What the math says
- Crime: from 1 to 50, which one to run is in Which crime to run at each level, in step with the Getting High rotation.
- House: when to buy each one is in The Hood → Where to live.
- Stashing: idle money goes in the bank, no cap. Your pocket loses 10% on every fight you lose, with no ceiling.
- Businesses: only after the Mansion, and only the Casino. Before that your money works harder in your farm (here's why). The Casino never replaces crime: it's an extra for idle money, not a source of income.
- Always collect and protect the till. A raid takes 50% of whatever wasn't collected; Detective Barone shows up on 8% of collections over $2,000.
Which crime to run at each level
Same profile as the rotation by level on Getting High: someone who started from zero, points in SPD/CUN, street kit from the Starter Shop and green from the Market, with the rotation's drugs in their system (Weed up to 5, the Cocaine ladder after that). Your number may be different: the calculator right below redoes the math with your stats.
| Level | Run this | Chance | $ per energy | XP per energy | Jail per 100 energy | With success capped at 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Lift a Wallet or Swipe a Phone (more XP) |
70%–84% | $14–$17 | 0.70–0.83 | 0 min | Swipe a Phone |
| 3–4 | Shoplift Electronics or Shoplift Jewelry (more XP) |
82%–84% | $28–$29 | 1.24–1.26 | 1 min | Shoplift Jewelry |
| 5 | Shoplift Jewelry or Shoplift Electronics (more money) |
83% | $29 | 1.45 | 3 min | same one |
| 6–7 | Steal a Sedan | 84%–85% | $45–$46 | 1.74–1.77 | 3 min | same one |
| 8–11 | Steal a Sedan | 86%–90% | $47–$49 | 1.80–1.89 | 3 min | Hijack a Cargo Truck |
| 12–14 | Rob a Credit Union or Steal a Sedan (more XP) |
59%–62% | $82–$85 | 1.78–1.85 | 8 min | same one |
| 15–17 | Rob a Credit Union or Steal a Sedan (more XP) |
63%–65% | $86–$89 | 1.88–1.95 | 7 min | Crack the City Vault |
| 18–23 | Rob the Museum | 54%–61% | $192–$216 | 2.49–2.81 | 9 min | same one |
| 24–29 | Crack the Casino Vault | 54%–61% | $288–$326 | 3.39–3.83 | 9 min | same one |
| 30–50 | Raid the Federal Reserve | 52%–79% | $478–$731 | 4.37–6.69 | 9 min | same one |
- Why money sometimes and XP other times? Up to 4, money buys gear, which is what raises your chance the most. From 5 to 9 the highest-XP crime levels you faster and the cash is already enough. From 10 on it's back to money, because that's what pays the hospital and lets the Cocaine ladder run all the way.
- A new crime isn't always better. With green gear, Raid Warehouse, Jack a Sports Car, Hijack a Cargo Truck, Crack the City Vault never come out on top. Some only pull ahead once success is already capped at 95% (last column). From the Museum on, the newest crime wins at everything, even with a low chance.
- Jail grows with the tier. From the Museum up, with green gear, it's about 26 minutes of jail per rotation. It's still worth it by a mile, but every piece that cuts jail time (Scrambler Phone, Riot Surplus Helmet, Getaway Car Keys…) gives you rotation time back.
Which crime pays you the most
Chance = (base + Σ stat × weight × (1 + house) − difficulty + gear crime bonus) ÷ 100, between 5% and 95%. Enter your total stats (base + gear), as they show on the Character page.
Gold highlight = most money per energy; ★ = most XP per energy. “Jail/energy” = expected minutes of jail per energy point spent.
Businesses
Straight talk on businesses
- Before the Mansion, don't open a business. Money sitting in the bank doesn't earn anything, but it doesn't get lost either, and it's what carries you through bad overdose sessions. Some rotations pop ODs even at 3% risk, one after another, and whoever doesn't have the cash to pay loses the whole ladder. From level 30 on, a full hospital bill is $250,000 (before item discounts). Keep at least 3 full bills stashed, about $750,000. A business locks that money up for weeks and, if you need to sell, only gives back 75%.
- A business is a target. With no defenses, a max-level shop has 200 security, and a typical mid-game raider lands the raid 38% of the time, taking 50% of the uncollected till. All five defenses together cost more than the Casino itself.
- Passive income doesn't come close to crime. A max-level Casino costs $4,750,000 to bring in $354,000 a day. At level 30, with just green gear, one day of crime (8 rotations) already makes about $1,093,138: the Casino costs 4 days of farming and brings in per day only 32% of what one day of farming makes. At level 50 with reds, a single Adrenaline rotation makes about $3,194,499: the Casino's whole day doesn't cover one cycle. And that's before the cut: in a gang-held district, 10% to 28% of the income goes to whoever owns the turf, whether that's your gang or not.
