Red Dead Online which is the online component of the highly acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2 went from beta to a full release with a massive update that happened to include the addition of poker, several bug fixes, rebalanced weapons & abilities, new free roam activities, new story missions as well as a ton of other new content.
Unsurprisingly, the inclusion of poker in the update was welcomed by lots of players from all over the world. The new feature allows players to either challenge their friends to a private game of poker or opt to join a public table where the stakes are much higher. All of the poker tables in the games can seat a maximum of six people and are available in the following five locations:
- Blackwater
- Flatneck Station
- Saint Denis
- Tumbleweed
- Valentine.
The update was widely celebrated in the community but online poker was perhaps the most exciting addition according to most players. Even so, as much as the update was touted as a great positive development for the game, some players who jumped into the virtual world to play online poker were disappointed to find that they were unable to play the game.
Initially, some players thought that it was a bug or they did not go the right location in the virtual Wild West. However, after contacting Rockstar, the developer of the game, it was explained that the real reason why some players were being blocked from playing at the poker tables was due to regional gambling laws and restrictions.
“We inform you with regret that the availability of Red Dead Online Poker depends on the laws and local regulations, which do not make it available to all players. In short, poker is not accessible in countries where online gambling is limited or illegal,” reads some of the reply emails that were sent by Rockstar Games.
Gaming Laws Apparently Apply to Virtual World Too
All in all, the possibility of playing online poker in Red Dead Redemption 2 is tied to the country within which a player lives. For some players, this may definitely be a huge deal-breaker, especially if they are die-hard poker fans. However, it is still very impressive that Rockstar Games went out of its way to ensure that the game was in compliance with laws in nearly all jurisdictions.
There is, of course, the possibility that some people may find workarounds but the impact might not be too damaging. This is partly because of the fact that the currency used in Red Dead Online poker is not linked to microtransactions in any way and is only obtainable through gameplay – as such, there is no risk of the creation of a black market as has been seen in very many other video games.
