History Main / BettingMiniGame

Optional gambling mini-game that has the player wagering [[GlobalCurrency in-game money]] on a [[GameplayRandomization game of chance]]. This can range from games [[LuckBasedMission based entirely on random chance]] (e.g. slots, roulette) to competitions involving some degree of skill (e.g. card battling), although an element of luck is invariably involved.

** In all ''Pokémon'' games starting from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite]]'', there is no Game Corner whatsoever -- don't even bother importing from Japan because they've been removed there too. They did reference them in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire by referencing the Mauville Game Corner from the original, but the Game Corner sadly closed down.

** The gambling is not very efficient for making money, since the games have to be played using tokens rather than the usual money, and you can't turn them back into money. HundredPercentCompletion requires either long hours gambling or a lot of token-buying, however, as inevitably one Pokemon can only be obtained as a prize in the Game Corner (the original being Porygon). However, in two generations they didn't even give Mons, just items. Due to the change in the law, this was stripped from ''Pokémon Platinum'', replaced with just randomly spawning coins. This was particularly jarring since there was no explanation offered as to why it was removed. It did however, thanks to the DS's region-free nature, become an incentive to import from America. Victory was entirely random in the original slots game. Very little the player could do actually ''increased'' the payout received. In short, the change in accordance to European gambling laws meant that you spend a lot less time watching drums spin and Clefairy dancing.

** In all ''Pokémon'' games starting from ''[=HeartGold and SoulSilver=]'', there is no Game Corner whatsoever -- don't even bother importing from Japan because they've been removed there too. They did reference them in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire by referencing the Mauville Game Corner from the original, but the Game Corner sadly closed down.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has a casino, but the games aren't playable... unless you're playing the Japanese [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] version, that is.

* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' has a TabletopGame/{{poker}} minigame with a bit of a twist; your money doesn't really matter (as long as you don't lose it playing), you just need to win to progress in the game, since Sonny is undercover to bust an illegal gambling ring and drug operation. The VGA remake makes it skippable at the cost of points.

* Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast produced the card game ''Three Dragon Ante'' in part to function as a card game that functioned as an in-universe game of chance for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' that fit the aesthetic better than blackjack or Texas holdem. The rules include various bonuses for players based on their character's skills.

* ''VideoGame/TheTreeOfLife'': C has you press a button to gamble every five seconds and get different suits appear in up to ten slots. You gain C Points based on different results and can spend them on upgrades.

* ''Frederik Pohl's Gateway'' (loosely based on [[Literature/HeecheeSaga the book]]) features several betting minigames. One is used as a plot element late in the game. The player spends time in a magnificent space casino and wins every game. Attentive players will recognize the Casino as a Virtual Reality, and to proceed they must break the directive of the simulation - that is, they must lose in a Casino where they're supposed to never be able to.

* ''Frederik Pohl's Gateway'' (loosely based on [[Literature/{{Gateway}} the book]]) features several betting minigames. One is used as a plot element late in the game. The player spends time in a magnificent space casino and wins every game. Attentive players will recognize the Casino as a Virtual Reality, and to proceed they must break the directive of the simulation - that is, they must lose in a Casino where they're supposed to never be able to.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Lurelin Village has a guy named Cloyne who runs a "pick one of three chests" minigame that is similar to the one in the original NES game.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', Lurelin Village has a guy named Cloyne who runs a similar "pick one of three chests" minigame to the one in the first game.

* ''VideoGame/AnUntitledStory'' features a blackjack game in birdtown where you can wager your crystals. However, [[SaveScumming saving and reloading]] [[DefiedTrope isn't exploitable]]. The money loss is saved in the file even if ''you don't save''.

* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' has a poker minigame with a bit of a twist; your money doesn't really matter (as long as you don't lose it playing), you just need to win to progress in the game, since Sonny is undercover to bust an illegal gambling ring and drug operation. The VGA remake makes it skippable at the cost of points.

* After Blizzard added a random number command to ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', players would often run their own simple betting games in the major cities. This activity was ultimately banned, in part because of how many players were doing it and clogging up the chat window. It is still possible to find such games in instances, usually as a way to pass time.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'', while there is a section of city that looks like Las Vegas (complete with bright, neon lights and oddly shaped buildings, there is no where to gamble. Mostly, you get to help seedy casino folks in good ol' fashion Vegas-styled knee breaking.

* ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' has the Hidden Reliquary in Siren's Landing. Inside are ten chests which contain a varying number of Orrian Pearls, the map-specific currency, ranging from 0 to 51. The first chest is free to open while every chest after costs 1.5 gold, a not-insignificant amount for this game.

* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' has a poker minigame with a bit of a twist; your money doesn't really matter (as long as you don't lose it playing), you just need to win to progress in the game. The VGA remake makes it skippable at the cost of points.

* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest'' has a poker minigame with a bit of a twist; your money doesn't really matter (as long as you don't lose it playing), you just need to win to progress in the game.

* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERGiantFist'': Has an unlockable Ace Casino where you can play High Low, with [[VideoGame/ExtrapowerAttackOfDarkforce Crown and Fool]] playing snarky dealers to coax you into spending more money and laughing at you when you lose. The deck uses characters from across the ''[[Franchise/{{EXTRAPOWER}} EXTRAPOWER]]'' series for face cards, aces and jokers. It can be a decent way of earning enough money for that next unlock, but note that draws favour the dealer.

** ''VideoGame/MarioParty3'': The Game Guy's minigames, which are run by a Shy Guy. When a player lands on a Game Guy space, they'll automatically wager all their coins in one of four possible minigames. Each one has its own rules (Sweet Surprise has the player guess which Chain Chomp will eat its cake faster, Roulette has the player guess in which area of a roulette the spinning red shell will stop, Lucky 7 has the player hit one or two dice blocks to try to land at a higher stair than Game Guy without overshooting the allowed number of steps, and Magic Boxes has the player guess which treasure chest contains a Toad instead of Baby Bowser), but in all of them the goal is to not only get back the number of coins used, but also get a valuable multiple of that number in case the player is lucky enough.

** In ''VideoGame/WarioLandSuperMarioLand3'', at the end of each level, you can play a game in which you pick one of two buckets. One has a moneybag, which doubles the coins you collected in the level, and the other has a 10 ton weight which cuts your coins in half. You can pick up to three times. In this game, the ending is based on how many coins and treasures you get.

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' plays with this by allowing the player to bet on a broken slot machine, with the three Sanchez Brothers standing nearby (in the middle of the desert, no less) to act as its reels.