Most of us are just emerging after perhaps the longest period of prolonged isolation of our lives. All over the world shops, schools, places of worship, concert venues, and just about everything else has been closed. Of course, included in that list are my beloved casinos.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve spent more time than ever at online casinos. I have come to a rather startling conclusion: Physical casinos suck! Here’s why…
Dress Codes
To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t a single casino on the planet that will let you grind away at a poker table or enjoy a few spins on a slot in your pants. No, in the real world, players have to comply with pesky public order laws.
Online, it’s very different. I’m not offending anyone if I decide to do my gambling in my birthday suit. It doesn’t have to be some big occasion where I iron a nice shirt and some trousers. I can just load up whatever game I want to play and take a few spins. I’ve even played on my phone in the bath!
Less Action
At real casinos, one of my biggest peeves is waiting. Whether it’s at the bar or for some slow player deciding if he’s going to double his 10 versus the dealer’s 6 at the blackjack table, it’s just as annoying.
Online, the action is frantic. You can multi-table at games like poker or play purely digital representations of roulette where you don’t even need to wait for the wheel to stop spinning. Even slots are faster thanks to Auto Play, Turbo, and Quick Spin features. If you like constant action, online casinos win hands down.
I’m in Control of the Jukebox
The casino floor is hardly known for its slamming soundtracks. If there is any music on, it’ll be quiet but usually your sonic accompaniment will be a sports game on TV (if you’re lucky) or the constant, maddening sounds of casino chips being shuffled.
Although I can (and often do) use headphones when gambling in the real-world. It’s hardly the same as being at home with a decent system and all your favourites waiting on your playlist.
Bad RTPs
If you’re a slots fan, like I am, you’ll probably already know that real-world slots lag way behind digital ones in terms of their pay out percentages. This is mostly because it costs a heck of a lot more to operate a brick-and-mortar casino than it does an online one.
Dealers, bar staff, and security, all cost money, as does the building itself and the electricity powering it. That’s not to say online casinos don’t have any overheads – they’re just a lot lower.
At a real-world casino, you’re lucky if you find a slot in the mid-90% range. Online, slots routinely have much higher RTP ratings. Some even go right up to 99%!
No Bonuses
Bonuses are an absolute staple of online casinos. They’re nowhere near as common at brick-and-mortar casinos. A lot of this comes down to how casinos in the respective industries need to market themselves.
For real-world casinos, much of the marketing is done by just having a physical presence in a city (usually in a decadent, luxurious building that people want to spend time in). Most cities around the world have one or two casinos only so competition isn’t very intense.
Online, the very opposite is true. It’s just as easy for me to visit any online casino that serves the jurisdiction in which I live. As I’m from the UK, that’s a lot of online casinos!
Since competition is so fierce online, companies use promotions to attract new players. These welcome bonuses give players loads of extra shots at winning and keep them playing for longer than they would otherwise be able to. Meanwhile, wagering requirements associated with the offers mean the casino doesn’t lose too much from the promotions it runs.
Thanks to the differences between the two industries, real-world casinos just don’t need to offer the same bonuses. They, therefore, can’t compete in terms of the variety of bonuses that online casinos have. You can even play with no deposit bonuses at online casinos. These offer entirely risk-free shots at winning real money and experience new platforms and games. I’ve been through quite a few in recent months!
Travel Issues
For me, travel is part and parcel of gambling at a real-world casino. Since I usually like to enjoy a beer (or several) when I’m playing, I don’t take my own car and instead will hire a cab (expensive) or public transport (time consuming and service finishes rather early) to the casino in the city.
When I play online, my transportation just involves a quick internet search and a login. It takes about 15 seconds in total, compared to my usual forty-five-minute commute. Without having to factor in travel, I can spend way more time actually playing the games that attracted me to the casino in the first place.
Ok, There’s Still a Place for Real-World Casinos…
COVID-19 has definitely made me appreciate the online gambling experience a whole lot more. Before all this, I would never have dreamed of swapping my Friday night session at the casino for a game of virtual blackjack. However, necessity forced me to try internet gambling, and I’m impressed!
After the casinos open up again, I will still visit them. Technology struggles to fully recreate the social aspect of casino gambling. There’s also nothing quite like the feel of betting and raising with real, weighted casino chips. However, I don’t think I’ll be making my regular weekly pilgrimage there and will save the real-world casino for special occasions. The action online is just too tasty!
When I play online, my transportation just involves a quick internet search and a login. It takes about 15 seconds in total, compared to my usual forty-five-minute commute. The vast range of casinos listed on sites like casinosites.ltd.uk mean that I am spoilt for choice when I can play lots of different types of slots, and typical games like Roulette or Blackjack found at my favourite bricks and mortar casino, all from the comfort of my home. Plus, Without having to factor in travel, I can spend way more time actually playing the games that attracted me to the casino in the first place.