Land-based casinos have always had an advantage in the world of gambling. As technology continues to advance, however, that is no longer necessarily the case. While there is still certainly something to be said about heading to Las Vegas and spending time at one of the dozens of casinos in town, it’s hard to beat the convenience of betting over the internet.
The invention of smartphones has taken the world of online betting to a new level altogether. Brick and mortar casinos started a slow decline shortly after the first online casinos were launched in the mid-1990s. That said, plenty of gamblers still prefer the old-school feeling of playing for cash at a real casino. As a result, we still have two massive branches stemming from the same gambling tree fighting for supremacy in the world of betting.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both land-based and online casinos. However, it’s fair to say that the internet is closing the gap very quickly. Nowadays, the best real money online casinos look an awful lot like their brick and mortar counterparts. So, which is better?
Online Casinos Are More Random
Obviously, things like playing cards, dice and roulette wheels are not being handled by real people when you’re playing at an online casino. Online casinos use random number generators (RNGs) and computer graphics to display images of cards, dice, roulette wheels, etc. While a person shuffles the cards or spins the wheel at a real casino, the RNGs take the responsibility on the internet.
The outcome of every spin and roll of the dice is completely random. The outcomes are actually even more random online than they are in land-based casinos because the computer will never develop a human tendency, and the physical flaws that may impact play at a real-life casino do not exist online. Legal online casinos are regulated by governing bodies to ensure the integrity of the game. Your local gaming control board is in place to ensure that nothing fishy happens with the technology. The programs are constantly being tested to ensure quality, and that the numbers are truly generated at random.
Online Casinos Are Faster
If you’re playing casino games online, you’re most likely doing so by yourself. If you’re doing so at a land-based casino, you’re playing alongside other people. You can still play online casino games with other people, but the person-to-person contact is slim-to-none.
This goes for dealers, too. While some online casinos offer live dealer games that stream games being played at a casino to those at home on computers, most online casino games don’t have an actual, human dealer. Not having people with whom to converse during a game means the online experience is a bit quieter, but it also means human error isn’t an element of the game. As a result, your payouts when playing online are going to be accurate 100 percent of the time. That’s no small thing.
The games online are also quite a bit quicker. While humans take time to deal and shuffle cards, computers are able to do those things instantaneously. Computer games also pay out right away, so you don’t have to take the time to walk up to a window to cash out as you will at a brick and mortar venue. It also takes the manual counting of chips out of the equation, which streamlines the entire process. Being able to go at your own pace is a nice luxury you also won’t necessarily find at a land-based casino.
Crowd Control
One major factor in deciding whether to play online or at a real casino is whether you want to deal with crowds. Most casinos, especially those high-profile spots in Vegas, tend to be crowded more often than not. Most online casinos aren’t designed to be player-vs.-player games. Most are player-vs.-house games. As a result, you don’t have to wait around for other players to make their move before you do. You also don’t have to deal with others potentially chiding your playing style or deriding your strategy, which is a plus.
While you (probably) don’t have a cocktail waitress coming around to give you a free drink as you sit in front of your computer, it’s also nice to not have to deal with the potential second-hand smoke that comes with sitting around at a land based casino. If privacy and comfort are things that matter to you when you’re gambling, you probably won’t be able to beat the experience of playing on your own computer at home.
As mentioned, casinos get crowded. However, you can just hop onto the internet and start playing casino games online whenever you want. Most casinos may operate on a 24-hour basis schedule, but the instant access without distractions afforded to you by online casinos makes for a second-to-none type of experience.
Currency Options
If you’re playing at brick and mortar casino, you’re pretty much limited to using the local currency. However, online casinos take all sorts of different forms of payment, from credit cards to cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. If you’re playing online, you are able to work your way around potential pesky currency conversion fees.
Online casinos also offer multiple payout methods. Leaving a traditional casino with wads of cash in your pockets can be risky, especially if you happen to find yourself in a not-so-safe neighborhood. If you want to play blackjack online for real money, you can have your winnings deposited directly into your online gaming account. If you want to withdraw, you can have the cash deposited directly into your bank, or you can have a check sent to you via snail mail. The vast currency options afforded by online casinos are much more user-friendly.
Conclusion
Online casinos are the way to go if you want a streamlined, stress-free, comfortable gambling experience. Those that prefer the human touch will typically prefer the tried-and-true land-based option, but these days online casinos seem to have an edge over their old-school foes in a number of different ways.
