Everything You Need to Know About the Arcade Property in GTA V Online

Quick Facts

How to Unlock the Arcade

Once you have spent some time in GTA Online, Lester Crest sends you a text. Head to Mirror Park and look for the green L blip, meet him, and watch the cutscene. After that, Arcades appear on the Maze Bank Foreclosures website and you can buy one whenever you like.

Owning an Arcade is what unlocks the Diamond Casino Heist planning area, as long as you are registered as a VIP, CEO, or MC President.

Which Arcade Should You Buy?

All six Arcade interiors are identical. The only things that change are the exterior and where the building sits, and location genuinely matters here: you will be driving between your Arcade and the Diamond Casino constantly during Heist preps, and the Master Control Terminal is more useful when your other businesses are nearby.

The best arcade to buy in GTA Online is Videogeddon in La Mesa. It is the closest Arcade to the Casino and has good highway access. Pixel Pete's is the cheapest, but it sits far north in Paleto Bay, which turns every prep mission into a road trip.

You can check all six spots on our interactive map and compare them side by side on the Arcade hub.

Setting Up Your Arcade

After buying, head to your new property and register as a CEO, VIP, or MC President to start the setup work.

The Equipment setup sends you after your arcade machines: Lester tracks down the shipment, and you steal the Flatbed truck carrying it and drive it back to the Arcade while enemies attack along the way. A short Casino Scoping setup follows, and then the Arcade is fully operational.

One nice touch if you ever relocate: your machines and upgrades carry over when you switch Arcades. Only the Personal Quarters has to be repurchased.

Passive Income: Arcade Machines and the Safe

The office safe fills with cash based on how many arcade machines you have on the floor, up to GTA$ 5,000 per in-game day (one in-game day is about 48 real minutes). To hit that cap you need every floor slot filled.

The safe holds up to GTA$ 100,000 (raised from GTA$ 50,000 in The Contract update) and stops filling once it is full, so swing by and empty it in person to keep the money flowing.

You get one machine free (Street Crimes: Gang Wars Edition); the rest cost from about GTA$ 90,000 to GTA$ 420,000. Here is the key tip: you can place up to four copies of any machine you own, and cheap machines pay exactly the same as expensive ones. So buy a few of the cheapest games and duplicate them to fill the floor. There is no income reason to collect every pricey cabinet.

Being honest with you: GTA$ 5,000 per in-game day is pocket change next to what a Nightclub generates. If passive cash is your goal, our passive income guide covers the properties that actually pay.

Upgrades Worth Buying

The Arcade's basement upgrades are where the real value lives. Here is the full list, then a closer look at the two that matter.

The Master Control Terminal is the star. From one screen in the basement you can buy supplies, launch resupply and sell missions, and check stock and Nightclub popularity across everything you own: Special Cargo, Vehicle Cargo, MC businesses, Bunker, Air Freight, and Nightclub. One caveat: for sell missions you still have to travel to the actual business to collect the product while the timer runs, so a distant Arcade can make some sales tough. And if you already own the same terminal in the Terrorbyte, the Arcade version drops to GTA$ 500,000.

The Drone Station gives you observation drones plus a Nano Drone you can deploy in Freemode.

Cosmetic styles, murals, floors, and neon art are optional and run from free to about GTA$ 470,000 each.

The Diamond Casino Heist

This is the real reason to own an Arcade: it is the only property that unlocks the Diamond Casino Heist, one of the highest-paying heists in the game. The basement holds the planning boards for Setup, Prep, and the Finale.

You can also buy optional prep aids down there: a Door Security keypad (GTA$ 425,000), a Vault Door replica (GTA$ 900,000), and a Casino Model (GTA$ 130,000). You can run the setups solo, but the finale needs at least one other player (2 to 4 total).

For the full run, approach picks, and payout breakdown, see our Diamond Casino Heist guide.

Is the Arcade Worth It?

Yes, but as a means to an end. The GTA$ 5,000-per-in-game-day machine income is a rounding error next to the GTA$ 1,875,000 the recommended arcade costs, before you even add the GTA$ 1,740,000 Master Control Terminal, so do not buy it expecting a passive-income machine.

Buy it because it is the only way into the Diamond Casino Heist and the best home for the Master Control Terminal. If all you want is passive cash, a Nightclub is the better buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which arcade should I buy?

Videogeddon in La Mesa. All six interiors are identical, so the only thing that matters is location, and Videogeddon is the closest Arcade to the Diamond Casino with good highway access for Heist preps.

How much money does the arcade make in GTA Online?

Up to GTA$ 5,000 per in-game day (about 48 real minutes) with every floor slot filled with machines. The safe caps at GTA$ 100,000, so collect regularly or it stops filling.

Do I need an arcade for the Casino Heist?

Yes. The Arcade is mandatory for the Diamond Casino Heist, and no other property unlocks it. The planning boards live in the Arcade basement.

What does the Master Control Terminal do?

It lets you run and resupply every business you own from one screen: buy supplies, launch resupply and sell missions, and check stock across all your operations. For sell missions you still need to travel to the business itself to collect the product while the timer runs.

How many arcade machines do I need for maximum income?

Enough to fill every floor slot. You can place up to four copies of any machine you own, and cheap machines pay the same as expensive ones, so duplicating the cheapest games is all it takes to hit the income cap.

Is the arcade worth it?

Worth it for the Diamond Casino Heist access and the Master Control Terminal, not for the passive income. If you just want money while you play, a Nightclub earns far more.