Persona 5 Niijima’s Casino: Looking back on the sixth palace in 2026

Only Persona could present its players with a casino that is the literal manifestation of an in-game character’s, well, persona. That’s exactly what Niijima’s Palace in Persona 5 is all about. As the Metaverse version of an important character in the game’s story, this is a casino that is quite rigged in favor of the house for those of you looking to gamble in it. It’s among the most intriguing of Persona 5 palaces, and for good reason.

That’s because it’s the literal manifestation of Sae Niijima, an attorney with a chip on her shoulder who forms a major part of the game’s narrative. It’s also where the first mission of the game takes place, presenting players with an interesting Persona 5 casino heist gone wrong that sets the rest of the game in motion.

Where is Niijima’s Casino in Persona 5?

Although you begin the game in Niijima’s Casino, you don’t get to fully explore it until later in the game. Fortunately, it’s a part of the main story. Your character, The Joker, and his gang, The Phantom Thieves, can visit the Metaverse, a supernatural realm outside of reality. Here, they can visit Palaces, which are manifestations of an individual’s deepest desires, with a Treasure protected by a Shadow version of the person in question.

It’s these treasures that The Phantom Thieves are after, as collecting them after defeating the Shadow protecting them provides the power to control a person’s actions in the real world. In an attempt to convince Sae, an attorney who does not trust The Joker after his arrest, The Phantom Thieves decide to visit her Palace in the Metaverse and prove his innocence to her.

Lo and behold, Sae’s inner psyche turns out to be the Persona 5 Casino Palace, a place where the house is rigged to win each time.

How do you get through Niijima’s Casino?

In line with Sae’s character in Persona 5, the Casino can be quite hard to navigate if you don’t know what to do once you get there. Fortunately, a few key items can save you a lot of time and effort. For starters, it’s a good idea to obtain a member’s card in the basement of the Casino. This allows you to access the upper floors of the Palace. It’s there that you learn why it’s also called the Casino of Envy.

You see, Sae is one of the more interesting Persona 5 characters you meet. As a female attorney, she is quite frustrated with a corrupt system that forces her to resort to unethical means in the pursuit of justice for her clients. She’s also quite motivated to win, having to provide for her younger sister. That frustration and her ambitious nature are reflected in Niijima’s Casino, the manifestation of her inner thoughts and motivation.

As such, The Phantom Thieves must beat her at her own game while they are in there, but that’s easier said than done. Rigging Mechanisms and Shadow guards can impede your progress just as much as the large amount of coins you will need to progress. However, your fellow companions are there to help, and you manage to collect enough money to access areas beyond the upper floors, ultimately leading to a showdown with Sae’s shadow.

Any Persona 5 walkthrough should help you make it in and out of the Palace unscathed, although your mileage may vary depending on how good you are with the game’s combat mechanics. There are a lot of challenging fights to take on in this one.

Where do you go after Niijima’s Casino?

That’s an easy one. You go back to the police station, and things eventually come to a head as the real culprit behind the crime that The Joker is being accused of is revealed. The story takes a major turn at this point, and the outcomes depend on your decisions throughout the story of Persona 5.

If you’re playing Persona 5 Royal, there might be a few additional story beats at the Casino as well as the police station, but things largely remain the same.

However, Royal does bring a lot of content to the game after the story ends, acting as a new chapter for players to take on. It’s a great addition, allowing you to enjoy more Persona 5 gameplay with a brand new story and a lot of new enemies and quests to discover.

Why is Niijima’s Casino so fondly remembered?

As a location that’s quite narratively significant to an important cast member in Persona 5 Niijima’s Palace is a place that many players find memorable.

Also known as the Casino of Jealousy, its relevance to Sae and the manner in which it brings an insightful look into the character is undeniable.

Additionally, the manner in which it brings the narrative right back to the game’s beginning for a plot twist that is quite hard to predict is another feather in its cap. The rigged slot machines and the sequence that concludes your time in the Palace are more reasons that make it among the game’s most riveting chapters.

The Palace’s distinct visual style has also been widely praised among the game’s fans, making Niijima’s Casino a very prominent presence in Persona 5. And that concludes our fond look back at a location in modern gaming that’s right up there with the best of the best. If only there were a casino like this one in the real world.