Land-based casinos offer a fun night out, but it can be too easy to be distracted when playing our favourite games. That’s why online casinos are best for those who care more about the game than the live entertainment on offer.
If your new to the gaming scene, playing online sees many benefits including playing and learning at your own speed, being able to play without experienced players intimidating you, and the ability to play in free play mode until you get the hang of things.
Even experienced players are better online and while we love a fun night out at a brick and mortar live casino venue, we think that playing on the Internet really allows us to get the most out of a real money gambling experience due a number of reasons we have listed below.
Best casino bonuses
Lower house edge
Since online casinos don’t have the same overhead costs which land-based gaming establishments do, they don’t have to compensate with a high house edge attached to their games. For example, brick and mortar casino operators are required to pay wages to staff, security, and other employees, as well as fund live entertainment and pay any maintenance staff if required. Therefore, they have a high house edge attached to their games, and this means the odds for the player aren’t as favourable as they are online.
Online operators may have to pay staff including customer representatives and live dealers – depending on whether they offer these types of games – but it is nowhere near as much as the overhead costs their land-based counterparts incur. Therefore, they can offer low house advantages meaning players are more likely to win.
Internet promotions and bonuses
Overhead costs also play a part when it comes to promotions and bonuses. Land-based casinos can’t afford to offer regular generous promotions while online casinos have more freedom and funds to offer welcome bonuses, as well as reward ongoing real money players with both VIP programs and regular promotions.
Your first deposit at an Internet casino is a lot different to when you first exchange your cash for chips at a live casino venue. Rather than just receiving casino credits when you make a deposit online, you can take advantage of their welcome bonus which generally sees your first few deposits matched.
For land-based players, in order to join the VIP or loyalty club, players have to go to the information desk and sign up, whereas online any player who makes a deposit is instantly added to the rewards program and gains points every time they play games or make another deposit which is quite convenient.
Regular promotions are also available to players and can range from daily, weekly and monthly specific promotions that can include cash back, free spins, and other prizes.
Internet casinos are more accessible and portable
Online casinos only need an Internet connection to be accessed and therefore you can play whenever and wherever you have one. There is no need to organise how to get there, when to go, and who will come with you, which are just some of the factors that need to be considered with land-based casinos.
Additionally, thanks to both online operators and software developers creating mobile compatible games and a mobile-friendly interface, the level of portability has increased even more so with players able to play on their smartphones and tablets. Most popular brands and operating systems are supported, including Apple iOS, Google’s Android OS, and more.
Lack of distractions at online casinos
Playing at land-based casinos regardless if you are a new or an experienced player sees multiple external distractions which can hinder gameplay. For newbies, these can include intimidating experienced players which can detract from learning the game or being prevented from picking up tactics due to the fast pace. For experienced players, you can make silly moves due to boisterous mates or other loud players.
Going online on the other hand means you can avoid any of these distractions, open up separate tabs on your computer with handy tips during game play (such as basic strategy guides for blackjack) and play or learn with ease and at your own pace.
Internet casino games
Online casinos offer a lot more variety than their land-based counterparts in terms of the games by different software developers and the variants by the one software developer.
While all the standard casino games are available including the pokies, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker, keno, and more, there are a number of variants which have differing and sometimes quite favourable rules for the player. So while you may find multiple tables of blackjack, roulette, etc., at land-based venues they generally just vary in minimum and maximum bet sizes, with a few variants available.
Online, however, there are varying minimums and quite a number of different variants which are better suited for players that aren’t as easy to locate at land-based gaming establishments (such as French roulette).
Online casino software
There are quite a number of online casino software developers that offer stellar games. This means online players can try a number of the same titles by different software developers in order to find their favourite game and creator. Each software developer has a niche which they adhere to with their games including rules, payout rates, etc., which can vary -an option not available at brick and mortar casinos.
Land-based experience online
Despite the number of advantages that online casinos have, there is still the social element which land-based casinos offer that online casinos can’t create, as well as the fact that results are determined by humans (provided you aren’t playing an electronic gaming machine).
Live dealer casino titles
While Random Number Generators (RNGs) produce random results, as a human dealer would, provided you are playing at a safe and reputable online casino such as the many we recommend, many still prefer the human element to determine the results of the game. To compensate for this missing aspect online, software developers have created live dealer titles which see a human dealer recorded live and streamed directly to your screen so players can place bets virtually but have the results determined in real time by human dealers.
Live dealer titles also offer an added social element that may be missing when playing online. There are also chat boxes included in many live dealer titles which can see players talk to the other players and the live dealer.
While this isn’t the same as going to a land-based casino with your mates, if you really do want that social element but you can’t make it to a land-based casino you could invite your friends over and tell them to bring their laptops for your own private online casino party.
The future of online casinos
Land-based casinos don’t have the same growth potential, due to both legislation and limitations imposed, that online casinos do.
Online casinos have more freedom due to their digital nature, but it is important for players to ensure they are playing at Internet gaming establishments governed by advanced gaming jurisdictions (such as the many online casinos that we recommend). This means they have the potential to grow and offer an array of different games and services.
Future of online casino games
Since the time casinos have gone online, the games have constantly been tweaked by software developers in order for online operators to offer the most advanced and innovative games, and of course this will continue to occur.
Both the games and the platform the games are played on will continue to change. New games may be created that branch away from the traditional casino format but still require real money in order to be operated.
For example, Royal Wins Studio, which already exists, creates games that intertwines real money gambling with an advanced skill level and a social media aspect. One of their games, known as Kash Karnival, requires players to login in via Facebook and play with real money. While players can access the game using laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet, they can’t play via Google Chrome as the browser disabled access to the game. Firefox and Safari both allow access however.
Internet casino platforms
Along with games, platforms which we use to access real money games will also change, which includes both the device and the interface. As with Royal Wins Studio, Facebook may become a platform which we access real money games, but this depends on country and state legislation.
Additionally, devices which we use to access the online casino games are likely to change, especially since we have seen the release of smartwatches (Apple Watch) and Virtual Reality headsets (Oculus Rift). Therefore, it probably won’t be long until games are created for these type of of devices.
Social gaming
Obviously the biggest drawback to playing online is the lack of the social element. Online operators and software developers are continuing to grow and advance in order to fill and gaps they may have and therefore it is only a matter of time before they find a solution. Live dealer games are an option which adds a social ambience, but we believe there are many more advances in the works which will see players sharing and socialising while playing casino games online.
Land-based venues offer a fun and social experience but for real casino gaming, Internet casinos are better value.