GTA Online Diamond Casino Heist: All 3 Approaches Explained
A complete Diamond Casino Heist guide for GTA Online: the three approaches, every setup, vault loot types, and the exact max payouts for each.
The Diamond Casino Heist is the biggest score in GTA Online, and this casino heist guide breaks down all three approaches, every setup, and the exact vault payouts. Added in the December 12, 2019 update, the GTA Online casino heist asks you to scope The Diamond Casino & Resort, gather prep, and pick how you go in. Get the plan right and a single finale can pay out over $3.6 million gross.
How the Diamond Casino Heist Works
You need an Arcade property to run the heist. Lester sets up shop in the basement, and the planning kicks off by scoping the casino. Your first run of the heist is free to set up, but every recurring run costs a $25,000 setup fee paid to Lester. From there the heist splits into three stages: scoping out access points and security, completing setup and optional prep missions, and then the finale.
During scoping you photograph entry points, security cameras, guards, and the vault contents. The vault loot is locked in the moment you finish scoping, so checking it before you commit matters.
The Three Approaches
After scoping, you choose one of three approaches. Each changes the prep you need, the entry method, and how much heat you draw.
- Silent & Sneaky rewards stealth. You rappel in or slip past security, take out guards quietly, and avoid raising the alarm. Done clean, you never fight the LSPD or NOOSE on the way out. This is the highest-skill route and the most forgiving on your final cut if you avoid damage.
- The Big Con is the disguise route. You enter dressed as Gruppe Sechs guards, maintenance staff, or other personnel and walk past security without a fight, at least until your cover slips near the vault. It is the most reliable approach for newer crews.
- Aggressive is exactly what it sounds like. You blast in through a chosen entry point, fight through casino security, grab the loot, and shoot your way out past the cops. Fast to learn, brutal on your nerves, and the loudest of the three.
Setup and Prep Missions
Every approach shares a set of mandatory setups plus optional prep that makes the finale easier.
- Mandatory setups cover the gear your plan needs: the right vehicles, weapons, vault keycards or thermal charges, and the entry method for your chosen approach (for example, the Gruppe Sechs van for The Big Con).
- Optional prep lets you weaken casino security ahead of time: disabling cameras, sourcing the Patrol Routes intel, picking up extra weapons, and finding the Vault Keycards that buy you more time inside.
You also hire a support crew before the finale, and their skill matters more than their cut:
- Hacker sets your time in the vault. Avi Schwartzman (10% cut) gives the most time at 3:30 undetected, while Paige Harris (9% cut) gives 3:15. Cheaper hackers like Rickie Lukens take a smaller cut but leave you far less time to grab loot.
- Gunman supplies weapons. Better gunmen carry better loadouts for a higher cut.
- Driver supplies the getaway vehicle. Cheaper drivers give slower cars.
For maximum loot, a top-tier hacker is the priority. Every extra second in the vault is more gold or diamonds in the bag.
Vault Contents and Payouts
The vault holds one of four primary targets, and you find out which during scoping. Cash is the most common and lowest value, Artwork and Gold sit in the middle, and Diamonds are the jackpot. Diamonds only appear during special event weeks, so most of the time you are looking at the other three.
These are the maximum possible primary-target values, on Normal and Hard difficulty:
- Cash: $2,115,000 (Normal) / $2,326,500 (Hard)
- Artwork: $2,350,000 (Normal) / $2,585,000 (Hard)
- Gold: $2,585,000 (Normal) / $2,843,500 (Hard)
- Diamonds: $3,290,000 (Normal) / $3,619,000 (Hard)
Hard difficulty adds a flat 10% increase on the take and applies a 24-hour cooldown before you can run it again. Your first-ever run of the heist always rolls Cash, so the big-money loot only shows up on later attempts.
What You Actually Keep
The gross figure is not what lands in your account. Lester takes 5% of the total score off the top, then your support crew cuts come out (hacker, gunman, and driver), and any vault damage from setting off alarms reduces the haul. On a full Hard-mode diamonds run grossing $3,619,000, Lester's 5% is $180,950, leaving $3,438,050 to split among the crew before specialist cuts.
In a team, each player is guaranteed a minimum 15% cut. Running it solo means you keep everything left after Lester and your support crew, which is why experienced players often farm the heist alone once they know the routes.
Tips to Maximize Your Take
- Scope the vault before committing. If you draw Cash and want a bigger payout, you can rescope to reroll the contents.
- Prioritize a high-skill hacker for vault time, then fill out the rest of the crew.
- Run optional prep to disable cameras and grab keycards. The extra seconds inside pay for themselves.
- Avoid setting off alarms. Vault damage and getaway heat both eat into the final number.
For more on cars, weapons, and other money-makers, browse the full GTA Online hub or check the GTA Online cheats and console commands.