- The Casino is late game. Only for whoever already has the Mansion, already has the reds they want and has nowhere left to stuff money. And don't open it with exactly enough cash: without the first upgrades it earns little and gets robbed easy (see open, upgrade, defend).
- After 50, the Casino is for the gang. The protection cut on collections lands in the till of whoever holds the district. The recommendation is always in a tier 3 district held by your gang: that's where your gang takes the most. In a rival's district you're paying the enemy every day.
Where to open: district tier and the protection cut
The district tier multiplies every business's income: ×1.00 at tier 1, ×1.15 at tier 2, ×1.30 at tier 3. But the multiplier applies before the protection cut, and a better district also charges more when it's held. A max-level Casino ($4,750,000 invested, $6,000 in bribes a day):
| District | Gross income/day | Neutral: you keep | Cut when held | Held: you keep | Goes to the gang holding it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tier 1 (13 districts) | $360,000 | $354,000 | 10%–15% | $300,000–$318,000 | $36,000–$54,000 |
| tier 2 (9 districts) | $414,000 | $408,000 | 18%–20% | $325,200–$333,480 | $74,520–$82,800 |
| tier 3 (4 districts) | $468,000 | $462,000 | 22%–28% | $330,960–$359,040 | $102,960–$131,040 |
- When it's held, the tier barely changes what hits your pocket: going from tier 1 to tier 3 you gain $12,960 to $59,040 a day. The rest of the tier bonus goes to the till of the gang holding it, and that's why your gang's tier 3 is the place for the Casino.
- Neutral is the only way to keep the whole bonus (neutral tier 3: $462,000/day), but a neutral district doesn't stay neutral forever: once somebody takes it, the cut kicks in right away.
- “Business income” items (Vigilante Belt +30%, El Padrino's Ledger +100%) only boost passive income. They're a bonus for whoever already has reds, not a reason to open one.
Open, upgrade, defend: the Casino step by step
Math for a tier 3 district held by your gang (cut of 22% to 28%, which goes to the gang's till). Raid chance = raider's power ÷ (power + security). About 120 power is a mid-game raider; a well-built level 50 goes over 400. “Overnight raid” = what a raid takes from 14 hours of uncollected till.
| Step | Cost | Invested | Net income/day | Security | Raid at 120 | Raid at 250 | Raid at 400 | Overnight raid | Pays for itself in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open the Casino (level 1) | $2,400,000 | $2,400,000 | $50,160–$54,840 | 40 | 75% | 86% | 91% | $17,745 | 44–48 days |
| Upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $2,450,000 | $83,856–$91,344 | 80 | 60% | 76% | 83% | $28,392 | 27–29 days |
| Upgrade to level 3 | $200,000 | $2,650,000 | $134,400–$146,100 | 120 | 50% | 68% | 77% | $44,362 | 18–20 days |
| Upgrade to level 4 | $600,000 | $3,250,000 | $207,408–$225,192 | 160 | 43% | 61% | 71% | $67,431 | 14–16 days |
| Upgrade to level 5 | $1,500,000 | $4,750,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 200 | 38% | 56% | 67% | $106,470 | 13–14 days |
| + Pit bulls | $100,000 | $4,850,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 300 | 29% | 45% | 57% | $106,470 | 14–15 days |
| + Alarm System | $500,000 | $5,350,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 600 | 17% | 29% | 40% | $106,470 | 15–16 days |
| + Armed Guards | $2,500,000 | $7,850,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 1400 | 8% | 15% | 22% | $106,470 | 22–24 days |
| + Panic Room | $7,000,000 | $14,850,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 2900 | 5% | 8% | 12% | $106,470 | 41–45 days |
| + Military Defense | $15,000,000 | $29,850,000 | $330,960–$359,040 | 5900 | 5% | 5% | 6% | $106,470 | 83–90 days |
- Stack up $3,250,000 before opening (the opening + the first 3 upgrades) and do it all on the same day. Opened at level 1, the Casino brings in $54,840 a day, takes 44+ days to pay for itself and a strong raider robs it 91% of the time. At level 4 the payback drops to 14–16 days.
- Level 4 is still easy pickings: 43% against a mid-game raider, 71% against a level 50. Bump it to 5 ($1,500,000) as soon as you can.
- Pit bulls and the Alarm System right after. For $600,000 the strong raider's raid chance drops from 67% to 40%, and the payback barely moves.
- Armed Guards only if they're raiding you nonstop (22% against a strong raider, payback goes to 22–24 days). The Panic Room and Military Defense don't pay for themselves with the income: they only make sense for someone who really has nowhere else to spend.
