Which is better - online casinos or offline casinos?

Which is better - online casinos or offline casinos? There are many gambling related questions one can encounter, one of the most popular being which is better, the online casino or the land based (offline) casino? On the surface, it appears to be an easy question to answer, but just like most arbitrary answers, this one would require a bit more information before it could be answered properly.

The bottom line in this case will depend on what exactly do you expect from gambling and which part of the casino (whether offline or online) do you value most. We will divide the answer in half, first we will answer why the online casinos are better and then - why the offline casinos are better. Which is the correct answer for your situation will depend on how many points you would meet in either scenario. Let's begin with:

Why the online casino is better

When you talk to people who gamble on the internet and ask them about their priorities in choosing the online version of a casino, somewhat surprising is the fact that the main reason they decided to play the internet casinos is - convenience. Very few of us have the luxury to have a casino built right on our city or nearby enough so travel is not an issue. You may have all of these near you - bars, restaurants, theaters, stadiums, clubs, etc., but when it comes to the casinos - they are indeed a special case and more often than not - travel is required. Excluding Las Vegas and Atlantic City, in most states where casino gambling is legal the average travel time will be over two hours both ways (going to and coming back from the casino).

And if your state does not allow gambling - you have to travel out of state, just to play a few hand at the blackjack table or have some fun playing slots. Add to this inconvenience the expenses attached to such a trip (gas, lodging, food) and you have yourself one very expensive hobby. Another example of convenience is the ease of switching games. On one side you have to walk from the penny slots to the other side of the casino, where the video poker machines are, while online with a click of a button you can go from the blackjack table to the bingo section. If all this seems as a nuisance to you, then the answer to which is better, offline or online casinos, is rather clear.

The second most cited reason is the unbelievable amount of free money the online casinos are giving away these days. It's not uncommon to find offers like "deposit $100 play with $300" or get 125% bonus on your deposit and many, many other promotions a decent online casino would run throughout the month, every month. If you just want to play some of the amazing video slots the gambling companies are coming out with this day and age, the difference between playing with $100 and $300 is massive. Longer play time, better odds to win, much more options, all thanks to the internet casino bonus. Even though some offline casinos will offer bonuses for their repeat customers, we are yet to hear of a land based casino that will simply double your money when you walk through the door.

Why the offline casinos are better

The biggest selling point of the land-based casinos is the social aspect. Yet another factor coming atop of the gambler's priorities, that may surprise most people. For the majority of gamblers, going to the offline casino is a big social event - family friends will take a trip together on the weekend, carpooling, having a dinner at one of the casino restaurants, catching a show, you get the idea. Yes, theoretically you can get a bunch of your friends to bring over their laptops and you can play blackjack at the online casinos - but how much fun would that be? Even though some gambling websites are experimenting with live dealers and other ways to improve the social effect, you can never meet some of the characters online than by sitting next to them on the blackjack table.

Fast money transactions is another feature you could find only at the offline casino, although this could be both good and bad. On the good side, no matter how fast the online casinos will pay out your winnings - it could never compare to holding the real dollar bills in your hand, right after hitting the jackpot. On the bad side - one can easily lose control over personal finances at the offline casino, where as the internet casinos have very strict limits on how much you can spend. The amount you can withdraw from your bank account at the local casino far exceeds what you could deposit at the online casino in a month's time.

So as you can see which is better - the online casino or the offline casino, is an answer dependent on any of the factors we mentioned above. If you are solitaire gambler or like the bonus offers, then the online casinos are better, if you like to go gambling along with your friends, then the offline casino is the better choice. Both casino version have their good and bad side, it's up to you to decide which one.

Published on 10/10/2012