Online or On-land: which casino is best?
Overall, gambling at an online casino is not a lot different from playing at a land-based one – but there are certain things to take into consideration such as travel, online payments and time spent looking at a screen. Over the years, virtual casinos have done a great job of recreating the vibrant, busy atmosphere as well as creating an immersive experience that allows you to get a taste of the glamourous world without having to leave your bedroom.
Ultimately, the main difference between land-based casinos and online casinos is that one of them requires travel. Whilst some will insist that playing online gives you more gaming options, there are others that claim the bright lights and unique atmosphere of the brick-and-mortar casino simply cannot be beaten.
Join us as we take a look at what both casino gaming destinations have to offer.
Land-based
The bustling atmosphere you get when you walk through the doors of a casino is hard to find anywhere else, and this is perhaps what draws thousands of players to real life casinos every year. There is nothing quite like holding the chips in your hand or being able to look the dealer in the eyes in the attempt to work out the hand they may be hiding.
Brick-and-mortar casinos tend to hold a lot of history, so visiting the buildings may interest you just as much as the gameplay itself. The famous Hippodrome in London, England, is one of the world’s finest casinos. Situated in London’s City of Westminster, it allows you to not only experience London’s historic buildings in all their glory, but it encourages you to enjoy the atmosphere of the world-renowned performance centre, right in the middle of the City’s nightlife.
Baden-Baden in Germany is another example of a grand casino, with a 250-year history and designed in the style of French Royal Palaces. With red and gold décor, elegant poker rooms and over 100 slot machines, the casino offers guided tours for your chance to really feel like royalty and get dressed up in your classiest attire.
Or perhaps you’d like to visit Caesars Palace in the USA, which offers specialised sports betting rooms alongside its beautiful marble columns, framed spiral escalators and Roman inspired artwork in a 150,000 square feet luxury hotel complex.
And finally, there’s the famous the Las Vegas experience – an opportunity to not only socialise, admire the artwork and meet new people during gameplay, but you can be transported as the lights soak you up into a whole new world of spa facilities, restaurants and live entertainment. Some casinos will even offer bonuses such as free drinks throughout your visit.
Online
Recreating the atmosphere of a land-based casino is undoubtedly hard, but with endless opportunities, live games and quick access, you can still allow the virtual world of online gaming to carry you into unimaginable fantasies where the graphics are sure to compensate for the lack of the physical world. And if that’s not enough, the latest technology has allowed for development in online gameplay. Now, wherever you are, you can play with a live dealer, streaming straight to your device from a specially designed studio, adding to the immersive experience. What’s more – you don’t need to have perfected your poker face as you are not surrounded by other players.
There are always huge varieties of games on offer, both online and in a brick-and-mortar casino, but online they are more accessible, through just one click. There’s no need to organise travel – or even change out of your pyjamas – the casino world is available right at your fingertips, from the comfort of your own home.
Online casinos often offer incentives to inspire your next game: whether it be free spins or bonus rounds, you can enjoy the unique benefits anytime, anywhere.
Of course, there are no guaranteed wins when you play either online or on land, but the experiences can be very similar. Both casinos exchange cash for chips with amounts that are decipherable by the different colours they display.
Any reputable online casino will use a Random Number Generator (RNG), whereas in real-life, you are counting on a different type of luck and your personal tactics may be easier to play as you become familiar with the rhythms of each particular dealer. Whilst land-based gaming tables are still regulated and kept fair, ultimately you are relying on a human hand over a perfected computed software, so arguably playing online gives you a more guaranteed level of fairness.
Both online and on-land casinos can quench your gaming thirst – it all depends on the type of gameplay you’re looking for. Online casinos have continued to develop over the years, offering a truly unique experience, so before you make your final decision, we recommend taking those virtual reels for a spin.