- Collect before bed and as soon as you wake up. A raid takes 50% of the pending till; overnight is when the till is full and you're not watching.
For those who've already decided to open: rules, buying order and portfolios
- Up to 5 businesses. Opening costs the base price × the slot: ×1.00, ×1.50, ×2.25, ×3.40, ×5.00 (the 1st, the 2nd, …).
- Income × shop level: ×1.0, ×1.6, ×2.5, ×3.8, ×6.0. Upgrades: $50,000, $200,000, $600,000, $1,500,000 — the same price for any type.
- Income × district tier: ×1.00, ×1.15, ×1.30, before the protection cut (only in a gang-held district).
- The till builds up for up to 7 days. The payoff (daily bribe to the cops) comes out of your pocket, then the bank.
Purchases in order of return
| Business | Purchase | Cost | Gain per day | Pays for itself in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino | upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $36,000 | 1.4 days |
| Nightclub | upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $15,000 | 3.3 days |
| Casino | upgrade to level 3 | $200,000 | $54,000 | 3.7 days |
| Gun Store | upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $7,200 | 6.9 days |
| Casino | upgrade to level 4 | $600,000 | $78,000 | 7.7 days |
| Nightclub | upgrade to level 3 | $200,000 | $22,500 | 8.9 days |
| Casino | upgrade to level 5 | $1,500,000 | $132,000 | 11.4 days |
| Chop Shop | upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $3,600 | 13.9 days |
| Nightclub | upgrade to level 4 | $600,000 | $32,500 | 18.5 days |
| Gun Store | upgrade to level 3 | $200,000 | $10,800 | 18.5 days |
| Nightclub | upgrade to level 5 | $1,500,000 | $55,000 | 27.3 days |
| Pawn Shop | upgrade to level 2 | $50,000 | $1,800 | 27.8 days |
Math for a neutral tier 1 district (no multiplier and no cut). For each district's tier and cut, see the Where to open table. Opening already accounts for the bribe; leveling up doesn't change the bribe.
The best portfolio for each budget
Exhaustive search across every combination of up to 5 businesses (type and level of each), opening the priciest first:
| Budget | Best combo | Cost | Net income/day | Pays for itself in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | Laundromat lv 1 + Laundromat lv 1 + Laundromat lv 1 + Laundromat lv 1 | $81,500 | $900 | 90.6 days |
| $500,000 | Chop Shop lv 3 | $490,000 | $14,400 | 34.0 days |
| $1,000,000 | Gun Store lv 3 + Pawn Shop lv 2 + Laundromat lv 1 | $982,500 | $33,525 | 29.3 days |
| $3,000,000 | Casino lv 3 + Pawn Shop lv 2 + Laundromat lv 1 + Laundromat lv 1 + Laundromat lv 1 | $2,986,500 | $149,175 | 20.0 days |
| $5,000,000 | Casino lv 5 + Pawn Shop lv 2 | $4,980,000 | $358,500 | 13.9 days |
| $10,000,000 | Casino lv 4 + Casino lv 5 + Chop Shop lv 3 | $9,990,000 | $590,400 | 16.9 days |
| $25,000,000 | Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 + Nightclub lv 5 + Pawn Shop lv 2 | $24,850,000 | $1,214,000 | 20.5 days |
| $50,000,000 | Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 + Casino lv 5 | $43,310,000 | $1,770,000 | 24.5 days |
Raids and Detective Barone
Chance of a raid succeeding = raider's power ÷ (power + security). Security = shop level × 40 + defenses. A typical mid-game raider has about 120 power.
| Shop | Security | raider 80 | raider 120 | raider 200 | raider 400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| level 1 | 40 | 67% | 75% | 83% | 91% |
| level 2 | 80 | 50% | 60% | 71% | 83% |
| level 3 | 120 | 40% | 50% | 62% | 77% |
| level 4 | 160 | 33% | 43% | 56% | 71% |
| level 5 | 200 | 29% | 38% | 50% | 67% |
| level 5 + up to Pit bulls ($100,000) | 300 | 21% | 29% | 40% | 57% |
| level 5 + up to Alarm System ($500,000) | 600 | 12% | 17% | 25% | 40% |
| level 5 + up to Armed Guards ($2,500,000) | 1400 | 5% | 8% | 12% | 22% |
| level 5 + up to Panic Room ($7,000,000) | 2900 | 5% | 5% | 6% | 12% |
| level 5 + up to Military Defense ($15,000,000) | 5900 | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
A successful raid takes 50% of the uncollected till (up to $500,000). Barone takes a piece of a collection's envelope (he opens asking for 50%, you can haggle him down to 20%), at most once every 20 h. Collecting often cuts down what both of them can take.