Online casinos have surged in popularity in the last few years. This uptick has no doubt been heavily influenced by the pandemic, which forced physical casinos to shut their doors and kept us all in our homes.
As a result, casino brands have invested more resources in their online platforms in order to attract as many players as possible. This has come in the form of new games, better functionality and user experience, and more attractive bonuses and deals.
What Is An Online Casino?
An online casino is simply an electronic version of a casino that can be accessed via the internet, whether that be on a computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone.
When we think of casinos, we conjure images of long roulette tables, blackjack and poker tables, and row upon row of slot machines. People are crowded around some of those tables, cheering or lamenting, and we hear the jingles of jackpots being won on the slot machines.
Online casinos lack that sensory experience. They also lack the social aspect of being in a physical casino. Betting companies are aware of this and have made great efforts to make their online casinos as immersive as possible.
They achieve this through the likes of live dealer tables for games ranging from roulette to poker, as well as a massive variety of slot machine games.
What Are The Pros Of Online Casinos?
There are a lot of advantages of using an online casino compared to physically going to a casino.
First of all, going to a brick-and-mortar casino can be somewhat daunting, especially for the uninitiated. Online casinos come with instructions and guidance, so if you’ve always wanted to play poker but aren’t sure of the rules, you can play at your own pace without the pressure of having other people around you, watching and judging.
There are no queues or hold-ups at an online casino. If you go to a real-world casino to play blackjack, for example, you may find that all the tables are full, so you might have to either wait or use a computerised version anyway.
The instantaneous nature of online casinos is great if you’re looking to just play a few quick games, so it’s not worth the time it takes to travel to the closest physical casino, even if there’s one that’s close by. And if there aren’t any live casinos nearby, all the more reason to play online!
And is there anything better than being able to play a few games while in your pyjamas, snuggling under a blanket on the couch? Sometimes we just want to enjoy the comforts of our own home rather than going through the rigmarole of going out.
Most online casinos offer deals and promotions when you sign up and play regularly. For example, you could get 50 free spins on slot machine games when you register. Sometimes you don’t even have to make an initial deposit, so you can play and earn for free, which is something you don’t always get with live casinos.
But, I hear you say, there are so many online casinos out there these days – how do I go about choosing the right one for me? That’s where online casino reviews come in, so you can read what the experts have to say about what each betting site offers.
What Are The Drawbacks?
No matter how immersive an online casino is, it still can’t quite capture the thrill and excitement of sitting at a table in a physical casino. Going to a casino, whether in Cardiff or Las Vegas, can provide so many memorable moments – and those memories may live a little longer if you win some money.
There’s also the social aspect of going to a physical casino. You can go with friends or family, and maybe even meet that someone special over a game that you both enjoy. Playing at home on your mobile phone lacks all of that, even if you’re playing a live table game.
Another drawback to online casinos is that you might have to wait a short period of time to get your winnings, which have to be processed and then transferred to your account. Depending on the payment method used, that transfer could take a few days. At a live casino, you can collect your winnings there and then.
In Summary
Whether you choose an online or a physical casino all comes down to personal preference and the mood you’re in at that particular moment. The important takeaway is that you now have a choice.
