Where Should You Place Your Bets – Online or In a Casino?

Traditional (and casino) gambling has existed for centuries, as it is a pastime that has been depicted on tombs from ancient China and Rome and written about in the Jewish Talmud. It was said that the Tudor court loved music only second to gaming, while the Duchess of Devonshire almost ruined her incredibly wealthy husband in the 18th century with her obsessive gambling at the faro table – and she certainly wasn’t alone among her peers in that respect. Nowadays, thanks to the ubiquity of the internet, we don’t have to venture very far from our beds or kitchen tables to play a hand at poker or take some risks with roulette. We have online gaming, which has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, especially among younger adults.
If you’ve always gone to the casino and enjoy that atmosphere, you might not consider online gambling as a worthwhile option. And if you like playing poker in your underwear, maybe putting on pants and heading to your nearest casino isn’t your cup of tea. Yet there are arguments for both sides of the debate, with a number of compelling differences and advantages to ascribe to each option. Keep an open mind as you consider where you’ll next place your bets: online in true 21st century fashion or in a glitzy, high-rolling casino.

Online Gambling

Online gambling has many advantages, some of which are more obvious than others. For starters, online gambling can be done from the home – really, anywhere, whether it’s your bathroom, your kitchen or your garage. It can even be taken with you wherever you go via your mobile phone or tablet. Wherever there’s an internet connection, you are connected to the game, making it convenient and easy.
Users also cite the ability to choose a quiet environment as a major plus; while the excitement of a casino can be thrilling, it’s also ripe with distractions, be it loud shrieking from someone who just won at the slots, drunken patrons, the stench of cigarette smoke or a pretty woman in a sexy red dress who’s winking at you. Furthermore, there are tons of online casino sites to choose from, like the popular 777 Dragon Casino or Casino Tropez, and with an abundance of gaming options you will find that each site offers tempting extras and bonuses to entice you.
Additionally, you don’t have to tip any workers on an online site and you might find the gambling expertise to be superior to that in a casino, as the technology of websites strictly adheres to rules and guidelines with little-to-no room for human error.
On the debit side, though, ease-of-access might contribute to problematic behavior, and you sometimes must download software onto your computer in order to play.

Traditional (Casino) Gambling

But of course, plenty of people prefer to tuck in their shirts and head out for a night of fun at the casino, and it’s easy to understand why. Interacting with other human beings and being able to look the dealer right in the eye has infinite appeal. There’s no adrenaline rush in the world quite like the feeling when you’re ahead and a crowd has gathered around you to cheer you on.
There are no forms to fill out, no sites to join if you’re in a gaming room. Casinos make for terrific people watching and it’s also a great deal of fun seeing other people win and sharing their enthusiasm and elation.
Yet, if you live far from a casino, making the trek isn’t always convenient, and casino owners know all the tricks of the trade to get you to keep shelling out money on games and drinks.

Potential Effects of Co-Existing Modern Gambling Options

Casino owners might also seem at odds with online gambling sites, but a study in 2011 showed that, surprisingly, online gambling seemed to strengthen the business for casinos, serving as a kind of “first step” into gaming, a chance for new and inexperienced gamblers to get their feet wet, learn the rules, gain confidence and then venture out to casinos for the higher-thrill experience. Whether or not this is actually the case, only time and further research can tell, but clearly online gambling and casinos must learn to co-exist.
Author Bio:
Les Simpson is a contributing writer and enthusiastic gambler who has won upwards of 20,000 dollars in casino poker. He is currently working on a guide about the poker game, Texas Hold ‘Em.