Large Upfront Investment Worthwhile?
Between buying an arcade (over $2 million), completing multiple prep missions, and hiring crew, getting setup for the Diamond Casino Heist requires a large investment of time and money.
It can take 12+ hours of prep time alone across multiple sessions before attempting the finale.
However, after the first heist, subsequent attempts are much smoother and ultimately see your profit margins dramatically increase.
Plus mastering this uniquely exciting heist gameplay is extremely rewarding in itself.
While beginners may want to start with smaller heists, any serious GTA Online grinder will find the Diamond Casino offers some of the highest rewards for time spent, once you‘re over the initial learning curve.
The substantial effort required is well worth it for any player with a few million dollars ready invest upfront, and the will to coordinate a competent crew over multiple heist attempts.
The Verdict: The Diamond Casino Heist is a Must-Play for All GTA Fans
After breaking down all aspects in detail, I can conclusively say that the Diamond Casino Heist is an absolute must-play heist for any GTA Online player.
The potential for profits over $2.5 million on average, or over $3 million possible, combined with the exciting challenge of infiltrating the most secure building in Los Santos makes this a uniquely thrilling GTA experience.
While requiring coordination and many hours of initial prep, mastering the most lucrative heist ever added to GTA Online is an immensely rewarding feat.
With the ability to tweak your approach, crew and loot each time for replayability, grinding this heist is the path to making serious GTA money.
If building intricate plans and pulling off big scores is what you love about GTA, then gathering your crew and hitting the Diamond Casino should be your next move!
Hopefully this detailed guide gives you all the information you need to decide if taking on this lucrative challenge is right for your next big GTA Online adventure. Let me know if have any other questions!
