The rules of blackjack didn’t change but online casinos altered the way in which people looked at casinos. Before the internet, you had to make a trip down to your local casino, find a seat at the roulette or blackjack table (that was hopefully within your limits), endure all the smoke, drunks and loud noises to enjoy some good ole fashion gambling. That all changed when internet gambling became popular and more mainstream.
At first many were hesitant as to whether they could trust an online casino – without seeing the cards being put down in front of them it must be rigged. As these online casinos became more mainstream, rigorously tested and trustworthy players were less concerned about the online gambling industry, but still had to be careful about the different casinos that they played at. We look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of playing at an online casino:
Casino Bonuses
Online Casinos are well known for the offering players with big and attractive signup bonuses. There are two reasons for such offers, the first is that with lower overhead costs as compared to land based casinos, they can make sure offers and still be profitable. But probably far more important is that the low barrier to entry and ease with which someone can go somewhere else. In other words, competition. If you are staying at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, there’s a bit of a walk to the next casino so you are more likely to play where you are. Taking a trip to the next online casino, is much easier for a customer so online casinos must make you an offer that you cannot refuse.
Comfort/Convenience
This comparison isn’t really fair and where online casinos really have their land based counterparts beat. With an online casino you not only don’t need to leave your house, but you don’t need to even get dressed. And with mobile products making recent advancement you can play pretty much anywhere, anytime. Take away the smelly guy sitting next to you that hasn’t showed in 2 days and is smoking like a chimney and you can’t beat the comfort of playing for favorite casino game in your own house.
Atmosphere
For all the positives of playing from the comforts of your own home, the atmosphere just isn’t the same as visiting an actual casino. For some people the smells, sounds and aura of excitement that’s created by people risking their money and winning/losing can’t be beat and it’s all part of the casino experience. Online casinos have tried to create some of the casino excitement with the growing popularity of live dealers, however it’s still not quite the same. This factor really comes down to ones personal preference on how much the atmosphere really matters to them.
As online casinos grew, many thought that it would be the death of places like Las Vegas as people could easily stay at home to play. Although Las Vegas has suffered in recent years, it’s more to do with the global economic crisis than online casino as up until that point Las Vegas was thriving. Las Vegas realized that they offered more than just sitting at a table gambling, but rather they provided an excitement that adults couldn’t find anywhere else. They build expensive night clubs, brought in big entertainers, build amazing pools and made it alright for grown ups to lose their inhibitions for a few days. Gambling still contributes billions to the Las Vegas economy, but they have done a fantastic job hyping the experience part of a Las Vegas trip.
